Clark University receives largest gift in its history from Panera founder

Clark University received a $20 million gift, the single largest donation in the institution’s history, from the founder of Panera Bread .

The donation from Ron Shaich, a 1976 graduate of Clark and trustee, is the largest gift he’s given and is an “awful lot of money” for him, he said in an interview with MassLive. However, it is part of a call to action for alumni, faculty and other community members to rally around Clark as it reconfigures and restructures its academic programming .

“I have a sizable foundation, enough to make a difference, but not enough to change the world. I’m not going to cure cancer, and I’m not going to end malaria and I’m not going to resolve climate change, but I do have enough that I really want to make sure that what I’m doing makes a difference,” Shaich