Lehman College, part of the City University of New York (CUNY) public university system, has raised an additional $30 million as part of the college’s “Forever Forward” fundraising campaign to educate and support its students and the entire Bronx community. The announcement was made official during an celebratory reception held at the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, located on the college campus, on Saturday, Oct. 4, together with key supporters, community leaders, faculty, students, and alumni.

 

This latest $30 million comes five years after the college received an initial gift of $30 million from the MacKenzie Scott Foundation, spearheaded by Scott, then America’s second wealthiest woman, as reported. That 2020 gift was at that point the largest single gift in the history of the college which was founded in 1968. Scott, the former wife of Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos, is reportedly now American’s third wealthiest woman after Alice Walton, who is the wealthiest as of September 2025, and Julia Koch, who is the second wealthiest.

 

Lehman College officials said when the call came in 2020 from the MacKenzie Scott Foundation, later known as “Yield Giving” since December 2022, it was an “amazing affirmation” of the years of hard work put in by every person on the Bedford Park-based campus, and they added that it is also just the beginning. Not content with just one major gift, they said Lehman College is now pressing ahead with “Forever Forward,” launching the first-of-its-kind fundraising campaign to raise a total of $90 million, with $60 million now raised to date, $30 million from Scott, and $30 million from other sources.

 

Lehman College President Fernando Delgado said of the latest fundraising efforts, “Everything we’ve done is aimed at giving students access to infinite possibilities; to succeed in areas they may have never thought possible. We are a national leader in social mobility and will continue to raise up our community. That $30 million dollar gift from MacKenzie Scott supercharged our ability to support students with scholarships and resources, and we’re just getting started.”

 

He later added, “I think, personally, it’s a signal opportunity for the university and for the college to signal to the New York community that CUNY and Lehman are strong and vibrant parts of the ecosystem that we call higher education. Closer to home on campus, the campaign, what it means, is an opportunity to elevate our academic programs, our support programs, sports students through scholarships, and make the learning environment as vibrant as it possibly can be and probably also foster partnerships and cooperation beyond the campus.”

Lehman College officials said the Forever Forward campaign represents a significant investment in the future of the College and The Bronx by expanding scholarships, launching new academic and career programs, and strengthening student support across the board. They said Forever Forward aims to transform how the College empowers students and the communities they go on to serve.

 

Kelly Brown, vice president of institutional advancement at Lehman, said, “This campaign marks a defining moment for Lehman College. It is amazing for a mid-sized public institution, less than 60 years old, to set out to raise $90 million dollars.” She added, “Success of Forever Forward means a pathway for students who might not otherwise have the resources and partnerships that support fulfilling careers. We invite alumni, community leaders, and supporters to join us in bringing this vision to life.”

 

Gary Axelbank, host of BronxTalk on BronxNet, who, as reported, was inducted as the 2025 People’s Choice honoree onto the Bronx Walk of Fame earlier this year during Bronx Week 2025, moderated the event, which kicked off with what Lehman officials described as an inspirational video and concluded with a live performance by Lehman students and alumni of a new song written by music professor Penny Prince.

 

Described by Lehman College officials as a perennial national leader in promoting social mobility, Lehman College of The City University of New York (CUNY) serves as an intellectual, economic, and cultural center for The Bronx, New York City, and beyond, they said. The college, which sits on a tree-lined, 37-acre campus, supports more than 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students, another 14,000 students in continuing and professional programs, and over 90,000 alumni.

 

Officials said that as a federally designated Hispanic-serving institution in The Bronx, Lehman College educates a diverse population of students. The college offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees as well as certificate programs in the liberal arts, sciences, and professions.

 

On Sept. 23, CUNY announced that on its 2026 Best Colleges ranking, U.S. News featured 10 CUNY colleges, including The City College of New York at No. 9 among national universities, on its list of the best schools for social mobility and return on investment.

 

Local City Councilman Eric Dinowitz (C.D. 11), who attended Lehman College’s 2025-2026 academic year convocation ceremony last month, said, “@CUNY continues to be an extraordinary engine of opportunity, with institutions such as @LehmanCollege in my district helping thousands of students from working-class and immigrant families access high-quality, affordable higher education that can truly change lives.”

THE LEHMAN CENTER for the Performing Arts, located on Lehman College campus, was the venue on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, for a celebratory event marking a gift to the college of $30 million from the MacKenzie Scott Foundation to further its educational reach. Watch a recap of the day. Video courtesy of Mercedes Diez of Lehman College

 

Axelbank has hosted 1,500 weekly editions of BronxTalk, the borough’s flagship talk show on BronxNet cable television, since its debut in October 1994. Axelbank began his media career in 1976 as a radio DJ, working at stations in Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. He also worked for and ultimately succeeded Howard Stern as program director at WRNW, Briarcliff Manor, NY.

 

In addition to also hosting The Bronx Buzz on BronxNet, he recently launched the monthly “The Bronx Music Podcast – with Gary Axelbank.” The next edition of the podcast will be recorded live on Sunday, Oct. 5, at 1 p.m. at The Artist (formerly the Starving Artist, City Island, NY) and Axelbank’s guest will be Juan Usera of Juan Usera y La Tribu del Juey Sambuco. Usera has been performing and teaching Bomba, Plena, and other Caribbean music styles in New York and Puerto Rico for over 20 years. You can also listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Check out Episode 12 here.

 

Of the Forever Forward campaign itself, Axelbank concluded, “We have so much more to do and this campaign can fund, can fuel all that development. It’s not transforming the college but transforming the future and that’s what this is about.”

 

As reported, in February 2024, Montefiore Einstein medical students received free tuition in perpetuity thanks to a gift from Dr. Ruth L. Gottesman, Ed.D., chair of the Einstein Board of Trustees and Montefiore Health System board member.

 

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story reported incorrectly that the second $30 million raised was also from MacKenzie Scott but those familiar with the campaign have since clarified that the second $30 million was actually raised by Lehman from other sources. We apologize for the error.