D’Aniellos donate $30 million for Syracuse University’s IVMF

SYRACUSE — Their names are on the building that houses Syracuse University’s (SU) National Veterans Resource Center (NVRC), which includes the Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF).

Daniel D’Aniello, an SU graduate and life trustee, and wife, Gayle, have donated $30 million to the IVMF. 

The donation is meant to “secure the future and long-term success of the IVMF,” Syracuse University said. 

Daniel D’Aniello — a U.S. Navy veteran — is a 1968 graduate of SU. He’s also co-founder and chair emeritus of The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG), a private- equity firm.

“The IVMF is doing the kind of groundbreaking work that is vital to understanding and breaking down the barriers facing veterans and their families as they transition from military service to civilian life,” D’Aniello said in a statement. “The institute’s innovative programs and services provide veterans an opportunity to find a meaningful career or launch their own business. In turn, our nation’s veterans and their families contribute to their communities and serve their country in new and profound ways. Gayle and I are honored to support this work that is taking place at the University that means so much to us.”

The donation, which builds on the D’Aniello family’s $20 million gift in 2018 to help construct the NVRC, will support the creation of an endowment to provide annual operational support for the IVMF, “ensuring it remains the nation’s leading academic institute focused on the concerns of America’s more than 20 million veterans and their families,” Syracuse University contended in a news release. 

SU on Nov. 3 dedicated and formally opened the NVRC and marked the IVMF’s 10-year anniversary. 

With the D’Aniellos’ donation, Forever Orange: The Campaign for Syracuse University — a $1.5 billion fundraising campaign — has topped $1.048 billion in funds raised, the school said.

“Dan’s love for Syracuse University goes beyond alumni loyalty or the responsibility as a trustee,” Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud said. “The D’Aniellos are invested in our vision for serving veterans and military-connected families. It is impossible to measure the ripple effect that his leadership and support have had on our community. Thanks to the D’Aniellos, Syracuse University’s commitment to veterans will continue to grow, to aspire to new and better programs, and to make a tangible difference to those who have served our nation.”

J. Michael Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation, created the IVMF. Haynie credits the support that Syracuse University has received from the D’Aniello family for making it possible for the IVMF to provide training, educational programming and community-based services to more than 160,000 veterans and military families since its founding in 2007.

Founded in 2011, the IVMF has grown to become “one of the most influential centers” of thought leadership, research and programming focused on the nation’s veterans and military families, SU contends. The IVMF “designs and delivers” programs — at no cost to veterans, military-connected individuals and families — focused on vocational skills training, career preparation and business ownership, while also conducting actionable research, policy analysis, and advocacy. 

With the support of public- and private-sector partners, the IVMF also works in communities across the U.S., supporting efforts to help veterans and their families navigate the transition from military to civilian life, SU said.