Ready Colorado

LITTLETON, CO EIN: 47-3043818 Website

Ready Colorado is a conservative advocacy organization based in Littleton, Colorado, dedicated to education policy reform and school choice initiatives in Colorado. Established in 2015, the organization operates as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit with a focus on improving educational opportunities through policy advocacy and grantmaking.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$141K

-81.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.2M

+128.9% YoY

Grant Count

+12.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$129K

+103.5% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

Primary focus areas include:

Education policy advocacy in Colorado
School choice initiatives and education reform
School finance policy reform
Leadership development in education policy

Grantmaking

Ready Colorado makes grants to organizations aligned with its education reform mission. Recent grant activity includes:

Grant Range

s typically range from $5,000 to $900,000. The organization's 2023 total giving was $1,047,723 in expenses, with total revenues of $1,450,966.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Ready Colorado focuses its advocacy and grantmaking efforts exclusively in Colorado, with particular attention to state-level education policy and legislative initiatives.

Grant Distribution by State

Colorado $8.1M (100%)

California $10K (0%)

States

California Colorado

Cities

AURORABAILEYCENTENNIALCOLORADO SPRINGSCORONADENVERENGLEWOODFORT LUPTONGOLDENGREENWOOD VILLAGEGREENWOOD VILLATEHIGHLANDS RANCHLAFAYETTELITTLETONLONGMONTPARKERPHOENIXTHORNTONWINDSOR

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2023:

Total Assets: $760,926
Total Revenues: $1,450,966
Total Expenses: $1,047,723
Number of Employees: 1

As of 2024:

Total Assets: $140,688
Total Giving: $1,165,675

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$140,688	$760,926	$357,682
Revenue	$1,313,301	$1,450,966	$3,637,734
Expenses	$1,933,540	$1,047,723	$3,558,209
Qualifying Distributions	—	—	—
Net Investment Income	$48	—	—
Distributable Amount	—	—	—

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 9 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

47 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Colorado Dawn ($410,000), Protecting Colorado's Future ($310,000), Ready Colorado Action Fund ($150,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
LEADERSHIP PROGRAM OF THE ROCKIES DENVER, CO	EVENT SPONSORSHIP	$7,500
READY COLORADO ACTION FUND DENVER, CO	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$150,000
SENATE MAJORITY FUND AURORA, CO	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$13,625
NEW DAY COLORADO FUND FORT LUPTON, CO	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$7,500
COLORADIANS FOR ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT DENVER, CO	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$150,000
COLORADIANS FOR CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP IE DENVER, CO	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$75,000
COLORADO DAWN COLORADO SPRINGS, CO	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$410,000
PROTECTING COLORADO'S FUTURE DENVER, CO	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$310,000
PURPLE LABEL GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS HIGHLANDS RANCH, CO	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$34,600

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Brenda Dickhoner — President & CEO
Kim Gilmartin — Executive Director, Liberty Initiative
Jonathan Finer — Vice President (Conservative policy expert)
Sage Naumann — Senior Advisor (Communications expert)
Luke Ragland — Board Member (former President)
Tyler Sandberg — VP/Co-founder

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
LUKE RAGLAND	BOARD MEMBER	2	—
ELLIE REYNOLDS	BOARD TREASURER	2	—
CRAIG HULSE	BOARD CHAIR	2	—
BRENDA DICKHONER	PRESIDENT	40	$135,971

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2024

Ready Colorado played a significant role in education policy advocacy during the 2024 Colorado legislative session. The organization produced educational materials for lawmakers and the public regarding school finance funding formula reform. This advocacy effort contributed to the drafting and passage of House Bill 24-1448, which was signed into law and adds $500 million to education funding over the first six years of implementation.

Colorado's Jared Polis all in on Trump's tax-credit scholarship

The organization continues to publish research and policy analysis on education topics, including recent work on the effects of social media on student behavior and learning, and analysis of school enrollment declines in Colorado.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Ready Colorado fund?

Ready Colorado's mission centers on ensuring that every child in Colorado receives the education they deserve. The organization emphasizes school choice as the touchstone of education policy, opposing monopolistic approaches to schooling and advocating for expanded educational opportunities. Primary focus areas include: • Education policy advocacy in Colorado • School choice initiatives and education reform • School finance policy reform • Leadership development in education policy

How do I apply for a grant from Ready Colorado?

Ready Colorado makes grants to organizations aligned with its education reform mission. Recent grant activity includes: | Grantee | Grant Type | Year | Amount | |---------|-----------|------|--------| | Our Community Our Future | General Assistance | 2023 | $100,000 | | Leadership Program of the Rockies | Event Sponsorship | 2023 | $7,500 | | Alliance for Choice in Education (ACE) | General Assistance | 2023 | $6,000 | Grant sizes typically range from $5,000 to $900,000. The organization's 2023…

Where does Ready Colorado make grants?

Ready Colorado focuses its advocacy and grantmaking efforts exclusively in Colorado, with particular attention to state-level education policy and legislative initiatives.