CU Foundation Named Finalist for Large Nonprofit of 2007
BOULDER, Colo. (August 7, 2007) – Foundation and Endowment Money Management,
a publication of Institutional Investor, recently named the University of Colorado
Foundation as a finalist for large nonprofit of the year in their 2007 Nonprofit Awards for
Excellence. The CU Foundation represents the only university foundation nominated in
its category.
The CU Foundation was chosen based upon its superior investment performance,
innovation and outstanding asset allocation moves. The Foundation will compete against
two other foundations in its category, the Chicago-based $6.1 billion John D. and
Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the $2.5 billion Carnegie Corporation of New
York. Past winners include the J. Paul Getty Foundation and Yale University.
“Achieving this national recognition is an honor in and of itself,” said Chris Bittman,
Chief Investment Officer of the CU Foundation. “It reflects the excellent effort of our
team of directors, trustees, investment policy committee and staff.”
The nomination recognizes an exceptional year for the Foundation. During the last fiscal
year the endowment’s investment return was 22.68%, adding over $140 million to the
total value of the portfolio. This performance ranks the Foundation ahead of 98% of its
peers for the one year period ending June 30th.
This outstanding investment performance coincided with a record-breaking year for the
Foundation. During the 2007 fiscal year, the Foundation’s donors contributed over $100
million to benefit the University of Colorado. This shattered the previous record, making
2007 the best fund-raising year in the institution’s 131-year history.
The winners will be announced on Monday, Oct. 22, 2007 in San Francisco. 39
nominees will compete for 13 awards for foundations and endowments, asset managers,
consultants and marketers in the nonprofit sector.
Founded in 1967, the CU Foundation is the non-profit partner of the University of
Colorado whose mission is to raise, manage and invest private support for the benefit of
the University of Colorado. Our donors enable CU to reach its full potential to transform
lives through education, research, clinical care and community service. For more
information, visit www.cufund.org
The University of Colorado is a three-university system with campuses in Boulder and
Colorado Springs, and a Denver and Health Sciences Center campus located in
downtown Denver and at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. CU is a premier
teaching and research university, ranked sixth among public institutions in federal
research expenditures by the National Science Foundation. Academic prestige is marked
by CU’s four Nobel laureates, seven MacArthur “genius” Fellows, 18 alumni astronauts,
19 Rhodes Scholars and CU-Boulder’s ranking of 11th best public university and 34th
best overall university in the world by the Institute for Higher Education.