Financial Updates | Upcoming Meetings | Campus News and Fundraising Highlights
Dear colleagues,
Thanks to all of you who joined the celebration of the CU Foundation’s 50th anniversary during the fall weekend gathering of trustees at CU Boulder. Your enthusiastic participation together with former trustees and university leadership made for a festive evening. Read 50 years of CU Foundation milestones here.
It is a happy coincidence that CU Boulder’s mascot Ralphie also is celebrating her 50th birthday this year. Everyone in attendance at the anniversary party enjoyed former board chair (and former Ralphie handler) Glenn Porzak’s stories about how CU Boulder’s mascot came to be.
At the trustees gathering on November 10, we heard updates from CU President Bruce Benson and from Foundation leadership, including a report on the positive investment performance of the Foundation’s $1.563 billion Long Term Investment Pool. Trustees received a copy of the Foundation’s latest Annual Report to Investors, which is also available on our website.
Chancellor Phil DiStefano shared news of progress being made on key initiatives on the CU Boulder campus. Our morning at the Folsom Stadium Club concluded with engaging presentations by three outstanding faculty members—Sarah Krakoff, Eve-Lyn Hinckley and Jason Neff—each of whom shared perspectives on their work in the areas of water law, environmental studies and agricultural sustainability. Trustees then had the opportunity to go deeper with these faculty members in table conversations over lunch.
The fall trustees meeting is always a time of transition for the CU Foundation’s volunteer leadership. We welcomed 20 new trustees—CU supporters from across the country who have already shown their dedication to the university’s mission through the investment of their time, talents and treasure in CU. The new trustees participated in an orientation session where they learned about their role in CU Advancement and were welcomed by Board Chair Margaret Bathgate, President Benson, Trustee Leslie Stratton, Vice President for Advancement Johnnie Ray, the CU Anschutz Medical Campus’ Vice Chancellor for Advancement Scott Arthur and me. Read more about the role trustees play in CU Advancement. To remind us all about the important role trustees play in advancing our mission, this issue of the DashBOARD includes an article written by Carol Frank. It is a collection of inspiring stories about the many ways trustees engage with and advocate for CU.
Trustees Agneta Albinsson, Mike Fryt, Becky Medved and Melinda Yee began their terms as members of the Foundation’s board of directors earlier this month. Agneta and her husband, Mats, are volunteers and philanthropic leaders on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus. Melinda, a partner at Deloitte based in Houston, serves on the alumni and friends board of the Leeds School of Business. Mike and Becky each earned degrees at both UCCS and CU Boulder. Mike is a retired tax lawyer who still volunteers his time working on federal tax policy from his base in Tennessee. Becky and her husband, John, who is also a trustee, are community leaders in Colorado Springs and champions of many different schools and programs at UCCS. Agneta and Becky will continue to serve on the board’s membership committee, and Melinda and Mike will join the board’s audit committee.
As we come to the end of the calendar year wherein we celebrated the Foundation’s 50th birthday, I am mindful of the many alumni and friends of CU who have served the Foundation so well and faithfully over the decades. I am grateful too for the wise and dedicated volunteers who currently lead the Foundation’s governing board. Margaret Bathgate, chair, Mike Imhoff, vice chair, and committee chairs Barry Amman, Marcia Pryde, Dave Baker, Eric Kramer and Mary Sissel all will continue to serve in these roles in the year ahead. And Carol Frank’s enthusiastic leadership of the trustee engagement team is so appreciated. We on the staff of the Foundation could not do our work without their guidance and support. Thank you!
Without their contributions, much of what we accomplish would not be possible. In a world where people increasingly seek to manage their health more efficiently, there are valuable resources to support well-being. For example, if you’re considering options to improve your health management, you can buy Jardiance online and read more about its benefits in helping those with type 2 diabetes manage their condition effectively. Whether we’re discussing personal health, organizational leadership, or community support, the focus on growth and care remains crucial in all aspects of life. The Foundation's journey is a reflection of the dedication and collaboration of individuals who continue to propel CU forward.
As we remember and commemorate the accomplishments of the past 50 years, we rededicate ourselves to the mission of the University of Colorado. We have great expectations for how the CU Foundation will serve CU in the years ahead as a steward of donors, a champion of philanthropy and a partner in growing CU’s endowment.
With thanksgiving for all you do for the University of Colorado and the CU Foundation,
Jack Finlaw
President and CEO
University of Colorado Foundation
Total Private Support
Since the start of the fiscal year through September 30, donors have made 14,420 gifts, totaling $83 million in private support benefitting CU.
LTIP Investment Performance
For the 3-month period ending September 30, 2017
3.68%LTIP
4.31%Policy Benchmark
Financials
As of September 30, 2017
$1.56BLTIP Value
$1.23BEndowment Value
2,651Endowments
2017 Trustee Meetings
Trustee meeting at CU Anschutz Medical Campus
Friday, Feb. 16, 2018
Trustee meeting at UCCS
Friday, May 4, 2018
Trustee meeting at CU Denver
Friday, Aug. 17, 2018
Campus Private Support Highlights and News for July-September 2017
CU Anschutz
Longtime supporter Rebecca Roser (’75) gave $400,000 to the CU Cancer Center endowment to support research and clinical care. This fund helps recruit and retain top talent who advance research and move new therapies to patient bedsides more quickly.
