UVA Darden Surpasses Goals on Annual Day of Giving

For 24 hours, the University of Virginia Darden School of Business community came together — focused, energized and ready to make a difference.

The result: around 1,700 donors contributed more than $1.6 million, exceeding the School’s donor participation and dollar goals.

Funds raised through Day for Darden support key priorities across the School, including scholarships, faculty excellence and the overall student experience.

Broad participation drives results

As in previous years, participation across the Darden community proved central to the day’s success.

Alumni from across decades — along with current students, faculty, staff and friends — contributed throughout the day. This year’s Reunion classes (years ending in 1s and 6s, as well as the Class of 2025) showed strong engagement, while multiple challenges and matching gifts helped build momentum.

Several classes stood out for their leadership. The Full-Time MBA Class of 1990 led all classes in dollars raised, contributing more than $211,000, while the soon-to-graduate Full-Time MBA Class of 2026 led all classes with 123 donor commitments through its class pledge campaign.

Activity on Grounds and beyond

Day for Darden programming brought together students and alumni in a series of events.

On Flagler Court in Charlottesville, students signed class pledge cards and wrote 789 thank-you postcards to donors.

Midday, Interim Dean Michael Lenox joined Dawna Clarke, former admissions dean and Darden ambassador, for a virtual conversation focused on the School’s priorities and the role of philanthropy in supporting them.

In the evening, alumni and students gathered for the EMBAs Supporting EMBAs event at UVA Darden DC Metro at Sands Family Grounds in Rosslyn, highlighting support for current and future Executive MBA students. A new area of focus this year, EMBA classes raised more than $50,000.

Community engagement extends online

The day also saw strong engagement across social media, with faculty and alumni sharing reflections on their Darden experience and encouraging participation.

Themes of curiosity, connection and community came through consistently across those posts — offering a window into what drives engagement with the School.

“Darden doesn’t just welcome the unconventional, it actively seeks it out,” wrote Professor Anthony Palomba, calling the School a place where curiosity is rewarded, where students are trained to see what others miss — and to act on it.

Others pointed to the relationships at the center of the experience — how time spent learning together shapes both perspective and community.

“There is something magical that happens when you spend time as a group learning and growing,” wrote Professor Yael Grushka-Cockayne, adding that those moments of connection are what make this community so exceptional.

Interim Dean Mike Lenox joins CavMan on Flagler Court during Day for Darden 2026. (Photo by Caroline Mackey)