Laserfiche WebLink
Tax haven - 1he Yale Herald <br />here at Brown that it's hard to be successful if <br />the community around you is not also <br />successful," Richard Spies, Brown's former <br />executive vice president for planning, said in <br />an interview. He characterized Brown's <br />voluntary contributions to Providence as <br />examples of "practical self interest," adding, "It <br />was a good investment for the university to be <br />more closely integrated with the city. It helps <br />emphasize the partnership, our full <br />membership in the community." <br />The group of universities pledged $40 million <br />to Providence over the course of 20 years, <br />and Brown initially committed to a little over $1 <br />million in annual voluntary payments. In an <br />example of the manner in which public <br />pressure can influence a university's <br />contributions, Providence's Mayor issued the <br />city's nonprofits a direct call to action in his <br />2011 budget address. "Every citizen, every city <br />worker, every taxpayer, every business and <br />every organization — including tax - exempt <br />institutions —must share part of the burden of <br />saving our city," Mayor Angel Taveras said. <br />Brown made a $6.3 million voluntary payment <br />to the city the following year. <br />In at least one case, an Ivy League institution <br />has been able to flip this power dynamic on its <br />head. In 2011, Princeton University voluntarily <br />paid $1.2 million to the Borough of Princeton, <br />Page 14 of 18 <br />http: / /yaleherald.com/homepage -lead- image /cover - stories /tax - haven/ 10/23/2014 <br />