Madrono Foundation
The Madroño Foundation is a private foundation based in Denver, Colorado. Its stated mission is to empower communities to advance social and environmental justice, and its recent grants support organizations working on issues including reproductive health, climate and environmental protection, refugee services, and poverty alleviation.
Madrono Foundation at a glance
In short: Madrono Foundation gave $1.0M across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $39K), top state California. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,002,000
- +0.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- +4.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $38,538
- -3.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $25,355,117
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- California (44% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Madrono Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
- Contact
Mailing address: 250 Steele Street Suite 375, Denver, CO 80206
Phone: (303) 225-8473
Website: https://madronofoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Madrono Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was ACLU Foundation of San Diego ($50K). Together the top 10 received $500K.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 39 grants of 71 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in California (44%), Washington (11%), Colorado (10%), Montana (10%), and Minnesota (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Madrono Foundation gives
- 35% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+18%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 91% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $115K (2023) to $1.3M (2020). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ACLU Foundation of San Diego San Diego, CA | Human Rights/Social Justice | $50,000 |
| Essential Access Health Los Angeles, CA | Human Rights/Social Justice | $50,000 |
| Middle East Children's Alliance Berkeley, CA | Human Rights/Social Justice | $50,000 |
| Access Reproductive Justice Oakland, CA | Human Rights/Social Justice | $50,000 |
| Reproductive Freedom for All Foundation Washington, DC | Human Rights/Social Justice | $50,000 |
| Lavender Rights Project Seattle, WA | Human Rights/Social Justice | $50,000 |
| Climate Justice Alliance Berkeley, CA | Environment/Climate Change | $50,000 |
| Green Latinos Boulder, CO | Environment/Climate Change | $50,000 |
| The Wilderness Land Trust Helena, MT | Environment/Climate Change | $50,000 |
| Center for Environmental Law & Policy Seattle, WA | Environment/Climate Change | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Madrono 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $25,355,117 | $1,019,042 | $1,259,223 | $1,002,000 | 26 | $1,073,097 | $425,439 | $1,177,689 |
| 2024 | $22,828,447 | $1,132,226 | $1,246,697 | $1,000,000 | 25 | $1,048,032 | $532,067 | $1,093,413 |
| 2023 | $20,844,407 | $1,256,941 | $324,587 | $115,000 | 7 | $155,851 | $697,460 | $926,323 |
| 2022 | $17,410,270 | $1,518,198 | $1,042,771 | $850,000 | 8 | $889,155 | $187,136 | $901,157 |
| 2021 | $20,976,589 | $1,365,436 | $722,250 | $500,000 | 5 | $537,925 | $796,439 | $958,098 |
| 2020 | $18,287,357 | $1,485,485 | $1,485,207 | $1,325,000 | 12 | — | $957,892 | $790,143 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Madrono Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is “Empowering communities to advance social and environmental justice.” Its vision is to make a tangible and sustainable difference in the lives of others.
Its 2025 grants include organizations with varied missions. For example, Center for Refugee Services says it helps refugees adjust to life in the United States through health and human services and access to education and career training. Lavender Rights Project describes its work as advancing the power, autonomy, and leadership of Black intersex and gender-diverse communities through legal and social services. Climate Justice Alliance says it brings together frontline communities and organizations to develop community-controlled alternatives and pathways to a regenerative future. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 26 grants totaling $1,002,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $50,000, with a median of $50,000. Among the listed 2025 grants, recipients of $50,000 included ACLU Foundation of San Diego, Essential Access Health, Middle East Children’s Alliance, Climate Justice Alliance, Green Latinos, The Wilderness Land Trust, and The Bail Project.
In 2024, it made 25 grants totaling $1,000,000. In 2023, it made 7 grants totaling $115,000. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 26 grants totaling $1 million.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Martin Kohout, Elizabeth Kohout, Christopher Kohout, and Thea Kohout as directors; Jennifer Crossett as treasurer; and Nor Christenson as secretary.
Madrono Foundation's 2025 filing lists 6 officers; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Christopher Kohout
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Kohout
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Martin Kohout
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thea Kohout
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jennifer Crossett
Treasurer
Secretary & Treasurer → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nor Christenson
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Madrono Foundation
How much does Madrono Foundation give each year?
Madrono Foundation gave $1.0M across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.0M across 25 grants.
What is Madrono Foundation's typical grant size?
Madrono Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $38,538, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Madrono Foundation give grants?
Madrono Foundation's top state is California, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Washington (11%) and Colorado (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Seattle, WA (3 grants), San Diego, CA (3 grants) and Berkeley, CA (2 grants).
Does Madrono Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 26 grants with a stated purpose on Madrono Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Special Projects" (7 grants), "Human Rights/Social Justice" (6 grants) and "Environment/Climate Change" (6 grants).
Who are Madrono Foundation's largest grantees?
Madrono Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include ACLU Foundation of San Diego ($50,000), Essential Access Health ($50,000) and Middle East Children's Alliance ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 15% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Madrono Foundation?
Madrono Foundation reported $25.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Madrono Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is “Empowering communities to advance social and environmental justice.” Its vision is to make a tangible and sustainable difference in the lives of others. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Madrono Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Madrono Foundation's EIN?
Madrono Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-5476723. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Madrono 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 19, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 30, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Madrono Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/madrono-foundation-morg_1d3ec994f1af4bb494a69173c2e257ac
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_465476723_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Madrono Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/madrono-foundation-morg_1d3ec994f1af4bb494a69173c2e257ac},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Madrono 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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