In a move University of Colorado President Bruce Benson called the most ambitious in the university’s history, CU today announced a public fundraising campaign urged at raising $1.5 billion from private sources.
Benson will co-chair the campaign, dubbed “Creating Futures,” with his wife, Marcy. Benson said the money will support research, facility upgrades, endowments, and scholarships. A university statement said that the campaign has already raised $900 million during a “silent phase” that began in July 2006.
The Bensons are amongst the top 10 of all individual donors at CU, according to CU Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Wayne Hutchens. Hutchens stressed the importance of the university to the state.
“It helps the state. It’s an economic development area,” Hutchens said.
CU receives less than six percent of its total funds from the state, said a Foundation spokesman. Benson said the university is having its best fundraising stretch in history over the past five years, culminating in the new social-media and email-driven campaign announced today.
However, Benson said, private gifts can’t stem the rising tuition costs at CU’s four campuses in Boulder, Denver, Colorado Springs, and the Anschutz Medical Campus.
“The donations don’t pay the operating costs,” Benson said.
Kyle Glazier:303-954-1638 or kglazier@denverpost.com
