A Message from the President | University of Colorado

Creating Futures:
Increases in bequest commitments bode well for CU in the long run

We have seen an encouraging sign from donors as part of the Creating Futures campaign in a strong increase in bequest commitments. Bequests are monies set aside in a person's will to be bestowed upon the institution upon their death. More than $30 million in future estate commitments were recorded by the University of Colorado Foundation this year, and the total pipeline of estate commitments has increased to $190 million, nearly half of which has been recorded in the past three years.

While these commitments are not included in the year's fundraising totals and a large portion of the funds will not become available for years to come, they bode well for CU's endowment in the long run. A high proportion of bequests go into CU's endowment–generating predictable streams of revenue for selected CU programs in perpetuity. While CU's endowment helps insulate the university's budget from annual revenue swings, 98 percent of such funds are designated toward specific programs and cannot be reallocated toward other CU expenses.

We honor bequest and charitable-trust donors with membership in the Heritage Society, whose members gathered in May for an annual Denver luncheon. It was inspiring for me to meet and hear from more than 75 donors who came out to connect with one another and share their CU experiences.

The success of the Creating Futures campaign depends on donors making gifts through various means, and planned gifts offer diverse ways for donors to maximize their impact on CU in the future. Click here to view a video highlighting the impact of planned giving at CU.

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