Big Blue Sky Foundation
Big Blue Sky Foundation is a private foundation based in Aspen, Colorado. In 2024, it awarded $297,000 in grants to 26 organizations, including organizations working in pediatric care, higher education, the arts, youth mentoring, environmental advocacy, and other areas.
Big Blue Sky Foundation at a glance
In short: Big Blue Sky Foundation gave $297K across 26 grants in 2024 (avg $11K), top state Colorado. 19% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $297,000
- -24.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 26
- -16.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $11,423
- -10.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $4,000
- Total assets
- $1,579,584
- -7.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (5 of 26, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (46% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Big Blue Sky Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 109 Shavano Drive, Aspen, CO 81611
Phone: (858) 354-0451
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Big Blue Sky Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation ($100K). Together the top 10 received $262K.
Grant Size Distribution
121 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 109 grants of 121 (90%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, recipients in Colorado received 46% of grant dollars and recipients in California received 42%. Recipients in Washington, DC received 3%; those in Florida and New York received 2% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Big Blue Sky Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 26 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−19%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 286% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $239K (2022) to $458K (2020). In 2024 it made 26 grants totaling $297K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation Aurora, CO | General Support | $100,000 |
| UCLA Foundation Los Angeles, CA | General Support | $100,000 |
| Anderson Ranch Arts Center Snowmass Village, CO | General Support | $10,000 |
| Jazz Aspen - Snowmass Aspen, CO | General Support | $10,000 |
| La Jolla Playhouse La Jolla, CA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Sanford Burnham Prebys La Jolla, CA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Best Buddies Miami, FL | General Support | $7,000 |
| A Way Out Coudersport, PA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Clean Water Fund Washington, DC | General Support | $5,000 |
| Greenpeace Fund Inc Washington, DC | General Support | $5,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,579,584 | $193,464 | $322,984 | $297,000 | 26 | $308,275 | $183,434 | $107,742 |
| 2023 | $1,697,893 | $106,809 | $419,313 | $394,710 | 31 | $405,185 | $93,609 | $112,217 |
| 2022 | $2,002,428 | $152,110 | $270,758 | $238,750 | 18 | $249,250 | $135,742 | $117,012 |
| 2021 | $2,124,071 | $260,711 | $396,758 | $366,400 | 20 | $376,050 | $240,577 | $143,057 |
| 2020 | $2,263,200 | $161,951 | $485,309 | $457,600 | 26 | — | $143,308 | $147,313 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Big Blue Sky Foundation reported a distributable amount of $108K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation says it supports the hospital’s work in care, education, research, and advocacy for children and families; UCLA Foundation says it enables private donors to support UCLA’s academic and research institution; and Anderson Ranch Arts Center describes its mission as enriching lives with art, inspiration, and community.
Other 2024 recipients describe work that includes youth mentoring and family services (The Buddy Program), domestic violence and sexual assault support (A Way Out), clean water and community health (Clean Water Fund), environmental research, education, and advocacy (Greenpeace Fund), and programs for post-9/11 combat veterans and their loved ones (Warriors & Quiet Waters Foundation).
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 26 grants totaling $297,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median grant of $4,000. The two largest grants were $100,000 each to Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation and UCLA Foundation. Other notable awards included $10,000 each to Anderson Ranch Arts Center, Jazz Aspen–Snowmass, La Jolla Playhouse, and Sanford Burnham Prebys.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Adam Z Cherry as president and director, and Mary C Cherry as CFO, secretary, and director.
Big Blue Sky Foundation is led by Adam Z. Cherry, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Adam Z. Cherry
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary C. Cherry
CFO, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Big Blue Sky Foundation
How much does Big Blue Sky Foundation give each year?
Big Blue Sky Foundation gave $297K across 26 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $395K across 31 grants.
What is Big Blue Sky Foundation's typical grant size?
Big Blue Sky Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $4,000, and its average grant was $11,423, across 26 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Big Blue Sky Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Big Blue Sky Foundation give grants?
Big Blue Sky Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest state was California (42%). The most frequent recipient cities were Aspen, CO (6 grants), La Jolla, CA (3 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Big Blue Sky Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Big Blue Sky Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Big Blue Sky Foundation's largest grantees?
Big Blue Sky Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation ($100,000), UCLA Foundation ($100,000) and Anderson Ranch Arts Center ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Big Blue Sky Foundation?
Big Blue Sky Foundation reported $1.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $308K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $108K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Big Blue Sky Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Big Blue Sky Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Big Blue Sky Foundation's EIN?
Big Blue Sky Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-2157163. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Big Blue Sky Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Big Blue Sky Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/big-blue-sky-foundation-morg_827e796218dd4f7d81b0d4308cf17846
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_912157163_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Big Blue Sky Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/big-blue-sky-foundation-morg_827e796218dd4f7d81b0d4308cf17846},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Big Blue Sky Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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