# Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Wesleyan University is an Endowment / Foundation based in Virginia Beach, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Virginia Beach, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 5817 Wesleyan Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23455, United States
- **Founded:** 1961
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** vwu.edu
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/school/virginia-wesleyan-college/

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

President Scott D. Miller has shaped the university since 2010, but the institution itself dates to 1961. Its capital base reflects decades of regional relationships rather than a single industrial fortune — Trustee Emerita Joan Brock is a Dollar Tree heir, Trustee W. Taylor Franklin is COO of The Franklin Johnston Group, and the DeFord and Batten families are woven into the board through the Batten Honors College endowment and DeFord Manor. The endowment pursues a broad charter spanning buyout, early-stage venture, fund-of-funds, growth equity, and turnaround strategies. The institution commits to direct real assets including residential holdings like Coastal 61 at Oxford Village and commercial buildings like the Susan S. Goode Fine and Performing Arts Center. Geographic activity concentrates on Coastal Virginia, aligning with the university's 300-acre campus in Virginia Beach and its membership in the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges. Endowment size is not publicly disclosed. Altss estimates roughly $124 million, placing the fund at the smaller end of higher-ed allocators. The university joined the Intentional Endowments Network in 2016 and committed to carbon neutrality by 2040 through the Climate Leadership Network, positioning endowment governance alongside physical assets like the Greer Environmental Sciences Center and The Ocean Explorer research vessel. No adjacent family-office vehicle or co-investment club is publicly disclosed. The endowment’s structural distinction lies in its integration with campus physical assets. Real estate holdings like the on-campus Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art operate as both institutional property and community-facing assets, blurring the line between endowment portfolio and university balance sheet. Governance flows through a board with deep local operating-company ties, creating an asset owner shaped more by regional real estate and retail wealth than by a traditional investment committee model.

## People

- Scott D. Miller — President
- Nancy T. DeFord — Chair of the Board of Trustees
- Jane Batten — Trustee Emerita
- Joan Brock — Trustee Emerita
- Jonathan E. Pruden — Immediate Past Chair
- W. Taylor Franklin — Trustee

## Questions

### How does Virginia Wesleyan's endowment invest?

The endowment deploys capital across venture, buyout, growth equity, turnaround, and fund-of-funds strategies. It also holds direct real assets tied to its Virginia Beach campus. The strategy does not appear to concentrate on any single asset class or sector, reflecting the diversified approach common among smaller higher-ed endowments.

### What is the estimated size of the endowment?

Virginia Wesleyan does not publicly disclose its endowment value. Altss estimates it at approximately $124 million based on available data, placing it among smaller university endowments nationally.

### Who sits on the board that governs the endowment?

Trustee Emerita Joan Brock is a Dollar Tree heir. W. Taylor Franklin, COO of The Franklin Johnston Group, also serves as a trustee. Nancy T. DeFord chairs the board, and Jane Batten — a major benefactor tied to the Batten Honors College — holds emerita status. The board reflects deep Coastal Virginia business and philanthropic roots.

### Does the endowment have a sustainability or ESG mandate?

The university joined the Intentional Endowments Network in 2016 and the Climate Leadership Network, committing to carbon neutrality by 2040. These commitments suggest an endowment overlay aligned with campus sustainability goals rather than a standalone ESG investment policy.

### Does Virginia Wesleyan participate in fund commitments or direct co-investments?

The endowment’s strategy includes fund-of-funds allocations alongside buyout, venture, and growth equity. Reported real-asset holdings like Coastal 61 at Oxford Village and the Susan S. Goode Center indicate direct property ownership, but no co-investment activity alongside external GPs is publicly disclosed.

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/virginia-wesleyan-university

Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology