DONATIONS AND GIFTS
Your gift to the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History ensures that the Museum's world-class collections, research, and public programs will continue to contribute to knowledge of the natural world and the humanities and will provide meaningful learning experiences for Museum visitors.
If you are interested in making a gift to the Museum, please contact the Assistant to the Director at 303-492-6297. Donations to any of the Museum's endowments or funds are tax-deductable--please call for specific information.
You can also make your donation online via the University of Colorado Foundation's website. Clicking on the Donate Online button will open a web page on the University of Colorado Foundation's website. Click on the entry for the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History to make your donation. To view the CU Foundation's statement on security and its privacy policy, please see its Guide to Giving.
Gift Opportunities
The University of Colorado Museum is a successful, vital, and growing institution. We were awarded accreditation by the American Association of Museums in August 2003, an achievement of less than five percent of United States museums. The core of our Museum is the more than 4 million objects in our world class collections. Our graduate program in Museum and Field Studies has just awarded degrees to its eighth class. Our faculty curators are successfully obtaining research grants, publishing, and teaching. Our exhibitions and public programs bring the exciting world of natural history and anthropology to wider and more diverse audiences. We remain free and open to the public 7 days a week, except for university holidays.
Why are endowments important? Endowments provide income for the Museum forever. While returns on endowment funds do reflect the general state of our economy, they are not subject to changes in State appropriations.
We urge you to help us maintain our excellence and our momentum.
Hugo G. Rodeck Museum Endowment
The Hugo G. Rodeck Museum Endowment is the only Museum-wide endowment for the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History. Named in honor of former Museum Director, Hugo G. Rodeck and made possible by a gift from Dr. Rodeck and his family, the endowment supports the mission of the Museum in research, teaching, and public education
The Hugo G. Rodeck Museum Endowment supports museum-wide needs. It supports activities not supported by any other monies. It enables the museum to obtain matching funds for projects that benefit the museum and that are now required by many agencies.
Your gift at any level is appreciated and will be acknowledged with a certificate. Gifts of $100 or more will also be recognized on the Museum's permanent honor roll in the Bruce Curtis Building. Your donation is tax deductible under IRS guidelines. Please see the Museum Endowment brochure (2.1 MB PDF, requires Adobe's free Acrobat Reader or Apple's Preview) for more information.
Joe Ben Wheat Textile Fund
The Joe Ben Wheat Textile Fund provides for the collection, research, and storage of textiles for the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History. Joe Ben Wheat was Curator of Anthropology at the University of Colorado Museum from 1953 until his retirement in 1987. Dr. Wheat had a deep interest in the textile traditions of the Navajo, Pueblo and Hispanic Southwest. In 1972 he began his "Textile Survey," a systematic study of Southwestern blankets, mantas, kilts, belts, rugs, and other weavings. He continued the study until his death in 1997.
During his time at the Museum, Wheat built one of the foremost collections of Southwestern textiles in the world, comprising over 850 rugs, blankets, kilts, sashes, and other weavings from the late 1700s to the present. The preservation and study of this significant collection is a priority for the Museum.
Museum Development Fund
The Museum Development Fund provides unrestricted support for the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History including Museum events, expenses, and visitor enhancement.
