Colorado State University Increases Private Support 6.6 Percent Over 2009, Bucking National Trend

Colorado State University experienced an increase in donors and dollars raised in the past year – bucking a national trend of average declines topping 13 percent at U.S. public research universities.

Colorado State is one of a few colleges and universities that have seen an increase in number of donors (17 percent) and dollars raised (6.6 percent) from fiscal year 2009. CSU also has seen a sizable increase in overall alumni engagement, alumni volunteers and alumni association membership.

“The CSU community always rises to a challenge, and our students, alumni, and donors have done an outstanding job rallying support and building momentum for the university’s fundraising goals,” said President Tony Frank. “They’ve helped to tell the CSU story and let people know that their donations to Colorado State University really do make a difference and change lives. Even during tough economic times, people want to do what they can to help create jobs and opportunity, and CSU has a long tradition of serving our state, generating economic prosperity, and educating leaders for our communities.”

With 3,800 more donors in FY10, net private support of the university jumped to $58,036,907 from $54,461,975 – an increase of 6.6 percent.

“This is a tremendous vote of confidence for CSU, and shows the strength of the Campaign for Colorado State University,” said Brett Anderson, vice president for University Advancement. “We are so grateful to our donors for partnering with us in our land-grant mission of providing a world-class education at one of the nation’s premier research universities.”

CSU is in the final two years of its first comprehensive campaign, with a fundraising goal of $500 million. So far, $340 million has been raised.

Nationally, the past year has been a challenge for nearly all nonprofits. That trend has been even more pronounced with philanthropy and private support for higher education. According to the Council for Aid to Education, U.S. public research universities have seen more than a 13 percent decrease, on average, in private support.

With the consistent decrease in state funding for CSU, the university relies more than ever on donors to invest in its future by investing in its outstanding students and faculty. A rapidly growing university, CSU is improving learning resources and opportunities, renovating historic buildings and constructing state-of-the-art facilities to meet the needs of an expanding, high-tech campus community.

As a land-grant institution, Colorado State University is dedicated to providing access to higher education. CSU is committed to recruiting and retaining the best and brightest faculty and providing them the tools to perform cutting-edge research to solve some of the world’s most devastating problems.

Colorado State is also doing its part to address funding gaps to help students and families with tuition. Starting in fall 2011, a groundbreaking new program will help assure that qualified middle- and lower- income Colorado students can afford an education at one of the nation’s top research universities. As part of CSU’s Commitment to Colorado, state resident students pursuing their first bachelor’s degree whose families make $57,000 or less – the median family income in Colorado – will pay only half the standard tuition rate. Using current tuition numbers, this would be annual savings of more than $2,600, the equivalent of getting one semester’s tuition free each academic year. Students from lower-income families who are eligible for Pell grants will not pay any tuition or fees to attend CSU, saving roughly $6,500 annually. The university’s goal is to fund this program entirely through private support within the next two to three years.

For more information about the Commitment to Colorado, go to http://www.colostate.edu/commitment/. For more information about the Campaign for Colorado State, go to http://www.campaign.colostate.edu/.

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