Donations rise thanks to steadfast Hokie generosity
The five-year average for new gifts and commitments reached an all-time high and undergraduate giving percentage exceeds 20 percent for the fourth-straight year.
Virginia Tech alumni, friends, students, parents, and partners from corporations and foundations combined to make nearly $241.6 million in new gifts and commitments to the university during the fiscal year that ran July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.
The amount was the second-most ever given to Virginia Tech in a fiscal year and a 7 percent increase over 2023-24. It pushed the five-year average for new gifts and commitments to an all-time high of $232.2 million.
“Dependable philanthropy and loyal friends and supporters who believe in our mission are essential for our success as a leading research university, and we are profoundly grateful to all those who give,” said Virginia Tech President Tim Sands. “Their donations fuel our progress, support the success of our students, and make it possible to have an ever-increasing impact on the people and communities we serve. Our Advancement team has inspired remarkable growth over the past decade under Charlie Phlegar, and we will continue to work with our supporters to build a bright future for Virginia Tech.”
Phlegar is retiring this month after heading the Advancement Division since July 2015. Tom Wamsley, who previously was vice chancellor for advancement at the University of Illinois Chicago, will succeed him.
Advancement raised $100.4 million in new gifts and commitments in Phlegar’s first year and over $200 million the past five years. The university also tracks cash received from philanthropy during each fiscal year, which was nearly $183.5 million in 2024-25.
The percentage of undergraduate alumni who give topped 20 percent for a fourth straight year, which is consistently among the nation’s best rates for public universities. Student giving was particularly strong this past fiscal year, with 50 percent of the Class of 2025 participating in the Senior Class Giving Campaign.
On Giving Day, which ran for 24 hours starting at noon Feb. 19, more than 24,100 Hokies, representing 41 countries and all 50 states, rallied to raise over $21.2 million. Over the year as whole, 74,641 total donors stepped forward on Virginia Tech’s behalf.
Multiple colleges and programs saw large increases in giving, including the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, which had nearly twice as much in new gifts and commitments.
“It’s inspiring to see so many people show their generous support for our work to prepare tomorrow’s leaders and apply today’s discoveries in ways that make our world better,” said Dean Mario Ferruzzi. “Giving empowers our students, faculty, and staff throughout the college and across the teaching, research, and Extension missions and 4-H programs that we support.”
Thanks to the year’s many donors, Virginia Tech’s Boundless Impact Campaign, which launched in 2019, had raised nearly $1.877 billion and engaged 117,162 alumni as of June 30, 2025, surpassing its raised goal of $1.872 billion two years ahead of schedule.
Over 36,500 individuals attended Advancement Division events over the course of the fiscal year, which helped generate more than $181,000 in gifts supporting a wide variety of university priorities.
Fundraising is an essential component of two major initiatives launched by Sands, Virginia Tech Advantage and Virginia Tech Global Distinction, which respectively aim to ensure broad opportunities to in-state undergraduates and to empower impactful research, scholarship, and creative activity.
Over $53.4 million of the fiscal year’s donations counted toward Virginia Tech Advantage, bringing the total raised for that priority to $105.7 million. Virginia Tech Advantage has a goal to raise $500 million by 2033. More than $70.9 million was raised in support Virginia Tech Global Distinction priorities such as faculty and graduate student support, research facilities and equipment, and project-specific funding.
“The opportunity to lead an extraordinary advancement team at the university that means so much to me has been incredibly fulfilling,” said Phlegar, a Blacksburg native who comes from a family of Hokies and earned two Virginia Tech degrees himself. “I have worked at many schools, and this one is special in how it inspires lifelong devotion and brings people together from all over the world to help build a better university, together. Giving to higher education is powerful statement of belief in the future, and I can’t wait to see what the coming years hold for Virginia Tech.”
