Illuminating Impact
Philanthropy at The University of Denver
A Word From The Chancellor
From the classrooms and labs at our Denver campus to the boundless moments of exploration, community, and reflection at the James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus, the University of Denver gives our students
countless opportunities to thrive. Teaching, research, experiential learning—everything we do contributes to an environment in which our students can learn, grow, and prepare for meaningful careers.
Every single aspect of the DU experience is made better through philanthropy. Your gifts have an immediate and lasting impact on the lives of our students and the ways they will shape our world.
Your giving strengthens the DU 4D Experience, in which our students are supported by a broad constellation of mentors and advisors while they grow intellectually and shape their values into a rock-solid strength of character. They discover the joy of well-being for themselves, for others, and for our planet, all while growing the confidence and preparation for meaningful lives and careers.
Through generosity, scholarships open the door for outstanding students of all backgrounds, helping them create their own unique 4D Experience at DU. Investments in interdisciplinary collaboration and community connection give students practical educational experiences that shape their understanding of the world. DU’s research stature—affirmed earlier this year as we attained R1 status—demonstrates our unflagging commitment to push the boundaries of knowledge to contribute to the public good.
In giving to athletics, you fuel our student- athletes’ excellence both in the classroom and in their athletic pursuits. In supporting research and faculty excellence, you strengthen our teacher- scholar model. Your gifts empower our brilliant faculty to expand knowledge and improve lives, all while educating and mentoring the next generation of thinkers and doers. Your gifts to DU empower us to live out our commitment to students and to the public good.
For all that you do for DU, I thank you. I hope you enjoy seeing in this report many examples of philanthropy’s impact over the past year. Together we are leading. Together we are learning. Together we are making our world better for today’s generations and the many to come.
With gratitude,
Jeremy Haefner
Chancellor
Chapter 1
Creating Opportunities for Students to Thrive
Generous giving sustains DU’s ability to nurture our student’s intellectual development while equipping them to live meaningful lives. Donors’ generosity provides scholarships that open the doors to a DU education. Investments in internships give students professional experience to advance their brand-new careers. Visionary support allows our students to learn and lead in nature at the James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus and to build their education through the holistic and multifaceted 4D Experience, a signature DU initiative. Each step of the way, philanthropy clears the path and creates boundless opportunity for students to develop intellectual growth and curiosity, build character, prioritize well-being, and pursue lives and careers of purpose.
Internships
93% of students
who participated in an internship secured employment or grad school acceptance by six months after graduation, compared with 82% of those who did not do an internship.
85% of students
participated in an internship during their degree program. Internships are statistically significant in improving post- graduation outcomes.
Global Reach
DU is ranked 5th in the nation among graduate schools for producing Peace Corps volunteers. DU is ranked #2 in the nation for study abroad participation. From 80+ countries DU is the chosen academic destination for students and faculty, creating a truly global environment. About 70% of DU undergraduates study abroad.
Post Graduation
66% of bachelor's students stay in Colorado after graduation. 92% of undergrads have secured post-graduation plans within six months of graduation. 56% of master’s students stay in Colorado after graduation.
Making the Mountain Campus a Reality
A transformational gift from James C. Kennedy (BSBA ’70) is providing DU students and faculty with opportunities to learn, reflect, recreate and connect with others, themselves, and their values at a 724-acre mountain campus adjacent to Roosevelt National Forest.
DU’s Board of Trustees named the James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus to honor Kennedy and his enthusiasm and long-held commitment to conservation, sustainability, and outdoor education.
Funded entirely through philanthropy, the Kennedy Mountain Campus is an investment in and accelerator of DU’s 4D Experience. It positions DU as the first university to offer both a mountain and an urban experience to all undergraduate students, providing the opportunity for every student to grow in multiple dimensions for themselves and for the greater good.
"A location ripe for the deepening an d discovery of passions and interest - from hiking, yoga and rock climbing to painting, writing, leadership development, relationship buildings, and beyond - the Kennedy Mountain Campus is a space for all students, of all backgrounds, abilities, and interests."
