Naveen and Courtney Nataraj commit $1 million to the Together for Rochester diversity, equity and inclusion scholarship challenge

University of Rochester Board of Trustees member Naveen Nataraj ’97 and his wife, Courtney, have established a $1 million scholarship challenge to kickstart Together for Rochester, a one-year engagement and fundraising campaign. The Nataraj Challenge encourages potential donors to create new, endowed scholarships in support of the University’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.

“We are so grateful to Naveen and Courtney Nataraj for their vision, partnership, and leadership in this campaign,” says Tom Farrell ’88, ’90W (MS), senior vice president for University Advancement. “They wanted to make a real difference and do something that would actively leverage the University’s commitment to this critically important priority.”

Designed to make life better for the University community following the COVID-19 outbreak, the campaign’s goal is to raise $100 million in the 2020-21 fiscal year to fund several priorities: scholarships and financial aid, diversity initiatives, faculty recruitment, clinical and academic research, career opportunities and internships, and more.

“Now more than ever before, we are all acutely aware of the headwinds faced by historically underrepresented groups in our country, the challenges of which have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” say Naveen and Courtney Nataraj. “We believe it is critical that talented and diverse students get the most out of their academic experience free of undue financial stress. We further hope that this campaign will fund essential resources that will help diverse students achieve their potential and set them up for success in these uncertain times.”

“By establishing this new gift, we are hopeful others will step up and join us,” the Natarajs add. “This is about the collective community coming together to help our most talented and diverse students pursue their aspirations.”

For each new endowed scholarship that qualifies, the Nataraj Challenge will add additional funding to the contributed value of that specific endowed scholarship. For example, if a donor establishes an initial $100,000 scholarship, the Nataraj Challenge will add $50,000 to it, for a total value of $150,000. Likewise, if a new donor makes a $67,000 commitment, the Nataraj Challenge will add $33,000, for a total value of $100,000.

“Challenge scholarship funds are an excellent way to encourage and inspire other donors to be a part of the campaign,” says Farrell. “Naveen and Courtney are leading by example.”

Naveen Nataraj received his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University in 1997, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He is the co-head of US Investment Banking at Evercore, the leading global independent Investment Bank. He was a founding member of the technology M&A practice at Evercore and has advised technology and telecommunications clients in mergers and acquisitions transactions exceeding $500 billion in value, including five of the seven largest announced technology transactions ever.

In 2011, Nataraj was named one of Investment Dealers’ Digest’s 40 Under 40 Deal Makers and Fortune magazine’s 40 Under 40 Rising Stars of Business. In May 2019, he joined the University’s Board of Trustees, and since May 2020, has served as chair of the University’s Investment Committee.

An active University volunteer, Nataraj has served on reunion committees, the New York New Leaders Regional Cabinet, and the Trustees’ Council of the College. In 2014, he and his wife established the Courtney and Naveen Nataraj Endowed Scholarship Fund at the University. The couple has also supported the College’s greatest needs through regular contributions to the annual fund and capital improvement projects, including a significant new commitment to future planned renovations of Hutchison Hall.