Grant funders / Virginia / Higher Education
Higher Education Grant Funders in Virginia
1404 foundations with a documented higher education focus have made grants to Virginia nonprofits in recent years, together directing $1.8B to organizations across the state. Below are the most active — every funder links to a full giving profile, and Bespoke Grants will match all 1404 against your nonprofit's specific mission, for free.
1404
Higher education funders
$1.8B
Given to Virginia nonprofits
21,044
Grants on record
2026
Most recent giving
Most active higher education funders in Virginia
| # | Funder | Based in | Total Virginia giving | Grants | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia Tech Foundation Inc | Virginia | $195.0M | 6 | 2023 |
| 2 | William & Mary Foundation | Virginia | $133.5M | 19 | 2024 |
| 3 | Virginia Student Aid Foundation Inc | Virginia | $126.7M | 6 | 2024 |
| 4 | Jack Kent Cooke Foundation | Virginia | $99.9M | 6291 | 2024 |
| 5 | Virginia Commonwealth University | Virginia | $82.2M | 6 | 2023 |
| 6 | Medical College of Va Foundation | Virginia | $71.4M | 3 | 2019 |
| 7 | James Madison University Foundation Inc | Virginia | $68.4M | 6 | 2023 |
| 8 | Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation Inc | Georgia | $59.9M | 201 | 2024 |
| 9 | The Endeavour Legacy Foundation | Virginia | $43.1M | 8 | 2024 |
| 10 | George Mason University Foundation Inc | Virginia | $42.2M | 8 | 2024 |
| 11 | Eastern Virginia Medical School | Virginia | $41.6M | 5 | 2024 |
| 12 | Nra Foundation Inc | Virginia | $38.4M | 6 | 2024 |
| 13 | Christopher Newport University | Virginia | $35.1M | 12 | 2025 |
| 14 | The Alumni Board of Trustees of the | Virginia | $34.1M | 24 | 2025 |
| 15 | Old Dominion University Educational | Virginia | $32.6M | 10 | 2020 |
This list is ranked by size. Yours should be ranked by fit.
The funders above are the biggest higher education funders in Virginia — not necessarily the right ones for you. Bespoke Grants ranks all 1404 against your nonprofit's actual mission, service area, and budget, and shows you why each one matches. Free, no credit card.
Rank these funders for my nonprofit →Higher Education funders in other states
Other causes funded in Virginia
How this list is built. Bespoke Grants indexes 13M+ grants from public IRS Form 990 filings. This page shows foundations whose giving carries a documented higher education focus and that have funded Virginia nonprofits. Giving figures reflect each funder's total recent grants to Virginia recipients. IRS data publishes on a 1–2 year lag; figures are current through the most recent available filings.