Catalyst Foundation
Catalyst Foundation is a private foundation based in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado. Its 2025 IRS filing states that it was formed to financially support and encourage nonprofit organizations involved in relief of the poor and underprivileged; health and human care and social services; the arts; education; the environment; and scientific research.
Catalyst Foundation at a glance
In short: Catalyst Foundation gave $380K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $18K), top state Colorado. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $379,609
- +8.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- -12.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $18,077
- +24.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $9,617,748
- +13.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (7 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (41% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Catalyst Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It states that contributions are made only to preselected charitable organizations. Its filing lists written materials, no restrictions on awards, and Jennifer Hopkins as the contact.
- Contact
Application contact: Jennifer Hopkins
Mailing address: 3900 South Gilpin St, Cherry Hills Village, CO 80113-4016
Phone: (303) 652-4188
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Catalyst Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was NDSU Foundation ($100K). Together the top 10 received $355K.
Grant Size Distribution
108 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 100 grants of 108 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado (41%), North Dakota (26%), New York (25%), Florida (3%), and Connecticut (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Catalyst Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 21 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $22K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 62% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 127% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 92% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $122K (2020) to $380K (2025). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $380K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NDSU Foundation Fargo, ND | General Purpose | $100,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy Boulder, CO | General Purpose | $55,059 |
| Avoca Collective Avoca, NY | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Access Opportunity Boulder, CO | General Purpose | $35,000 |
| Boys and Girls Club Colorado Denver, CO | General Purpose | $30,000 |
| Busted Halo New York, NY | General Purpose | $25,000 |
| Tommy Spaulding Leadership Institute Greenwood Village, CO | General Purpose | $25,000 |
| Claudio Campaign Hyde Park, NY | General Purpose | $15,000 |
| Denver Museum of Natural History Denver, CO | General Purpose | $10,000 |
| Gasparilla Island Conservation Boca Grande, FL | General Purpose | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Catalyst 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $9,617,748 | $384,709 | $435,297 | $379,609 | 21 | $401,537 | $350,949 | $438,826 |
| 2024 | $8,453,336 | $426,527 | $400,295 | $349,625 | 24 | $370,014 | $396,245 | $410,231 |
| 2023 | $8,080,115 | $302,073 | $364,776 | $319,100 | 25 | $337,574 | $274,871 | $369,587 |
| 2022 | $7,287,534 | $1,804,532 | $207,132 | $167,050 | 19 | $183,280 | $1,390,577 | $333,358 |
| 2021 | $8,050,508 | $4,236,218 | $171,898 | $150,300 | 19 | $159,559 | $199,057 | $199,582 |
| 2020 | $2,668,049 | $694,302 | $139,379 | $121,832 | 22 | — | $470,236 | $129,614 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Catalyst Foundation reported a distributable amount of $439K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing describes its purpose as supporting and encouraging nonprofit organizations working in those areas. Its 2025 grants included Access Opportunity, whose mission is to create opportunities for high-potential students from low-income households to define their paths through high school, college, and career. March of Dimes says it works for the health of mothers and babies through research, education, advocacy, and programs. Suncoast Humane Society says its mission is to support the human-animal bond and provide sheltering, prevention, and community outreach services.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $379,609 through 21 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $100,000, with a median of $5,000. Notable grants included $100,000 to NDSU Foundation, $55,059 to The Nature Conservancy, $50,000 to Avoca Collective, $35,000 to Access Opportunity, and $30,000 to Boys and Girls Club Colorado. The listed grant purposes were “general purpose.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jennifer K. Hopkins and Mark J. Hopkins as directors.
Catalyst Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jennifer K. Hopkins
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark J. Hopkins
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Catalyst Foundation
How much does Catalyst Foundation give each year?
Catalyst Foundation gave $380K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $350K across 24 grants.
What is Catalyst Foundation's typical grant size?
Catalyst Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $18,077, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Catalyst Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does Catalyst Foundation give grants?
Catalyst Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 41% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were North Dakota (26%) and New York (25%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boulder, CO (3 grants), Denver, CO (3 grants) and New Haven, CT (2 grants).
Does Catalyst Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Catalyst Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (21 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Catalyst Foundation's largest grantees?
Catalyst Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include NDSU Foundation ($100,000), The Nature Conservancy ($55,059) and Avoca Collective ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Catalyst Foundation?
Catalyst Foundation reported $9.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $402K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $439K (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 Catalyst Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes its purpose as supporting and encouraging nonprofit organizations working in those areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Catalyst Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Catalyst Foundation's EIN?
Catalyst Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2594397. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Catalyst 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Catalyst Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Catalyst Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/catalyst-foundation-morg_8ea47145015f4e199b2a395b22bb2541
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_202594397_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Catalyst Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/catalyst-foundation-morg_8ea47145015f4e199b2a395b22bb2541},
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 Catalyst 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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