"When Jim Kennedy very generously provided the lead gift for the Kennedy Mountain Campus, Barbara and I immediately saw this as a game changer for DU—and we wanted to help support it."
Supporting Students and
Operations at DU’s Kennedy
Thanks to Andy (BSBA ’70) and Barbara Taylor’s $20 million gift in support of programming and operations of DU’s James C. Kennedy Mountain Campus, students are experiencing a multitude of transformational leadership, exploration, and community-building programs.
Programs at the Kennedy Mountain Campus funded through the Taylors’ gift serve students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds and experience levels.
In recognition of the Taylors’ generous gift, DU has named the Andy and Barbara Taylor Upper Camp at the Kennedy Mountain Campus in their honor. The Taylor Upper Camp is the central hub for all student living, dining, and activity at the mountain campus.
Andy and Barbara Taylor are longtime supporters of the University, and their most recent gift extends their enduring commitment to the student experience.
Student Scholarship Spotlight
“Without scholarships, I wouldn’t be doing the one thing I have been wanting to do for as long as I can remember.”
Student Scholarship Spotlight
"For a student like me, a first-generation Latina, a scholarship means every dream becoming a possibility."
Student Scholarship Spotlight
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without the donors who have given to DU.”
Student Scholarship Spotlight
“I wouldn’t be here without scholarships...donors make DU possible for so many students.”
Student Scholarship Spotlight
“They served as a source of encouragement to me. By giving, the giver is saying they believe in you.”
Investing in Scholarships
Giving Opportunities Through Scholarships
“My time at DU was four of the best years of my life,” says Michael A. Morton (BSBA ’87).
Morton recently made an endowed scholarship gift that will support undergraduate students in the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management based on demonstrated financial need.
Through the Michael A. Morton Endowed Scholarship Fund, he aims to give future generations of students the dynamic experiences of a DU education. Because the scholarship is endowed, it will benefit DU students in perpetuity.
Morton is the owner of multiple restaurants in Las Vegas and co-founder of Morton Group with his wife, Jenna. Morton’s father, Arnie Morton, was a Chicago restaurant legend who founded Morton’s Steakhouse. His brother, Peter Morton (BSBA ’69), is co-founder of the Hard Rock Café.
Even with a storied family history in the restaurant business, Morton says it was his internship as a DU student at an 1800s old-school Chicago hotel that inspired him to become an entrepreneur.
Morton notes that his experiences at DU—from completing a thesis on airline food service to friendships he maintains to this day—were life-changing.
Investing in Students’ Success
Russell Noles (MBA ’89) credits DU for preparing him for a career in finance that exceeded his expectations.
During his 15-year tenure at TIAA, he stayed in touch with his finance professor, Mac Clouse, and hosted students in New York City during the Walk Down Wall Street program. “It was great to have the students there, learning firsthand from professionals. The experience also gave me a sense of pride that I was able to do something to help the academic pursuits of students from my university,” Noles says.
Noles also contributes to DU students’ success by giving to scholarships. A loyal donor to the Daniels College of Business since 1992, in 2012 he created the Russell Noles Endowed Scholarship Fund. Since then, Noles has continued to invest in the fund, leveraging matching funds, gifting stock, and creating a flexible charitable gift annuity.
So far, eight students have received the Russell Noles Endowed Scholarship, and he knows his investments will benefit graduate finance students for many years to come.
“I want to see DU continue its tradition of graduating top- notch students who go on to do great things in the world,” Noles concludes.
Supporting Students in Media, Film & Journalism Studies
Dave Steinke (BA ’75) tells the story of how his dad, Gene Steinke (BA ’48), would wake him and his five siblings up with the DU fight song—a telling anecdote of the family’s love for the University of Denver. Dave’s mother, Doris Davenport Steinke (BA ’48), was also a DU grad.
