Koelbel Family Foundation
The Koelbel Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Denver, Colorado. Its 2024 filing reports 17 grants totaling $579,633, with 99% of grant dollars going to organizations in Colorado and 1% to an organization in Washington.
Koelbel Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Koelbel Family Foundation gave $580K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $34K), mostly in Colorado. 24% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $579,633
- -34.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- -45.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $34,096
- +19.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $4,927,973
- +7.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (4 of 17, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (99% 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 Koelbel Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 5291 East Yale Avenue, Denver, CO 80222
Phone: (303) 300-8777
Website: https://koelbelco.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Koelbel Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Denver Zoological Foundation ($300K). Together the top 10 received $573K.
Grant Size Distribution
158 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 139 grants of 158 (88%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that 99% of grant dollars went to Colorado recipients and 1% to Washington recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Koelbel Family Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 17 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $39K; repeat grants $33K. How we count
Medians: $12K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 59% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+3%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 228% 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 $561K (2021) to $887K (2023). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $580K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Zoological Foundation Denver, CO | General Operating | $300,000 |
| High Line Canal Conservancy Centennial, CO | General Operating | $125,500 |
| Junior Achievement Colorado Colorado Springs, CO | General Operating | $100,000 |
| Cherry Hills Village Elementary PTCO Cherry Hills Village, CO | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Musana Community Development Organization Centennial, CO | General Operating | $9,300 |
| Common Sense Institute (FKA Common Sense Policy Roundtable) Denver, CO | General Operating | $8,333 |
| Freedom Foundation Olympia, WA | General Operating | $5,000 |
| University of Colorado Foundation Denver, CO | General Operating | $5,000 |
| Reach Out and Read Colorado Denver, CO | General Operating | $2,500 |
| The Park People Denver, CO | General Operating | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Koelbel Family 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 | $4,927,973 | $934,912 | $595,748 | $579,633 | 17 | $582,552 | $564,518 | $255,583 |
| 2023 | $4,576,309 | $106,463 | $914,721 | $887,333 | 31 | $890,368 | — | $266,139 |
| 2022 | $5,554,567 | $2,505,669 | $947,992 | $858,833 | 33 | $861,143 | $335,929 | $217,915 |
| 2021 | $4,003,420 | $1,283,417 | $722,905 | $560,976 | 43 | $560,976 | $682,180 | $198,800 |
| 2020 | $3,280,408 | $883,733 | $886,627 | $811,333 | 34 | — | $280,102 | $198,236 |
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 October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available sources do not state a mission for the Koelbel Family Foundation. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, the Denver Zoological Foundation describes its mission as “inspiring communities to save wildlife for future generations,” while the High Line Canal Conservancy says it works to preserve, protect, and enhance the 71-mile legacy canal. Other grantees include organizations focused on education, children’s literacy, parks, and community development.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 17 grants totaling $579,633. Awards ranged from $500 to $300,000, with a median grant of $2,500. The largest grants were $300,000 to Denver Zoological Foundation, $125,500 to High Line Canal Conservancy, and $100,000 to Junior Achievement Colorado; each was listed for general operating support.
The foundation also awarded $15,000 to Cherry Hills Village Elementary PTCO and $9,300 to Musana Community Development Organization. Other listed recipients included Common Sense Institute ($8,333), Freedom Foundation ($5,000), University of Colorado Foundation ($5,000), Reach Out and Read Colorado ($2,500), The Park People ($2,500), Fort Lewis College Foundation ($2,000), and Lion Global Foundation, doing business as Mizel Institute ($1,500). These grants were also listed for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Vanda N. Werner as vice president, Walter A. Koelbel Jr. as president, and Thomas E. Whyte as secretary/treasurer.
Koelbel Family Foundation is led by Walter A. Koelbel Jr., President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Walter A. Koelbel Jr.
President
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas E. Whyte
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Vanda N. Werner
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Gene N. Koelbel (2020) — Vice President
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.
Frequently asked questions about Koelbel Family Foundation
How much does Koelbel Family Foundation give each year?
Koelbel Family Foundation gave $580K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $887K across 31 grants.
What is Koelbel Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Koelbel Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $34,096, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Koelbel Family Foundation that year got $39K on average.
Where does Koelbel Family Foundation give grants?
Koelbel Family Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (10 grants) and Centennial, CO (2 grants).
Does Koelbel Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Koelbel Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Koelbel Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Koelbel Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Denver Zoological Foundation ($300,000), High Line Canal Conservancy ($125,500) and Junior Achievement Colorado ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 91% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Koelbel Family Foundation?
Koelbel Family Foundation reported $4.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $583K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $256K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Koelbel Family Foundation fund?
The available sources do not state a mission for the Koelbel Family Foundation. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Koelbel Family Foundation?
The foundation 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 Koelbel Family Foundation's EIN?
Koelbel Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1369773. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Koelbel Family 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). Koelbel Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/koelbel-family-foundation-morg_338f866343504bf492874d9eac0e0805
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_841369773_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Koelbel Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/koelbel-family-foundation-morg_338f866343504bf492874d9eac0e0805},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Koelbel Family 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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