$5 billion “Honor the Future” campaign of university propelled by lead donations from Paul and Diane Manning, Jaffray Woodriff, and Peter M. Grant II
The University of Virginia has concluded its landmark “Honor the Future” campaign, surpassing the $5 billion mark 18 months ahead of schedule—the largest and fastest‑reaching fundraising effort in the university’s history.
More than 258,000 donors participated in the eight‑year campaign, whose record total is fueling new investment in scholarships, faculty excellence, research innovation, and student opportunity.
The largest individual gifts helped reshape UVA’s academic and research landscape. Charlottesville philanthropists Paul and Diane Manning led with a $100 million donation to establish the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, a gift matched by $100 million from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The Mannings’ longstanding support of medical research and health sciences at UVA has positioned the institute as a major hub for advanced cellular and gene‑based therapies.
Data entrepreneur and alumnus Jaffray Woodriff, through his Quantitative Foundation, contributed $120 million to found the University’s School of Data Science—the single largest private gift in UVA history. The school now anchors UVA’s efforts in artificial intelligence, computational research, and analytics education.
Other high‑impact benefactors included Peter M. Grant II, who served as campaign chair and previously endowed the Grant Family Pavilion and several student aid initiatives, and a wide group of alumni whose collective giving built the Bicentennial Scholars and Professors Funds.
Those endowments have created more than 750 scholarships and nearly 140 professorships.
Interim President Paul G. Mahoney praised the “remarkable commitment and scale of generosity” that propelled the campaign past its goal.
“This milestone defines UVA’s ambition to lead through discovery, inclusion, and service,” Mahoney said.
Launched in 2019, “Honor the Future” is now one of the most successful public university campaigns ever completed, setting the stage for UVA’s next era of expansion in both global research and student access.