Hunger Free Colorado is a statewide nonprofit organization based in Denver, Colorado, designated as a 501(c)(3) public charity. The organization connects people to food resources to meet immediate needs while driving policy, systems, and social change to end hunger across Colorado. The organization operates a bilingual food resource hotline and conducts community-based outreach, serving as the primary statewide organization providing awareness, information, and application assistance for federal nutrition programs.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.2M
+7.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.7M
-29.7% YoY
Grant Count
37
-2.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$45K
-27.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: Hunger Free Colorado connects people to food resources to meet existing needs and drives policy, systems and social change to end hunger.
Vision: A day when every Coloradan has equitable access to the nutritious food needed to thrive and reach their full potential.
The organization's work centers on two primary areas:
Leverage and Strengthen Federal Nutrition Programs
- SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) outreach and application assistance
- Child Nutrition Programs, including the National School Lunch Program
- Ensuring eligible families can access resources rooted in the principle that access to healthy food is a human right
Community Driven Solutions
- Partnering with and providing training and support to community members most impacted by hunger
- Strengthening community capacity to create equitable access to healthy, culturally relevant food
- Collaborating with organizations across Colorado on anti-hunger solutions
Grantmaking
Hunger Free Colorado functions as both a grant recipient and grantmaker. As a grantmaker, the organization has distributed grants with the following characteristics:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Hunger Free Colorado operates statewide throughout Colorado, with headquarters in Denver. The organization's food resource hotline serves the entire state and connects Coloradans to food resources regardless of legal status.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Financial Overview (2024):
- Total Assets: $3,194,676
- Total Revenue: $5.94 million
- Total Expenses: $5.55 million
- Total Liabilities: $575,000
- Total Giving: $1,677,049
Staffing: The organization employs 41 staff members.
Rating: Hunger Free Colorado holds a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator with a 96% score, reflecting strong accountability and finance standards.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,194,676 | $2,959,859 | $3,313,902 |
| Revenue | $5,935,559 | $5,537,105 | $4,858,628 |
| Expenses | $5,550,876 | $6,295,996 | $5,058,728 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $68,257 | $28,095 | $52,593 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
132 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Hunger Free Colorado
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Marc Jacobson: CEO
- Carmen Martin: Vice Chair
- Ronda Palsulich: Director of Finance and Operations
- Steve Cates: Board Member
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADELA FLORES-BRENNAN | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| CARMEN MARTIN | VICE CHAIR | 1 | — |
| KEVIN KOEHLER | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| STEVE CATES | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| ESTHER FUENTES | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| IFFIE JENNINGS | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| JESSICA JOHNSON LAY | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MARTHA LASSEN | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| KARIM LOPEZ | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| GABY MEDINA | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| KEVIN MITCHELL | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| KHALID MORRIS | MEMBER | 1 | — |
| MARC JACOBSON | CEO | 40 | $130,409 |
| THEO SHAW | COO | 40 | $65,210 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Recent grant announcements and funding activity include:
**$1.7 million in Community Food Grants** awarded across Colorado in 2025
$1.7M in Community Food Grants Awarded Across Colorado**$14.7 million awarded by Denver** to reduce childhood food insecurity, with Hunger Free Colorado involved in implementation efforts
$1.7M in Community Food Grants Awarded Across Colorado**$3 million in grants** to nonprofits serving Jefferson County to help feed local families
Nonprofits serving Jefferson County receive $3 million in grants to help**$1.5 million released by El Pomar** for food assistance to Colorado communities
**Service Impact (2024):**
Assisted more than 37,000 individuals in connecting with food resources
Connected over 85,000 households to various nutritious food resources annually
Submitted online SNAP applications for over 24,000 households
Contact Information
Address: 3840 York Street, Suite 245, Denver, CO 80205-3536
Phone: (720) 328-1284
Food Resource Hotline: 855-855-4626 (toll-free, statewide)
- Hours: Monday–Thursday 8:30am–4:30pm, Friday 8am–12pm
- Services available in 150+ languages
Website: hungerfreecolorado.org
Media Contact: Raquel Lane-Arellano, Raquel@hungerfreecolorado.org, (303) 228-7973
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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