Avenir Foundation Inc
Avenir Foundation Inc is a private family foundation established in 1993 and based in Lakewood, Colorado. The foundation operates as a grantmaking entity focused on supporting cultural, educational, and health-related initiatives. The foundation's origins trace to Homer Dodge, a physicist and university president who invested $120,000 with Warren Buffett in 1956, an early investment in Berkshire Hathaway that ultimately generated substantial wealth for the Dodge family.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.2B
+118579.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.7M
+170.0% YoY
Grant Count
2
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1.4M
+170.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation gives primarily for education and the arts, with particular emphasis on museums and performing arts. Specific funding interests include:
- Arts and culture
- Performing arts and opera
- Museums
- Music
- Education
- Health initiatives
- Reproductive health care and family planning
- Public research centers (notably a music theory research center in Vienna, Austria focused on the methods of Arnold Schoenberg)
Grantmaking
The foundation made two grants in 2023:
How to Apply
and works with preselected organizations only
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports projects in multiple locations including:
- Colorado (primary focus, particularly Denver and Central City)
- National grants in select cases
- International funding (Vienna, Austria for music theory research)
- Additional geographic areas of support: Boulder, Englewood, New York, Redding, Watertown, Wheat Ridge, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (as of June 2023):
- Total assets: $1,047,697
- Total revenues: $1,006,574
- Total expenses: $1,001,441
- Number of employees: 0
Tax Status:
- EIN: 84-1245939
- 501(c)(3) private foundation
- Tax-exempt since November 1993
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,243,404,712 | $1,047,697 | $1,042,564 |
| Revenue | $1,245,058,876 | $1,006,574 | $2,325,065 |
| Expenses | $2,701,861 | $1,001,441 | $2,347,921 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,700,000 | $1,000,000 | $2,346,571 |
| Net Investment Income | $133,876 | $6,574 | $65 |
| Distributable Amount | $23,003,842 | $35,544 | $31,915 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
38 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key personnel include:
- William Dodge Wallace – President/Director (voluntary, no compensation)
- Margaret Boynton Wallace – Secretary/Director (voluntary, no compensation)
- Norman L Wilson – Treasurer/Director (voluntary, no compensation)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret Boynton Wallace | Secretary/Director | 1 | — |
| Norman L Wilson | Treasurer/Director | 4 | — |
| William Dodge Wallace | President/Director | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Avenir Foundation experienced significant growth in 2024 when it received a substantial transfer of Berkshire Hathaway shares from the Alice Dodge Wallace Trust, increasing its assets approximately 1,000-fold. This transfer positions the foundation to become one of Colorado's most significant philanthropic entities, with projected mandatory annual distributions expected to exceed $50 million by 2026 due to IRS distribution requirements for foundations.
The story behind the billion-dollar Avenir Foundation | Inside PhilanthropyThe foundation has historically devoted substantial resources to Colorado's cultural institutions, including Central City Opera and other regional arts organizations.
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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