The Colorado State University Pueblo Foundation hosted a Day of Celebration honoring the organization’s 70th anniversary, the start of the ThunderBowl Suite Expansion project, and the end of OverDrive, a Campaign for CSU Pueblo.
The CSU Pueblo Foundation, a separate 501c(3) institutionally-related non-profit organization, was incorporated in the State of Colorado on December 22, 1954. Over the past 70 years, the Foundation has amassed almost $70 million in assets and currently provides over $6 million annually in funding to CSU Pueblo for scholarships, capital projects, and academic programming.
Pueblo Junior College President Marvin Knudson, Frank S. Hoag Jr., and Gerald Valentine served as the Foundation’s first trustees. The first gifts made to the Foundation were bestowed by Minnequa Bank, William M. White, and the Pueblo Chieftain Star-Journal in the amount of $500.00 each.
The ThunderBowl Suite Expansion project includes the addition of seven new suites to the west side of the ThunderBowl football stadium. The current westside press box will also be remodeled to house an additional four suites. Revenue from the suite leases and partnerships will benefit the ThunderWolves Department of Athletics, along with the remodeling of Hoag Hall. The eastside press box will also go through a remodel to accommodate game operations, broadcasts, and working media.
The project received tremendous support from the Robert H. Hoag Rawlings Foundation with a $500,000 gift. As a thank you for their support, the press box on the eastside of the ThunderBowl will now be known as the Robert H. Rawlings Press Box. CSU Pueblo is contributing $500,000 toward the project, and as part of this gift, a portion of the revenue generated from the new suites will help fund the renovation of Hoag Hall.
The $2.2 million project was designed by HGF Architects, Inc. of Pueblo, with H.W. Houston Construction, also of Pueblo, serving as the general contractor.
All seven of the new spaces have been leased. Suite lease holders include Snooze Mattress Company, Brian Corsi All State Insurance, Rocky Mountain Turf Solutions, Express Employment Professionals, Toler Bros. Catering, the CSU Pueblo Bookstore, and the Robert H. Rawlings Foundation.
On January 1, 2019, the CSU Pueblo Foundation launched Drive, A Campaign for CSU Pueblo in partnership with CSU Pueblo and the CSU System. The campaign aimed to raise $100 million by 2028 to ensure CSU Pueblo remains affordable and accessible, create world-class learning environments, and enhance the university’s academic excellence.
In March of 2022, Drive had already amassed over $95 million. The campaign was rebranded OverDrive, a Campaign for CSU Pueblo with a new goal of $135 million by 2028.
Today, with the help of CSU Pueblo and the CSU System, the Foundation announced OverDrive raised $139,188,372.67. The CSU System provided $19 million in funding for the campaign, while private giving collected $51,577,429.67 and CSU Pueblo secured $68,610,943.00 in federal and state grants.
The following are highlights of the OverDrive Campaign on CSU Pueblo:
Private Giving:
- Provided $20 million in scholarships to 4,951 students
- Secured CSU Pueblo’s largest gift ever with a $21 million donation from Friends of Football
- Secure funding to construction the ART Indoor Sports facility
- Grew Foundation assets from $43 million to over $68 million
System Funding:
- Established the PACK Center which advises and supports students, increasing student retention rates
- Supported various improvements in multiple academic units to better support faculty and students
- Supported the Discovery Scholars program, allowing students to engage in research, which improved retention and persistence while providing valuable experience in their discipline
- Supported CTLL faculty professional development initiatives for improved teaching and pedagogical support and research
Grant Funding:
- Opportunity Now Colorado Grant, PLANT aims to train 79 new nursing professionals, including 10 nurse educators, in underserved Southern Colorado regions
- Secured over $27.7 million from the Department of Education, including a groundbreaking $6 million STEM mentorship grant (called MAPS) and other capacity-building initiatives
- Our $11.7 million Rail Innovation Hub is advancing sustainable transportation with hydrogen-powered rail technologies, positioning Pueblo as a leader in green infrastructure
Five grants totaling $15 million over five years which focus on improving student retention, graduation rates, and career placement for Hispanic and underserved students. Some of the initiatives supported by the grant include paid internships at local agencies and community organizations, co-curricular programming like our Ballet Folklorico, and expanded mental health services, like the up and coming Text2Connect program through CSU Pueblo’s graduate school, an MSW student-led program looking at addressing barriers to success for our non-traditional graduate students.
