Private donations to the University of Colorado Boulder rose about 29 percent to a record $145.8 million in fiscal year 2016, which translates into a range of new opportunities for students across a variety of academic disciplines.
“This university would not be what it is today without the generosity of our donors,” said CU Boulder Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano. “Donors give to organizations and programs they are passionate about and that are well managed. At CU Boulder, they are supporting the success of students from a diversity of backgrounds who will be our next generation of teachers, scientists and leaders.”
Here are some gift highlights by academic area:
- Law: The Diversity and Inclusive Excellence Fund established by Rathod | Mohamedbhai LLC, provides programmatic and scholarship support at the University of Colorado Law School to help with the achievement of a diverse student body and to instill the principles of inclusiveness in the law school community.
- Education: The Charles and Mildred Nilon Scholarship was established for students who are pursuing teacher licensure and are committed to advancing educational opportunities in under-resourced schools, especially those that serve African American communities. The scholarship is named in honor of the Nilons, CU Boulder’s first African American professor and librarian.
- Telecommunications: The campus’s first endowed telecom chair from a $4 million bequest in honor of Jack Baskin, a CU Boulder engineering student and saxophonist in the marching band in the late 1930s, was established to further the standardization of telecommunications and support the Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program.
- Bioscience: For first-year graduate students participating in an interdisciplinary bioscience program, the Olke C. Uhlenbeck Endowed Graduate Fund supports each recipient for a two-year period. A gift from John F. Milligan and Kathryn Bradford-Milligan, John Milligan studied under Uhlenbeck, an international biochemist and RNA research leader.
- Music: The Joan Catoni Conlon Graduate Fellowship provides support for graduate students pursing a master’s of music or doctor of musical arts in choral conducting and literature degrees. It is especially intended for students with a demonstrated interest in conducting a wide chronology of choral music from the Renaissance period through contemporary.
- Business: An endowment of just over $2 million with an additional $1.2 million operating support agreement gifted to the Leeds School of Business by CU Boulder alumni William and Jane Reynolds established the Hernando de Soto Capital Markets Program in property rights for undergraduate students.
- Athletics: The Buff Walk, a passageway connecting Colorado Avenue and Stadium Drive, allowed thousands of campus community members to leave a legacy in the form of an engraved brick, contributing to the Athletic Department’s Sustainable Excellence Initiative.
Private contributions in the fiscal year 2016 to CU’s four campuses combined also set a new record with more than $384.5 million in support coming from individuals, foundations and corporations, the CU system announced today.
“We feel deep appreciation for the generosity provided by so many,” said Deb Coffin, CU Boulder Vice Chancellor for Advancement. “Their support ensures that CU Boulder remains a leader in transformational research, education and innovation.”
Visit the Office of Advancement to learn more about giving to CU Boulder.
