The University of San Diego recently received a $20 million donation from philanthropist Darlene Shiley to expand the school's current engineering department into a free-standing school. The Shiley family has made previous contributions to USD and the University of Portland where Donald Shiley, Darlene's husband, attended.

Donald Shiley was one of the first practicing bioengineers, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. He invented a heart valve that innovated cardiac treatments in the 1970s.

"I'm doing this because my late husband, Donald, was, at his core, an engineer whose work helped save the lives of four hundred thousand people. I'd like to see USD turn out one or two engineers like him," Darlene told the media outlet, adding that the school's department is now ranked 25th in the nation and educates a large population of military veterans.

Moreover, she said the University of San Diego has a positive reputation for working with donors. Institutions might find it's easier to collaborate with philanthropists and charitable foundations by investing in solutions that streamline accounting processes. Grant management software enables recipients to track incoming funds and manage them as they are dispersed.