About University of Nevada Reno Foundation
The Foundation receives, invests and administers funds to benefit the University of Nevada, Reno by providing a mechanism for private individuals, corporations and foundations to make charitable gifts to the University while honoring the philanthropic intent of donors.
Focus Areas
scholarshipsendowmentsfaculty support and chairsresearch fundingstudent servicescampus programs
Who They Fund
university students (scholarship recipients)alumnihigher education institutions / campus communities
Funding Style
capital investmentprogram support / capacity buildingdirect scholarships / student aid
About University of Nevada Reno Foundation
A single institution anchors the University of Nevada Reno Foundation’s grantmaking: the University of Nevada Reno in Reno. The largest recent awards in the record go to University Programs, with one 2025 grant of $23,043,974 and additional University Programs support of $21,851,684 in both 2024 and 2025. That pattern shows a funder built around sustained, large-scale support for the university’s core operations and priorities rather than a broad external grant portfolio. The foundation also directs major gifts to capital projects and scholarships. Recent awards include $12,643,574 for Capital Projects and $7,540,651 for University Scholarships in 2025, alongside a separate $7,207,456 scholarship grant in both 2024 and 2025. Alumni-related support appears as well, through grants to the University of Nevada Reno and the University of Nevada Alumni Association. Across the record, the foundation functions as the charitable vehicle through which private individuals, corporations, and foundations can make gifts to the university while honoring donor intent.
What University of Nevada Reno Foundation Funds
University Programs is the clearest area of support, with repeated high-dollar grants to the University of Nevada Reno for that purpose, including $23,043,974 in 2025 and $21,851,684 in both 2024 and 2025. Capital investment is another major theme. The foundation gave $12,643,574 to University of Nevada Reno for Capital Projects in 2025, and also made Capital Projects grants of $7,338,391 in both 2024 and 2025. Student aid is a third recurring priority. In 2025, the foundation awarded $7,540,651 for University Scholarships, following scholarship grants of $7,207,456 in 2024 and $5,709,958 in 2023. Alumni support appears in the recent record through grants to the University of Nevada Alumni Association for Alumni Support in 2025 and to the University of Nevada Reno for Alumni Programs in 2024 and 2023.
How University of Nevada Reno Foundation Gives
Grant size is substantial. The typical grant distribution is p25 $2,449,579, median $7,272,924, and p75 $13,720,853. The recent record also shows repeated awards to the same university across multiple years, especially in 2023, 2024, and 2025, which points to recurring support rather than one-off giving. The foundation is a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The grant record is highly concentrated in a single institution and a single state, with all listed grants going to Nevada recipients. The structure of the giving aligns with an institutional support model for University of Nevada Reno.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$80.2M
Total Assets
$530.8M
Total Revenue
$52.5M
Total Expenses
$53.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $2.4M and $13.7M, with a median of $7.3M.
25th Percentile
$2.4M
Median
$7.3M
75th Percentile
$13.7M
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
About 100% of grants go to recipients in NV.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Denise Lewis
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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