Is your alma mater soliciting donations from you? Chances are ... they've asked you for money recently. In fact, U.S. colleges and universities raised $52.9 billion in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2021, and that is a 6.9 percent increase over the previous year.

While the schools make giving easy, giving effectively is much harder. In other words, is your alma mater the best place for your charitable dollars when a different college or university is doing work that better reflects your values?

Emily Jae, director of the Fund for Academic Renewal at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, joins Peter on the latest episode of Giving Ventures to discuss ways to make intentional gifts to colleges and universities that live up to our nation's founding ideals.