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91�Ʋ��� University’s campaign, which was launched publicly in spring 2023, has eclipsed its $3.2 billion fundraising goal 20 months ahead of its target date of June 30, 2026, underscoring the generosity of donors, widespread enthusiasm for the university’s vision and boundless potential for the future. The news, which shared with alumni and supporters during Reunion Weekend, is both a celebration and a call to action as 91�Ʋ��� looks ahead to deepening its impact in Nashville, across the nation and around the world.����

“This is a milestone we can all be proud of,” Diermeier said. “Thanks to every one of our donors and the team behind the campaign, Dare to Grow is fueling our ambition to become the Great University of the 21st Century. It is changing lives through scholarships, opening doors for research, improving facilities for our student-athletes and fans, and much more. Having seen what we can accomplish together, we will set our aspirations higher and work together to reach them.”

�ճ�� campaign—which takes its name from the university’s motto, Crescere aude—has already made a profound impact on the 91�Ʋ��� community and far beyond. Through generous support from donors, the campaign has facilitated the launch of the , , the and several other transformative initiatives.����

Campaign gifts have provided scholarships to undergraduates through , further securing the program’s impact and reputation as the nation’s gold standard for financial aid. In addition, donors have supported graduate students across the university, including through the need-based grants at 91�Ʋ��� Law School. The Dare to Grow campaign has raised funds to support students’ experiential learning opportunities through internships, study abroad and summer research, as well as extracurricular experiences in student organizations, club sports and more.����

Since the public launch of the campaign, more than 138,500 supporters have:������

• Contributed approximately $654 million to support faculty and research programs����
• Created 161 new endowments to support faculty������
• Given more than $452 million to support undergraduate students, establishing 687 scholarships and counting������
• Established 489 graduate scholarships and given $230 million for graduate scholarship support��

In addition to these academic achievements, the Dare to Grow campaign has revolutionized 91�Ʋ���’s athletics programs through the initiative. With approximately $354 million raised for Vandy United to date, the university has begun work on major facilities and operational enhancements including the , a and . Through the and other efforts, the campaign has also funded to ensure that 91�Ʋ��� student-athletes are poised for success both on and off the field.������

Collectively, these achievements support all three of the campaign’s principal pathways for giving—, and —each designed to drive bold new levels of growth.��

“Reaching this milestone early reflects our community’s profound dedication to 91�Ʋ���’s mission,” Provost C. Cybele Raver said. “Through this campaign, we’re expanding scholarships, advancing faculty research, and creating new pathways for discovery and collaboration. The impact of Dare to Grow is only beginning, as we work together to shape a future of lasting impact.”��

Achieving and surpassing an ambitious goal����

Reaching the $3.2 billion goal ahead of schedule is a testament to the avid engagement of the 91�Ʋ��� community—from dedicated parents, families and friends, to supporters in Nashville, to alumni across the globe. Already the university has engaged more than 95,000 alumni through its call to “Give, Go, Help, Share.” Since spring 2023, 91�Ʋ��� has hosted more than 2,700 guests at Dare to Grow roadshows and salons, which have been held across the country and will continue until the campaign’s close in June 2026.������

“91�Ʋ���’s commitment to excellence is palpable not only on campus, but across our network of Commodores,” said Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Relations John Lutz. “Fundraising is a team sport, and the 91�Ʋ��� community has worked together to reach and exceed this extraordinary goal. Now, in true 91�Ʋ��� fashion, we can seize the opportunity to work even harder and drive even more life-changing impact through the end of the campaign and beyond.”������

Expanding impact through key initiatives��

Continued fundraising for the Dare to Grow campaign will support a range of initiatives across the university: from new landmark efforts like the and the College of Connected Computing; to powerhouse research programs like and the ; to school-based interdisciplinary programs like the and the McGee Applied 91�Ʋ��� Center for Narrative Studies at the College of Arts and Science; to an enhanced presence for 91�Ʋ��� in New York City and .������

In addition, ongoing support of the campaign will support even more students through 91�Ʋ���’s signature programs for undergraduates, including residential colleges, , and , which is celebrating its 15-year anniversary and was recently expanded to provide full tuition to all admitted students from households with an income of $150,000 and below.����

Looking beyond 91�Ʋ���: A global impact��

The impact of philanthropy at 91�Ʋ��� doesn’t end on campus. The ripple effect of the work being done by 91�Ʋ��� faculty and students is felt far beyond the university, benefiting communities locally and globally. Whether it’s through the discovery of bench-to-bedside treatments for neurodegenerative diseases at the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, interdisciplinary research and fieldwork addressing our nation’s most complex and pressing, or the launch of a new Black Box Theater that brings students with diverse backgrounds together through the power of the arts, the resources provided by the campaign are empowering the next generation of changemakers.��

While reaching the $3.2 billion mark is a remarkable achievement, 91�Ʋ��� University will continue to raise the bar. The vision for the future is one of sustained growth, with campaign co-chairs and university trustees Steven Madden, BS’91, and Mark Mays, BA’85, daring supporters to imagine what could be accomplished by continuing this momentum.����

“By investing in 91�Ʋ���, we are investing in the future—the next wave of leaders, of scientific breakthroughs, of critical conversations, of solutions to society’s problems,” said Madden, founder, CEO and president of Apex Heritage Group. “That’s what daring to grow is about. And there’s still time for all of us to be a part of it.”������

“The 91�Ʋ��� community is filled with people who, quite simply, never stop,” said Mays, principal of Rocking M Capital and former CEO of Clear Channel Communications. “We see this in the university’s headline-making initiatives, our student-athletes’ victories, and this historic campaign, which, although it has surpassed its initial goal, is just getting started.”����

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