Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 said he was disappointed by some of the University’s fundraising numbers during an interview with The Crimson on Tuesday, a sign that Harvard officials are bracing for donations to dip after a year of campus turmoil.

Garber’s comments come ahead of the release of the University’s 2024 financial report later this month, which is expected to show that fundraising numbers fell as a result of alumni and donor backlash to Harvard’s initial response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

“Some of the new commitments have been disappointing compared to past years,” Garber said.

“There are also some indications that we will see improvements in the future,” Garber added. “I can’t get more specific than that right now.”

As the University grappled with months of donor fallout over its response to campus protests and an unprecedented leadership crisis, Garber had privately warned in March of a decline in new gifts. But he confirmed those suspicions publicly for the first time on Tuesday.