Donors contributed over $522 million to the University of Colorado (CU) in the last fiscal year, marking the second-highest fundraising total in the university’s history. This is only the second time CU has surpassed half a billion dollars in philanthropic giving.
The university reported that more than 46,000 donors made over 78,000 gifts across its four campuses. These contributions support various initiatives as CU approaches its 150th anniversary next year. The funds will go toward student scholarships, research, arts and culture programs, faculty support, and health care.
“We are tremendously grateful for our donors’ generosity and passion. Their gifts are among our most important sources of support and help strengthen every part of our university community,” said Todd Saliman, University of Colorado President. “These gifts ensure our students, faculty and broader community in Colorado and beyond can benefit from the impact and value that CU provides.”
Of the $522 million raised last year, $161 million was directed to research activities; $157 million supported academic priorities including health care; $63 million funded scholarships and fellowships for students; and $40 million went toward attracting and retaining faculty members.
The university noted that donor contributions are allocated according to their intended purposes. Donor-directed philanthropy cannot be redirected by CU to cover other funding shortfalls. This comes at a time when higher education faces challenges from state and federal budget constraints.
A large proportion of donations came from smaller gifts: about 93% were amounts of $2,500 or less. The donor base included alumni, friends, parents, students, staff, faculty members, foundations, and corporations.
Significant individual gifts included a $10 million endowment from CU Boulder alumnus Spike Buckley to establish the Buckley Center for Sustainability Education. At UCCS (University of Colorado Colorado Springs), nearly $700,000 in scholarship funds were provided by the Kane Family Foundation to support 50 local students pursuing degrees at UCCS. At CU Denver, donors gave $7.2 million last fiscal year for student scholarships—including an anonymous $1 million gift supporting sociology students—and efforts to broaden access to higher education.
At CU Anschutz Medical Campus’s Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, an anonymous patient donated $40 million to advance ophthalmology research focused on treating diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma using basic science approaches and artificial intelligence.
Endowed giving also played a significant role: donors invested $104 million into new endowments last year alone—creating 133 new individual endowments—bringing the total number benefiting CU to 3,693 with a combined value of $2.5 billion as of June 30. Endowment funds are managed for long-term growth while providing annual distributions for their designated purposes.
Additionally, planned giving reached a record high with donors committing $128 million through wills or bequests during the past fiscal year.
