Brian Lee, Harvard’s Chief Fundraising Officer, to Retire in December

Updated July 18, 2024, at 9:40 a.m.

Brian K. Lee, Harvard’s chief fundraising officer, will retire at the end of the year, the University announced on Wednesday.

The announcement of Lee’s departure comes amid the most tumultuous year in recent memory for the University and adds further instability to Harvard’s fundraising efforts.

Some of Harvard’s most loyal supporters have publicly suspended future donations over concerns of antisemitism on campus. Interim Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 and the Harvard Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — now face the difficult task of searching for a new vice president for alumni affairs and development even as they continue to woo back disillusioned donors.

Lee told staff at the development office that the decision was made “to make room for other goals” and to spend more time with family.

His departure comes just more than five years after former Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow appointed Lee to the role in 2018. Lee previously held similar positions at Tufts University and the California Institute of Technology.

As Harvard officials begin the process of selecting Lee’s successor, they are bracing themselves for a sharp drop in philanthropy after the University’s initial response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel sparked intense backlash .

In the wake of intense anger from donors and alumni, the University’s development officers shifted away from their usual aggressive outreach to donors, instead going into “listening mode.” As the head of Harvard’s fundraising, Lee serves as the primary contact for the University’s biggest donors.

Meanwhile, top University officials including Garber and Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi Hoekstra have traveled across the U.S. and internationally to ease alumni concerns and project an image of an administration determined to turn the page on months of campus tension.

Since 2018, Lee has led the development office in securing several major gifts to the University, including an unrestricted $300 million donation by hedge fund CEO Kenneth C. Griffin ’89 and $500 million from Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan ’07 to establish the Kempner Institute for the Study of Natural and Artificial Intelligence at Harvard.

Over the past five years, Lee has directed the office to four record-breaking fundraising years, according to his retirement announcement.

Griffin has since announced that he would pause donations to Harvard over its response to antisemitism on campus.

“Brian is a champion of Harvard and our mission,” Garber wrote in a message to Harvard employees. “Since 2018, our community has benefited tremendously from his ability to connect individuals and their interests to our institution and our aspirations, even in the face of unprecedented challenges.”

“There are, of course, the outstanding acts of generosity enabled by Brian’s leadership, but what I most admire is his commitment to articulating our values and how they guide our efforts to seek support of our teaching and research,” he added.

Though Harvard has not released official fundraising statistics from the past year, Lee acknowledged that the development office is currently facing challenges in a statement to The Crimson in May.

“We are constantly engaging with our alumni and donors, hearing their feedback and sharing updates from campus — that is true this year, as it has always been,” he wrote. “They do not always agree with us, and they do not always agree with each other, and they do not speak with one voice – but they are important members of our university community.”

“This has been a challenging year for Harvard and for many who care deeply about Harvard,” Lee added.

—Staff writer Emma H. Haidar can be reached at emma.haidar@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @HaidarEmma.

—Staff writer Cam E. Kettles can be reached at cam.kettles@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @cam_kettles or on Threads @camkettles.