Giving to CU Denver

Thank you for considering support of a scholarship at the University of Colorado Denver. The generosity of donors like you can prove life-changing to students who rely on scholarship awards to pursue their passions at CU Denver and earn their degrees. As a scholarship donor to CU Denver, you ignite a partnership in which you provide the resources that help students fulfill their potential while we ensure that your gift is managed responsibly and effectively.

Gifts made to the University of Colorado Denver are managed by the nonprofit University of Colorado Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that works collaboratively with the university to manage and invest private support on behalf of CU Denver.

How to make a gift

Types of gifts

Outright gifts

Outright gifts make up the majority of contributions to CU, and encompass the following gift types: cash, stocks and bonds, real estate, tangible personal property, matching gifts or gifts-in-kind. In general, outright gifts qualify for an immediate income tax deduction.

Endowments

Endowments are gifts that keep on giving and serve as a reliable long-term funding source that supports a designated purpose at CU in perpetuity. The principle amount of an endowed fund is permanently invested by the University of Colorado Foundation in its Long Term Investment Pool (LTIP), generating interest income that is then used to fund the purpose designated by the donor. You may establish a scholarship endowment with a minimum commitment of $25,000, which can be paid over time, up to five years.

Planned gifts

A planned gift refers to a wide array of customizable giving mechanisms that may blend current and future commitments, maximize tax and estate factors, and optimize your current cash flow or finances. Common planned gift types include:

Bequests
Charitable gift annuities
Charitable remainder trusts
Real estate
Retirement accounts

Learn more at our Gift Planning website.

Blended gifts

A blended gift refers to a gift that includes a current gift combined with any of the planned giving instruments noted above. Blended gifts are attractive to those who wish to make a significant impact on future students through their estate plans while providing near-term support to today’s students.

CU Foundation performance

The University of Colorado Foundation’s Long Term Investment Pool (LTIP)—which includes endowments the Foundation holds for the benefit of the University of Colorado—generated strong fiscal year performance. For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, the LTIP returned +6.51% compared to the median +5.5% return from peer institutions with at least $500 million in assets.

As of June 30, 2019, the LTIP was valued at $1.83 billion. The value of endowments invested for the benefit of CU is a subset of the LTIP, totaling $1.45 billion.

The LTIP’s longer-term results show a consistent track record of investment success, in line with the Foundation’s goal of maximizing returns over an extended time period while effectively managing risk. Achieving this objective is critical given CU’s long-term educational mission. Faculty, students and programs on all four university campuses rely on consistent funding streams from the LTIP for years to come. As of June 30, 2019, the LTIP’s 3-year annualized investment performance was +10.8%, its 5-year performance was +6.5% and its 10-year performance was +9.6%.

For complete financial statements from the CU Foundation, please see the Foundation's website.