Dear Alumni and Friends,

It’s a privilege to write to you and share this special edition of Philanthropy Matters, celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of Cambridge in America (CAm).

I believe the founders of CAm would be both surprised and proud to see how this once small organization has grown into a vital force in supporting Collegiate Cambridge across North America. The dedicated volunteers of the original American Friends of Cambridge University (AFCU) were already a powerhouse of engagement and fundraising for U.S. alumni. It was a natural evolution for them to join with the expanding professional team at Cambridge, which had established its own U.S. office. After many conversations and years of collaboration, the results of that partnership are evident today.

I’ve had the honor of working with CAm both as a donor and as a member of the Board. My wife Christina and I are deeply grateful for the opportunity to support the University and Colleges in areas that matter most to us.

Within these pages, you will find stories of remarkable academic work, meaningful events, and inspiring gifts — each one a testament to the extraordinary efforts of CAm and its collaboration with the Colleges and University. Together, they’ve brought Cambridge to North America, engaged alumni, and inspired philanthropy that fuels teaching, learning, and research with global impact.

I hope you enjoy learning more about CAm and Cambridge as we celebrate this milestone—and we look forward to the next twenty-five years with great anticipation.

Warmest wishes,
Peter Dawson (St Catharine’s 1974)
CHAIR

Dear Alumni and Friends,

As Cambridge in America marks its twenty fifth anniversary, our Fiscal Year 2025 annual giving report reflects a time of growth and momentum. For a quarter-century, CAm has been dedicated to building a bridge connecting North American alumni and friends to Collegiate Cambridge, fostering engagement across academic and collegiate communities and growing sustainable philanthropic support.

Nearly $58 million raised this year through philanthropic partnership demonstrates how twenty-five years of relationship-building has matured into sustainable fundraising success and prepares Cambridge in America to continue and deepen its unique mission into the future. Similarly, the remarkable 63 percent growth in our event offerings speaks to our expanding engagement efforts.

It is a profound privilege and pleasure to work in support of Cambridge, one that I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy for much of my professional life: starting with my work at Downing College where I served as its second Director of Development to my eight years at CAm working with the University and Colleges to raise philanthropic support in North America for Collegiate Cambridge.

This edition of Philanthropy Matters is your invitation to join our mission of cultivating connections and support for Cambridge. For those who have been part of the development and growth of CAm, thank you for embracing the vision. We believe you will enjoy the articles that reflect what we’ve done together as an organization this year, and stories that describe our vision going forward.

For those who feel inspired to deepen your involvement with Collegiate Cambridge and your fellow alumni near and far, you will find in these pages many ways to join us, either by taking part in events, or exploring ways to support those areas most meaningful to you.

Foundational to all that CAm has helped make happen is collaboration and partnership with our Collegiate Cambridge colleagues, and our many diligent donors and volunteers. As we look ahead to what comes next for CAm and all the North American alumni and friends who care so deeply for the University, we cannot help but be excited about the next twenty-five years!

With best wishes,
Gabrielle Bennett
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Meeting Alumni and Friends
WHERE THEY ARE

FY25 saw a dramatic increase in alumni engagement. Alumni and friends gathered at more than fifty events to network, make new connections and to hear from prominent Cambridge leaders, academics and alumni.

When combined with College-specific events and alumni group-led initiatives, our total event offering exceeded 140 gatherings, creating a year-round calendar of connection opportunities for Cambridge’s North American community.

CAm programming attracted significant participation, with 1,627 total attendees across all fifty-four CAm-led events. Notably, we engaged 1,134 unique individuals, demonstrating both strong initial participation and meaningful repeat engagement from our most committed alumni and donors.

CAm events spanned North America, bringing Cambridge to alumni and friends across the continent.

• California: Bay Area (Mountain View and San Francisco)
• Washington: Seattle
• New York: New York City
• New England: Boston, MA
• Washington, DC
• Florida: Palm Beach and Miami
• Canada: Toronto, Ontario

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

In Conversation
Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr and Lord Simon Woolley

On September 13, 2024 in Boston, CAm had the honor to host an evening with more than sixty alumni and friends for a conversation with CAm Board member and Harvard Professor Henry Louis (Skip) Gates, Jr., (Clare 1973) and Homerton College Principal Lord Simon Woolley. The two esteemed thought leaders sat with Harvard Professor Peter Galison (Churchill 1977) to exchange stories and reflections about their respective journeys to Cambridge, their careers, and what lies ahead for issues of race and identity on each side of the Atlantic.

