The Colorado Mesa University Foundation announced it raised $7,088 during the Colorado Gives Day fundraiser held on December 9, 2025. The event was part of a larger campaign to support the Century Scholarship, which aims to expand scholarship access for students in Mesa County and reduce financial barriers to higher education.
Donations made during the Century Celebration are matched dollar-for-dollar, effectively doubling the impact of each contribution. The fundraising efforts are part of a year-long initiative by the CMU Foundation.
Colorado Mesa University, established in 1925, currently enrolls more than 10,000 students pursuing various degrees from certificates to doctorates. Over the last decade, the CMU Foundation has increased its fundraising capacity for scholarships fourfold and has also quadrupled the number of students receiving financial support through scholarships.
In 2015, the foundation awarded $976,423 in scholarships to 375 students. By 2025, this figure had grown significantly with $4,711,961 distributed among 1,551 students. This progress is attributed to donors whose contributions help CMU students pursue their educational goals.
The Century Scholarship was created by Joe Higgins in 2017 as the Mesa Scholarship Initiative and later renamed in honor of CMU’s centennial anniversary. Its goal is to raise a $10 million endowment; currently, nearly $8 million has been secured. Contributions from Colorado Gives Day have brought the foundation closer to this target.
“When we get there, it will mean we’re doing the right thing,” said Higgins. “It will say to me that people are making good, sound investments in our students and in our community. Once we hit $10 million, we’ll keep going. Because this work doesn’t end.”
Supporters interested in helping reach the $10 million goal can donate to the Century Scholarship and have their gifts matched dollar-for-dollar.
