The HDS Fund

Serving Those Who Serve Others

By supporting key priority areas for the School, the HDS Fund helps create new knowledge of world religion and prepare ethical, religiously literate leaders who work for a better world.

90%

HDS Students Who Rely on Financial Aid Support

67%

HDS Fund Donors Who Are Harvard Alumni

Countries Where
HDS Alumni Serve

Priority Areas of Support

Empowering Future Scholars and Leaders

Financial aid increases access to an HDS education and helps our students discover pathways of purpose and global impact as scholars, practitioners, ministers, advocates and more, without the burden of educational debt.

Stewarding Spaces that Build Community

By fostering reflection, exchange, and spiritual practice, campus spaces (like those of the newly renovated Swartz Hall) play an integral role in shaping the learning experiences and community at HDS.

Generating New Knowledge

HDS faculty are leaders in the study of religion—continually generating new knowledge and deeper understanding of the impact religion has on human society. Supporting their teaching and research helps expand scholarly expertise and multireligious education.

Inspiring Change and Meaningful Action

Investing in new initiatives, while supporting the success of existing programs, promotes future growth in the study of religion and helps HDS adapt to changes in the field—a vital need for leaders navigating rapidly evolving religious, social, and political landscapes.

In today’s increasingly polarized world, we need more leaders and practitioners grounded in ethics, empathy, and religious understanding. Your gift helps future generations of HDS students answer the call!

Make a Gift

A Ripple Effect of Impact and Community Care

The HDS Fund is one of the largest sources of flexible funding available to the School. Maintaining a continuous and sustainable cycle of giving is critical to support the good work of our students, alumni, and faculty.

Alumni are an essential part of our cycle of support—giving to the next generation as those before gave to you. It signals our community’s ongoing commitment to a strong present and future for the School and speaks to the vital importance of the work of HDS in the world. Gifts of all sizes add up to a big impact.

A LEGACY OF SUPPORT

Richard Coutinho, MTS '94, LLM '02, generously attributes his success as a lawyer—and his passion for social justice—to his Harvard Divinity School education and the formative experiences of being a student here in the early 1990s.

When he was first admitted to HDS, Coutinho originally intended to pursue a PhD and career in academia, but as he found his own voice, he also heard the undeniable call to help others do the same.

Decades later, Coutinho still finds himself guided by the drive to make a difference. In a recent interview, he offered insights on his dedication to helping the School fulfil its mission: educating students of religion for intellectual leadership, professional service, and ministry.