Mediacom Communications founder, chairman and CEO Rocco Commisso and his wife Catherine have made one of the largest gifts to date to Columbia University’s Fu School of Engineering and Applied Science, creating a scholarship program that will support up to 20 undergraduate students at the school each year in perpetuity. 

The Rocco and Catherine Commisso Scholarship will help boost the university-wide campaign initiated by Columbia President Lee Bollinger to raise $1.4 billion in financial assistance by June 2025.

“This Commisso Scholars program comes at a time when support for students is more critical than ever,” Bollinger said in a press release. “We greatly appreciate Rocco and Catherine’s gift and the deep care for students that drives their generosity.”

Rocco Commisso has been a long-time supporter of the school and its soccer program. A 1971 graduate of the University’s industrial engineering program, Rocco Commisso was a member of Columbia’s 1967 freshman soccer squad that went undefeated and was captain of the 1970 varsity team that competed in the NCAA men’s soccer tournament. He received his MBA from Columbia in 1975. In 2006, Commisso’s son Joseph received his undergraduate engineering degree from Columbia, following in his father’s footsteps.

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Rocco Commisso has long put an emphasis on education, immigrating to the U.S. from Calabria, Italy with his family when he was 12 years old, settling in the Bronx, New York. He attended Mount Saint Michael Academy in the Bronx, moving on to Columbia on a full scholarship. 

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“The time I spent at Columbia was a truly life-changing experience for me,” Rocco Commisso said in a press release. “On the field, I was able to help bring a winning culture to the Lions’ soccer program. In the classroom, I was given the opportunity to earn a first-class engineering education that opened the doors to my future business career. However, without the financial support I received from Columbia, my ability to pursue an Ivy League education at one of the world’s finest universities would not have been possible. With this gift, Catherine and I hope to help students facing similar economic challenges realize their dream of graduating from Columbia. Ultimately, we want to ensure that the very best students, no matter their family’s circumstances, are able to attain a Columbia Engineering degree.” 

After earning his MBA from Columbia Business School in 1975, Commisso spent a decade on Wall Street with Chase Manhattan Bank and the Royal Bank of Canada. He worked at Cablevision Industries from 1986 to 1995 where he served as executive vice president, chief financial officer, and director and went on to found Mediacom in 1995 to acquire and reinvigorate cable systems in America’s underserved smaller communities. Today, Mediacom is the nation’s fifth largest cable provider and was recently recognized by Deloitte Private and the Wall Street Journal as a U.S. Best Managed Company for the second year in a row. The company also seeks to help close the digital divide by offering affordable broadband plans to low-income families. 

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To be eligible for the Commisso Scholarship, a student need meet one of the following requirements: to have lived or studied in Italy for at least a year; to be proficient in Italian or have grown up speaking Italian in the home; to have demonstrated leadership or involvement in the Italian community or in Italian cultural activities; to be a member of Columbia University’s men’s or women’s soccer team; or to be from the Bronx, with a preference for alumni of Mount Saint Michael Academy. 

“We truly appreciate the enormous generosity that Rocco has shown to our engineering students, and for his support over the years,” said Shih-Fu Chang, Dean of Columbia Engineering in a press release. “Making a Columbia education possible for deserving students, regardless of need, is a central value of our University and we are grateful for alumni like Rocco who continue to inspire all of us and give back in ways that will be truly transformational for our students.” 

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Commisso has generously given to the school and its soccer program over the years. More recently, he was Class Day speaker for Columbia Engineering graduates in 2021 and gave the annual Magill Lecture in 2020. He was also inducted into the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016 and is the namesake of the Rocco B. Commisso Soccer Stadium.  

At a ceremony on June 9, the Columbia Engineering Alumni Association will be awarding him the Samuel Johnson Medal for Distinguished Achievement in a Field Beyond Engineering and Applied Science in recognition of his entrepreneurial achievements and exceptional leadership. Past Johnson Medal recipients include former head of Xerox Ursula Burns ('82SEAS) and Nobel Prize Winner Alvin Roth (’71SEAS).

