Give to UVA Batten

Help shape the future of policy and leadership through investments in students, faculty, and transformative learning experiences.

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Investing to Shape the Public Good

Your support advances every part of the UVA Batten experience, from student access and hands-on learning to faculty excellence and future growth. Together, these investments prepare principled leaders to solve complex policy challenges and drive meaningful change.

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Student Experience

The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy was founded with a visionary mandate to be a different kind of school, blending leadership training with public policy expertise. This entrepreneurial spirit has cultivated a first-in-class student experience, combining a small, cohort-based classroom environment with the resources of a nationally elite flagship institution, and creating a multidisciplinary curriculum that integrates political science, social psychology, policy training, data analysis, and economics. Investing in UVA Batten students is an investment in the next generation of leaders who will develop the critical skills needed for a lifetime of service to the public good.

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Faculty Support

UVA Batten houses a blend of world-class academics and experienced practitioners across a range of disciplines—public policy, political science, social psychology, economics, and more—reflecting the School’s deep commitment to recruiting faculty whose combined academic expertise and real-world experience form a central pillar of the student learning experience. UVA Batten faculty are at the heart of our mission to develop ethical, change-oriented leaders and produce actionable research. Continued investment in UVA Batten faculty will enhance the student experience, sustain the production of cutting-edge research, and enrich the broader University community.

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New Building

Since its founding in 2007, the Batten School at UVA has grown from a pioneering class of approximately 25 MPP students into a fully developed academic program serving more than 450 undergraduate, graduate, and certificate students annually. This growth has created a need for additional space, and UVA Batten will expand into its new home in the Karsh Institute of Democracy building in the Emmet–Ivy Corridor. This purpose-built, state-of-the-art facility will include classrooms, collaboration spaces, faculty offices, and a 425-seat auditorium. Its proximity to the Virginia Guest House will provide renowned University guests with easy access to UVA Batten, while its location alongside key partners—including the Karsh Institute, School of Data Science, Social Innovation at UVA, and UVA Arts—will strategically position UVA Batten students to experience all that the University has to offer.

Ways to Give

Meet the UVA Batten
Development Team

Our development team is dedicated to building meaningful partnerships that advance the Batten School’s mission. They are here to connect your philanthropic goals with opportunities to make a lasting impact across our community.

Contact Jon Holmstead Contact Peyton Dees

  • Jon Holmsted
    Jon Holmsted
    Director of Development

    Jon is the director of development for the Batten School and has worked in University-affiliated development roles since 2018. He focuses on building relationships with donors, alumni, and other stakeholders to advance the philanthropic priorities of the Batten School and Dean Ian H. Solomon, focusing on major gifts development and overall alumni participation. Jon also oversees coordination with other schools and units by working within UVA External Relations. In the 2024-25 fiscal year, Batten achieved its highest single-year donor count in school history and its largest single-year fundraising total since 2020-21.

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  • Mark Nelson
    Mark Nelson
    Advancement Associate

    Mark Nelson is an advancement associate at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy

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