Nick DeWolf Foundation
The Nick DeWolf Foundation is a private foundation based in Aspen, Colorado. It supports groups and organizations interested in improving quality of life and education around the world.
Nick DeWolf Foundation at a glance
In short: Nick DeWolf Foundation gave $216K across 16 grants in 2024 (avg $13K), mostly in Colorado. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $215,918
- -1.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 16
- -5.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $13,495
- +5.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $2,528,121
- +3.7% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Colorado (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Nick DeWolf Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 4540, Aspen, CO 81612
Phone: (970) 925-6448
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Nick DeWolf Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Aspen Center for Physics ($107K). Together the top 10 received $198K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($14,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
55 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 45 grants of 55 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado and 5% went to recipients in New York. The reported shares for Utah and Washington were each 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
How Nick DeWolf Foundation gives
- 93% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−14%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 73% 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 (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 $66K (2020) to $266K (2022). In 2024 it made 16 grants totaling $216K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Aspen Center for Physics Aspen, CO | Archiving Project Website for Aspen Center for Physics | $106,918 |
| Global Warming Mitigation Project Aspen, CO | Program Support | $50,000 |
| Aspen Science Center Aspen, CO | Program Support | $20,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $14,000 |
| National Museum of Mathematics New York, NY | Progam Support | $10,000 |
| Aspen Journalism Aspen, CO | Program Support | $4,000 |
| Aspen Institute Aspen, CO | Program Support | $2,000 |
| Aspen Center for Environmental Studies Aspen, CO | Program Support | $2,000 |
| High Country News Paonia, CO | Program Support | $1,000 |
| Aspen Historical Society Aspen, CO | Program Support | $1,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation reported 16 grants in 2024, 17 in 2023, and 15 in 2022.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,528,121 | $361,294 | $402,376 | $215,918 | 16 | $179,000 | $313,086 | $246,109 |
| 2023 | $2,436,932 | $626,468 | $371,115 | $218,466 | 17 | $218,466 | $580,165 | $211,994 |
| 2022 | $2,188,813 | $-239,702 | $424,546 | $265,660 | 15 | $265,660 | — | $227,156 |
| 2021 | $2,847,500 | $40,157 | $432,262 | $251,480 | 3 | $251,480 | — | $273,354 |
| 2020 | $3,226,392 | $362,087 | $217,496 | $65,724 | 4 | — | $316,174 | $217,510 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Nick DeWolf Foundation reported a distributable amount of $246K 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 foundation’s stated core tenet is to support groups and organizations interested in improving quality of life and education in the world.
Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. The Aspen Center for Physics describes its mission as promoting research in physics, astrophysics, and related fields, and educating the public. The Aspen Science Center says it advances public understanding of science through discovery, exploration, and education. The National Museum of Mathematics says it works to enhance public understanding and perception of mathematics through exhibits and programs. The Global Warming Mitigation Project describes its work as awarding the Keeling Curve Prize to efforts that substantially mitigate global warming. Other 2024 recipients include organizations whose stated missions involve investigative journalism, environmental education, and protecting western Colorado’s public lands.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 16 grants totaling $215,918. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $106,918, with a median grant of $1,500.
The largest 2024 grants included $106,918 to the Aspen Center for Physics for archiving its project website, $50,000 to the Global Warming Mitigation Project for program support, and $20,000 to the Aspen Science Center for program support. Other notable grants included $14,000 to an individual recipient for general charitable environmental purposes and $10,000 to the National Museum of Mathematics for program support. The foundation also gave $4,000 to Aspen Journalism and $2,000 to the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Nicole DeWolf was listed as executive director on the 2024 filing.
Nick DeWolf Foundation is led by Nicole Dewolf, Executive Director on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Nicole Dewolf
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$75K (2020) → $56K (2024)
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $56K, to Nicole Dewolf (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Nick DeWolf Foundation
How much does Nick DeWolf Foundation give each year?
Nick DeWolf Foundation gave $216K across 16 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $218K across 17 grants.
What is Nick DeWolf Foundation's typical grant size?
Nick DeWolf Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,500, and its average grant was $13,495, across 16 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Nick DeWolf Foundation give grants?
Nick DeWolf Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Aspen, CO (7 grants), Paonia, CO (2 grants) and Carbondale, CO (2 grants).
Does Nick DeWolf Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of Nick DeWolf Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (12 grants).
Who are Nick DeWolf Foundation's largest grantees?
Nick DeWolf Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Aspen Center for Physics ($106,918), Global Warming Mitigation Project ($50,000) and Aspen Science Center ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($14,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 82% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Nick DeWolf Foundation?
Nick DeWolf Foundation reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $179K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $246K (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 Nick DeWolf Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated core tenet is to support groups and organizations interested in improving quality of life and education in the world. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Nick DeWolf Foundation?
The foundation 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 Nick DeWolf Foundation's EIN?
Nick DeWolf Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1829265. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Nick DeWolf 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). Nick DeWolf Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/nick-dewolf-foundation-morg_6ec09922b75c4c429d6e6e78fc7ef3f5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201829265_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Nick DeWolf Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/nick-dewolf-foundation-morg_6ec09922b75c4c429d6e6e78fc7ef3f5},
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 Nick DeWolf 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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