Rooted
Rooted was a Denver, Colorado-based public charity focused on educational equity and strengthening Denver’s public education system. In January 2025, Rooted Denver and Denver Families for Public Schools united and continued their work under the name Denver Families for Public Schools.
Rooted at a glance
In short: Rooted gave $1.4M across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $69K), mostly in Colorado. 45% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,373,517
- -31.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- -25.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $68,676
- -7.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $2,852,021
- +308.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (9 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Rooted
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
Rooted’s successor organization, Denver Families for Public Schools, does not accept unsolicited requests; its grants are by invitation only.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3000 Lawrence St 141, Denver, CO 80205
Phone: (720) 916-3229
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Rooted funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Luminary Learning ($529K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
173 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 90 grants of 173 (52%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Rooted’s stated program work centered on Denver and Denver Public Schools. In filing year 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado, 3% to Louisiana, 2% to Oregon, and 1% to Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Rooted open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 20 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $44K; repeat grants $89K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $40K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.4M (2025) to $7.7M (2021). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Luminary Learning Denver, CO | To support achieving the enrollment growth through sy27-28 and beyond through policy and advocacy work on overall zone | $529,000 |
| Rocky Mountain Prep Denver, CO | Grant for DPS Enrollment SY24-25 | $207,000 |
| Denver Families for Public Schools Denver, CO | To support ten's general operating budget for education work in denver | $158,338 |
| Radian Denver, CO | Grant to provide technical assistance and design expertise to support mi vida in the planning of a new school facility | $120,000 |
| Rose Community Foundation Denver, CO | Support the organizing for education in Colorado (OEC). A locally based funder collaborative | $50,000 |
| School Board Partners New Orleans, LA | Addendum to grant to support dps board of education support and coaching | $45,500 |
| Faithbridge Denver, CO | Grant for general operating budget for education work in denver | $40,000 |
| Teach for America Denver, CO | General Operating Support | $40,000 |
| Stand for Children Leadership Center Inc Portland, OR | Support of leac towards the winter 2025 grant agreement | $21,500 |
| 50CAN Inc Washington DC, DC | Grant to support ten's general operating budget for education work in denver in support of the denver families for public schools policy platform. | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Rooted?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,852,021 | $6,469,668 | $4,233,858 | $1,373,517 | 20 | $2,387 |
| 2024 | $698,230 | $4,269,410 | $4,986,941 | $1,998,055 | 27 | $4,585 |
| 2023 | $1,496,052 | $2,050,074 | $5,697,961 | $2,956,500 | 43 | $10,291 |
| 2022 | $4,954,535 | $5,451,366 | $5,438,070 | $3,739,700 | 48 | $4,366 |
| 2021 | $4,963,250 | $7,608,549 | $9,226,972 | $7,689,650 | 35 | $7,449 |
| 2020 | $7,432,149 | $9,569,872 | $6,876,558 | $5,813,171 | 33 | $20,939 |
| 2019 | $4,526,362 | $8,098,345 | $6,958,753 | $5,188,945 | 28 | $10,016 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Rooted’s filing describes programs in community engagement, leadership development, community listening, school partnerships, research, policy, advocacy, and school and community grantmaking. The grant program supported public schools and community organizations working to advance educational equity, strengthen school-community partnerships, and advance student-centered policy. The organization’s website describes its school and community grants as supporting systems or policy change and educational equity in Denver. Listed policy priorities are academics, mental health, and safety.
The 2025 grants illustrate the range of recipients and activities. Luminary Learning Network, which received $529,000, describes its work as bringing together diverse-by-design schools committed to dynamic learning experiences, including for historically underserved students. Denver Families for Public Schools, which received $158,338, describes its mission as reimagining an equitable Denver public education system through civic engagement, education policy, and grassroots and civic leadership. Radian, which received $120,000, describes itself as a nonprofit architecture and urban design group serving community advocates through a people-centered approach to social equity; Rooted’s grant supported facility planning for Mi Vida. Rose Community Foundation, which received $50,000, describes its work as advancing inclusive, engaged, and equitable Greater Denver communities through philanthropy. School Board Partners, which received $45,500, describes itself as a national nonprofit that trains, supports, connects, and helps re-elect representative school board members.
Grantmaking
Rooted reported 20 grants totaling $1,373,517 in filing year 2025. Awards ranged from $6,000 to $529,000, with a median of $20,000. The largest grants included $529,000 to Luminary Learning, $207,000 to Rocky Mountain Prep for Denver Public Schools enrollment, $158,338 to Denver Families for Public Schools for its general operating budget for education work in Denver, and $120,000 to Radian for technical assistance and design expertise for Mi Vida’s school facility planning.
