Koelbel Family Foundation

DENVER, CO EIN: 84-1369773 Website

The Koelbel Family Foundation is a private foundation established in 1996 and based in Denver, Colorado. As a 501(c)(3) organization, it operates as a grantmaking foundation with no direct charitable activities or program-related investments. The foundation makes no program-related investments and carries on no direct charitable activities; all administrative expenses are allocated to grantmaking activities, with other expenses properly allocable to investment activities.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$4.9M

+7.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$580K

-34.7% YoY

Grant Count

-45.2% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$34K

+19.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Koelbel Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $256K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation primarily funds charitable causes, ski scholarship programs, memorials, and capital campaigns. Based on recent grantmaking activity, primary funding focus areas include:

Education
Science and STEM education
Wildlife and conservation
Human services
Philanthropy and voluntarism

Grantmaking

Ready to take the next step with Koelbel Family Foundation?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds charitable organizations in Colorado and Washington.

Grant Distribution by State

Colorado $3.7M (99%)

Mississippi $10K (0%)

Washington $10K (0%)

Oklahoma $5K (0%)

Illinois $1K (0%)

Montana $1K (0%)

States

Colorado Illinois Mississippi Montana Oklahoma Washington

Cities

AuroraBoulderBozemanCentennialCherry Hills VillageChicagoColorado SpringsDenverDurangoEnglewoodGreeleyLakewoodLone TreeLongmontNorthglennOklahoma CityOlympiaOxfordSteamboat SprSteamboat Springs

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total assets: $4,927,973
Total revenues: $934,912
Total expenses: $595,748
Number of employees: 0

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$4,927,973	$4,576,309	$5,554,567
Revenue	$934,912	$106,463	$2,505,669
Expenses	$595,748	$914,721	$947,992
Qualifying Distributions	$582,552	$890,368	$861,143
Net Investment Income	$564,518	—	$335,929
Distributable Amount	$255,583	$266,139	$217,915

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

158 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Denver Zoological Foundation ($300,000), High Line Canal Conservancy ($125,500), Junior Achievement Colorado ($100,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
BRENT ELEY FOUNDATION (DBA BRENT'S PLACE) AURORA, CO	GENERAL OPERATING	$500
CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE ELEMENTARY PTCO CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, CO	GENERAL OPERATING	$15,000
COMMON SENSE INSTITUTE (FKA COMMON SENSE POLICY ROUNDTABLE) DENVER, CO	GENERAL OPERATING	$8,333
DENVER SANTA CLAUSE SHOP DENVER, CO	GENERAL OPERATING	$500
DENVER ZOOLOGICAL FOUNDATION DENVER, CO	GENERAL OPERATING	$300,000
FORT LEWIS COLLEGE FOUNDATION DURANGO, CO	GENERAL OPERATING	$2,000
FREEDOM FOUNDATION OLYMPIA, WA	GENERAL OPERATING	$5,000
HIGH LINE CANAL CONSERVANCY CENTENNIAL, CO	GENERAL OPERATING	$125,500
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT COLORADO COLORADO SPRINGS, CO	GENERAL OPERATING	$100,000
LION GLOBAL FOUNDATION (DBA MIZEL INSTITUTE) DENVER, CO	GENERAL OPERATING	$1,500

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
VANDA N WERNER	VICE PRESIDENT	1	—
WALTER A KOELBEL JR	PRESIDENT	3	—
THOMAS E WHYTE	SEC/TREASURER	3	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation's grantmaking reflects the Koelbel family's long-standing commitment to community philanthropy. The family's broader philanthropic legacy includes significant support for education at all levels, including donations to the Arapahoe County Library District, the Koelbel Building at CU Boulder's Leeds School of Business, and over 50 years of support for the Sewall Child Development Center.

Carl Koelbel named President and Chief Executive Officer - Koelbel

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Koelbel Family Foundation fund?

The foundation primarily funds charitable causes, ski scholarship programs, memorials, and capital campaigns. Based on recent grantmaking activity, primary funding focus areas include: • Education • Science and STEM education • Wildlife and conservation • Human services • Philanthropy and voluntarism

How do I apply for a grant from Koelbel Family Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Made 18 grants in 2024 • Total giving in 2024: $579,633 • Typical award range: $500–$300,000 **Recent Grants (2024):** • Denver Zoological Conservation Alliance: $300,000 (General Operating) • High Line Canal Conservancy: $125,500 (General Operating) • Junior Achievement of Southern Colorado: $100,000 (General Operating)

Where does Koelbel Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds charitable organizations in Colorado and Washington.

What size grants does Koelbel Family Foundation award?

In 2024, Koelbel Family Foundation awarded 17 grants totaling $580K — an average of about $34K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Koelbel Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Koelbel Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $256K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.