Financial pledges to two public Colorado universities through estate planning soared in the last fiscal year.

The University of Colorado logged $25.2 million in estate-plan commitments, an increase of 700 percent from the year before. Planned giving at Colorado State University’s Fort Collins campus totaled $11.3 million, an increase of 812 percent.

“It’s a real big focus in a down economy,” said Brett Anderson, CSU’s vice president of university advancement, which has doubled the size of its planned-giving department. “A lot of people are willing to say, ‘We can’t give immediately, but we can put you in our estate plan.’ ”

The University of Northern Colorado in Greeley logged $2 million in planned giving in the fiscal year that ended June 30, up from $1.6 million the year before. UNC collected $217,315 from planned giving this year, down from $710,000 the year before.

Planned gifts are not included in CU’s annual fundraising totals until the death of the donor. In fiscal year 2010, more than $10.1 million of the $92 million given to the University of Colorado Foundation came from realized gifts.

Another $48.8 million was donated directly to CU, including in-kind gifts and gifts to the CU Real Estate Foundation, the foundation reported.

CU beat a national trend. Private giving dropped this year by an average of 13 percent at public research universities across the country. Donations at CU increased by 4.6 percent.

Private donations to Colorado State University’s Fort Collins campus grew by 6.6 percent.

At CU, the past fiscal year’s tally represents a rebound from 2009, when fundraising dropped 17 percent, to $134.5 million from $162.5 million the year before.

“Frankly, in this economy, I didn’t think we’d do that well,” said CU president Bruce Benson. “People still have faith in the university. We’ve worked hard to keep its reputation in shape.”

But that doesn’t mean CU will stop pushing for restoration of the millions in state-funding cuts in recent years, Benson said.

Private fundraising money “adds value” to CU but can’t be used to replace diminished state funding, Benson said, because less than 2 percent of donor dollars are unrestricted, meaning most of the money is donated with a purpose in mind.

“We don’t plan to focus more on (donor) fundraising,” Benson said. “We’re not going to let the state off the hook. This is a very serious thing.”

Colorado ranks 48th in the nation in state funding per resident student for public universities and colleges, CU spokesman Ken McConnellogue said.

Since July 2009, Colorado has cut higher-education funding by nearly 60 percent. Much of that has been backfilled with federal money from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, although that cash infusion eventually will end.

This spring, CU raised its tuition by 9 percent, the maximum allowed by state law, which should close about 20 percent of the funding gap, McConnellogue said.

Public universities and colleges in Colorado are “way underfunded,” Benson said.

California, which is suffering a severe financial crisis, spends almost twice the amount that Colorado does on its full-time public-university students: $6,899, compared with Colorado’s $3,929 in fiscal year 2009.

Read more: Estate pledges vault at CU, CSU – The Denver Post

DENVER—A pioneer of the University of Colorado at Boulder’s Learning Assistants program gives more than $100,000 to help innovative teaching practices reach more students. A University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) business-ethics initiative gets a seven-figure infusion. A major estate gift enhances Alzheimer’s research at CU’s Anschutz Medical Campus. A $750,000 challenge pledge will foster innovation in family-violence prevention at the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs.

These are a few ways in which private funders supported University of Colorado people, places, and programs, to the tune of $140.8 million in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010 according to unaudited numbers. This caps CU’s strongest four years for private support in its 134-year history, and lays the groundwork for increasing focus on donor funding in an era of increasing university need.

“We are grateful for the ongoing support of our donors, who continue to make crucial investments in CU’s people, programs and infrastructure despite difficult economic times,” said CU President Bruce D. Benson. “Their contributions add significant value to our efforts to enhance the economic, social and cultural well being of Colorado and the nation.”

Benson stressed that while fundraising dollars add value to CU, they are targeted by donors to specific people, programs and infrastructure and cannot be diverted to replace diminishing state funding. Less than 2 percent of CU’s philanthropic dollars is unrestricted.