Other 2025 grants included $50,000 to Rose Community Foundation to support Organizing for Education in Colorado; $45,500 to School Board Partners for Denver Public Schools board support and coaching; and $40,000 each to FaithBridge for its general operating budget and Teach For America for general operating support. The grants also included $21,500 to Stand for Children Leadership Center and $20,000 each to 50CAN, the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center, and Ednium: The Alumni Collective.
The website says Denver Families’ grants are by invitation only. It describes eligibility as requiring work on community organizing and advocacy for systems or policy change in Denver or Denver Public Schools, alignment with its policy platform, and 501(c)(3) status or a fiscal sponsorship arrangement. The filing states that organizations apply through Foundant; grants over $20,000 require board approval, and approved grants require an executed agreement and documentation before funds are released.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Clarence Burton as CEO as of January 1, 2025; Brenda J. Allen, PhD, as chair; Ethan Gray as treasurer; and Russell Ramsey as secretary as of December 11, 2024. It also lists Dani Morello as a director as of December 11, 2024, Latia Henderson as director of operations, Victoria Scott-Haynes as partner for community relations and administration, and Ashley Martinez-Doublin as partner for communications and strategic initiatives. Patrick Donovan is listed as managing partner through December 2024 and president; Dwight Jones is listed as secretary through December 11, 2024.
Rooted is led by Clarence Burton, CEO on the 2025 filing; 4 of 14 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Clarence Burton
CEO
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brenda J. Allen PhD
Chair
Director → Chair, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Latia Henderson
Director of Operations
Partner of C → Director of Operations, 2025
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$130K (2023) → $153K (2025)
Luis De La Fuente PhD
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas A. Gougeon
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Angie Paccione PhD
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sean Vanberschot
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dani Morello
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patrick Donovan
Managing Part.
Managing Partner → Managing Par, 2022
Managing Par → Managing Part., 2025
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$174K (2020) → $289K (2025)
Victoria Scott-Haynes
Partner, Community Relations & Administration
Partner of C → Partner of R, 2023
Partner of R → Partner, Community Relations & Administration, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$115K (2021) → $123K (2025)
Ashley Martinez-Doublin
Partner, Communications & Strategic Initiatives
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$113K (2025)
Ethan Gray
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer at, 2022
Treasurer at → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dwight Jones
Secretary
Director at → Secretary in, 2023
Secretary in → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Russell Ramsey
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Ambar Suero (2023–2024) — Partner of A
- Former: Jesus Salazar (2019–2023) — Secretary Th
- Former: Erin Brown (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Abigail Schaller (2020–2022) — Treasurer Th
- Former: Hollie Velasquez-Horvath (2019–2021) — Chair
- Former: TeRay Esquibel (2021) — Partner
- Former: Mary Seawell (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Nathan Easley (2019–2020) — CEO
- Former: Nick Bolt (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Bernard McCune (2019) — Chief Schools Officer
- Former: Josh Scott (2019) — Chief Operating Officer · Filing note: Thru xxx
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $289K, to Patrick Donovan (Managing Part. Through 12/24;PRES.). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Rooted
How much does Rooted give each year?
Rooted gave $1.4M across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 27 grants.
What is Rooted's typical grant size?
Rooted's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $68,676, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Rooted that year got $44K on average.
Where does Rooted give grants?
Rooted gives mostly in Colorado: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (17 grants).
Does Rooted give general operating support?
Yes: 35% of Rooted's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are Rooted's largest grantees?
Rooted's largest 2025 grantees include Luminary Learning ($529,000), Rocky Mountain Prep ($207,000) and Denver Families for Public Schools ($158,338), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Rooted?
Rooted reported $2.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $6.5M.
What does Rooted fund?
Rooted’s filing describes programs in community engagement, leadership development, community listening, school partnerships, research, policy, advocacy, and school and community grantmaking. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Rooted?
Rooted’s successor organization, Denver Families for Public Schools, does not accept unsolicited requests; its grants are by invitation only. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Rooted's EIN?
Rooted's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3215105. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Rooted 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 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS February 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 19, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 16, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 7, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Rooted's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Rooted funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/rooted-morg_6394cf53c44b4d82becc091db4120911
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_823215105_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Rooted funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/rooted-morg_6394cf53c44b4d82becc091db4120911},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Rooted'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.
Rooted down — hundreds of funders to go?