After Doris’s passing in 2021, the Steinke siblings established the Doris Davenport Steinke Pathways Endowed Scholarship to support undergraduate students in Media, Film & Journalism Studies. The scholarship honors Doris’s passion for journalism and her leadership as one of the first female editors of The Clarion, DU’s student newspaper.
In addition, the Steinke family gifted a leather-bound volume of 1947 Clarions to the University’s archives. The family previously established the Gene E. Steinke Scholar Athlete Endowed Scholarship Fund, which supports men’s basketball student-athletes, to honor their father.
“Mom and Dad always emphasized the importance of a college education,” Richard Steinke says. “There is no better thing that we can do as their heirs than to provide that opportunity for other students.”
Chapter 2
Advancing the Public Good
The University of Denver is a great private university dedicated to the public good—a vision that is made real every day by donors’ generosity. Innovative, interdisciplinary research at DU connects in tangible ways with the Denver community and beyond. People’s lives are improved because our faculty and students create knowledge to solve the greatest issues of our day. Our donors’ visionary investments strengthen academic excellence and the lasting positive effects that our research has on the world.
Research Excellence
R1: Recognized status as a Very High Research University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. FY22 was a record-breaking year with over $43 million in research expenditures. DU received $25.9M in new research grant funding in FY22. 647 students were supported by grant funding in FY22. 90% full-time Faculty with Terminal Degree. 10:1 Student-Faculty Ratio.
Princeton Review Rankings 2022
#1 for Best College Library
#13 for College City Gets High Marks
#19 for Best Athletic Facilities
#22 for Most Beautiful Campus
U.S. News & World Report Rankings
#105 in National Universities
#74 among Best Value Schools
#79 in student selectivity
Bolstering the Business Community
Co-founders of RE/MAX Dave and Gail Liniger have been helping others find success in business for 50 years, and their legacy will expand dramatically through a new center at the University of Denver. The Linigers’ recent $3 million gift to DU has established the Liniger Center on Franchising at the Daniels College of Business.
When co-founding RE/MAX in Denver in 1973, the Linigers created an industry-changing business model. Their longstanding dedication to helping entrepreneurs build their own success created a global real estate powerhouse. Today, the multi-brand RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. is one of the world’s leading franchisors.
The first of its kind west of the Mississippi River, the Liniger Center will offer support to both franchisors and franchisees through education, networking, and thought
leadership, echoing the Linigers’ commitment to lifelong learning.
“We’ve spent 50 years seeing amazing things happen when entrepreneurs come together, share their experiences, and support each other. The center will be a hub of learning and growing in that same spirit,” said Dave Liniger. “We’re thrilled to help new generations discover the incredible value of franchising and the power of joining forces with like-minded professionals.”
Advancing the Protection of Animals
The Institute for Animal Sentience and Protection will expand the scientific and social-scientific understanding of the cognitive and emotional capabilities of nonhuman animals and advance the protection of animals resulting from this evolving understanding. Made possible through a legacy gift from Dr. Robert Brinkmann, the Institute will be a collaboration between the Graduate School of Social Work and Sturm College of Law.
Brinkmann’s personal experience with animals played a significant role in his decision to leave his estate to DU for this purpose. Although he understands that he will not see the full impact of his gift during his lifetime, he says, “You have to have faith that there’s some reasonable likelihood that our species’ fundamental attitudes toward other species will become more humane as we know more about other species’ feelings and capabilities.”
Giving Momentum to University of Denver – National Jewish Health Partnership
With a gift from alumnus Lewis J. Hoch, Esq. (BA ’74, JD ’77), the University of Denver has expanded its collaboration with National Jewish Health (NJH). The two Denver institutions started working together at the beginning of the pandemic to develop a program for responding to COVID-19.
Hoch’s gift to DU funds interdisciplinary collaborative research projects involving investigators from DU and NJH that will advance science and lead to better health.
