Catena Foundation
Catena Foundation is a private foundation based in Carbondale, Colorado. It made 80 grants totaling $27,208,117 in 2024 to organizations working in areas including community engagement, conservation, crisis response, and democracy-related activities.
Catena Foundation at a glance
In short: Catena Foundation gave $27.2M across 80 grants in 2024 (avg $340K), top state District of Columbia. 28% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $27,208,117
- -9.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 80
- -35.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $340,101
- +39.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $171,912
- Total assets
- $596,379,235
- +3.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 28% first-time grantees (22 of 80, 2024)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (36% 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 Catena Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 994, Carbondale, CO 81623
Phone: (970) 340-4141
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Catena Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was New Venture Fund ($3.3M). Together the top 10 received $13.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
607 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 242 grants of 607 (40%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC (36%), California (22%), New York (11%), Colorado (6%), and North Carolina (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 80 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Catena Foundation open to new grantees?
28%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 22 of 80 grantees (28%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $312K; repeat grants $351K. How we count
Medians: $270K first-time, $147K repeat.
- 55% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+14%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 106% 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 $23.7M (2020) to $35.0M (2022). In 2024 it made 80 grants totaling $27.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New Venture Fund Washington, DC | Community Engagement | $3,250,000 |
| Trust for Public Land San Fransisco, CA | Conservation | $3,000,000 |
| State Leadership Project Raleigh, NC | Community Engagement | $1,150,000 |
| Defending Democracy Together Institute Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $1,000,000 |
| International Rescue Committee New York, NY | Crisis Response | $1,000,000 |
| Third Way Institute Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $1,000,000 |
| Policy Impact (Name Change in 2025 to Contina Impact) Berkeley, CA | Community Engagement | $945,000 |
| Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project New York, NY | Community Engagement | $850,000 |
| Hopewell Fund Washington, DC | Community Engagement | $775,000 |
| American Immigration Council Washington, DC | Community Engagement | $600,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Catena 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 | $596,379,235 | $31,209,309 | $32,777,162 | $27,208,117 | 80 | $30,594,577 | $29,730,402 | $28,756,009 |
| 2023 | $573,725,610 | $121,897,799 | $37,934,575 | $30,178,715 | 124 | $33,666,675 | $120,140,749 | $24,346,729 |
| 2022 | $438,062,805 | $140,948,730 | $41,546,612 | $35,029,850 | 150 | $37,443,385 | $138,770,348 | $16,295,445 |
| 2021 | $397,661,850 | $217,833,912 | $28,321,974 | $23,945,308 | 124 | $25,428,640 | $207,920,582 | $6,246,120 |
| 2020 | $166,234,363 | $38,410,503 | $25,947,427 | $23,687,462 | 129 | — | $31,362,881 | $7,492,326 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Catena Foundation reported a distributable amount of $28.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The filing’s stated purpose describes Catena Investments’ work in energy transition and sustainable finance. The foundation’s 2024 grants included support designated for community engagement, conservation, crisis response, and general operating support.
Grantee missions offer examples of the kinds of organizations supported. New Venture Fund says it provides fiscal sponsorship to help direct philanthropic capital toward efforts to build a just, equitable, and sustainable future. State Leadership Project says it strengthens civic infrastructure and supports long-term investment in the people and systems that make democracy work. The International Rescue Committee says it responds to humanitarian crises and helps people affected by conflict and disaster survive and recover. Other 2024 recipients included organizations whose stated work concerns democracy, centrist policy solutions, asylum-seeker support, and immigration policy.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 80 grants totaling $27,208,117. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $3,250,000, with a median of $171,912. Among the largest grants were $3,250,000 to New Venture Fund for community engagement, $3,000,000 to Trust for Public Land for conservation, and $1,150,000 to State Leadership Project for community engagement. Other notable awards included $1,000,000 each to Defending Democracy Together Institute for general operating support, International Rescue Committee for crisis response, and Third Way Institute for general operating support.
The foundation also awarded $945,000 to Policy Impact, identified in the filing as changing its name in 2025 to Contina Impact, for community engagement; $850,000 to Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project for community engagement; and $775,000 to Hopewell Fund for community engagement.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Samuel R. Walton as president, Greg Nelson as vice president, Drew Ritchey as treasurer, and Steve Matous as secretary and interim executive director.
Catena Foundation is led by Steve Matous, Secretary & Interim Executive Director on every filing since 2023; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Steve Matous
Secretary & Interim Executive Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$190K (2023) → $234K (2024)
Samuel R. Walton
President
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Greg Nelson
Vice President
Vice President & Ass't Treasurer → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Drew Ritchey
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Clare Bastable (2020–2022) — Vice President
- Former: Robert A. Smith (2020–2022) — Treasurer & Secretary
- Former: Catena Group (2020) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $234K, to Steve Matous (Secretary and Interim Executive Direct).
Frequently asked questions about Catena Foundation
How much does Catena Foundation give each year?
Catena Foundation gave $27.2M across 80 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $30.2M across 124 grants.
What is Catena Foundation's typical grant size?
Catena Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $171,912, and its average grant was $340,101, across 80 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Catena Foundation that year got $312K on average.
Where does Catena Foundation give grants?
Catena Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 36% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (22%) and New York (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (17 grants), Aspen, CO (6 grants), New York, NY (5 grants) and Flagstaff, AZ (5 grants).
Does Catena Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 31% of Catena Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (25 of 80) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Community Engagement" (35 grants), "Conservation" (16 grants) and "Crisis Response" (4 grants).
Who are Catena Foundation's largest grantees?
Catena Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include New Venture Fund ($3,250,000), Trust for Public Land ($3,000,000) and State Leadership Project ($1,150,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Catena Foundation?
Catena Foundation reported $596.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $30.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $28.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Catena Foundation fund?
The filing’s stated purpose describes Catena Investments’ work in energy transition and sustainable finance. The foundation’s 2024 grants included support designated for community engagement, conservation, crisis response, and general operating support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Catena Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Catena Foundation's EIN?
Catena Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-3783868. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Catena 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 October 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). Catena Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/catena-foundation-morg_df10e61a605f43c79fb0199c3b665aaf
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_813783868_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Catena Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/catena-foundation-morg_df10e61a605f43c79fb0199c3b665aaf},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Catena 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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