“Working with Rocco has been a true privilege,” said Columbia University provost Mary C. Boyce in a press release. “His approach to leadership, philanthropy, and business epitomizes an engineering mindset, as well as a kind and generous spirit. His support will directly impact students while also enhancing the diversity that is a strength of our university.”  ■ 

Charter Communications said Monday that it will launch its Spectrum Community Assist initiative in 20 new markets this year. The goal of the five-year philanthropic program that began last year is to revitalize 100 community centers and invest in job training across its 41-state footprint.   

Last fall, Charter launched the program with rebuilding events in St. Louis; Charlotte, North Carolina; Orlando, Florida; South Glens Falls, New York; and Stamford, Connecticut. This year, the company will significantly grow the program’s reach with revitalization projects and support for job training in markets located in 14 states. Areas targeted for Spectrum Community Assist investment include rural programs in Missoula, Montana; Kearney, Nebraska; Oconee County, South Carolina; and Somerset County, Maine; and community centers in urban locations including Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Milwaukee and New York, among others.

“There is an acute need in underserved neighborhoods nationwide for the career development and social support that local community centers provide,” Charter senior VP and chief diversity officer Rhonda Crichlow said in a press release. “Charter is committed to investing in the communities we serve, and Spectrum Community Assist will make a difference by directly supporting centers and organizations that provide critical services to help local residents build the skills that will enable them to improve their financial condition and increase the economic impact on the community.”

Charter has partnered with national nonprofit organization Jobs for the Future (JFF) to identify community centers in the areas selected for Spectrum Community Assist programs, and will invest in each center’s job training efforts with cash grants and in-kind contributions, improve physical classroom spaces and provide new equipment, including laptops and furniture. In addition, Charter will offer its 1 Gigabit per second high-speed Internet service and the company will sponsor revitalization events with employee and community volunteers to repair and enhance the physical buildings.

More information on Charter’s philanthropic programs can be found here.

Spectrum Community Assist 2022 Markets:

• CALIFORNIA: Antelope Valley, Los Angeles, Salinas
• COLORADO: Denver
• FLORIDA: Palm Coast
• HAWAII: Oahu
• MAINE: Somerset County
• MINNESOTA: Duluth
• MONTANA: Missoula
• NEBRASKA: Kearney
• NEW YORK: Buffalo, New York City
• NORTH CAROLINA: Fayetteville
• OHIO: Cleveland, Columbus
• SOUTH CAROLINA: Bamberg, Oconee County
• TEXAS: Dallas, San Antonio
• WISCONSIN: Milwaukee

The Daniels Fund, the private charitable foundation established by late cable pioneer Bill Daniels, said it crossed the $1 billion milestone in total giving since its founding with the distribution of $60.5 million in grants and scholarships in 2021.

Founded in 2000, the Daniels Fund’s official mission is to make the lives of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming residents better. The 2021 awards included $44.1 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and  $16.4 million in scholarships to students throughout the four-state region.

The Daniels Fund said it crossed the $1 billion milestone in December. Since its founding, the organization has awarded more than 13,000 grants and nearly 4,600 scholarships.    

“Bill Daniels had a vision to make life better for people in the states that meant so much to him,” Daniels Fund CEO Hanna Skandera said in a statement. “I believe he would be thrilled to see the impact more than $1 billion invested in our communities has made. Bill’s generosity will continue to change lives for generations to come.”

Daniels died in 2000 after a legendary career in the cable business. Called the “father of cable television,” he started building cable systems shortly after serving as a pilot in the U.S. Navy in both World War II and the Korean War, later switching careers to become a broker of cable deals through his Daniels & Associates. Most of the modern cable industry can trace its roots back to at least one Daniels property, and Daniels himself spread his influence wide, vying for the Republican party nomination for governor of Colorado in 1974 (losing to incumbent John Vanderhoof), helping  to found the USFL, developing one of the early regional sports networks (Prime Ticket) all while continuing to fund countless organizations and individuals through his generous philanthropy.    

