Norfolk State University has raised more than $145 million in its capital campaign, surpassing its $90 million goal with help from two record-breaking gifts from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, officials said.
Other gifts to the campaign, which is set to conclude Dec. 31, have come from individuals and institutions across the region and beyond. Vice President for University Advancement Clifford Porter attributed the campaign’s momentum to storytelling and outreach.
“The university has tried to do a better job of getting out in the community and really talking about the transformational things that are happening in the lives of students,” Porter said in an interview.
Beyond dollars, Porter said the campaign’s theme, “Now is Our Time,” has energized the campus of the public, historically Black university.
“There’s been what I would call a resurgence in pride in Norfolk State,” he said. “While it is about raising money, it really is about our time to be proud of Norfolk State.”
The campaign began in July 2020, with the university announcing it publicly in September 2024. The $90 million goal was tied to 2025 being the 90th anniversary of NSU’s opening.
By early November, the campaign had raised $95.3 million, Porter said. On Nov. 13, the university announced it had received $50 million — the biggest single-donor gift in its history — from billionaire Scott. That brought the campaign’s total to $145.3 million, Stan Donaldson, NSU’s director of media relations, confirmed by email.
The previous largest single-donor gift, $40 million in 2020, also came from Scott. The two gifts from Scott have been used to support scholarships and student success and bolster the university’s endowment, Donaldson said.
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott’s two transformational gifts to Norfolk State University helped it far surpass its campaign fundraising goal. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
Other individual donors include retired Dominion Enterprises CEO and NSU board member Conrad Hall, who committed $5 million to the campaign, as well as entrepreneur and former NSU board member Devon Henry ($1 million), NBA referee Tony Brothers ($500,000) and community leader and author Gary McCollum ($250,000). McCollum is chair of the campaign’s steering committee; Brothers and Hall are members.
Alumni participation also has been strong, Porter said, with many establishing endowed funds to support students in perpetuity. He highlighted alumni including NSU board member Bishop Kim W. Brown and former NSU board member Harry Watkins.
Other notable gifts to the campaign include $5 million from The Landmark Foundation and about $3 million from Dominion Energy, Porter said. Norfolk casino operator Boyd Gaming gave $1 million, Donaldson added.
Porter also cited support from Chartway Credit Union, TowneBank, Langley Federal Credit Union and a recent $500,000 gift from the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. Nationally, he noted support from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and Southern Company, parent of Virginia Natural Gas.
Funds are aligned with four priorities. “We have this category that we call investing in people,” Porter said, describing scholarships and endowment growth. A second bucket strengthens academic programs, including endowed chairs and faculty research. The third covers “strategic investment” in initiatives such as a program to give incoming freshmen Apple equipment, including iPads and AirPods. A fourth, “advancing excellence,” gives NSU flexibility to pursue emerging needs like artificial intelligence.
NSU’s only other major campaign, 30 years ago, raised $15 million.
https://www.pilotonline.com/2025/12/15/norfolk-state-fundraising-campaign-surpasses-goal/
