Continuing their decades-long tradition of providing substantial support for the Institute and the Corps of Cadets, members of the VMI family provided almost $25 million in total gifts and commitments in Fiscal Year 2025.
Of that amount, $13.9 million was in the form of cash gifts, with the remainder coming from new pledges ($6.7 million) and estate and planned giving ($4.3 million). All gifts help to secure an ever-brighter future for the Institute and the Corps of Cadets.
Alumni giving played a huge role in sustaining that support in FY25. Thanks to the generosity of the 10th, 25th, and 50th Reunion classes, $8,028,342 was raised from reunion giving in cash gifts and future pledges. The Institute’s average graduate participation rate in fundraising was 19.43%, and 46 classes had a participation rate higher than that. Seventeen classes had 40% or more participation.
Online crowdfunding campaigns, more commonly known as days of giving, were also solid contributors to the success of FY25. With the support of 1,019 donors, the VMI Foundation Day of Giving brought in $296,176 in November 2024. Funds raised from the 2025 Day of Giving were allocated to help VMI achieve the five goals outlined in the Institute’s new strategic plan, Forging 21st Century Leaders: Prepare exceptional leaders, enhance academic excellence, foster esprit de corps, recruit top cadets and boost success, and deliver 21st century facilities.
Likewise, members of the VMI family showed their strong support for cadet-athletes through Compete to Win, the VMI Keydet Club’s fourth annual crowdfunding campaign. Raising $369,512 from 756 donors, the 3-day event set a record for both donors and dollars in March 2025. Of those donors, 174 were making their first gifts to the Keydet Club.
Outside of Compete to Win, donor generosity to VMI athletics continued at an impressive pace. The Keydet Club raised $9,264,995 from 2,184 donors in FY25, marking the second consecutive year of an increase in donors.
In all facets of the cadet experience, donor support creates opportunities that would otherwise not be possible—and the Call to Duty Scholarships are a perfect example of this. Deemed a game changer for VMI by the Office of Financial Aid, these scholarships provide room and board for cadets already receiving federal ROTC scholarships, and, in a competitive admissions environment, they often play a key role in helping future cadets choose VMI over other schools. With the strong support of members of the VMI family, $942,525 was provided in FY25 toward these much-coveted scholarships, and just under 100 well-qualified cadets—all of whom are already set on a path of national service—benefited from them during the 2024–25 academic year.
The sustained generosity of the VMI family has a powerful impact on the Corps of Cadets and the VMI mission. In FY25, donor support allowed the VMI Alumni Agencies to provide the Institute with $33.5 million.
Endowment growth continued on a solid pace throughout FY25, thanks to the investment management team’s careful attention to fiduciary duty, with a consistent focus on both maximizing returns and preserving capital. As of June 30, the value of the endowment stood at $805.3 million, with growth of $69.4 million.
None of this would be possible without the ongoing and dedicated support of the VMI family. This exemplary level of dedication and commitment is a testament to the collective power of philanthropy and the wise stewardship of resources.
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Mary Price Development Writer/Communications Specialist
The development writer plays a key role in producing advancement communications. This role imagines, creates, and produces a variety of written communication to inspire donors to make gifts benefiting VMI. Utilizing journalistic features and storytelling, the development writer will produce content for areas such as Annual Giving, stewardship, and gift planning.
