Fundraising Friday: Virginia Announces Another Seven-Figure Donation

Welcome to Fundraising Friday, AB Today's weeky digest of recent developments in development.

Tim Smith, a 1990 University of Virginia graduate, and his wife Jennifer have pledged $5.5 million to UVA, including $4 million for athletics. According to the university's announcement Monday, this largest portion of the Smiths' gift will support scholarships in baseball and five women’s sports, as well as a current-use gift for operating support for baseball. The scholarships advance a Virginia Athletics Foundation initiative to increase funding for women’s athletics. It marks the second time this month that Virginia has landed a seven-figure donation, with former two-sport athlete Frank Quayle committing $5 million to Cavalier athletics in early June.

Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Ga., announced Tuesday receipt of a $50,000 grant from Sprinturf to replace the synthetic turf on the school's practice field used by athletics, band, summer camps, workouts, feeder program practices and other community events. Harrison's nearly constant use of the field is one reason executives at Sprinturf to select them as winners of the grant. The turf replacement project is scheduled to break ground June 30, with an anticipated completion date before the end of July.

Total amount of these gifts:

$4,050,000

Running total for 2025:

$380,758,500