Borgen Family Foundation
The Borgen Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Denver, Colorado. In 2024, it reported making 49 grants totaling $1,444,850 to preselected charitable organizations.
Borgen Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Borgen Family Foundation gave $1.4M across 49 grants in 2024 (avg $29K), mostly in Colorado. 39% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,444,850
- +3.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 49
- +36.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $29,487
- -24.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $17,850,148
- -3.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 39% first-time grantees (19 of 49, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (91% 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 Borgen Family 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: 3033 E 1St Ave Ste 415, Denver, CO 80206-5604
Phone: (303) 394-7902
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Borgen Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Vail Health Foundation ($300K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
199 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 155 grants of 199 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado. The remaining shares went to Wisconsin (4%), the District of Columbia (2%), New Hampshire (1%), and Massachusetts (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 49 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Borgen Family Foundation open to new grantees?
39%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 19 of 49 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $39K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 55% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+16%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 82% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $1.1M (2020) to $1.4M (2024). In 2024 it made 49 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Vail Health Foundation Vail, CO | Charity | $300,000 |
| Eagle Valley Land Trust Edwards, CO | Charity | $152,000 |
| Ski and Snowboard Club Vail Vail, CO | Charity | $133,500 |
| Denver Botanic Gardens Denver, CO | Charity | $125,000 |
| Walking Mountains Science Center Avon, CO | Charity | $67,000 |
| The Cycle Effect Eagle, CO | Charity | $55,000 |
| Vail Valley Foundation Avon, CO | Charity | $54,100 |
| School District of Eleva-Strum Strum, WI | Charity | $52,000 |
| Colorado Mountain College Glenwood Springs, CO | Charity | $50,000 |
| Students Shoulder to Shoulder Edwards, CO | Charity | $47,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Borgen Family Foundation?
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 | $17,850,148 | $1,087,688 | $1,686,579 | $1,444,850 | 49 | $1,448,660 | $881,643 | $1,757,208 |
| 2023 | $18,461,992 | $5,683,856 | $1,682,954 | $1,403,333 | 36 | $1,403,583 | $2,557,635 | $1,406,318 |
| 2022 | $17,185,367 | $4,976,635 | $1,469,184 | $1,301,833 | 37 | $1,302,083 | $2,670,329 | $1,404,740 |
| 2021 | $14,991,648 | $2,387,467 | $1,405,378 | $1,247,000 | 38 | $1,249,250 | $1,728,506 | $1,415,184 |
| 2020 | $14,100,222 | $1,342,786 | $1,256,459 | $1,129,350 | 39 | — | $751,896 | $1,179,975 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Borgen Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.8M 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grantees illustrate the kinds of organizations it supports. Eagle Valley Land Trust says it protects land to preserve scenic beauty, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitats. Ski and Snowboard Club Vail says it provides youth opportunities for character growth and excellence through athletics. Denver Botanic Gardens describes its mission as connecting people with plants, especially those from the Rocky Mountain region and similar regions around the world.
Other grantee missions include empowering young women from underserved communities through mountain biking and education (The Cycle Effect); enhancing quality of life in the Vail Valley through arts, athletics, and education (Vail Valley Foundation); and supporting Colorado Mountain College and its students (Colorado Mountain College Foundation). Betty Ford Alpine Gardens says it protects the alpine environment through education, conservation, and living plant collections. Vail Mountain School says it develops character, encourages learning, and builds a community of lifelong learners.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 49 grants totaling $1,444,850. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $300,000, with a median of $10,000. Its largest listed grants included:
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Bjorn K. Borgen was listed as president on the 2024 filing.
Borgen Family Foundation is led by Bjorn K. Borgen, President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Bjorn K. Borgen
President
On filings since 2020
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 Borgen Family Foundation
How much does Borgen Family Foundation give each year?
Borgen Family Foundation gave $1.4M across 49 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.4M across 36 grants.
What is Borgen Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Borgen Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $29,487, across 49 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Borgen Family Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does Borgen Family Foundation give grants?
Borgen Family Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (13 grants), Vail, CO (6 grants), Edwards, CO (3 grants) and Avon, CO (3 grants).
Does Borgen Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 49 grants with a stated purpose on Borgen Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charity" (49 grants).
Who are Borgen Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Borgen Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Vail Health Foundation ($300,000), Eagle Valley Land Trust ($152,000) and Ski and Snowboard Club Vail ($133,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Borgen Family Foundation?
Borgen Family Foundation reported $17.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Borgen Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grantees illustrate the kinds of organizations it supports. Eagle Valley Land Trust says it protects land to preserve scenic beauty, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitats. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Borgen Family 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 Borgen Family Foundation's EIN?
Borgen Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1236286. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Borgen Family 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). Borgen Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/borgen-family-foundation-morg_b52ec71f134848f4a848a064010208fc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_841236286_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Borgen Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/borgen-family-foundation-morg_b52ec71f134848f4a848a064010208fc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Borgen Family 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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