Power and Chaos: Decoding Trump

Gary Gerstle, Paul Mellon Professor of American History Emeritus at Cambridge University, spent ten years teaching American history to university students from throughout the world.

On Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in Boston, Professor Gerstle was teaching a different audience about America when he sat down with Cambridge in America board member Robert Shapiro (Trinity 1972) for a wide-ranging discussion of the state of the American democratic experiment past, present, and future. The talk, entitled “Power and Chaos: Decoding Trump” drew a robust crowd of Cantabrigians for a chance to connect with fellow alumni and friends and to hear from a leading voice on modern American history.

The conversation placed into context US economic and social policy over decades, from the New Deal to the present and the, at times, chaotic policy decisions that have defined the first months of the second Trump administration.

Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen: The Puzzle and Potential of Neurodiversity: a conversation with the pathbreaking Cambridge University Psychologist

On March 26, 2025, Professor Simon Baron-Cohen spoke before a packed audience of Cambridge alumni and guests in New York City. His latest book, The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention, draws readers into a world of different-thinking children and adults, making the case that autism is fundamental to our creative and cultural history.

From his brain-based theory of human cruelty and kindness to his groundbreaking work on the link between autism and invention, the award-winning psychologist has amassed a body of work on human cognition, breaking new ground in the way society understands autism, psychology, and the human condition.

You’ve spent some forty years researching autism, how has your understanding evolved?

I would say that my understanding, our understanding, has got deeper and broader. So, if we start with the broader part, we used to see just one slice of the autism spectrum, and now we see a much wider group of people who have the diagnosis of autism. It’s gone from very rare to very common, and that’s a massive change. Forty years ago, autism was 4 in 10,000 people, and today it’s 1 in 36.

Why is that?  

Apart from better recognition and greater awareness, we have also expanded the definition to include people who do not have an intellectual disability. Back forty years ago we were mostly seeing autistic people who also had an intellectual disability. Today we see autistic people without any intellectual disability.

What is the focus of your latest book, The Pattern Seekers: How Autism Drives Human Invention?

The first twenty years of my career, when we were mostly focused on autism as a disability, and how they struggle with relationships and communication, we were missing the strengths that autistic people have, and how they are different. In my book, I single out that one of the areas of strength in autism is a special kind of pattern recognition: “If I take something and I do something to it, then I get a particular outcome.” Autistic people are fascinated by such causal relationships in the world, trying to understand how things work. That’s the drive for human invention, and I produce a lot of evidence that autistic people have been contributing to human progress. If we look at what defines human beings, it’s that we are constantly inventing, and autistic people have a strong aptitude for understanding systems.

What do you believe people may be missing when it comes to understanding autism?

We should focus on what autistic people can do better than non-autistic people. So instead of seeing them just as having disabilities, we can see them also as having differences, some of which are strengths and talents. Yet, then you look at how society treats autistic people, and we see that we still haven’t got to the point where autism is accepted. Many of them feel excluded and the victims of discrimination and stigma. They have huge potential to contribute to the world. It’s time for our society to be more welcoming to autistic people and their families and ensure that their basic rights, to education, health, employment and justice, are protected.

The Earl of Grantham goes to Washington

He was “Lord Grantham”, the patriarch of the Downton Abbey household, and he charmed us as “Mr. Brown” in Paddington. This spring, award-winning actor, Hugh Bonneville (Corpus Christi 1982), collaborating with fellow alumnus Simon Godwin (St Catharine’s 1994), the Artistic Director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) in Washington, DC became Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya.

The production, staged from March 30 to April 20, 2025, in DC after a successful run at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley, California, drew critical acclaim and rave reviews on both coasts.

Success is the hallmark of both men’s careers.

Bonneville, who was born in Paddington, London, read theology at Cambridge but went on to study acting in London, a path that has led him to star turn after star turn in his career on stage, screen, and television. Bonneville has also penned a memoir titled Playing Under the Piano: From Downton to Darkest Peru. Godwin, who majored in English at Cambridge, also pursued postgraduate studies in the performing arts. He directed plays at Cambridge and went on to develop an award-winning resume at various venues, joining STC in 2019.

