Staff and faculty members have raised over $776,000 for the University in an annual campaign, according to Scott Lumpkin, vice chancellor of University Advancement.
“The Faculty & Staff Campaign, part of the ASCEND campaign, is an annual campaign that offers a way for individuals who work here to also invest in the long-term health of the University by making a financial gift,” said Lumpkin. “The goal of the Faculty & Staff Campaign is participation; gifts of all sizes make a difference in the lives of our students.”
About 26.6 percent of staff members gave to the campaign; only full-time employees are included in the tally. The total number of staff members that have donated is 2,154.
“We simply emphasize the opportunity and importance of investing in our students’ future,” said Lumpkin. “Gifts to the university – no matter the designation – enhance the student experience and help to make a DU education all that it can be for our students.”
According to Lumpkin, the Faculty & Staff Campaign started in 2011. The University has also been running a “comprehensive campaign,” ASCEND: The Campaign for the University of Denver, since 2006, including all annual giving contributions as well as major gifts, according to the ASCEND website.
“Through ASCEND we are strengthening the people and programs at the heart of our university,” said Lumpkin. “Scholarships, endowed faculty funds, future-focused programs and select facilities are among the campaign priorities.”
Since the beginning of the ASCEND campaign, the school has brought in over $400 million, with $63 million coming in since the beginning of the fiscal year. During 2012, the campaign raised $51 million.
The ASCEND campaign has set aside over $116 million for scholarships; 417 new scholarships have also been established.
“Scholarships make the University of Denver experience available to outstanding students from all background,” said Lumpkin. “Great students invigorate the campus both academically and socially, and they go on to become leaders in our world.”
According to Lumpkin, those who give money to the university specify where they want the money to go to.
“When an individual makes a gift to the University, whether it’s for scholarships, their favorite academic or athletic program, or a capital project like the Anderson Academic Commons, they make a difference in the lives of our students,” said Lumpkin.
The total cost of the Anderson Academic Commons was $32 million. Roughly a third of funding came from gifts, a third from institution funding and another third from academic units.
Other popular designations for funding include Athletics, Anderson Academic Commons, and academic units such as the Daniels College of Business, the Division of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, and the Josef Korbel School of International Studies.
