Community Shares of Colorado Inc logo

Community Shares of Colorado Inc

Public charity · Grantmaker Denver, CO EIN: 74-2401941 Website

Community Shares of Colorado Inc is a public charity based in Denver, Colorado. Formed in 1986, it connects Coloradans with charities and causes through workplace giving and allocates contributions to nonprofit member organizations.

Community Shares of Colorado Inc at a glance

In short: Community Shares of Colorado Inc gave $987K across 42 grants in 2023 (avg $23K), mostly in Colorado. 5% of 2023 grantees were new. Source: 2023 IRS Form 990.

Annual giving (2023)
$986,756
-17.4% vs 2022
Grants made (2023)
42
-12.5% vs 2022
Average grant
$23,494
-5.6% vs 2022
Median grant
$9,478
Total assets
$2,058,450
+12.0% vs 2022
New grantees (estimate)
5% first-time grantees (2 of 42, 2023)
Primary geography
Colorado (75% of itemized 2023 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990, 2023 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990, 2023; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Community Shares of Colorado Inc

Contact

Mailing address: 1600 N Downing Street 700, Denver, CO 80218
Phone: (303) 861-7507
Website: https://cshares.org

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Community Shares of Colorado Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2023

CHC Creating Healthier Commun: $197KCHC Creating Healthier Commun$197KPlanned Parenthood of the Roc: $88KPlanned Parenthood of the Roc$88KDumb Friends League: $68KDumb Friends League$68KChildrens Hospital Colorado: $63KChildrens Hospital Colorado$63KThe Wild Animal Sanctuary: $57KThe Wild Animal Sanctuary$57KMile High United Way: $55KMile High United Way$55KColorado Public Radio: $52KColorado Public Radio$52KHope for the Warriors: $45KHope for the Warriors$45KACLU Foundation: $28KACLU Foundation$28KFoothills Animal Shelter: $27KFoothills Animal Shelter$27K

The largest 2023 recipient was CHC Creating Healthier Commun ($197K). Together the top 10 received $681K.

Grant Size Distribution

266 grants across all recorded years

231<$50K24$50–100K7$100–250K4$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 231 grants of 266 (87%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Community Shares describes its work as connecting Coloradans to causes they care about and primarily funds member nonprofits. Its filing states that a condition of membership is that 85% of funds be spent in Colorado. In 2023, its reported grant dollars went primarily to Colorado, with awards also reported in Virginia, Tennessee, and New York.

Grant Distribution by State

12states

Share of 2023 grant dollars across all 42 itemized grants.

Cities

DenverBoulderLakewoodCentennialAuroraGoldenLongmontLafayetteKeenesburgNew YorkWestminsterAlexandriaCommerce CityColorado SpringsBallvueBellvueColorado SpringEnglewoodGreenwood VillageLouisville

Is Community Shares of Colorado Inc open to new grantees?

5%

first-time grantees, 2023

In 2023, 2 of 42 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $24K. How we count

Medians: $8K first-time, $9K repeat.

  • 95% of 2023 grantees were also funded in 2022. Method
  • Giving fell 41% from 2020 to 2023. Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2023). 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

$0$500K$1M$1.5M$2M56 grants2019 71 grants2020 49 grants2021 48 grants2022 42 grants2023

From 2019 to 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $987K (2023) to $1.7M (2020). In 2023 it made 42 grants totaling $987K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
CHC Creating Healthier Commun Alexandria, VAOperating Grant$197,197
Planned Parenthood of the Roc Denver, COOperating Grant$87,513
Dumb Friends League Denver, COOperating Grant$67,707
Childrens Hospital Colorado Aurora, COOperating Grant$63,280
The Wild Animal Sanctuary Keenesburg, COOperating Grant$57,414
Mile High United Way Denver, COOperating Grant$55,034
Colorado Public Radio Centennial, COOperating Grant$52,186
Hope for the Warriors Nashville, TNOperating Grant$45,000
ACLU Foundation Denver, COOperating Grant$28,444
Foothills Animal Shelter Golden, COOperating Grant$26,997
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsNet Investment Income
2023$2,058,450$2,163,028$2,263,465$986,75642$753
2022$1,837,130$2,206,468$2,251,479$1,194,42748$2,031
2021$1,819,060$2,335,487$2,163,103$1,108,85249$1,778
2020$1,963,430$2,307,395$2,282,260$1,673,41971$637
2019$2,639,802$2,959,981$2,841,833$1,525,97956$1,076

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Community Shares states its mission as connecting Coloradans to the charities and causes they care about most. Its stated purpose is to raise and allocate money to member organizations, increase their public visibility, promote cooperation among them, and provide a forum for diverse organizations to network.

The organization primarily funds nonprofits accepted as members and completing an annual recertification process. Its filing says members must spend 85% of funds in Colorado and submit an annual IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ and a 501(c)(3) determination letter dated within the previous five years. Community Shares reviews governance, financial, and program materials.

The 2023 grants included organizations whose missions, as described by the grantees, span a range of services. Children’s Hospital Colorado says it works to improve children’s health through patient care, education, research, and advocacy. The Wild Animal Sanctuary describes its work as animal sanctuary and public education on captive wildlife. Other recipients describe work in areas including food security, medically tailored meals, care and adoption services for cats, and support for children and families.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2023, Community Shares reported 42 grants totaling $986,756. Grant amounts ranged from $5,196 to $197,197, with a median of $9,478. The listed grants are identified as operating grants.

