With a new year comes new perks for Great Conversations members!

Great Conversations has long provided exclusive access to the College of Liberal Arts through salon-style events featuring faculty speakers. This year’s newly reimagined season included increased access not only to the College of Liberal Arts, but to all of Colorado State University through membership in the 1870 Club.

Named for the year of Colorado State University’s founding, the 1870 Club recognizes and celebrates a very special group of people: loyal supporters. 1870 Club members have made an annual, cumulative gift of $1,870 or more. With a 2017-2018 Great Conversations membership, donors receive membership to the 1870 Club for the 2018 calendar year.

This year’s 1870 Club boasts more than 3,300 members, who have given more than $53 million to Colorado State University. Through the power of collective giving, these loyal supporters have made a significant impact on CSU’s students, programs, and faculty.

Now with the new membership structure, Great Conversations members join this generous community and have access to its exclusive benefits, including:

• Invitations to members-only events including galas, dinners, receptions, lectures, and other campus activities
• Receiving priority communications regarding University initiatives and programs
• Preferred seating at select University events
• Special recognition at University events and through donor honor rolls

The signature event of the year is the annual 1870 Dinner. Coming up on Saturday, February 10, the dinner brings together this community of supporters in the Lory Student Center for a celebratory evening of food, stories of impact, and messages of gratitude from CSU leadership.

In addition to the annual dinner, the 1870 Club hosts an average of three other events throughout the year that provide a behind-the-scenes look at what makes Colorado State University so great. A few recent examples include:

• This January, 1870 Club members were invited to learn more about the National Western Stock Show, where they were treated to a private breakfast reception, curated tour of the Coors Western Art exhibit, took a behind-the-scenes tour of the show led by current Colorado State University Ag Adventure students, and enjoyed premium reserved seating at the CSU rodeo.
• Last spring, 1870 Club members gathered together for a reception prior to the CSU opera performance of A Little Night Music, where they met the director and music students to learn more about the production and how the opera went from script to stage.
• While sports practices are closed to the public, 1870 members watched a 2016 CSU women’s basketball practice before joining the team for a private dinner and presentation by Coach Ryun Williams.

Both great conversations and the 1870 Club share a special bond between members, cultivated through the comradery built at these special events. Members see first-hand how their generosity impacts every aspect of Colorado State University, which spreads outside of campus to the northern Colorado community and around the world through our students.

To learn more about the 1870 Club, contact Caitlin Carlson at Caitlin.Carlson@colostate.edu.

To learn more about Great Conversations, contact Savannah Kacher at Savannah.Kacher@colostate.edu.