I meant the colleges themselves. Yes, there are many, many alums who are pretty generous, especially those who donate anonymously. One of the reasons that these colleges need PR is not only pressure from governmental agencies but from alumni.
I think that, when talking about any institution with an oversized reputation, cynicism is a helpful tool. IN any case, if I actually thought that anything I said would have the slightest impact on the Ivies, I would curb my comments. Perhaps. However, I’m pretty sure that what I write here has no noticeable effect on applications and yield to any Ivy or other “elite” college. They’re safe, I think.