The private support total for CU in 2009-10 includes $92.0 million given through the University of Colorado Foundation, the university’s fundraising arm, and $48.8 million directly to CU, which includes gifts-in-kind, gifts to the CU Real Estate Foundation, and support from the university’s clinical practice.

Overall, the 4.7 percent private-support increase from 2008-09 reflects a strong performance amid continued economic uncertainty. While the market-recovery slowdown impeded gifts of more than $1 million and gifts from foundations (whose strength and weakness often parallels the strength and weakness of stock markets), supporters are still finding ways to commit financially to CU.

A particularly strong indicator is seen in the $25.2 million in commitments created by donors in their estate plans in 2009-10. Though not counted in the 2009-10 fundraising total (since estate gifts are not realized until after a donor’s passing), this total is a 700 percent increase over 2008-09, making this the university’s strongest year in history for such commitments, and indicating steadfast loyalty to CU.

Also, the Denver campus had its strongest fundraising year in history, raising more than $8.6 million on the heels of a $5 million multiyear commitment (the campus’s largest ever) by Pinnacol Assurance to establish a new Risk Management and Insurance program at the UC Denver Business School.

CU donors are funding:

• Teaching and Learning at UC Denver, whose Business School will educate tomorrow’s corporate social-responsibility leaders thanks to a $300,000 gift from Denver based firm ProLogis to name the new Managing for Sustainability suite in the Business School’s new building.
• Discovery and Innovation at CU-Boulder, where a transformative Systems Biotechnology Building to open in 2011 received several major gifts, including $1 million from the Amgen Corporation and $1 million from Jane Butcher in honor of her late husband and biotech entrepreneur, Charlie Butcher.
• Culture and Community at UCCS, where student-athletes and campus-hosted events now reach three times as many spectators thanks to a $1 million gift toward a new Events Center from the Gallogly family, of which eight members have earned UCCS degrees.
• Health and Wellness at the Anschutz Medical Campus, where medical students directed toward primary care careers in underserved Colorado communities will receive scholarships thanks to a $1.6 million estate gift from former CU School of Medicine researcher and CU-Boulder alumna Jean Baughman.

“I’ve been humbled by all the support for programs on all four campuses, and the fact that we’ve had such tremendous response from donors,” says J. Wayne Hutchens, president and CEO of the University of Colorado Foundation. “The impressive support for CU shows that citizens are more motivated than ever to strengthen Colorado’s flagship public university system.”

This coming year, the CU Foundation will redouble its fundraising efforts to support deserving students, help graduates meet tomorrow’s challenges, and provide programs and services that meet community and industry needs. Priority areas include:

• Scholarships, fellowships, and faculty chairs on all CU campuses
• Boulder: The Systems Biotechnology Building, an interdisciplinary Energy Initiative, and the Center for Community to open in fall 2010
• Anschutz Medical Campus: A Health and Wellness Center, Cancer Center programs, and a Rural Health Initiative
• Denver: A building for the Business School, and funding for an eight-year bachelor’s/MD program aimed toward preparing Colorado students for primary-care physician careers
• Colorado Springs: Science Building upgrades, and the Heller Center for Arts and Humanities

The CU Foundation’s Long Term Investment Pool (LTIP)—which includes the vast majority of Foundation endowments invested on behalf of CU—recovered substantially this past year as the market’s economic shocks continue to moderate, and surpassed its benchmarks for the 6th consecutive fiscal year. As of June 30, the LTIP had appreciated 12.08 percent for the trailing 12 months. Structured to minimize risk and maximize long-term returns, the LTIP has appreciated 30.1 percent for the trailing five years, compared with 3.4 percent for its policy benchmark and a 3.9 percent decline for the S&P 500 during that period. The Foundation’s performance rates in the top 2 percent of its peer group over that period.

About the CU System
The University of Colorado is a premier public research university with four campuses: the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. More than 56,000 students are pursuing academic degrees at CU. The National Science Foundation ranks CU eighth among public institutions in federal research expenditures in engineering and science. Academic prestige is marked by the university’s four Nobel laureates, seven MacArthur “genius” Fellows, 18 alumni astronauts and 19 Rhodes Scholars. For more information about the entire CU system, and to access campus resources, go to www.cu.edu.

