Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation
The Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation is a private foundation based in an individual recipient, Colorado. Started by Melvin and Elaine Wolf in 1979, it supports Colorado’s nonprofit community through grants for programs addressing children’s health and access to education, as well as adult health and the reduction of suffering through education and technology.
Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation at a glance
In short: Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation gave $367K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in Colorado. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $366,897
- -2.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 33
- -21.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,118
- +23.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $7,880,356
- -3.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (4 of 33, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its website says first-time applicants are not being considered while the foundation has a three-year waitlist. Organizations previously approved to apply are asked to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) to determine eligibility. If invited, they must submit a grant application by the stated deadline. The foundation requires a six-month report from grantees and says that failure to submit it makes an organization ineligible for future funding.
- Review Cycle
- For the funding cycle described on the submission page, previously approved applicants should submit an LOI by October 31, 2026; invited grant applications are due by January 1, 2027. The page says first-time applicants who have not previously submitted an LOI should check back in October 2028. Other website copy refers to an October 2026 reopening for first-time applicants, so those dates are inconsistent. A separate October 2025 LOI period mentioned on the contact page is past.
- Deadline
- For the funding cycle described on the submission page, previously approved applicants should submit an LOI by October…
- Contact
Mailing address: 115 Wilcox St Ste 250, Castle Rock, CO 80104
Phone: (303) 748-3921
Website: https://themelvinandelainewolffoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation
Who Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Family Service of Colorado Inc ($50K). Together the top 10 received $195K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($1,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
200 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 196 grants of 200 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website says it supports Colorado’s nonprofit community. In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado and 1% to recipients in North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 33 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 79% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 21% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 117% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 $367K (2025) to $466K (2022). In 2025 it made 33 grants totaling $367K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Family Service of Colorado Inc Denver, CO | Building the mushroom farm at the JFS Altius campus in Denver | $50,000 |
| Denver Museum of Nature and Science Denver, CO | Bus Fuel Fund | $23,000 |
| Mountain States Children's Home Longmont, CO | Improvements and replacements | $20,000 |
| National Jewish Health Denver, CO | To support remaining funds needed for the after-school reading intervention program | $18,000 |
| Global Down Syndrome Foundation Denver, CO | Be Beautiful Be Yourself Dance Program | $18,000 |
| Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation Aurora, CO | Ponzio Creative Arts Therapy Program | $15,000 |
| Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, CO | Teen Leadership Programs and the Multicultural Curatorial Fellowship Program | $15,000 |
| Creede Repertory Theatre Creede, CO | Young Audience Outreach Tour | $15,000 |
| A Precious Child Inc Broomfield, CO | Fill A Backpack & Edussentials Program | $11,000 |
| Jewish Community Center of Denver Denver, CO | Equipment resources to improve the Wolf Theatre's technical capabilities | $10,207 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $7,880,356 | $291,164 | $552,533 | $366,897 | 33 | $501,453 | $240,963 | $429,322 |
| 2024 | $8,147,153 | $428,595 | $572,435 | $377,937 | 42 | $528,406 | $385,230 | $370,739 |
| 2023 | $8,290,993 | $839,221 | $586,333 | $434,876 | 36 | $542,403 | $793,291 | $347,533 |
| 2022 | $8,036,864 | $944,681 | $626,150 | $466,312 | 37 | $573,477 | $895,373 | $418,763 |
| 2021 | $7,222,141 | $347,967 | $580,224 | $410,338 | 52 | — | $279,549 | $411,543 |
| 2020 | $8,535,043 | $280,597 | $650,703 | $447,760 | 33 | — | $150,802 | $419,685 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation reported a distributable amount of $429K 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 stated mission is to give back to Colorado by supporting nonprofits whose programs address children’s health and education access, and improve adult health and reduce suffering through education and technology. Its website also emphasizes children’s learning, including art and education experiences, and adult quality of life through programs involving health, medical care, housing, shelter, food, and community arts.
Its 2025 grants illustrate support for organizations with varied missions. Jewish Family Service of Colorado describes its work as providing comprehensive support services to individuals and families in need throughout Colorado. Mountain States Children’s Home says it provides homes and counseling for children from abused, neglected, or dysfunctional families. National Jewish Health describes its work in patient care, research, and healthcare education; Global Down Syndrome Foundation describes its focus on research, medical care, education, and advocacy; and Creede Repertory Theatre describes its role as an artistic home for its rural community, with educational programs and new work.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 33 grants totaling $366,897. Grant amounts ranged from $540 to $50,000, with a median of $10,000. Notable awards included $50,000 to Jewish Family Service of Colorado for a mushroom farm at the JFS Altius campus; $23,000 to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science for its Bus Fuel Fund; and $20,000 to Mountain States Children’s Home for improvements and replacements. Other grants included $18,000 each to National Jewish Health and Global Down Syndrome Foundation, and $15,000 each to Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation, Museum of Contemporary Art, and Creede Repertory Theatre.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kelly A. Hodges as president, Ashly A. Wolf as vice president, Sandra Wolf as secretary, and Josh Hume as treasurer. The foundation’s website identifies Kelly Ann Hodges and Ashly Wolf as executive directors, Sandy Wolf as vice president, and Elaine Wolf as president emeritus (1926–2023).
Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation is led by Kelly A Hodges, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 3 of 4 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kelly A Hodges
President
Vice President → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
$50K (2021) → $74K (2025)
Ashly A Wolf
Vice President
Secretary → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
$7K (2025)
Josh Hume
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
$815 (2025)
Sandra Wolf
Secretary
Vice President → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Elaine Wolf (2020–2023) — President
- Former: Ruth Anne Sanger (2020–2023) — Treasurer
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $74K, to Kelly A Hodges (President). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation
How much does Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation give each year?
Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation gave $367K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $378K across 42 grants.
What is Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation's typical grant size?
Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $11,118, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation give grants?
Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (19 grants), Boulder, CO (2 grants) and Aurora, CO (2 grants).
Does Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (2 of 33) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation's largest grantees?
Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Family Service of Colorado Inc ($50,000), Denver Museum of Nature and Science ($23,000) and Mountain States Children's Home ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($1,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation?
Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation reported $7.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $501K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $429K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to give back to Colorado by supporting nonprofits whose programs address children’s health and education access, and improve adult health and reduce suffering through education and technology. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation's EIN?
Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-0797937. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Melvin & Elaine Wolf 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation funds
Health Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/melvin-and-elaine-wolf-foundation-morg_14193e4c6a1a497f996fc51c8a866a23
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_840797937_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Melvin \& Elaine Wolf Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/melvin-and-elaine-wolf-foundation-morg_14193e4c6a1a497f996fc51c8a866a23},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Melvin & Elaine Wolf 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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