Following the show, CAm hosted an exclusive reception where Hugh Bonneville captivated the audience with behind-the-scenes stories about getting the production to stage, insights into his career, and thoughts on the arts today.

“It was an unforgettable afternoon, underscoring Cambridge’s contribution to performing arts,” said Patricia Danver, CAm’s Chief Engagement Officer.

NOTABLE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ON CAMBRIDGE

The breakdown of contributions by North American alumni and friends in support of Collegiate Cambridge this fiscal year speaks to an impressive mix that balances major gifts with grassroots engagement.

A GENERATION OF ALUMNI INVESTMENT

The most striking figure is that 84 percent of all donations came from Cambridge alumni themselves—a testament to the powerful and lasting bond that alumni have with their Cambridge experience. Alumni contributions of $48.7 million out of the total $58 million raised signal deep loyalty to Cambridge built through thoughtful, sustained engagement, the foundation of Cambridge in America’s mission.

GRASSROOTS GROWTH ACCELERATING

This fiscal year, Cambridge in America has successfully maintained deep engagement among current supporters while cultivating growth among new donors.

The 14 percent increase in dollars raised by the Annual Giving program significantly outpaced the 2.5 percent increase in the number of contributions, indicating that existing donors are giving more generously even as the donor base continues to expand and reflects wider trends seen in US higher education philanthropy.

THE POWER OF PREDICTABLE GIVING

We are gratified by the growth of our recurring gift program, which accounts for 50 percent of the number of Annual Giving contributions $50,000 and under. These monthly and annual commitments allow Cambridge in America to provide reliable revenue that Colleges and University initiatives can count on year after year. The 6.5 percent growth in recurring gifts indicates the program’s success in converting one-time donors into committed long-term supporters.

DONOR RETENTION SHOWS STRENGTH

Nearly 70 percent of FY25 donors had also given in the previous year. This high retention rate, combined with the growth in recurring gifts, demonstrates that Cambridge in America has built a sustainable culture of support for Collegiate Cambridge.

BUILDING FOR THE NEXT QUARTER-CENTURY

The combination of strong North American alumni loyalty, growing grassroots participation, expanding recurring commitments, and high donor retention creates a solid foundation that speaks to the deep ties and emotional connection that North American alumni feel toward Collegiate Cambridge.

We at Cambridge in America are grateful for this generosity and for the excellent partnerships we have created together with our College and University colleagues.

Throughout the past twenty-five years, Cambridge in America (CAm) has had the privilege of helping to connect generations of Collegiate Cambridge alumni to their academic home, paving the way to generous, transformative gifts of support.

From the Gates Foundation endowment that established the Gates Cambridge Scholars program in 2000, to this fiscal year’s gift from entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist Carl Feinberg to create the Center for the Study of Existential Risk endowed professorship, CAm has opened the doors to conversations and meaningful exchanges of ideas with the power to start new explorations, support extraordinary scholars, and deepen existing academic enterprises.

Entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist Carl Feinberg thinks a lot about high energy particle physics and about the existential threats that could end the world. Although he built his fortune developing software for global markets, his fascination with physics and science has given him both a deep appreciation for fundamental research and a vivid appreciation of the Earth’s and civilization’s vulnerabilities.

“Disasters are inevitable,” said Feinberg. “For example, I’m concerned a flood or solar flare could take out the electric grid in a whole region. There are so many things that could go catastrophically wrong. Pandemics, AI run amok, nuclear confrontations, and climate change for which we’re just getting a sneak preview,” said Feinberg. He believes supporting science is one of the best lines of defense. “Academic luminaries are often brilliant, some almost magically so,” said Feinberg. And it was his deep respect for his friend Lord Professor Martin Rees, one of Cambridge’s most distinguished scientists and the Astronomer Royal, that introduced Feinberg to the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER), which Lord Rees co-founded ten years ago. Feinberg’s appreciation for Rees and for CSER’s focus on understanding, predicting, and mitigating global threats led him to want to support the Centre’s work.