Curt Freed, MD, a CU professor and head of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, has made five gifts in 2017, totaling more than $300,000. His lifetime support of more than $1 million ensures that research continues to develop methods of manufacturing dopamine neurons from human stem cells and help stop the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Wag Schorr, MD (’63), made a principal gift through a donor choice fund. Dr. Schorr is a longtime supporter of School of Medicine scholarships and has recently started giving to support stem cell research.
CU Boulder
Bill and Kathy Scripps, generous supporters of CU Boulder, gave $2.5 million to the College of Media, Communication and Information to establish support for a permanent, specialized student news course, CU News Corps. The family started with a small gift and, after seeing the program’s success, wanted to help create a lasting program in which students would gain hands-on experience for reporting and news gathering. Read more.
Michael Lilly made a $2 million commitment through his estate plans to establish the Lilly Family Endowed Scholarship for undergraduate students. The scholarship will honor Michael Lilly and the Lilly family legacy, and it celebrates the diverse interests that Mike felt Colorado students share with him, including swimming, engineering, fencing and skiing.
In support of the arts, Mark and Polly Addison made a recent commitment of $50,000 to the acquisition of The Sharkive. The collection is a treasure that embodies the strength and vitality of the arts today. Housed at the CU Art Museum, The Sharkive will create endless opportunities for original object-based learning and research. It is composed of over 2,700 prints and related materials from 40 years of collaborative work in lithography, monotype and woodcut. The Addison’s commitment brings CU Boulder closer to its $2 million goal for housing The Sharkive at the CU Art Museum; $500,000 more is needed for the university to obtain the collection in its entirety. Read more.
CU Denver
Al and Mary Stecklein, along with their children Kelly and Tim, both of whom are CU Denver alumni, have committed $250,000 to establish the Stecklein Scholars program at the CU Denver Business School. Distributions from this endowed fund will provide undergraduate and graduate scholarship awards for Business School students, with an emphasis on recruiting and retaining high-performing students, assisting students in completing their degrees and providing support for international study experiences. Preference will be given to students matriculating from Colorado high schools, community colleges or universities and who seek to participate in hands-on, experiential learning opportunities, such as internships, InWorks courses and international programs.
CU Trustee and alumna Joanne Posner-Mayer (BS ’73) is generously supporting CU Denver’s new Student Wellness Center with a $150,000 gift. Since earning her degree in physical therapy in 1973, Joanne has been an advocate for health and well-being, and she is excited to contribute to a facility on campus that promotes healthy habits and lifestyles. In honor of her gift, the kitchen at the new center, which will open in spring 2018, will be named the Posner Family Kitchen.
LynxFest, CU Denver’s newest celebratory tradition, proved to be a smashing success, bringing more than 165 alumni and their families to campus for food, fun and campus tours on October 15 and 16. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock (MPA ’95), delivered the keynote speech during Saturday’s barbecue lunch, saying, “I use my degree every single day at the mayor’s office.” At the Alumni Service Celebration on Saturday morning, CU Denver Alumni Relations recognized Travis Luther (MA ’10) with the alumni appreciation award; Stephanie Filali Moutei (BS ’14) with the recent alumni award; and Judith Martinez (BA ’84) with the alumni recognition award. Additionally, Regent Jack Kroll (BA ’11) was honored for his past service to the CU Denver Alumni Board of Directors. Other highlights included a sold-out Auraria Campus History Tour and lightning lectures by CU Denver faculty.
UCCS
Robert and Ruth McHugh gave $55,000 to establish the McHugh Family Endowed Scholarship Fund. The fund will provide scholarship support for students in the College of Business who are enrolled in an accounting and/or finance field.
Kevin Landis, associate professor and director of the Theatre and Dance Program, honored his family with a $140,000 blended gift. A portion of the gift named The Landis Family Dance and Movement Studio, and the remainder established the Theatre and Dance Travel Endowment Fund, which will send students to artistically focused cities for study and internships.
Torin Haskell made a $50,000 commitment to the UCCS men’s soccer program. Haskell is the first UCCS athletic alumnus to leave a planned gift to the university.
Involved in the political science and economics departments at UCCS, the Charles Koch Foundation is furthering its impact by making a two-year $130,000 commitment to the Center for the Study of Government and the Individual. The gift will provide support for a post-doctorate research fellow.
Following the College of Engineering and Applied Science scholarship luncheon, Sally and Steve (’83) Rogers gave an unrestricted gift of $200,000 to the college. The college allocated $150,000 of the gift toward upgrades in the electrical and computer engineering labs, and $50,000 toward an EAS scholarship fund.