University of Virginia President Jim Ryan announced at the Thursday, June 5 Board of Visitors meeting that the school’s “Honor the Future” fundraising campaign has reached the $6 billion threshold, exceeding its original $5 billion target.

“This milestone was made possible by the generosity of more than 250,000 individual donors, our campaign volunteers and our dedicated Advancement team,” Ryan said. “Six billion is much more than a number, of course. It represents investments in critical areas of the University, from teaching and research to health care, to student access and to athletics, to name a few. This campaign will benefit our students, faculty, and staff for generations to come, and I’m deeply grateful to all those who have supported our efforts.”

The Honor the Future campaign was launched publicly in October 2019, coinciding with the bicentennial of the University’s founding. The state legislature chartered UVA at its Charlottesville home in 1819, and the first class of students matriculated in 1825.

The campaign, the largest in University history, reached its $5 billion goal in December 2023, more than 18 months ahead of schedule. It has made a profound impact on students, faculty, facilities, and research in Charlottesville, Wise County, and Northern Virginia as it continues to advance the school into the third century of service to the commonwealth, nation, and world. The campaign has also been instrumental in fulfilling the goals of UVA’s 2030 Strategic Plan.

“The achievement of this milestone reflects the generosity and vision of our loyal alumni and friends,” said Peter M. Grant II (Col ’78, Darden ’86), volunteer chair of the Honor the Future Campaign. “It also represents the dedicated work of many people committed to not just reaching our aspirational $5 billion goal, but surpassing it. The University stands well-positioned for the future because of their collective engagement and dedication.”

When the final numbers are in, they will tell the story of a concerted push to implement a key goal of Ryan’s strategic plan to make UVA “the best public university in 2030, and one of the very best in the world, whether public or private.”

Meanwhile, the outpouring of support from the UVA community has been demonstrated in part by funding the growth of two key areas – scholarships and faculty – strengthening foundational core priorities and upholding exceptional student experiences.

Through the Bicentennial Scholars Fund, a matching program named in honor of UVA’s 200th anniversary, the University is meeting its commitment to offer a broad array of scholarships to provide financial security, educational opportunity, and a solid foundation for its most promising students.

Overall, the total impact, including matching funds, exceeds $760 million. To date, the Bicentennial Scholars Fund has created more than 750 new endowed scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students and student-athletes. These scholarships are central to UVA’s efforts to increase accessibility and affordability while attracting outstanding students from all backgrounds.

Similarly, the total investment in the Bicentennial Professors Fund comes to more than $560 million, with nearly 140 new endowed professorships created. By co-investing with donors in outstanding faculty and recruiting and retaining extraordinary scholars, the University continues its tradition of sustaining a faculty cohort whose teaching and research at UVA will lead the way into the future. The combined impact of the Bicentennial Scholars and Professors Funds has surpassed $1.3 billion.

The impact of philanthropy can be seen across every area of the University in new and existing programs and key support for capital projects, including:

• The School of Data Science
• The new entrepreneurship building
• The Center for the Arts, which will include the Tessa and Richard Ader Performing Arts Center
• The Karsh Institute of Democracy
• Shannon Library renovations
• The Contemplative Commons
• Shumway Hall and the Breeden Commerce Grounds at the McIntire School of Commerce
• The Darden School of Business
• The Molly and Robert Hardie Football Operations Center
• The Harrison Family Olympic Sports Center
• The Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology

“I am forever indebted to my colleagues across Grounds who have worked tirelessly over the last several years to elevate our University and to those who came before us and set a foundation for our collective success in the campaign,” Mark Luellen, UVA’s vice president for advancement, said. “We are truly blessed by the deep generosity of so many.”

By fueling new research, recruiting and retaining outstanding faculty, increasing accessibility for promising students, and transforming the institution for the demands of the future, the many community members who have given to the Honor the Future Campaign have set UVA on a sustained course to stretch the boundaries of knowledge, ensuring its place as one of the nation’s great public universities.