About the CU Foundation
Founded in 1967, the nonprofit CU Foundation partners with the University of Colorado to raise, manage, and invest private support for the university’s benefit. Our donors help the university transform lives through education, research, clinical care, and community engagement. Visit www.cufund.org for more information.

El Pomar Foundation, Colorado Springs, donated $1 million through the CU Foundation to aid the construction of the Science & Engineering Building, the largest building at UCCS. The building opened in Aug. 2009, receiving praise from students and faculty who use the building as well as professionals who have lauded its design and energy saving features.

Recognition ceremonies are scheduled for 4 p.m. July 1 in the atrium and will feature comments by CU President Bruce Benson and UCCS Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak as well as an unveiling of a plaque noting El Pomar’s gift by Carolyn Fox, architect, Facilities Services. El Pomar representatives and campus faculty, staff and students will attend.

“The construction of Science & Engineering was an effort of many who represented both private and public support,” UCCS Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak said. “It is fitting that we recognize the leadership of El Pomar with a public thank you and recognition of the foundation’s role on campus, in the community and within the state of Colorado.”

With 156,000 square feet and costing $56.1 million, Science & Engineering is the largest and most expensive building at UCCS. The building houses the departments of biology, physics, and mechanical and aerospace engineering as well as the National Institute for Science, Space and Security Centers and the CU Institute for Bioenergetics. A K-12 center assists teachers to encourage elementary, middle and high school students to consider science and technical studies. The building features solar power and other energy-saving construction and operation techniques that earned it a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold award.

El Pomar Foundation’s previous gifts to the university include a $4 million gift in 1999 to construct El Pomar Center and expand and remodel the Kraemer Family Library. A clock tower is named in honor of that gift. In 1990, El Pomar Foundation donated $3.15 million to create three endowed professorships that are the backbone of El Pomar Institute for Innovation and Commercialization which serves as a catalyst to encourage collaboration between the university and business as well entrepreneurship in the region.

UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The University offers 34 bachelor’s degrees, 19 master’s, and five doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 8,500 students annually.

The CU Foundation does not solicit donations door-to-door, and these individuals are not representatives of the CU College of Music, the university, or the CU Foundation. Individuals who would like to confirm that a gift was directed to the CU Foundation in support of legitimate university programs should call 303-541-1200.

To make a gift to support the University of Colorado, visit www.cufund.org.

This gift from Kurt von Kaulla, MD and his wife, Edith, is the largest gift ever received by the School of Medicine for Alzheimer’s research. It will allow the hiring of a faculty researcher who focus will be to translate basic research into clinical applications, such as new pharmaceutical or therapeutic approaches, that could slow Alzheimer’s disease or treat its symptoms, said Kenneth Tyler, MD, the Reuler-Lewin Family Professor and chair of the Department of Neurology.

“Alzheimer’s disease has been one of the most exciting basic research areas in medicine,” Tyler said “There’s been a disconnect between the basic research and the clinical applications for this science. We’d like to get this piece of the puzzle in place and recruit someone who can help us translate basic science breakthroughs into new clinical treatments.”

Von Kaulla was a School of Medicine professor from 1951 through the mid-1970s, and undertook blood research in the hematology lab, in which Edith also worked. According to the School of Medicine’s Centennial History 1883-1983, he developed comprehensive “von Kaullagrams” that elucidated a patient’s clotting status.

His work yielded eight books and more than 300 publications, with Edith’s work resulting in 80 publications. Upon retiring to their native Germany, Kurt continued to publish and lecture on hematological subjects until his death in 1986; Edith passed away in 2008.

The bequest, facilitated by the University of Colorado Foundation, has to date yielded
$1.1 million, with further cash distributions expected as soon as the estate’s affairs are completed.