Also: A Snowy Sendoff: Daniels Ceremony Draws 2,000  

The Daniels Fund makes grants in eight specific areas established by its founder: Aging, Amateur Sports, Disabilities, Drug & Alcohol Addiction, Early Childhood Education, K-12 Education Reform, Homeless & Disadvantaged, and Youth Development. ■

Charter Communications said Wednesday that it has launched Spectrum Community Assist, a five-year, $30 million program to help revitalize community centers and invest in job training in rural and urban areas within its 41-state footprint. 

Charter has pledged to improve 100 community centers impacting about 50,000 residents across the country by 2025, through financial support for job skills training programs, new technology and 1 gigabit high-speed internet service, as well as building refurbishments and repairs. The initiative kicks off on Sept. 18 at the Better Family Life Community Center in St. Louis, followed by similar events in Charlotte, North Carolina on Oct. 16 and in Stamford, Connecticut on Nov. 13.

Charter said it will partner with national and local nonprofit organizations to identify and improve community centers in underserved areas that are in need of support. The company also will invest in the centers’ job training efforts with cash grants and in-kind contributions, improve physical classroom spaces and provide new equipment, including laptops and furniture and provide its 1 Gbps internet service to each center.

Also Read: Charter Awards $1 Million in Spectrum Digital Education Grants to 49 Nonprofits Supporting Broadband Literacy

“Community centers are hallmarks of our neighborhoods; people turn to these centers for support, shared experiences, and for help developing new job skills or finding employment,” Charter senior VP and chief diversity officer Rhonda Crichlow said in a press release. “Seven years ago, we set out to make a difference in our communities through Spectrum Housing Assist, which provided critical home repairs for low-income homeowners. Spectrum Community Assist is a natural evolution of that successful effort, extending our support for the communities we serve to local centers and organizations providing important programs and career development training.”

At Better Family Life, which provides short-term training to employment programs, in-demand industry certifications, job placement and retention services, call center representative classes and the possibility of micro loans for entrepreneurs looking to start their own small businesses, Charter employees and community volunteers will make physical improvements to the facility including painting, landscaping and light construction. In addition, Charter will provide a new smartboard, chairs and 25 new laptops for a newly refurbished classroom and will donate $50,000 to Better Family Life to support its career development programs. 

More information on Charter’s philanthropic initiatives, including Spectrum Community Assist, is available here.

The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia said it has received a $5 million donation from Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts, his wife Aileen and family, to give laptops to city students to allow them to learn from home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a 2019 School District survey, only about half of third-through-12th-grade students have the equipment they need to begin participating in online lessons. The gift from the Roberts’ will support the purchase of 50,000 Chromebooks, ensuring that all students who attend the 220 District-led public schools across Philadelphia have the tools they need to learn at home.

“We’re living in an unprecedented time and COVID-19 is presenting our society with new challenges every day,” said Aileen and Brian Roberts in a press release. “When we heard that many Philadelphia students weren’t going to be able to learn from home without laptops, we quickly decided we wanted to help and provide these teachers, parents and students with the technology they need to begin learning online within just a few weeks. In good times or bad, now all of our Philadelphia students will have access to technology to help them succeed.”

The 50,000 new laptops will be distributed along with the estimated 40,000 laptops already in school buildings to students and families. Once the equipment is received at the School District headquarters, it will be dispensed between April 13 and 17. During the interim two weeks, the laptops will be prepared for the students and the Philadelphia School District teachers will be trained to support distance learning.

"The generous gift from Aileen and Brian Roberts and their family will help to transform the learning experience for thousands of Philadelphia's public school students who will now be able to access online educational resources from home," said Superintendent William R. Hite, Jr., Ed.D in a press release. "Our public schools belong to all of us and this is a great example of what's possible when we work together to improve educational supports for all of our young people. I am grateful for their generosity."

Students and their families who don’t already have internet access can get it through any Internet Service Provider (ISP) in Philadelphia. Comcast is currently offering low-income families who don’t already have internet service two free months through Internet Essentials.

"The Fund is delighted to be the recipient of this most generous gift,” said School District of Philadelphia CEO Donna Frisby Greenwood in the press release. “We will do our part to implement this much needed and appreciated gift."

The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia identifies, coordinates and connects philanthropic resources to level the playing field in local public schools. The Fund's partnership with the School District of Philadelphia seeks to promote equity, safety, and improved performance.