Abstract: It is an important phenomenon in the history of higher education development for universities to accept social donation. Introducing social capital into social donation to universities，attaching importance to and taking advantage of the positive social capital will promote the development and consolidation of social donation to universities. From the perspective of social capital，this paper analyzes the relationship between the social capital and social donation to universities and finds out its positive effects in promoting social donation to universities. This paper also points out the main difficulties that social donation to universities are facing at present. These difficulties are the occurrence of social trust crisis，lack of scientific rules，the confinement of traditional concept of charity and neglect of network of social donation to universities. This paper also puts forward some corresponding solutions from three aspects which are to promote improve public trust to universities，set up regulations for donation mechanism and to promote the social network of university donation.

Key words: social capital, social donation to universities, capital accumulation, expense for higher education, mechanism of university management