海角社区

Carla and Carl Hartman Gift Announcement

For Carl and Carla Hartman, life is built on the belief that creativity, craftsmanship and knowledge shape a brighter future. Together, the Denver-based couple has combined their love of design, education and innovation to make a lasting impact on the next generation of makers.鈥疶heir recent $3 million gift to 海角社区鈥檚 Department of Industrial Design includes two transformative contributions.

Dimond Family Foundation Gift Announcement

In 2025 Rita and Navin Dimond, founders of the national hotel management firm Stonebridge Companies, established the Dimond Family Fund, providing funding for School of Hospitality scholarships, recruitment and retention efforts, and fellowships. A recent $1.5 million gift from the Dimond Family Foundation has significantly increased the funds available to School of Hospitality students, expanding access to financial aid and experiential opportunities that will help them graduate workforce ready.

Summit House and C2 Hub Groundbreaking

On Sept. 10, 2025, 海角社区 embarked on a new era as University leaders, students and staff gathered to celebrate groundbreaking for the in the University鈥檚 60-year history. Located on the north side of campus across from Ball Arena, the 12-story聽Summit House聽is scheduled to open in 2027 and will provide 550 student beds, a new home for the University鈥檚聽Classroom to Career Hub, and dining and retail space. The $117 million project, a partnership with Columbia Ventures, is being funded by philanthropic gifts and by bonds.

海角社区 Day of Giving 2025 Highlight Video

Day of Giving Impact

More than 1,920 members of our Roadrunner family came together on March 20 to raise an incredible, record-breaking $403,689 for students and programs at Metropolitan State University of Denver. We can鈥檛 thank them enough for their generosity and passion for uplifting the University community. Day of Giving is over, but the show goes on! Our students are hardworking and resilient, but many need your support to reach the bonus round and achieve their goal of earning a degree.

Caring For Denver

A grant to help strengthen mental-health workforce

翱惫别谤听聽surveyed cited difficulty in getting an appointment as the primary reason for not getting needed counseling. That鈥檚 what Metropolitan State University of Denver plans to address, thanks to a two-year, $800,000 grant from Caring for Denver. The聽Building Denver鈥檚 Mental Health Workforce program, which launched this semester, provides $15,000 stipends to聽Social Work听补苍诲听Addictions Counseling聽graduate students on the condition that they commit to working in mental and behavioral health in Denver for a full year postgraduation.

Students celebrating at the Caring for Denver Gift Announcement Event.

FHLBank Topeka event on Feburary 14, 2025 in Cavea at JSSB. Photo by Alyson McClaran

FHLBank Topeka Affordable Housing Institute

Seven-figure gift opens doors for students, employers looking to address affordable-housing shortage

海角社区’s new Affordable Housing Institute began taking shape last August, thanks to early funding from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority and a seven-figure gift 鈥� the largest in the history of 海角社区鈥檚聽College of Business聽鈥� from聽The investment is a first for the bank. Although the Kansas-based, member-owned institution has given $250 million in support of affordable housing, it traditionally funds brick-and-mortar building projects.

Frank and Gina Day

Record-setting pledge establishes Gina and Frank Day Health Institute at 海角社区

Gina and Frank Day have pledged $10 million to Metropolitan State University of Denver鈥檚聽Health Institute, which is expanding to address the state鈥檚 critical shortage of health care workers. The largest philanthropic gift in the University鈥檚 history will help train students in a wide range of in-demand fields, including nursing, nutrition, behavioral health, speech-language pathology and social work.

Gina and Frank Day pledge $10 million to what will be known as the Gina and Frank Day Health Institute at 海角社区.

Carrie Morgridge, co-founder of the Morgridge Family Foundation, speaks during an event announcing the foundation's financial support for 海角社区's Classroom to Career Hub.

Morgridge Family Foundation

More 海角社区 students will gain career-readiness training thanks to recent gift

Carrie Morgridge, co-founder of the Morgridge Family Foundation with her husband, John, said that they appreciate the University鈥檚 ethos of making career-focused higher education accessible to anyone interested in earning a degree, regardless of location. 鈥淚f you can鈥檛 get to 海角社区, we鈥檙e going to come to you,鈥� she said.

Colorado Access and Colorado Access Foundation

海角社区 receives $1.4 million gift to grow and diversify Colorado鈥檚 struggling health care workforce

鈥淚鈥檓 first-generation Korean-American, and I first started dealing with the health care system as a kid trying to help my parents navigate the system,鈥� said Annie Lee, president and CFO of Colorado Access. 鈥淲ith a more representative and diverse workforce, you would have better health outcomes and, hopefully, kids and youth would not be put in that position.鈥�

Annie Lee, president and CEO of Colorado Access and chair of the Colorado Access Foundation board of directors, understands firsthand the need for a health care workforce that reflects and represents its patient population

The groundbreaking ceremony for 海角社区's Health Institute Simulation and Skills Lab on Sept. 26, 2023 outside of West Classroom. Photo by Alyson McClaran

Dawn Bookhard, J.D.

Attorney and activist Dawn Bookhardt, J.D., is dedicated to helping 海角社区 educate a diverse health care workforce in the fields of speech, language and hearing.

鈥淚 want to change the dynamics of speech, hearing and language education and careers 鈥� for people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds to know they can be part of it,鈥� said Bookhardt, a longtime 海角社区 supporter. 鈥淚鈥檓 putting my money where my mouth is.鈥�

Ferd and Christy Belz

Gift from longtime supporters Ferd and Christy Belz will support wraparound services that pave pathways to graduation.

鈥淓ducation is a core value we invest in as a family,鈥� said Christy, “I see the passion students have for the University. The professors are unbelievable, and the staff is remarkable. We鈥檙e very, very honored to give this gift and make a difference for these students.鈥�

Ferd and Christy Belz

Mariner Kemper, president and CEO of UMB Financial Corporation, and his wife Megan, at the Jan. 19 event announcing the gift in the Cavea.

Kemper Family and UMB Foundation

New investments from the Kemper family and UMB Financial Corp. address a critical shortage of health care workers.

鈥淢egan and I believe in higher education 鈥� it鈥檚 the key to changing lives,鈥� Mariner Kemper said. 鈥淲e are excited to invest in 海角社区 because it not only offers an accessible education; it offers a high-quality educational experience. 海角社区 is so important because it focuses on serving Colorado students who will likely stay in our state and serve our community.鈥�

Rob and Molly Cohen

Expansion of the Cohen Pacesetters program makes college dream possible for more students.

鈥淢olly and I learned early in our lives that if you鈥檙e blessed and you鈥檙e given gifts, then what really makes this world a special place is when you pay it forward, and when you give back to others,鈥� said聽

Rob and Molly Cohen were joined by their children, past and present scholarship recipients, faculty, 海角社区 trustee members and Dr. Janine Davidson at the Cohen Center for Athletics to celebrate their donation to the university. Photo by Sara Hertwig