Pema Foundation Inc
PEMA Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Denver, Colorado. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including religious, education, community, and community-service recipients. The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Pema Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Pema Foundation Inc gave $6.5M across 50 grants in 2024 (avg $130K), mostly in Colorado. 30% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $6,500,200
- +137.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 50
- -35.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $130,004
- +265.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $23,804,096
- -10.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (15 of 50, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (90% 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 Pema Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 770 High Street, Denver, CO 80218
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Pema Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Catholic Foundation ($4.3M). Together the top 10 received $6.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
326 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 265 grants of 326 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado. The remaining reported shares went to recipients in Washington, DC (4%), New Hampshire (2%), Virginia (2%), and Pennsylvania (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 50 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Pema Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 15 of 50 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $181K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 60% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 269% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 370% 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 $1.5M (2020) to $6.5M (2024). In 2024 it made 50 grants totaling $6.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Catholic Foundation Denver, CO | Religious | $4,250,000 |
| National Western Stock Show Dallas, CO | Community | $532,600 |
| American Enterprise Institute Washington, DC | Community Service | $256,000 |
| St John Vianney Theological Seminary Denver, CO | Education | $250,000 |
| Sophia Institute Manchester, NH | Community | $150,000 |
| Ace Scholarships Denver, CO | Education | $124,250 |
| Ducks Unlimited Evergreen, CO | Community | $120,000 |
| Junior Achievement Denver, CO | Community | $112,500 |
| Endow Greenwood Village, CO | Religious | $100,000 |
| Media Research Center Herndon, VA | Community | $68,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $23,804,096 | $4,150,145 | $6,753,243 | $6,500,200 | 50 | $6,501,843 | $1,523,408 | $1,759,045 |
| 2023 | $26,446,644 | $4,313,919 | $2,950,333 | $2,740,243 | 77 | $2,749,276 | $678,017 | $1,705,739 |
| 2022 | $25,118,608 | $2,850,655 | $3,047,059 | $2,815,250 | 70 | $2,816,789 | $839,476 | $1,673,673 |
| 2021 | $25,247,262 | $3,450,167 | $1,952,786 | $1,761,214 | 61 | $1,762,222 | $1,757,373 | $1,756,682 |
| 2020 | $23,742,631 | $4,826,065 | $1,690,292 | $1,534,350 | 68 | — | $372,081 | $1,264,404 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Pema Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included religious organizations and recipients identified with education and community purposes. Among its grantees, Sophia Institute describes its mission as nurturing spiritual, moral, and cultural life and spreading the Gospel in conformity with Catholic Church teachings. ENDOW says it educates women and girls about their dignity and vocation, rooted in Catholic teachings. Media Research Center describes its work as addressing news media, entertainment media, and technology in defense of American founding principles and Judeo-Christian values.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 50 grants totaling $6,500,200. Individual grants ranged from $500 to $4,250,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest listed awards included $4,250,000 to The Catholic Foundation for religious purposes; $532,600 to National Western Stock Show for community purposes; $256,000 to American Enterprise Institute for community service; and $250,000 to St John Vianney Theological Seminary for education.
Other notable 2024 grants included $150,000 to Sophia Institute, $124,250 to ACE Scholarships, $120,000 to Ducks Unlimited, $112,500 to Junior Achievement, $100,000 to ENDOW, $68,000 to Media Research Center, and $50,000 each to Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal and Family for Families.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Peter H Coors and Marilyn E Coors as directors.
Pema Foundation Inc's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Marilyn E. Coors
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter H. Coors
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Pema Foundation Inc
How much does Pema Foundation Inc give each year?
Pema Foundation Inc gave $6.5M across 50 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.7M across 77 grants.
What is Pema Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Pema Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $130,004, across 50 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Pema Foundation Inc that year got $12K on average.
Where does Pema Foundation Inc give grants?
Pema Foundation Inc gives mostly in Colorado: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (22 grants), Greenwood Village, CO (2 grants) and Winchester, VA (2 grants).
Does Pema Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 50 grants with a stated purpose on Pema Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community" (27 grants), "Religious" (8 grants) and "Education" (6 grants).
Who are Pema Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Pema Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include The Catholic Foundation ($4,250,000), National Western Stock Show ($532,600) and American Enterprise Institute ($256,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 78% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Pema Foundation Inc?
Pema Foundation Inc reported $23.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $6.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Pema Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included religious organizations and recipients identified with education and community purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Pema Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it 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 Pema Foundation Inc's EIN?
Pema Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-0202608. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Pema Foundation Inc 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
(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). Pema Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/pema-foundation-inc-morg_d272f458bbbc443abafcb999ee535daf
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_300202608_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Pema Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/pema-foundation-inc-morg_d272f458bbbc443abafcb999ee535daf},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Pema Foundation Inc'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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