The von Kaulla gift will improve CU’s ability to pursue solutions to Alzheimer’s—a progressive and fatal brain disease that is America’s most common form of dementia and the 7th-leading cause of death, affecting more than 5.3 million Americans. As our population ages and Baby Boomers become senior citizens, the disease’s incidence is expected to increase rapidly, especially in Colorado—where its 47 percent increase since 2000 is greater than that of any state except Alaska. Alzheimer’s disease currently has no cure.

Faculty at the University of Colorado’s School of Medicine work to advance science and improve care. These faculty members include physicians, educators and scientists at University of Colorado Hospital, The Children’s Hospital, Denver Health, National Jewish Health, and the Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Degrees offered by the UC Denver School of Medicine include doctor of medicine, doctor of physical therapy, and masters of physician assistant studies.  The School is located on the University of Colorado’s Anschutz Medical Campus, one of four campuses in the University of Colorado system. For additional news and information, please visit the UC Denver newsroom online.

Top University of Colorado officials, including members of the CU Board of Regents, will attend the ceremony at the Gallogly Events Center along with campus faculty, staff, students and alumni. The event will formally dedicate the events center in memory of Tommy M. Gallogly who earned two degrees at UCCS as a non-traditional student and later taught in Academy District 20. Seven of the ten children born to Tommy and Margery Gallogly graduated from UCCS.

“This is an outstanding Colorado Springs and UCCS story of success,” Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak said. “We will honor the memory of Tommy Gallogly and the legacy that his children and grandchildren continue.”

In January, James L. “Jim” Gallogly, a 1974 graduate, and his wife, Janet, on behalf of the Gallogly family, announced a $1 million donation to the CU Foundation. They requested the university name the events center in honor of Jim Gallogly’s father, Tommy, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from UCCS in 1970 and 1973.

It is the first full UCCS building named in honor of a campus alum.

Tommy Gallogly died in 2000. Seven children of Tommy and Margery Gallogly earned degrees from UCCS and all ten children graduated from college. More than 47 family representatives, including Margery Gallogly, Buena Vista, are expected to attend the Wednesday ceremony and will assist in the unveiling of the Gallogly Events Center nameplate and a plaque that tells Tommy Gallogly’s personal story.

“We are pleased to name the new event center in honor of our father, Tom Gallogly, one of the early graduates of UCCS. He would be extremely proud of how his alma mater has grown and prospered through the years,” stated Jim Gallogly.

Jim Gallogly is the chief executive officer of LyondellBasell in Houston, one of the world’s largest polymers, petrochemicals and refining companies. He previously held executive positions with ConocoPhillips, ChevronPhillips and Phillips Petroleum dating to 1980. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UCCS in 1974 and a law degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1977. Jim and Janet Gallogly have three daughters, Kelly, Kasey, and Kimberly Gallogly, and maintain a residence in Colorado Springs.

A graduate of Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, Jim Gallogly followed in his father’s footsteps to UCCS along with six of his siblings: Mary Gallogly DeSantis, 1977; Tony Gallogly, 1983; Nicholas Gallogly, 1985; Andrew Gallogly, 1987; Paul H. Gallogly, 1988; and Thomas Gallogly, 1990.

In addition to being home to the NCAA Division II and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference-member UCCS Mountain Lions, the Gallogly Events Center serves as a multi-purpose venue for all-campus events. The 27,000 square foot center features high-tech sound, lighting and high-speed data capability. Plans call for the center to be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Efficiency-certified green building.

The bequest is currently valued at approximately $1.6 million in cash but includes other assets that, when liquidated, may add roughly a quarter million dollars more to the total. Baughman made this commitment, facilitated by the University of Colorado Foundation, in 2000 in honor of her stepfather Charles Henry Hargreaves, MD, who himself received two CU degrees including from the School of Medicine in 1950.

Baughman had worked in the hematology lab at the School of Medicine for several years after graduating from CU-Boulder with a Bachelor of Science degree in medical technology. After a career at CU and later in New Mexico, she retired to San Antonio, Texas, passing away in 2008.

