Lifting UGA to New Heights
The University of Georgia Foundation (UGAF) manages over $2 billion in assets, $1.7 billion of which is endowed. By monitoring economic conditions and forecasts and adjusting investment strategy accordingly, the Foundation ensures that these assets generate reliable support for students, faculty, and the work of the University.
The 47 members of the UGAF Board of Trustees lead the Foundation and serve as ambassadors and advocates for UGA. Trustees also direct aid to areas of need at the University from surplus funds generated by Foundation assets and from funds annually available to the board for this purpose. In FY24, more than $9.1 million was allocated to support the School of Medicine, need-based aid, experiential learning, faculty support, and more.
Long-Term Investment Return
*The Foundation’s fiscal year ended June 30. Investment returns are preliminary, with some investment managers not yet reporting as of the date of publication.
Foundation Support of UGA
Each year, the UGA Foundation allocates funds, a combination of outright gifts and also endowment returns, to support the University of Georgia and its mission.
Parkinson's Research
Former UGA head football coach Mark Richt organized the 2023 Chick-fil-A Dawg Bowl, a two-week fundraiser in October that rallied over 1,330 donors to give more than $758,000 in support of neurological disease research. In November, the Isakson Initiative—a neurocognitive disease research advocacy group created by the late Sen. Johnny Isakson (BBA ’66), for whom UGA’s Isakson Center for Neurological Disease Research is named—gave $1.4 million to support the Isakson Center's initiatives, including creating two distinguished professorships.
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Learn MoreGodfrey Department of Economics
The John Munro Godfrey, Sr. Department of Economics was named this year in honor of alumnus John Munro Godfrey, Sr. (BBA ’64, PHD ’76). The naming recognizes Godfrey’s distinguished career and his long-standing support of UGA and the Terry College of Business—including a transformational gift from Godfrey and his wife, Flavel. Their endowment will establish seed funds and research grants to recruit and retain top faculty; create scholarships to attract premier undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. students; and provide programmatic funds to elevate the educational experience and career opportunities for students.
Parents Leadership Council
The Parents Leadership Council (PLC), a service-oriented group of highly engaged parents of UGA students, set a record for its PLC Grants program, which awards grants to campus organizations that have a commitment to enhancing undergraduate student life. The group began as 150 families awarding $145,000 to 22 organizations in 2012, and in FY24, more than 300 families raised over $1.2 million that will be awarded to 162 campus organizations for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Private Foundation Support
The Stanton Foundation gave $5.2 million to the College of Veterinary Medicine to create a Spectrum of Care clinic, which will bring a “revolutionary change” to CVM’s curriculum, according to Dean Lisa K. Nolan. The Georgia Museum of Art received a $1 million grant, the largest in the museum’s history, from the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation to enhance its permanent collection galleries. Embark Georgia, a network housed at UGA that supports Georgia college students who have experienced foster care and/or homelessness, received $1.1 million from the Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation’s Child Well-Being Fund.
Distinguished Service Award
The UGAF Board of Trustees announced in October that Judge Steve C. Jones (BBA ’78, JD ’87) was the latest recipient of its Distinguished Service Award. Jones has served on the UGAF Board of Trustees, the UGA Athletic Association Board, the UGA Alumni Association Board of Directors, and the UGA School of Law’s Board of Visitors. In recognition of his dedication to his alma mater, the Foundation allocated $100,000 in surplus funds to create a scholarship named for Jones that supports first-generation college students.
Georgia Women Give
Georgia Women Give (GWG), a nationwide group of women committed to philanthropy, community, and learning at UGA, has grown significantly in the year since its public launch. The number of donors who have given $25,000 or more to the group’s three funds— supporting scholarships, study abroad, and campus priorities—has reached 152, resulting in over $3 million committed to GWG funds. In March of this year, 20 first-year students participated in study abroad trips thanks to support from the group.
Dawg Day of Giving
Dawg Day of Giving, UGA’s annual giving day, set a single-day giving record for the third year in a row with 11,711 donations made on March 26. Donors from all 50 states and six countries cumulatively contributed over $13.8 million to schools, colleges, departments, and programs across campus—including the School of Medicine, which received more than $3.7 million in support of the school’s new facility.
