University of Colorado among tops in charitable support

A new national ranking of institutions bolstered by charitable support recognizes the University of Colorado’s popularity among donors.

America’s Favorite Charities, a list of 100 ranked by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, places CU at No. 59.

The rankings are based on a group’s cash support in 2017 — the total value of money and stock it received as gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations. The tallies exclude government grants, donated products, and contributions to donor-advised funds.

Based on charitable-giving figures from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s Voluntary Support of Education survey, cash support of CU totaled nearly $302 million in 2017.

CU is one of only three Colorado-based entities to make the list. Among the 20 public universities to be ranked nationally, CU is No. 11.

The report also tracks a decade’s worth of private support for CU, which grew 8.8 percent from 2016 to 2017 and 157.8 percent over the decade. Both percentage changes are adjusted for inflation.

By focusing solely on the fundraising of cause-driven nonprofits, the Chronicle’s new ranking provides insights into the trends affecting donations by individuals from all walks of life and the growing importance of foundation gifts to charities. It also offers a more detailed financial picture of the organizations that are the best at fundraising.

Colleges and hospitals account for 49 of the groups on the debut list. Charitable support of such institutions climbed 44 percent from 2007 through 2017, even after adjusting for inflation.

The full list is posted at philanthropy.com/AFC2018.