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Schar Gives $30 Million to George Mason

The gift creates two new institutes and names a campus plaza after philanthropist Dwight Schar.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Philanthropy

Wide view of an open stone campus plaza with a low fountain, oak trees, and a red-brick academic building under a clear sky.
Philanthropist Dwight Schar gave George Mason University $30 million on Monday to create two new institutes and name a Fairfax campus plaza after him. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Philanthropist Dwight Schar gave George Mason University $30 million to establish the Institute for Security, Intelligence and Defense and the Institute for Economic Statecraft. The university announced the gift on Monday, and will name the plaza at Mason Square the Dwight Schar Plaza.

Why it matters

The gift builds on Schar's $10 million donation announced in 2016 to the School of Policy, Government, and International Affairs. It is part of Mason Now: Power the Possible, the university's $1 billion comprehensive campaign.

The $30 million gift is roughly three times Schar's earlier $10 million donation and represents a share of the university's $1 billion Mason Now campaign goal. Details on how the funds will be allocated across the two institutes have not been released.

The players

Dwight Schar

Dwight Schar is a Northern Virginia philanthropist and the founder of NVR Inc., a home builder.

George Mason University

George Mason University is a public research university in Fairfax, Virginia, and the recipient of the gift.

The details

The Institute for Security, Intelligence and Defense will build on the Schar School's established teaching in national security and intelligence, including its Michael V. Hayden Center. The Institute for Economic Statecraft will allow the school to recruit faculty with senior government experience, launch a research initiative on illicit financial flows, convene an annual summit and produce new research.

Timeline

  1. 2016: Schar announces a $10 million gift to the School of Policy, Government, and International Affairs.

  2. Monday, November 9, 2026: George Mason University announces the $30 million gift.

  3. Fall 2027: The two new institutes are expected to launch.

Season Trajectory

The gift is one of the components feeding into Mason Now: Power the Possible, George Mason's $1 billion comprehensive campaign. It extends a donor relationship that began with Schar's 2016 gift to the School of Policy, Government, and International Affairs.

For students and faculty at George Mason University, the gift expands teaching and research in national security, intelligence and economic statecraft. Residents of Fairfax and Arlington will see a renamed campus plaza at Mason Square when the naming takes effect.

The takeaway

Large gifts to public universities often tie private philanthropy to specific policy and intelligence research areas. Readers interested in this model can track how the institutes define their priorities as the 2027 launch approaches.

What happens next

The two institutes are expected to launch in fall 2027, and additional details on their strategic priorities will be announced as plans advance.

Further reading

For more on giving in the region, see Philanthropy coverage in Fairfax.

Source note: This article includes information reported by INSIDENOVA.

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