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Philanthropy fuels our progress to transform healthcare

Philanthropy brings people together; it’s a driving force in accelerating the pace of discovery, attracting and retaining excellent students and faculty, and delivering world-class prevention and care.

At the Office of Advancement at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, we put our passions to work.

We have the privilege to collaborate with people who want to make a difference in the world – people who want to make an impact on humanity that may be felt long after they have passed. Our office exists to ensure stakeholders within and outside the university know, value, and support the important work being done on this academic medical campus.

Why Giving Matters

We believe there is a hole in people’s hearts that can only be filled with generosity and service. And if we listen first and really understand how they want to make an impact in the world, then there will be more joy from the benefactor and more philanthropy for the institution.”

Scott Arthur

Vice Chancellor, Advancement

Gifts of all sizes play a monumental role at CU Anschutz. Our faculty, researchers, clinicians and students are at the forefront of medicine, working urgently to develop novel solutions that revolutionize and redefine healthcare, research and education. When you give to CU Anschutz, the impact is infinite.

Help create next-generation treatments and cures

By accelerating our progress and helping to bring scientific breakthroughs into the clinic, our benefactors play a crucial role in our success.

When you contribute to CU Anschutz, your investment transforms lives and changes the world.

Through your support, we can address areas of greatest need whilst catalyzing key discoveries and innovative therapies. Every gift makes a difference and helps create a lasting legacy of health and wellbeing for the people in Colorado and beyond.

Below, read the many ways benefactors and everyday donors are impacting outcomes for patients and researchers at CU Anschutz School of Medicine.

Colorado School of Public Health Scholarship Celebration

Written by Laura Alsum

Nov 4, 2024

Attendees mingling and having conversation at the 2024 Colorado School of Public Health Scholarship Reception

Financial assistance has historically been modest for graduate students, but scholarships can often be the deciding factor when someone is considering pursuing an advanced degree.

On Tuesday, October 1, the Colorado School of Public Health celebrated benefactors, scholarship recipients, and the impact of philanthropy, highlighting the vital role that scholarships have in a student’s future success and ultimately in the field of public health.

Almost 100 guests attended the reception, which was held at the University Club of Denver. Scott Arthur, Vice Chancellor of Advancement at CU Anschutz, kicked off the evening with words of gratitude to the benefactors, noting that when someone provides support through scholarships, not only are they gifting students with the ability to build a career, they’re also gifting individuals and communities with professionals who will help make tremendous advances in promoting physical, mental, social, and environmental health.

The Dean of the Colorado School of Public Health, Cathy Bradley, PhD, introduced the next speaker of the evening, Cynthia Somers. Ms. Somers decided to pursue her master’s degree to help find a cure for cancer after running the Boston Marathon to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in honor of many of her loved ones. Ms. Somers graduated from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2012 with a focus in policy. Today, she works in compliance for a healthcare organization that provides home healthcare for former uranium workers and home nurse visits for clinical trials.

Ms. Somers is also a benefactor – through her estate planning, she decided to include the Colorado School of Public Health as part of her legacy by setting up a scholarship in her name. The scholarship is designated to students pursuing a career in mental health, another area that holds special significance to her. “There are so many possibilities when we try to envision a better mental healthcare system,” said Ms. Somers. “We can do this through policy, mental health emergency rooms, co-responders, more beds, translational research, novel therapies like virtual reality… the possibilities are endless. If I had stayed in academia, I would have pursued a PhD in Health Services Research. By setting up my scholarship, a future student may fulfill the path that I did not take. That warms my heart.”

Following Ms. Somer’s remarks, attendees heard from scholarship recipients Orion Zuni (CSU), Priscella Collins (CU Anschutz), and Peyton Eitemiller (UNC). They shared about their background, their interest in public health, and the impact that receiving a scholarship has had on them and their education.

The evening ended with closing remarks from Dean Bradley, who emphasized the benefit that scholarships have on the entire community as they support future leaders who are pioneering new, life-changing approaches to health.