Marcus Foundation commits $27M to Hillel for professional leadership development pipeline

The Marcus Foundation–established by Bernie Marcus, the late Home Depot co-founder and Giving Pledge signatory– has announced a three-year, $27 million investment in Hillel International to strengthen professional development and student leadership programs across its global campus network. The grant will support initiatives designed to improve staff retention, expand leadership training, and develop new student fellowships and convenings serving nearly 200,000 students at 850 campuses. The funding builds on previous Marcus Foundation grants totaling $76 million since 2016 that helped increase Hillel’s employee retention rate and expand internal leadership pipelines. The latest commitment aims to prepare a new generation of Jewish campus leaders amid rising challenges for students and staff.