“I’ve become increasingly concerned about the risks to civilization, and here was an opportunity to deal with it, however modestly. I was glad to be in a position to nurture the discipline in the hope (and expectation) it will have an impact,” said Feinberg. He began discussions with former CSER Director Professor Matt Connelly, and Lord Rees about the best way to support CSER. This resulted in conversations with Cambridge in America (CAm) and Sean Moriarty, CAm’s Chief Development Officer, that ultimately led to establishing the Rees Feinberg Professor of Global Risk within CSER with a multi-million-dollar endowment.

“I hope [the gift] will enable CSER to continue what it’s doing and maybe even expand its scope somewhat. It’s crucially important, and I want, to the extent that I can with funding, to amplify CSER’s capabilities and impact,” said Feinberg.

“This donation is so important because it’s a step towards establishing CSER as a permanent feature of the University,” said Rees. “There are only a few places in the world which are doing this sort of thing. The risks are getting larger all the time.”

Professor S.M. Amadae, a renowned political scientist at the University of Helsinki, with a research focus on nuclear war and security, climate change and collective action, and AI’s impact on humanity’s ability to govern catastrophic risks, joined CSER as Director in March. She sees Feinberg’s gift of an endowed professorship as a turning point for CSER. “This gift will allow us to gain additional momentum. It’s a moment, it’s a springboard. It’s a foundational gift but it’s also a moment at which we can accelerate, generating support at that level matching Carl Feinberg’s generosity,” said Amadae.

“Carl’s gift to CAm in support of CSER is a testament to his immense generosity and the critical work of CSER. Carl is the latest example of how US-based donors are supporting the ground-breaking research throughout Collegiate Cambridge,” said Moriarty.

Feinberg said making this gift in support of CSER has fulfilled a deep wish to make a lasting difference and aligns with his giving priorities. “The theme of my philanthropy has consistently been investments in civilization,” said Feinberg. “I support theoretical physics to advance civilization and support CSER to help preserve it.

My intent and hope are CSER will further recognition of existential threats and make provisions to create some degree of resiliency. We have to prepare because the world is illequipped to deal with these threats right now.

"I hope [the gift] will enable CSER to continue what it’s doing and maybe even expand its scope somewhat. It’s crucially important, and I want, to the extent that I can with funding, to amplify CSER’s capabilities and impact." CARL FEINBERG

To find our more about CSER and how you can support this important work, please contact Sean P Moriarty at Cambridge in America: sean@cantab.org or 212.984.0976.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
As of July 31, 2025

OFFICERS
Peter A. Dawson (St Catharine’s)
Chair
Marc A. Feigen (St John’s)
Executive Vice-Chair
Gabrielle B. Bennett
CAm Executive Director/Deputy Vice-Chair
Richard K. Roeder (St John’s)
Secretary
Marshal K. McReal (Magdalene)
Assistant Secretary
Rod G. Cantrill (Fitzwilliam)
Treasurer
Liliya Panko
CAm CFO/Assistant Treasurer

DIRECTORS
Gabrielle S. Bacon (Hughes Hall)
Simon P. Crookall (Wolfson)
Alison Davis (Selwyn)
Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Clare)
Stanley P. Gold (Fitzwilliam)
William H. Janeway, Hon. CBE (Pembroke)
Chair Emeritus
J. Christopher Kojima (Hughes Hall)
Prakash A. Melwani (Sidney Sussex)
Professor M. Andrew Parker (Peterhouse)
Paresh S. Patel (Girton)
Carlos A. Pérez-Dávila (Queens’)
Susan L. Poland (Churchill)
Professor Deborah A. Prentice
Vice-Chancellor
Professor Dame Alison F. Richard, DBE (Newnham)
Una S. Ryan, OBE (Girton)
Robert N. Shapiro (Trinity)
Jacqueline A. Spayne, FRCPC (Trinity)
Alison E. Traub
Executive Director, Development and Alumni Relations
Professor Bhaskar Vira
Pro-Vice Chancellor, Education
Joe L. White, MBE (Sidney Sussex)
C. Kern Wildenthal, MD (St Catharine’s)

CAm LEADERSHIP
Gabrielle Bennett
Executive Director
Patricia Danver
Chief Engagement Officer
Sean Moriarty
Chief Development Officer
Liliya Panko
Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer

PHILANTHROPY MATTERS
Patricia Danver
Editor
Marie DeNoia Aronsohn
Writer
Danielle Green
Production
Michelle S. Baffuto
Design