The scholarships, to be awarded in perpetuity, will be distributed to students entering the School of Medicine as part of UC Denver’s BA/BS-MD program—a new UC Denver program that combines four years of undergraduate schooling on the University of Colorado’s Denver campus with four years of medical training at the School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus.

This BA/BS-MD program is aimed to attract top Colorado students, and help them pursue careers as primary physicians in underserved Colorado communities without incurring large debt loads. The first cohort of BA/BS-MD students begins this eight-year program in Fall 2010.

Jane Butcher’s gift will honor Charlie Butcher, who passed away in 2004 and was a successful businessman with a passion for science, social responsibility and innovation. Charlie Butcher’s links to CU-Boulder-affiliated scientific startup companies spanned more than 30 years, and he played lead roles as a funder and adviser to firms such as Clonetics and NeXagen.  Charlie and Jane Butcher also founded the university’s biennial forum the Butcher Symposia of Genomics and Biotechnology.

This gift commitment is the latest in nearly $4 million in total gifts the Butchers have made on behalf of CU-Boulder biotechnology. “I would love this to become an internationally recognized center for biotech. I think you have the perfect ingredients,” said Butcher, who received her bachelor’s degree in 1966 in international affairs from CU-Boulder. “Charlie was a big thinker, and he thought CU was the place this should all happen.”

In collaboration with Butcher’s gift, biotech industry pioneer Larry Gold — a biology professor at CU-Boulder since 1970 and current CEO of the biotech firm SomaLogic — is directing a previously undesignated gift toward the biotechnology building in honor of Charlie Butcher. In recognition of the gifts, the building’s auditorium and adjacent foyer will be named in honor of Jane and Charlie Butcher.

Gold, who met the Butchers in the early 1970s and became a lifelong friend of the couple, said Charlie Butcher had considered pursuing a doctorate in biology.  Although Butcher did not enroll formally in a degree program, his passion led to volunteer work in the 1970s in the labs of CU-Boulder’s Gold and David Hirsh — work that led to pioneering discoveries.

“He did the work of someone who would have had a Ph.D. — he just loved learning,” Gold said. “He was one of the world’s great listeners. He had no need to remind you of the things he had done, but he did a lot of things.”

Jane and Charlie Butcher also have been core supporters of the Conference on World Affairs, the annual CU-Boulder forum that takes place in April.

The first phase of the 257,000-square-foot Jennie Smoly Caruthers Biotechnology Building is slated for completion in late 2011 and will house the university’s Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biotechnology, or CIMB, as well as the chemical and biological engineering department and the biochemistry division of the chemistry and biochemistry department.

The building has been instrumental in helping CU-Boulder recruit a “dream team” of scientists and engineers led by CU-Boulder Distinguished Professor Thomas Cech, a 1989 Nobel laureate in chemistry and former president of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, as well as chief scientific officer and CU-Boulder Professor Leslie Leinwand, also a founding scientist of several successful biotech companies.

With the new gift, more than $30 million in private support has now been raised for the building, including an initial naming gift from CU-Boulder Distinguished Professor Marvin Caruthers. The balance of the funding for Phase I, budgeted at $146 million, is expected from additional private funding, as well as grants and sponsored research support.

James L. “Jim” Gallogly, a 1974 graduate, and his wife, Janet, on behalf of the Gallogly family, have pledged to donate $1 million to the CU Foundation. The donation will be used to help fund the $9 million campus event center scheduled for a Jan. 22 grand opening and for other campus needs. It is the first full UCCS building named in honor of a campus alum.

The Gallogly connection to UCCS began with Jim’s father, Tom Gallogly, a non-traditional student who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from UCCS in 1970 and 1973. He died in 2000. Seven children of Tom and Margery Gallogly earned degrees from UCCS.

“I am deeply honored by the commitment of the Gallogly family to this campus and to the UCCS heritage of this dynamic group of people,” Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak said. “The event center will stand as a cornerstone of the future growth of UCCS.”

“We are pleased to name the new event center in honor of our father, Tom Gallogly, one of the early graduates of UCCS.  He would be extremely proud of how his alma mater has grown and prospered through the years,” stated Jim Gallogly.

