Just imagine... the power of your generosity.

Last year, 45,909 donors invested $435.6 million in students, faculty, researchers and health care professionals at the University of Colorado so they can imagine what’s possible.

Read stories from CU’s four
campuses that show the power of donors’ gifts.

CU Boulder

Imagine the profound impact scholarships have on students.

In 2023, your gifts funded $52 million in scholarships and fellowships, including the prestigious Chancellor's Award at CU Boulder.

Hear three award recipients share their aspirations, academic pursuits and long-term goals.

“My big dream was to make some sort of contribution to the MS community… just to make even one person’s life with MS a little bit better. And I feel like I’ve actually been able to accomplish that… so now I need to dream a little bit bigger.”

‍ Brodie Woodall, CU Boulder ’23

Brodie Woodall smiles into the camera. A laptop is placed in front of her.

Watch video

A young child wearing a large backpack steps onto a yellow school bus.

CU Denver

Imagine how evidence-based research drives education reform.

In 2023, you gave $144 million to support research and discovery. These gifts support projects like the Center for Education Policy Analysis’ (CEPA) landmark study that confirms the effectiveness of reforms in Denver Public Schools.

“More than 2,000 additional students of color graduated from DPS and went on to college as a result of the reforms, and some of them are graduate students in my classes today. We are only just beginning to see the fruits of that success.”

‍Parker Baxter, CEPA director

UCCS

Imagine what the brightest minds can uncover.

Did you know that voice assistants like Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa can be vulnerable to inaudible voice cyberattacks?
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New hacking techniques can employ inaudible voice commands to initiate Trojan attacks on your smartphone. Researchers like Shouhuai Xu are investigating how to prevent these threats. What's more, the $35 million you invested in faculty recruitment and retention directly supports these endowments.

“The technically interesting thing about this project is that the defense solution is simple; however, in order to get the solution, we must discover what the attack is first."

‍Shouhai Xu, Gallogly Endowed Engineering Chair in Cybersecurity

Shouhai Xu stands in front of a UCCS building.

A medical provider wearing a mask checks a patient's IV tube. The patient, also wearing a mask, sits up in bed and watches what the provider is doing.

CU Anschutz

Imagine what it means to give leukemia patients hope.

Researchers at CU Anschutz’s Gates Institute are exploring early use of a last-resort therapy in patients with an aggressive form of leukemia.

The groundbreaking phase I clinical trial of CAR T-cell therapy is made possible through gifts for health and health care transformations, which totaled $245 million in 2023. Notably, the Gates Frontiers Fund fueled the institute through philanthropic investments, which are expected to grow to $200 million over the next five years. Philanthropy ensures essential cancer research of this magnitude remains in reach.

“CAR T-cell therapy has been just remarkable. It really has substantially changed the landscape of therapeutic options for kids with leukemia.”

‍Terry Fry, Gates Institute Director

Last year, 45,909 donors like you gave to CU. The average gift size was $6,512

Your gifts add up. 94% of gifts were less than $2,500.

There are many ways to give and even more ways to create impact.

Imagine the possibilities: a graduate fellowship, access to ancient artifacts, a new engineering building, better outcomes for cancer patients, a house that honors a historic neighborhood....

Paul and Katy Rady stand on either side of a sign that reads: Katy O. and Paul M Rady Esophageal and Gastric Center of Excellence.

Major gifts

A $20 million gift to CU Anschutz from Katy and Paul Rady will accelerate breakthroughs and improve outcomes for esophageal cancer patients. Katy Rady’s brother, Paul O’Hara, passed away from esophageal cancer in 2015, and the family was moved to give following the multidisciplinary care he received at the CU Cancer Center.

The construction progress of the UCCS Anschutz Engineering Center. The building's framework is nearly complete and there are cranes and earth movers in front of the building.

Partnerships

UCCS engineering students will study and conduct research in the new Anschutz Engineering Center thanks the combined efforts of philanthropic organizations, industry partners and alumni. The beam ceremony took place on May 5, 2023, and the new building is slated to be completed in January 2024.

