Vanderbilt University's historic Dare to Grow campaign concluded June 30, 2026, with $4.5 billion in donor support-fueled by a record-breaking $757 million raised in the campaign's final year, a 350 percent increase in annual fundraising performance since 2021, and doubling the previous year's record.
The campaign was Vanderbilt's most ambitious call for support in its history, and more than 140,000 donors answered. Dare to Grow surpassed its original fundraising target by 40 percent, landing more than $1 billion past its goal. This unprecedented momentum reflects broad-based engagement from nearly every part of the Vanderbilt community, including a 112 percent increase in alumni support and a 450 percent increase in parent support compared with five years ago.
Support also surged from individuals with no previous history or connection with Vanderbilt. Support from donors with no direct alumni or parental ties to the university signifies a broader interest in Vanderbilt's values-based leadership and growth ambitions. These new donors made a wide range of investments in Nashville and across Vanderbilt's network of campuses in New York City, West Palm Beach, Chattanooga and San Francisco.
"Thanks to the remarkable commitment of alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students and a rapidly growing core of external supporters, Vanderbilt's global reputation and reach are at an all-time high," said Chancellor Daniel Diermeier. "Dare to Grow represents far more than a fundraising achievement; it reflects tremendous confidence in Vanderbilt's future and the transformative role universities play in society."
IMPACT OF DONOR SUPPORT
Donor support helped fuel a range of priorities across Vanderbilt that are creating new opportunities for students and faculty, advancing research and discovery, and bringing expertise to challenges facing our communities. These include the launch of two new colleges, the College of Connected Computing and the Jen-Hsun and Lori Huang College of Art, Architecture and Design, in addition to the Roberts Academy and Dyslexia Center, the Vanderbilt Institute of National Security, new research facilities, residential colleges, expanded scholarships, and tremendous investment in student-athletes and athletics facilities through Vandy United.
"Dare to Grow expanded what is possible for Vanderbilt's academic mission," Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs C. Cybele Raver said. "These investments enable Vanderbilt to recruit exceptional faculty, support interdisciplinary research and create new opportunities for discovery," Raver said.
Over the course of the campaign, more than 115,000 alumni served as supporters, volunteers and ambassadors. "The campaign accelerated Vanderbilt's scale and reach by deepening engagement across the community," said campaign co-chairs and Vanderbilt trustees Steven Madden, BS'91, and Mark Mays, BA'85.
"We are deeply grateful for the philanthropic partnership of our donors," said John Lutz, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations. "We look forward to celebrating the impact of the investments they have made through Dare to Grow and how they will advance Vanderbilt's mission in the years ahead."
The university community is invited to celebrate the impact of Dare to Grow this fall with special events campuswide, including during Reunion Weekend.
- Visit vu.edu/daretogrow to learn more about Dare to Grow's impact.