The largest 2023 awards included $197,197 to CHC Creating Healthier Communities in Alexandria, Virginia; $87,513 to Planned Parenthood of the Rockies in Denver; $67,707 to Dumb Friends League in Denver; $63,280 to Children’s Hospital Colorado in Aurora; and $57,414 to The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg. Other listed recipients included Mile High United Way ($55,034), Colorado Public Radio ($52,186), and Hope for the Warriors ($45,000).

The filing reports that 75% of grant dollars went to Colorado recipients, 20% to Virginia, 5% to Tennessee, and 1% to New York.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2023 filing lists Robin Wood-Mason as CEO, Mendy Evans as president, Genevieve Laca as vice president, Chris Sautter as secretary, and Regina Mattie as treasurer. It also lists Amy Farnan, Jill Higham, Sarae Bay, Jessica Montoya, and Holly Page as directors.

The organization’s staff page identifies Erin Atwell as chief executive officer.

Community Shares of Colorado Inc is led by Robin Wood-Mason, CEO on the 2023 filing; 1 of 15 officers listed in 2023 is compensated.

Officers on the 2023 filing

  • Robin Wood-Mason

    CEO

    New on the 2023 filing

    40 hrs/week

    $57K (2023)

  • Mendy Evans

    President

    President → Chair, 2022

    Chair → President, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jill Higham

    Director

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Holly Page

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Jessica Montoya

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Amy Farnan

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Gretchen Roberts

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Whei Wong

    Director

    On filings since 2022

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Beth Forbes

    Director

    New on the 2023 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Courtland Powers-Gunnells

    Director

    New on the 2023 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Ivilina Thornton

    Director

    New on the 2023 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sarae Bay

    Director

    New on the 2023 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Chris Sautter

    Secretary

    Vice President → Vice Chair, 2022

    Vice Chair → Secretary, 2023

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Regina Mattie

    Treasurer

    Director → Treasurer, 2021

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Genevieve Laca

    Vice President

    Director → Vice President, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (29)
  • Former: Erin Atwell (2019–2022) — Previous CEO
  • Former: Jeanne Thrower Aguilar (2019–2022) — Director
  • Former: Jim Francis (2019–2022) — Director
  • Former: David Temple (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Lauren Carpenter (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Mauro Villasenor (2020–2022) — Secretary
  • Former: My Lo Cook (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: Thomas Schilling (2020–2022) — Director
  • Former: David Mooney (2021–2022) — Director
  • Former: Marsena Holsopple (2021–2022) — Director
  • Former: Sarae Kurth (2021–2022) — Director
  • Former: Stacey Sawhill (2021–2022) — Director
  • Former: Murphy Robinson (2022) — Director
  • Former: Sara Bay (2022) — Director
  • Former: Sarah Maxwell (2022) — Director Operations
  • Former: Brenda Roush (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: Carolyne Schultz Ash (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: Diana Sadighi (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: Jennifer Bell (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: Joe Mauro (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: Lea Devereaux (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: Thomas Stites (2019–2021) — Director
  • Former: Andy Dunning (2019–2020) — Director
  • Former: Christine Moritz (2019–2020) — Director
  • Former: Daniel Ramos (2019–2020) — Director
  • Former: Kim Yuan-Farrell (2019–2020) — Director
  • Former: Amy Stewart (2019) — Director
  • Former: Eric Pynn (2019) — Director
  • Former: Janice Rooney (2019) — Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2023. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2023 IRS filing

Robin Wood-Mason — CEO: $57KRobin Wood-MasonCEO$57K

The highest reported compensation on the 2023 filing was $57K, to Robin Wood-Mason (CEO).

Frequently asked questions about Community Shares of Colorado Inc

How much does Community Shares of Colorado Inc give each year?

Community Shares of Colorado Inc gave $987K across 42 grants in 2023, according to its 2023 IRS Form 990. In 2022 it gave $1.2M across 48 grants.

What is Community Shares of Colorado Inc's typical grant size?

Community Shares of Colorado Inc's median grant in 2023 was $9,478, and its average grant was $23,494, across 42 grants on its 2023 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Community Shares of Colorado Inc that year got $8K on average.

Where does Community Shares of Colorado Inc give grants?

Community Shares of Colorado Inc gives mostly in Colorado: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2023 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Virginia (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (22 grants), Boulder, CO (3 grants), Aurora, CO (2 grants) and Centennial, CO (2 grants).

Does Community Shares of Colorado Inc give general operating support?

Yes: 98% of Community Shares of Colorado Inc's 2023 grants with a stated purpose (41 of 42) were for general or operating support, per its 2023 IRS Form 990.

Who are Community Shares of Colorado Inc's largest grantees?

Community Shares of Colorado Inc's largest 2023 grantees include CHC Creating Healthier Commun ($197,197), Planned Parenthood of the Roc ($87,513) and Dumb Friends League ($67,707), according to its 2023 IRS Form 990. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2023 grant dollars.

How large is Community Shares of Colorado Inc?

Community Shares of Colorado Inc reported $2.1M in total assets on its 2023 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.2M.

What does Community Shares of Colorado Inc fund?

Community Shares states its mission as connecting Coloradans to the charities and causes they care about most. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Community Shares of Colorado Inc?

Community Shares of Colorado Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check cshares.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.

What is Community Shares of Colorado Inc's EIN?

Community Shares of Colorado Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 74-2401941. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2023.

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(6)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 8, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 5, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 11, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS February 14, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 18, 2023)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2023

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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open

Figures come from Community Shares of Colorado Inc'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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