Extraordinary Gifts from an Extraordinary Alumnus, Raymond G. Chambers

Rutgers-Newark alumnus Raymond G. Chambers is known worldwide for his extraordinary track record of charitable giving. The retired financier devotes his time to varied philanthropic projects under the auspices of the MCJ Amelior Foundation and America’s Promise Alliance, and also serves as the United Nations’ secretary general’s special envoy for malaria. Despite his international engagements, he claims the most special event of his year happens when he visits with a group of students at Rutgers-Newark who are recipients of the MCJ Student Residential Housing Scholarships, a program he founded in 2008 that enables a dozen Newark residents to live on campus while studying at Rutgers-Newark. During his trips to campus Chambers listens intently to the students’ stories of how meaningfully the housing scholarships are in changing their lives and urges them to “pay it forward” by taking up the cause of civic engagement and philanthropy in their professional careers and personal lives.

A 1964 graduate of Rutgers Business School with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Chambers was born and raised in Newark. Never forgetting his Newark roots, he is a significant benefactor of many Newark-based organizations including the Boys and Girls Club of Newark and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.