Fundraising a Hallmark Since 1990; Giving, Other Revenue Sources, Dramatically Improve University
Colorado State University will post the best year of private fundraising in its history – raising an estimated $60 million in the current fiscal year.
This total — bolstered by the record $20.1 million gift by the Bohemian Foundation announced today – continues an upward trend in fundraising at the university that has produced record totals of private support over the past several years. Since 1990, not including the current fiscal year, Colorado State has raised more than $260 million in private support.
Private fundraising, coupled with increased research, grant, capital and state funding, has enabled the university to invest more than $600 million over the last 13 years toward improvements in Colorado State’s infrastructure and educational offerings, recognizing the strong correlation between academic excellence and the quality of campus facilities.
The state of Colorado’s contributions during the time period included more than $146 million in capital construction and controlled maintenance funding and enabled the university to gain additional support from other funding sources, including private support.
"Private fundraising is an integral part of building a great university. Through private giving, we can ensure that our institution has the resources needed to provide the highest quality education and service to our community, our state, nation and world," said Colorado State President Albert C. Yates. "Our university, to maintain this level of excellence, must rely on building support among all of its constituents. Clearly, through today’s announcement and our ongoing fund-raising success, we have demonstrated that Colorado State is working hard to develop this support."
The university has identified increasing private support as an institutional priority. This emphasis has continued to pay dividends.
In the last fiscal year, 2001-02, Colorado State reported $34.5 million in fundraising. In 1990, the university posted $12.5 million in private fundraising and didn’t approach $20 million in annual fundraising until the 1996-97 fiscal year, when the university reported $19.5 million in private giving.
From that point, the university posted continuing success in this area, reporting the following totals:
- 97/98 — $25.4 million
- 98/99 — $25.4 million
- 99/00 — $32.3 million
- 00/01 — $37.8 million
- 01/02 –$43.5 million
- 02/03 – projected $60 million.
In addition to this success in private giving, Colorado State has garnered increased support from a variety of sources and significantly expanded its resource base.
Since 1990, the university’s total invested assets have grown dramatically, increasing from $26 million to a high of more than $133 million a decade later in 2000. The total invested assets for the last fiscal year, which were affected by the downturn in the economy, were at $126 million.
Research funding over the last 13 years has seen a similar and dramatic increase. As a result, Colorado State currently ranks third in the nation for federal funding among public universities without a medical school, and second for life sciences federal funding. Research expenditures in the 1989-90 fiscal year were $94 million. In the last fiscal year, the university posted a record $183 million and is projecting more than $200 million for the current fiscal year.