While a student at DU, Hoch was treated for uncontrolled severe asthma at NJH, and he says his relationships with both faculty at DU and physicians at NJH were transformational.
Hoch hopes that this gift will benefit DU, NJH, and the broader community, just as he benefited from caring and involved people at DU and NJH a half century ago. He also hopes that five-10 years from now, the collaboration between DU and NJH will have produced a sustainable and thriving national center for excellence in health in Southeast Denver. For more information on the research projects funded through this collaboration, visit bit.ly/DU-NJH.
Expanding Access to Art
Faculty and students across DU now have access to new works in the University Art Collection thanks to recent donations. These pieces can be used in teaching and research, and they include pieces that have added to our DU Artists Initiative, illuminated medieval manuscripts, and 18th-century watercolors and botanical prints.
Enhancing Ethical Leadership
DU’s School of Accountancy has a new partnership with Truth in Accounting, a nonprofit organization focused on financial reporting in government agencies. Made possible by a generous
donation from Daniels College of Business alumni Jack (BSBA ’79) and Sheila Weinberg (BSBA ’79), this partnership will enhance Daniels's longstanding commitment to teaching ethical leadership.
Researchers in the School of Accountancy will apply their knowledge of governmental accounting to find and analyze data from government financial reports to help create the annual flagship reports of Truth in Accounting: the Financial State of the States and the Financial State of the Cities.
The organization was instrumental in bringing better financial disclosure to governments, especially in the area of state and local government pensions and other retirement liabilities.
Chapter 3
Investing in the Student-Athlete Experience
Supporting the student-athlete experience means expanding the resources for athletic excellence. Our donors and alumni give our student-athletes the tools they need to excel both in the classroom and in their athletic pursuits. Such investments also empower DU to harness research-based knowledge and apply it for the benefit of athlete success and wellness at DU and beyond.
Numbers Of Note
34 NCAA National Championships across 18 varsity sports
95% Division of Athletics graduation success rate
13 I-AAA Director’s Cup Trophies in the last 14 years
127 Individual National Championships
Championing Hockey Excellence
A few months before DU won the 2022 Men’s Hockey National Championship last spring, becoming just one
of two Division I schools in the country to have
won nine NCAA national championships, DU hockey alumnus David Paderski (BSBA ’66) established a new endowed fund in memory of legendary coach Murray Armstrong to enhance the student-athlete experience and provide resources for the DU men’s hockey program.
1Day4DU: Athletics
During 1Day4DU, more than 630 donors gave over $340,000 in support of our student-athletes and the programs, facilities, and scholarships that help them thrive in their academic and athletic pursuits. Read more about 1Day4DU, DU’s annual day of giving, on page 28.
Chapter 4
Creating DU's Future Together
Together the University of Denver community—alumni and friends, donors, volunteers in many roles—advances the work of our great University. In making gifts from the most modest size to the most transformational, our donors invest in our students’ education and in the research and community impact that change our world. Community partnerships, fueled by research excellence, make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals in Denver and far from our campus. Together we are making an impact. We are exceedingly grateful for your steadfast support and involvement.
Lending Invaluable Support Through Volunteerism
Throughout the year, 1,812 volunteers, including more than 1,500 alumni, gave of their time and talent to help advance our mission by contributing to programs, supporting classroom and community experiences, and sharing their knowledge and expertise. Additionally, the DU Career Network had 1,273 active volunteer mentors providing support and guidance to 3,315 mentees.
Boosting the Student Experience
On May 18 during 1Day4DU— DU’s annual day of giving — gifts large and small poured in from across the country in support of our students. Alumni, faculty and staff, parents, students, trustees, and friends of DU demonstrated the tremendous difference gifts of all sizes can make. Internships and student opportunity funds were among the highlights of 1Day4DU’s projects. Morgridge College of Education, the Graduate School of Social Work, and the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences also raised significant funds for student support.
Total dollars raised in 2022:
$106,355,660
1812 Volunteers 14100 Donors 12726 Gifts under $1000
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