Single Step Foundation
Single Step Foundation is a private foundation based in Boulder, Colorado. In its 2025 filing, it reported making 10 grants totaling $486,520 to charitable organizations in Illinois, Wisconsin, Colorado, and California.
Single Step Foundation at a glance
In short: Single Step Foundation gave $487K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $49K), mostly in Illinois. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $486,520
- +8.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $48,652
- +8.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $33,008
- +68.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (1 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (60% 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 Single Step Foundation
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 8322 West Fork Road, Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: (312) 840-7000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Single Step Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Illinois Foundation ($267K). Together the top 10 received $487K.
Grant Size Distribution
51 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 42 grants of 51 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois (60%), Wisconsin (16%), Colorado (14%), and California (10%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Single Step Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 10 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $25K; repeat grants $51K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 198% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above 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 $102K (2023) to $487K (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $487K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Foundation Urbana, IL | General - No Restrictions | $266,710 |
| Aldo Leopold Foundation Baraboo, WI | General - No Restrictionsgeneral - No Restrictions | $50,000 |
| The Sierra Club Foundation San Francisco, CA | General - No Restrictions | $50,000 |
| Boulder Library Foundation Boulder, CO | General - No Restrictions | $33,810 |
| Newberry Library Chicago, IL | General - No Restrictions | $25,000 |
| Garden to Table Louisville, CO | General - No Restrictions | $25,000 |
| Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems Madison, WI | General - No Restrictions | $20,000 |
| Rocky Mountain PBS Denver, CO | General - No Restrictions | $10,000 |
| Savanna Institute Madison, WI | General - No Restrictions | $5,000 |
| Driftless Area Land Conservancy Dodgeville, WI | General - No Restrictions | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Single Step Foundation?
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 | $33,008 | $996,013 | $502,281 | $486,520 | 10 | $486,520 | $493,456 | $3,641 |
| 2024 | $19,556 | $900,108 | $455,657 | $449,500 | 10 | $449,500 | $400,515 | $90 |
| 2023 | $25,330 | $204,511 | $104,583 | $102,000 | 7 | $102,000 | $77,206 | $1,941 |
| 2022 | $49,754 | $175,046 | $166,957 | $163,500 | 10 | $163,500 | — | $1,357 |
| 2021 | $41,665 | $250,006 | $279,672 | $277,500 | 14 | $277,500 | — | $2,988 |
| 2020 | $71,331 | $310,153 | $301,131 | $299,325 | 12 | — | $153 | $3,998 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Single Step Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied activities. For example, the Aldo Leopold Foundation describes its mission as fostering a land ethic through Aldo Leopold’s legacy. The Savanna Institute says it works with farmers and scientists to support agroforestry in the Midwest, while the Driftless Area Land Conservancy describes work to protect and restore southwest Wisconsin’s natural and agricultural landscape. The University of Illinois Foundation says it administers private gifts to benefit the University of Illinois System.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave 10 grants totaling $486,520. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $266,710, with a median of $25,000. The largest grants were $266,710 to the University of Illinois Foundation, $50,000 each to the Aldo Leopold Foundation and The Sierra Club Foundation, and $33,810 to the Boulder Library Foundation. Other recipients included Newberry Library ($25,000), Garden to Table ($25,000), Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems ($20,000), Rocky Mountain PBS ($10,000), Savanna Institute ($5,000), and Driftless Area Land Conservancy ($1,000). The grants were reported as for general purposes without restrictions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Herbert E Paaren as president and director, Denise Marino as treasurer and director, and Jonathan Michael as secretary and director.
Single Step Foundation is led by Herbert E. Paaren, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Herbert E. Paaren
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Denise Marino
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan Michael
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Single Step Foundation
How much does Single Step Foundation give each year?
Single Step Foundation gave $487K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $450K across 10 grants.
What is Single Step Foundation's typical grant size?
Single Step Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $48,652, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Single Step Foundation that year got $25K on average.
Where does Single Step Foundation give grants?
Single Step Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Wisconsin (16%) and Colorado (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Madison, WI (2 grants).
Does Single Step Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Single Step Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Single Step Foundation's largest grantees?
Single Step Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Illinois Foundation ($266,710), Aldo Leopold Foundation ($50,000) and The Sierra Club Foundation ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Single Step Foundation?
Single Step Foundation reported $33K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $487K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Single Step Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied activities. For example, the Aldo Leopold Foundation describes its mission as fostering a land ethic through Aldo Leopold’s legacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Single Step Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Single Step Foundation's EIN?
Single Step Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-2691592. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Single Step 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 23, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Single Step Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Single Step Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/single-step-foundation-morg_e620c8af8d1a4949a604059689978bcc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_262691592_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Single Step Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/single-step-foundation-morg_e620c8af8d1a4949a604059689978bcc},
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 Single Step 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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