About Colorado State University Foundation
The CSU Foundation exists to maximize, in perpetuity, the return on individual and organizational donors’ investments so that Colorado State University can propel students, researchers, communities and beyond. We strive to be the best in the world at making the most of donors’ intentions to benefit CSU and its students, now and forever.
Focus Areas
student scholarshipsfaculty supportresearchacademic programsinfrastructure and institutional supportendowment and investment managementgift processing (securities)
Who They Fund
wildlife and native speciesnatural ecosystems and habitats
Funding Style
conservation-focused grantsland- and habitat-protection funding
About Colorado State University Foundation
Colorado State University Foundation’s recent giving is dominated by large support to Colorado State University itself: $82,619,633 in 2024, $76,661,536 in 2025, and $59,578,424 in 2023. That pattern shows a foundation centered on advancing its parent university through education, with the largest checks sitting far above its smaller grant activity. Beyond university support, the foundation also makes conservation grants, including $50,000 to Borderlands Restoration Network in Patagonia, Arizona. Its work is tied to student scholarships, faculty support, research, academic programs, infrastructure, and institutional support, along with endowment and investment management and gift processing. The combination of major university funding and smaller place-based conservation awards shows two distinct modes of giving: very large institutional support for Colorado State University and smaller grants for environmental and land-focused organizations. Recent conservation recipients include Chama Peak Land Alliance in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, indicating that the foundation also funds organizations connected to habitat and natural resource stewardship in Colorado and the broader Southwest.
What Colorado State University Foundation Funds
A clear part of the foundation’s conservation giving is land and habitat protection. In 2024, it gave $10,000 to Colorado Rio Grande Restoration Foundation in Alamosa, Colorado, for conservation. The same year it awarded $10,000 to Chama Peak Land Alliance in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, also tagged conservation. Its grants also reach organizations working across the Southwest, including $10,000 to City of San Elizario in San Elizario, Texas, for conservation. The recipient list shows support for wildlife and native species as well as natural ecosystems and habitats, with grants also going to Bat Conservation Internationsl Inc in Austin, Texas, and American Forests in Washington, DC. The foundation’s broader institutional giving is centered on education through Colorado State University, while its conservation grants sit alongside that core mission.
How Colorado State University Foundation Gives
The distribution of grant sizes is highly skewed: the 25th percentile and median are both $10,000, while the 75th percentile rises to $29,814,212. That reflects a mix of many smaller awards and a few very large institutional grants. Colorado State University appears across multiple years, with major awards in 2023, 2024, and 2025, showing recurring support rather than a one-time gift. The foundation is structured around donor-intended support for the university and also makes program-related investments. It funds individuals: False.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$76.7M
Total Assets
$790M
Total Revenue
$96.9M
Total Expenses
$89.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $29.8M, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$29.8M
Geographic Reach
National5 states funded
About 45% of grants go to recipients in CO.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ALLEN PADILLA
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