Jim is the Chief Executive Officer of LyondellBasell in Houston, one of the world’s largest polymers, petrochemicals and refining companies. He previously held executive positions with ConocoPhillips, ChevronPhillips and Phillips Petroleum dating to 1980. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from UCCS in 1974 and a law degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1977. Jim and Janet Gallogly have three daughters, Kelly, Kasey, and Kimberly Gallogly, and maintain a residence in Colorado Springs.

A graduate of Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, Jim Gallogly followed in his father’s footsteps to UCCS along with six of his siblings:  Mary Gallogly DeSantis, 1977; Tony Gallogly, 1983; Nicholas Gallogly, 1985; Andrew Gallogly, 1987; Paul H. Gallogly, 1988; and Thomas Gallogly, 1990. A ceremony unveiling the official name of the event center will occur at a later date.

Located in the heart of campus, the event center will be home to the UCCS Mountain Lion athletic teams and serve as a hub for community events and conferences. As one of the fastest growing universities in the state, the center will create space for a growing athletics program and student body. It also cements the university’s commitment to the broader community with space that will be available for concerts, lectures, meetings and other community needs.

In addition to being home to the NCAA Division II and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference-member UCCS Mountain Lions, the center will also serve as a multi-purpose venue for all-campus events. The 27,000 square foot center, located adjacent to the old Lions’ Den, features high-tech sound, lighting and high-speed data capability. Plans call for the center to be a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Efficiency-certified green building.

Official grand opening ceremonies, featuring UCCS and CU dignitaries, begin at 4 p.m. Jan. 22 prior to men’s and women’s basketball games against Regis University. Faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members are invited to attend. The ceremony will feature comments by CU Regent Steve Bosley, CU President Bruce Benson, and UCCS Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak. UCCS cheerleaders and dance team will perform and the Gallogly gift will be announced.

The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The University offers 34 bachelor’s degrees, 18 master’s and five doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 8,500 students annually.

The first phase of the 257,000-square-foot building on CU-Boulder’s East Campus, northwest of Colorado Avenue and the Foothills Parkway, is slated for completion in late 2011. The facility will house the university’s Colorado Initiative in Molecular Biotechnology, or CIMB, the department of chemical and biological engineering, and the biochemistry division of the department of chemistry and biochemistry.

The building has been instrumental in helping CIMB recruit a “dream team” of scientists and engineers led by CU-Boulder Distinguished Professor Thomas Cech, a 1989 Nobel laureate in chemistry and former president of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

“Dr. Cech has not only been a leader in his field, but has advanced opportunities for research for students throughout his career,” said Dave Bengston, vice president of Colorado site operations at Amgen. “Amgen’s grant demonstrates our confidence in Dr. Cech’s vision to further enhance research opportunities for undergraduates and aligns with our company’s commitment to advancing science education and biotechnology research.”

Amgen employs more than 900 people in Boulder County.

“Amgen’s gift comes at a critical time in the construction of CU’s new building, and it will allow full fit-out of laboratory space that would otherwise have been shell space,” Cech said. “Equally exciting is the fact that this gift strengthens Colorado’s already strong relationship with this premier biotechnology company.”

A total of 60 senior CU-Boulder faculty, 500 staff members and hundreds of students are expected to work toward biotechnology solutions in the new building.

With the Amgen gift, more than $25 million in private support has been raised for the building including a lead naming gift from CU-Boulder Distinguished Professor Marvin Caruthers, a member of Amgen’s first scientific advisory board. With a $60 million commitment from the university, this comprises more than half the building’s $145 million Phase I cost.

About Amgen
Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures, and delivers innovative human therapeutics. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize the new science’s promise by bringing safe and effective medicines from lab, to manufacturing plant, to patient. Amgen therapeutics have changed the practice of medicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other serious illnesses. With a deep and broad pipeline of potential new medicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science to dramatically improve people’s lives. To learn more about our pioneering science and our vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com.