Colorado State University has quietly been lining up donors to contribute more than half the $500 million the university hopes to secure in a fundraising drive over the next four years.
The campaign was to be announced at CSU’s Green and Gold Gala, a black-tie event Saturday.
It is the first multiyear fundraising campaign the school has undertaken and began with a three-year “silent phase” in 2006. During that time, fundraisers planning for the drive reached out to the school’s traditional benefactors.
The effort now goes public with a strategy of campaigning on behalf of CSU to anyone who will listen.
Earlier fundraising efforts mainly sought donations for capital improvements and other university needs, said Joyce Berry, vice president for advancement and strategic initiatives.
About two-thirds of the money gathered in this campaign will go toward providing scholarships, endowed faculty positions and programs for undergraduates.
Universities must do all they can to make up for the gaps in state funding, CSU Chancellor Joe Blake said.”We are moving forward in this new reality. Higher education has to do everything we can to emphasize access to these campuses.”
CSU students have seen tuition increase every year since 2001. The cost of attending the Fort Collins campus rose by 9 percent this year, and the Pueblo campus saw a 4 percent increase.
Since the silent phase began in fiscal year 2005-06, CSU has lined up about $290 million in donations and pledged funds.
When the campaign kicked off, the economy was stronger than it is today. “With this economy it will be much more of a push, but it is important to keep the sights set high,” CSU President Tony Frank said.
“We want to demonstrate that there are contributions that we can make and that along with the state support, our alumni and our friends can provide a world-class education for people who access the public higher-education system,” he added.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
