Case Western Reserve University receives largest commitment to higher ed in Ohio history: $125M from Mandel Foundation
Record investment will fund four focus areas, including new humanities building, student scholarships, leadership initiatives, and ethical technological innovation
As Case Western Reserve University celebrates its bicentennial, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation and the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Supporting Foundation have made a historic commitment toward the university’s future: a $125 million commitment—the foundations’ largest in their history and believed to be the biggest gift ever to higher education in the state of Ohio.
"The Mandel Foundation's investment in Case Western Reserve reflects our continued belief in the increasing value and importance of higher education, particularly in the humanities," said Stephen Hoffman, the Mandel Foundation's board chair and member of the CWRU Board of Trustees. "It represents our confidence in President [Eric W.] Kaler's leadership and vision as well as the remarkable momentum of this university as it celebrates its bicentennial.”
The commitment will fund four areas of focus at Case Western Reserve:
- Establishing the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Humanities Building—a campus anchor for human-centered digital scholarship, interdisciplinary creativity and community partnerships. The envisioned 50,000-square-foot building will combine humanities studies from across several buildings through collaborative workspaces, state-of-the-art classrooms and specialized research zones to support immersive and interdisciplinary learning and inquiry. Its location situates the new building alongside the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and Mandel Community Studies Center on Bellflower Road at Case Western Reserve University.
- More than doubling the existing scholarship endowment capacity at the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences through the continuation of the Mandel Dean’s Scholarships—ensuring future social workers from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds can drive change in the world.
- Creating the Morton L. Mandel Presidential Chair, with President Kaler as the inaugural holder. Designed to empower the president with flexible, discretionary resources, the chair will strengthen the university’s ability to respond to emerging opportunities, accelerate innovation, and invest in initiatives that amplify academic distinction and research excellence, while also honoring the legacy of leadership of Morton L. Mandel (CWR ’13), who earned his degree 74 years after he began.
- Expanding the Experimental Humanities Program in the College of Arts and Sciences. The investment will continue to provide scholarships, stipends, and mentorship opportunities for Mandel Fellows in the Experimental Humanities, as well as address the growing need for academic programs that equip students to tackle societal challenges through integrative, ethical and technologically informed approaches.
The transformational commitment builds on Case Western Reserve’s momentum in recent years—most notably, in its bicentennial year of 2026, being ranked a top-25 university in the U.S. by TIME magazine, being named one of 20 “New Ivies” by Forbes, and becoming the fastest-growing research university in the elite 71-member Association of American Universities.
“The Mandel Foundation’s historic commitment is a reflection of the exceptional work done each day by our students, faculty and staff; their efforts have inspired this investment that will be transformative for the humanities, nonprofit leadership and, most importantly, our students,” said CWRU President Kaler. “We are grateful for the visionary partnership of the Mandel Foundation over the decades and its continued support of Case Western Reserve.”
Notably, it marks a distinct investment in the humanities and social sciences at a critical juncture for the fields in higher education. Through much of the commitment, the university will elevate the humanities as a central force in shaping interdisciplinary discovery and driving ethical, inclusive technological advancement.
The commitment also aims to address the need for quality social workers in Ohio and the nation—providing significant, scalable scholarship support to make a top-ranked education possible for the purpose-driven nonprofit leaders of tomorrow.
“Case Western Reserve has always been a priority of the Mandel brothers and the Mandel Foundation,” said Jehuda Reinharz, president and CEO of the Mandel Foundation. “This historic gift represents a commitment to the present and future of the university, and an investment in the leaders it develops whose meaningful advances will improve our city and our society.”
For decades, the Mandel brothers and the Mandel Foundation have enabled priority initiatives across the university, with approximately $70 million in previous gifts and grants to support areas such as:
- Naming and renovating the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences;
- Naming and establishing the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Community Studies Center;
- Creating the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Studio in CWRU’s new $300 million Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Building, set to open this fall;
- Endowing the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Dean position in the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences; and
- Establishing initiatives further supported through this most recent commitment, including the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Fellows in the Experimental Humanities and the Mandel Dean’s Scholars.
The investment of $125 million will fuel critical initiatives, open access to education for future leaders and further propel bold progress at Case Western Reserve.
About the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundations
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel established their first foundation in 1953 in their hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. Their philanthropic legacy is continued through the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation and the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Supporting Foundation. The work of the Foundations is grounded in the belief that exceptional leaders, inspired by powerful ideas, are key to improving society and the lives of people around the world. The Foundations have identified five areas of engagement that receive support, which include: leadership development, management of nonprofits, humanities, Jewish life and urban engagement. For more information, please visit mandelfoundation.org.
About Case Western Reserve University
As the #1 fastest-growing research university in the Association of American Universities, Case Western Reserve University is a force in career-defining education and life-changing research. Across our campus, more than 12,000 students from around the world converge to seek knowledge, find solutions and accelerate their impact. They learn from and collaborate with faculty members renowned for expertise in medicine, engineering, science, law, management, dental medicine, nursing, social work, and the arts. And with our location in Cleveland, Ohio—a hub of cultural, business and healthcare activity—our students gain unparalleled access to academic, research, clinical and entrepreneurial opportunities that prepare them to join our network of more than 125,000 alumni worldwide. Visit case.edu to see why Case Western Reserve University is built for those driven to be a force in the world.
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