The University of Lynchburg raised more than $6.5 million* in fiscal year 2025, according to the institution’s Office of Advancement. This includes $1.5 million for The Lynchburg Fund — the most ever raised for the fund in a single year.
The grand total can be attributed to 2,715 donors. Of these, 1,595 were alumni and 779 were first-time donors to the University.
“We have just wrapped up an incredible year of fundraising,” said Shawn Wood, Lynchburg’s associate vice president of Advancement. “I’m feeling both confident and grateful as we embark on the public phase of the One Lynchburg campaign.”
During the “silent phase” of the capital campaign, which began in 2020, the University raised $39 million. The goal during the public phase, which ends on Dec. 31, 2025, is to raise $1 million or more. Wood feels confident that will happen.
“The success with this campaign has been a testament to incredible donor support and understanding that every single gift is appreciated and will make a difference for every new Hornet joining the Hive community,” he said. “Your gifts truly make an incredible difference.”
Highlights of FY25 included GiveDay in April, where the University raised $529,989 — nearly twice as much as the previous year. There were 1,070 total donors, 218 of whom gave to Lynchburg for the first time.
More than $250,000 in matches and challenges were met on GiveDay, including a $150,000 match made by members of Lynchburg’s board of trustees.
In October 2024, large gifts led to the dedication of two new spaces on campus: the E. Stewart Coleman Gallery and Crank Plaza.
The Daura Museum of Art’s atrium gallery was named for Stewart Coleman ’86, a philanthropist and former member of the board of trustees who died in 2022. Tom Burrowes ’93, ’21 MA, Lynchburg’s senior director of alumni and external engagement, estimated Coleman contributed about $1.4 million to the University over 20 years.
The new Crank Plaza was created with a $100,000 gift from Steve Crank ’73, ’74 MBA, a member of Lynchburg’s board of trustees. It was dedicated in memory of Crank’s first wife, Susan Hornsby Crank ’74, an art major and educator who died in 2006.
Crank also established the Debra C. Wyland Exemplary Service Scholarship in honor of Debra C. Wyland ’24 HAA, longtime executive assistant to Lynchburg’s president and board of trustees.
According to a description of the fund, it’s a tribute to Wyland’s “profound impact, recognizing her unwavering 19 years of commitment and invaluable contributions to the University of Lynchburg, Office of the President, and the board of trustees.”
The fund supports undergrad students with demonstrated financial need “who embody the spirit or service, leadership, and dedication that Debra consistently demonstrated throughout her distinguished career with the University.”
Among the planned gifts received by the University in FY25, one totalled more than $1 million. The gift of $1,079,052.63, from the estate of Sidney M. Bedford Jr. ’40, was split between The Lynchburg Fund and the Sidney M. and Pearl H. Bedford Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Several new funds, in addition to the Wyland Scholarship, were also created.
The Dr. George J. and Rhoda W. Kriz ’58 Scholarship was established by Dr. George J. Kriz in memory of his late wife, Rhoda Whitacre Kriz ’58. It supports undergraduate students with a 3.5 or higher GPA. This is the second scholarship Kriz has established at Lynchburg.
The Dr. Crystal M. Edwards Leadership Fund was established by University of Lynchburg Board of Trustees Chair Julie Doyle, Peter Doyle, Dr. Teresa Brennan, and Dr. Robert Owen Brennan in honor of Dr. Crystal M. Edwards, retired Lynchburg City Schools superintendent.
It supports students from the greater Lynchburg area who have been admitted to Lynchburg and demonstrate great financial need.
The Heather Wyman Hossack ’92, ’96 Memorial Scholarship Award Fund at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences was established by Thomas and Charlene Gibney in memory of their friend Heather Wyman Hossack ’92, ’96.
Hossack had degrees from Lynchburg in communication studies and nursing.
The fund supports undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need who are pursuing a nursing degree and have a minimum 3.5 GPA.
The University also received several significant grants over the past year.
A $7,731 grant from the McCauley Foundation will help fund an annual service-learning trip to New Orleans led by Dr. Jimmy Roux, a communication studies professor and director of Lynchburg’s Master of Arts in Nonprofit Leadership Studies.
The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation donated $8,780 to purchase new physical therapy tables for Lynchburg’s Community Health Clinic.
The Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation donated $384,087 for the 2025-26 academic year. Of this, $77,530 will support general undergraduate scholarships and $306,557 will support undergraduate nursing scholarships.
August is Make-A-Will-month, and the University has partnered with FreeWill to make planned giving easier. A gift to the University of Lynchburg through estate planning qualifies estates for a charitable tax deduction and allows donors to join the Hopwood Society.
Give today to make a difference in the life of a Lynchburg student, program, or initiative. For more information on how to make a gift to the University, please contact Wood at [email protected] or 434.544.8450.
*This includes gifts of cash, gifts of stock, pledges, planned gifts, and gifts-in-kind.
The Office of Financial Aid awards funds and scholarships based on fund criteria. You do not need to apply separately for scholarships when applying for admission to the University of Lynchburg.