Sarah Crump stands smiling in front of an Arctic landscape with a lake and mountains in the background. She is wearing a blue and yellow puffy jacket and baseball cap.

Crowdfunding

Sarah Crump was a passionate paleoclimate scientist who studied past climate change at CU Boulder’s Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research. She passed away in April 2022. A crowdfunding campaign started in her honor has raised more than $300,000 for a graduate fellowship that will support the next generation of graduate students.

CU Regent Nolbert Chavez, Rita Gomez and CU Chancellor Michelle Marks hold scissors in their hands to cut a yellow ribbon to mark a new milestone for the renovation of CU Denver's Centennial House.

Gifts of time

Regent Nolbert Chavez has poured his time and energy into a project he holds close: the renovation of CU Denver's Centennial House. The house’s May 2023 ribbon-cutting signifies a major step in CU Denver's efforts to revitalize the historic Auraria neighborhood, home to the university's campus.

Planned giving

Regina Kilkenny knows what it’s like to struggle to pay for schooling. The CU alumna and staff member worked three jobs to pay for her undergraduate and graduate degrees, even selling plasma to cover the cost of rent, tuition, fees or books. Now, Kilkenny is looking to open doors for students at CU Denver by designating the university as a beneficiary of her retirement account.

Rebekah McGraw and Megan Mittelstadt stand over a table piled with ancient artifacts.

Gifts-in-kind

A gift of nearly 1,000 ancient stone tools from artist Tony Berlant will enhance learning and research opportunities at UCCS. The impressive collection of stone artifacts from the Paleolithic and Neolithic ages ranges from about 6,000 to 600,000 years old.

Your impact, in their words

Students, faculty and staff share why your gifts matter.

“When we have sufficient funding to start projects that we couldn't dare start without the kind of long-term commitment from benefactors, it really makes a difference.... Otherwise, we have great ideas that are going nowhere.”

Huntington Potter

Director of the Alzheimer's and Cognition Center, CU School of Medicine

“I want to thank the Latinx Student Union, the Chancellor’s Leadership Class, the UCCS Student Government Association and MOSAIC for helping me throughout this undergraduate journey and for inspiring me to pursue those sometimes absurd heights that I hope to and will reach. Lo hice por mi gente, por la raza y para el movimiento.”

Kevin Velasco

Economics & Political Science ’23, UCCS

“What my scholarship gave me, more than anything, was time.”

Maggie Rodney,

MBA ’22 CU Boulder

“If you put in the effort, if you plant the seeds, you will get the fruit. I’m really grateful for all of the opportunities that I have had, and that I don’t take anything for granted.”

Bryan Sosa

MS ’19 UCCS

“When my mother was sick before she passed away, she went to the Hallmark store to get cards for different events. One of those events was my graduation. My sister held onto the card for years. My mom believed in me and always knew that I would do it. To me, it’s...vindication for what my mom always knew was in me.”

Greg Martin

Management & HR Management ’23 CU Denver, First-Generation and Multicultural (FaM) Business Program participant

“We cannot accomplish [our] goals without the support of donors and are incredibly grateful for the support we have received.”

Lena Lopez

Director of Veteran & Military Student Services, CU Denver

"I can say with certainty that our research has real impact in improving the care of socially marginalized communities. What inspires me are the patients.”

Lilia Cervantes

MD, UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital

“Because of my scholarships, I hold myself to a higher standard.... It’s incredible to see there are people who are just as invested in my success as I am.”

Anna Bedell,

Mktg ’25 CU Boulder

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Our Mission

CU Advancement

We aspire to unite donors with their passions, elevate grand ideas and prudently manage philanthropy — all to spark enduring support of a university that creates transformative impact in our communities and around the world.

CU Foundation

The University of Colorado Foundation is the portal for philanthropic giving to the University of Colorado and is responsible for receiving, managing, and investing the endowments and other gift funds the Foundation holds for the benefit of CU.