News
June 15, 2026
For Dorothy "Dot" Richards, P'83, the Brandeis National Committee was more than a volunteer organization. It was a way to support a university whose values reflected her own.
As president of the Los Angeles chapter of BNC from 1979 to 1981, Richards led fundraising efforts for the Brandeis library, facilitated learning opportunities, spearheaded membership drives, and built a lifelong connection to the university. That connection would eventually inspire her daughter, Karen Richards Sachs '83, and help lay the foundation for the largest single alumni gift in Brandeis University history.
The $25 million gift, made by Sachs and her husband David A. Sachs and announced over the 2026 Commencement weekend, honors Richards’ lifelong devotion to the values Brandeis represents.
At the center of the gift is the Dorothy Richards Campus Commons, known as “The Dot,” a new gathering place designed to bring students together for conversation, learning, culture and community.
Sachs said her mother’s admiration for Brandeis stemmed from the institution’s founding in the Jewish tradition and its commitment to inclusivity.
“My mother was painfully aware of quotas at universities and she liked the idea of a university founded by the Jewish community, but committed to the education of all who were ‘othered.’”
Richards grew up facing hardship, but never lost her belief in the power of education, ideas, and community to improve lives. She passed those values on to her daughter and inspired Sachs' own commitment to public service and philanthropy.
“My mother had a commitment to many things — intellectualism and community. That's why I thought about a community space, where there could be gatherings for speakers or performances or political activism and where people could learn how they can change the world for the better in an intellectual environment,” Sachs said.
The new campus commons reflects the kind of place Richards loved most, and found through BNC: one where people gather to exchange ideas, engage in spirited discussion, and learn from one another.
“Karen and David’s gift exemplifies why BNC supports the University, and we are honored that Dot’s many contributions to the organization have been so meaningfully recognized,” said Iris Wigal, co-president of the BNC National Board of Directors.
When students begin gathering at The Dot in the summer of 2027, they will carry forward Dorothy Richards’ vision by coming together to learn, connect, and exchange ideas.