CU Anschutz receives $50m gift to expand mental health care

AURORA, Colo. — The Anschutz Foundation has pledged up to $50 million to the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus to launch a new initiative in mental health, one of the largest philanthropic investments in the field in Colorado.

The gift, structured as a challenge, is intended to attract $200 million in total funding from public and private partners. The effort will create the CU Anschutz Campus Mental Health Collaborative, a program aimed at developing scalable, technology-enabled approaches to expand access and improve care for adults and children.

The collaborative will build on expertise already at CU Anschutz and its hospital partners, Children’s Hospital Colorado and UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. Programs will include community-based interventions, crisis care systems, and workforce development models. The hub will be located in the Anschutz Health Sciences Building.

Colorado ranked 46th nationally in prevalence of mental illness and access to care, according to a 2024 study by Mental Health America.

“There is a critical need for mental health care support across our state,” said Christian Anschutz, president of The Anschutz Foundation. “We hope this gift will help attract additional funding to advance this vital work in Colorado and beyond. True progress requires many partners. We invite federal and state partners and challenge other donors to join us in this effort to meet the $200 million goal.”

The Anschutz Foundation has previously invested $120 million at CU Anschutz, including $30 million for mental health initiatives.

“This gift is a continued reflection of The Anschutz Foundation’s commitment to this campus and to Colorado,” said Don Elliman, chancellor of CU Anschutz. “With this strong foundation already in place, the CU Anschutz Campus Mental Health Collaborative is positioned to expand its strengths and grow its programs to reach more people and shape the future of mental health care.”

The new funding will support a wide range of initiatives, including suicide prevention, integration of behavioral health into primary care, substance abuse treatment, crisis response, inpatient care, and the development of new therapies such as neuromodulation.

“This new mental health collaboration will bring our hospitals, researchers, and providers together to address one of the most pressing health challenges of our time,” said Tom Gronow, president and CEO of UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital.

Jena Hausmann, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Colorado, said the investment will strengthen efforts to address the state’s youth mental health crisis. “Every child deserves a hopeful future, and together, this partnership helps us build it,” she said.