Gary Philanthropy
Gary Philanthropy is a private foundation based in Denver, Colorado. It uses catalytic grantmaking to support long-term change and opportunities for Colorado children and families, with work spanning early childhood, education, economic mobility, and family wealth building.
Gary Philanthropy at a glance
In short: Gary Philanthropy gave $5.6M across 1 grant in 2024 (avg $5.6M), mostly in Colorado. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $5,602,489
- -34.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 1
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,602,489
- -34.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,602,489
- Total assets
- $191,191,077
- -5.1% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Colorado (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Gary Philanthropy
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 1705 17Th Street Suite 200, Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 628-3800
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Gary Philanthropy
Who Gary Philanthropy funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
318 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 218 grants of 318 (69%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing shows that all reported grant dollars went to a recipient in Colorado. Gary Community Ventures describes its catalytic grantmaking as focused specifically on families in Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, and Jefferson counties.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of the 2024 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.
States
Cities
How Gary Philanthropy gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−20%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 156% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $5.6M (2024) to $8.7M (2020). In 2024 it made 1 grant totaling $5.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| See Attached Statement Denver, CO | See Attached Statement | $5,602,489 |
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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 | $191,191,077 | $9,382,361 | $20,245,025 | $5,602,489 | 1 | $17,241,044 | $7,644,946 | $11,030,870 |
| 2023 | $201,475,691 | $3,702,813 | $19,072,508 | $8,513,776 | 1 | $20,589,670 | $2,423,472 | $10,926,667 |
| 2022 | $213,256,828 | $13,488,093 | $15,791,060 | $8,593,977 | 1 | $15,119,617 | $10,640,822 | $10,678,895 |
| 2021 | $234,086,613 | $22,191,587 | $10,153,042 | $6,975,762 | 128 | $14,236,384 | $16,857,608 | $10,809,231 |
| 2020 | $212,611,882 | $13,782,087 | $12,077,349 | $8,736,697 | 187 | — | $6,686,703 | $9,892,200 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gary Philanthropy reported a distributable amount of $11.0M 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
Gary Community Ventures’ mission is to partner with its community and leverage business, policy, and philanthropy to reshape opportunities for Colorado children and families. Its stated vision is for all children in Colorado to have the opportunity to grow up healthy and reach their full potential.
Its grantmaking areas include affordable child care, quality preschool, healthy births, family support, academic skills, youth well-being, postsecondary success, and family economic mobility. The organization also describes work to help families build wealth through homeownership, employee ownership, shared real estate, and financial accounts. Its Catalytic Grantmaking page says it does not fund ongoing operating costs or capital construction.
The organization says it prioritizes values-aligned partners serving children and families from low-income backgrounds and communities facing systemic barriers to opportunity, including in Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, and Jefferson counties. A child-care RFP describes a goal of elevating public understanding of Colorado’s child-care system through storytelling, data collection, journalism, content creation, and evaluation.
Grantmaking
The 2024 filing reports one grant totaling $5,602,489. The filing lists the recipient as “SEE ATTACHED STATEMENT” in Denver, Colorado, and gives the purpose as “SEE ATTACHED STATEMENT.” The 2023 filing reports one grant totaling $8,513,776, and the 2022 filing reports one grant totaling $8,593,977.
Gary Community Ventures describes an annual process of issuing Requests for Grant Proposals tied to specific strategies. Its website also invites organizations doing aligned work to connect with directors of School Readiness, Youth Success, and Family Economic Mobility. The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
A listed Afterschool & Summer Enrichment opportunity seeks public systems, such as counties, cities, and school districts, and/or intermediary partners interested in scaling out-of-school enrichment and learning opportunities, particularly for lower-income children. The listed award range is up to $40,000. The opportunity is marked active in the supplied program information; no deadline is stated there.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Chris Watney as board chair; David Younggren as vice chair; Robert Gary, Nancy Gary, Tom Gougeon, Jim Kelley, Greg Moore, and Holly Vasquez Horvath as members; Ami Desai as COO; and Jill Hawley as VP Philan./P.
Gary Philanthropy is led by Santhosh Ramdoss, President & CEO since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 6 of 15 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Santhosh Ramdoss
President & CEO
Vice President Impact Investing → President & CEO, 2022
On filings since 2020
26 hrs/week
$64K (2020) → $310K (2024)
Chris Watney
Board Chair
Vice Chairman → Chairman, 2021
Chairman → Board Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Ami Desai
COO
On filings since 2020
30 hrs/week
$56K (2020) → $198K (2024)
Chyrise Harris
Vice President Committee
Vice President Communications → Vice President Committee, 2022
On filings since 2020
26 hrs/week
$52K (2020) → $144K (2024)
Caitlin Finn
Vice President Finance & Legal
On filings since 2023
26 hrs/week
$270K (2023) → $149K (2024)
Jill Hawley
Vice President Philan. & P
On filings since 2023
24 hrs/week
$241K (2023) → $145K (2024)
Brian Hiatt
Vice President Tech
New on the 2024 filing
31 hrs/week
$149K (2024)
David Younggren
Vice Chair
Chairman → Member, 2021
Member → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jim Kelley
Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Nancy Gary
Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Robert Gary
Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Tom Gougeon
Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Greg Moore
Member
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Holly Vasquez Horvath
Member
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Ashley Kaplan
Secretary
New on the 2024 filing
26 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Luis Durate (2020–2023) — Vice Chair · Filing note: Thru 10/2023
- Former: Ashley Hill (2021–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Carey Dobbertin (2020–2022) — Former CFO
- Former: Damion Leenatali (2020–2022) — Vice President Philan. & P
- Former: Michael Johnston (2020–2022) — Former President
- Former: Eric Parrie (2021–2022) — Vice President Builds
- Former: Holly Doering (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Paul Rosswork (2020) — Vice President Administrator, General Counsel & Secretary
- Former: Samuel Gary (2020) — Chairman Emeritus
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 $310K, to Santhosh Ramdoss (Pres/CEO). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Gary Philanthropy
How much does Gary Philanthropy give each year?
Gary Philanthropy gave $5.6M across 1 grant in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $8.5M across 1 grant.
How large is Gary Philanthropy?
Gary Philanthropy reported $191.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $17.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $11.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Gary Philanthropy fund?
Gary Community Ventures’ mission is to partner with its community and leverage business, policy, and philanthropy to reshape opportunities for Colorado children and families. Its stated vision is for all children in Colorado to have the opportunity to grow up healthy and reach their full potential. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gary Philanthropy?
Gary Philanthropy does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines.
Where does Gary Philanthropy make grants?
The 2024 filing shows that all reported grant dollars went to a recipient in Colorado. Gary Community Ventures describes its catalytic grantmaking as focused specifically on families in Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, and Jefferson counties.
What is Gary Philanthropy's EIN?
Gary Philanthropy's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0587194. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Gary Philanthropy 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
Live grants for the work Gary Philanthropy funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Gary Philanthropy's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Gary Philanthropy funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/gary-philanthropy-morg_26925c86184046bcbfa8f6a9e5775439
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_810587194_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Gary Philanthropy funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/gary-philanthropy-morg_26925c86184046bcbfa8f6a9e5775439},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Gary Philanthropy'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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