About University of Colorado Foundation
The University of Colorado Foundation is the portal for philanthropic giving to the University of Colorado and is responsible for receiving, managing and investing the endowments and other gift funds the Foundation holds for the benefit of CU.
Focus Areas
EducationResearchClinical care / Health careScholarships and student supportFaculty recruitment and retentionCommunity engagement
Who They Fund
scholarship recipients / studentsentrepreneurs / early-stage business founderscommunities served by medical outreachpublic service organizations
Funding Style
general support / unrestricted support
About University of Colorado Foundation
The University of Colorado Foundation channels philanthropic giving to the University of Colorado and manages endowments and other gift funds held for CU’s benefit. The largest recent commitments are the three annual transfers to the University of Colorado in Denver: $228,961,654 in 2025, $210,338,756 in 2024, and $203,336,191 in 2023. That pattern makes the foundation’s role unusually clear: it is the conduit for very large institutional support rather than a conventional external grantmaker. Beyond those campus-level transfers, the foundation also funds university-linked health, research, entrepreneurship, and scholarship work. University of Colorado Hospital Foundation received multiple awards for public service and medical outreach, including $8,518,387 in 2024 and $1,630,471 in 2025. Startup Colorado also appears in the recent-grants list with general support for entrepreneurial activity. Scholarship support reaches several Colorado campuses, including the University of Northern Colorado, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and the University of Denver. The recent record shows a funder built around the university system it serves, with giving that combines major institutional support and smaller targeted awards.
What University of Colorado Foundation Funds
Education and student support are a clear thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. The University of Northern Colorado received $15,000 in 2023 and another $15,000 in 2024 for scholarships, while Metropolitan State University of Denver received $15,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for the same purpose. Research support also appears in the recent record. Northwestern University received $130,125 in 2024 for research, showing that the foundation’s funding is not limited strictly to Colorado institutions. Health-related support is another recurring area. The University of Colorado Hospital Foundation received $1,094,485 in 2023 for public service and medical outreach, and the same organization also received larger awards in later years. Entrepreneurial development appears through a $253,489 award to Startup Colorado in 2024 for general support entrepreneurial.
How University of Colorado Foundation Gives
Grant size is highly skewed: the 25th percentile is $15,000, the median is $72,562, and the 75th percentile is $2,950,460. That mix reflects both small campus-level awards and very large institutional transfers. The same recipients often appear across multiple years, especially the University of Colorado and the University of Colorado Hospital Foundation, which points to recurring support rather than one-time grants. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF or individual-giving vehicle, and it does not make program-related investments. Its latest 990 year on file is 2025.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$230.6M
Total Assets
$3.5B
Total Revenue
$456.1M
Total Expenses
$294.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $15K and $3M, with a median of $73K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$73K
75th Percentile
$3M
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
About 92% of grants go to recipients in IL.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
JACK FINLAW
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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