Sorenson Family Foundation
Sorenson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Boulder, Colorado. Its 2025 filing lists 38 charitable grants totaling $100,000, including support for organizations in Colorado, New York, and Massachusetts.
Key facts about Sorenson Family Foundation
In short: Sorenson Family Foundation gave $100K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state Colorado. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 84-1375516
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $100,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- Average grant
- $2,632
- Median grant
- $1,750
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (9 of 38, 2025)
- Total assets
- $613,042
- Primary geography
- Colorado (43% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$613K
+2.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$100K
+10.5% YoY
Grant Count
38
+18.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3K
-6.9% YoY
Is Sorenson Family Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 38 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 40% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2023 it paid out 219% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Wellesley College describes its mission as providing an excellent liberal arts education for women; Wild Bear Nature Center says it connects people to nature through outdoor exploration and educational programs; and the National Outdoor Leadership School describes its work as teaching wilderness skills and leadership that serve people and the environment. Hudson Highlands Land Trust says it conserves and cares for the lands and waters of the Hudson Highlands.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 38 grants totaling $100,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $11,500, with a median of $1,750. Its largest grants included $11,500 to European Cultural Center and $10,000 each to Nature Conservancy Colorado and Boulder Community Foundation. Other notable grants included $5,000 each to National Outdoor Leadership School, Wellesley College, Wild Bear Nature Center, Boulder Adventist Church, and West Point Association of Graduates.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Colorado received 43% of grant dollars, New York 26%, and Massachusetts 16%. Wyoming received 5% and California 2%. The listed grants included organizations in other states as well.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 38 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2020) to $100K (2025). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $100K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was European Cultural Center ($12K). Together the top 10 received $63K.
Grant Size Distribution
167 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 167 grants of 167 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| European Cultural Center Brooklyn, NY | Charitable | $11,500 |
| Nature Conservancy Colorado Boulder, CO | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Boulder Community Foundation Boulder, CO | Charitable | $10,000 |
| National Outdoor Leadership School Lander, WY | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Wellesley College Wellesley, MA | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Wild Bear Nature Center Nederland, CO | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Boulder Adventist Church Boulder, CO | Charitable | $5,000 |
| West Point Association of Graduates West Point, NY | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Alice Desmond Hamilton Fish Libr Garrison, NY | Charitable | $3,000 |
| Hudson Highlands Land Trust Garrison, NY | Charitable | $3,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $100,000 | 38 |
| 2024 | $90,500 | 32 |
| 2023 | $79,000 | 32 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $613,042 | $597,348 | $634,122 |
| Revenue | $113,295 | $59,572 | $75,993 |
| Expenses | $103,137 | $93,853 | $81,489 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $100,000 | $90,500 | $79,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $110,158 | $49,625 | $70,961 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | $36,082 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 2, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 19, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2024)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ralph Z Sorenson as President, Charlotte Sorenson as Vice President, and Kristin E Sorenson as Director.
Sorenson Family Foundation is led by Ralph Z. Sorenson, President since 2020 (on filings since 2019); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ralph Z. Sorenson
President
President & Treasurer → President, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristin E. Sorenson
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charlotte Sorenson
Vice President
Vice President & Secretary → Vice President & S, 2020
Vice President & S → Vice President, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Kristen E. Sorenson Stark (2019–2020) — Director
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 603 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO 80302
Phone: (303) 898-0490
Frequently asked questions about Sorenson Family Foundation
How much does Sorenson Family Foundation give each year?
Sorenson Family Foundation gave $100K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $91K across 32 grants.
What is Sorenson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Sorenson Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,750, and its average grant was $2,632, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sorenson Family Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Sorenson Family Foundation give grants?
Sorenson Family Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (26%) and Massachusetts (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boulder, CO (8 grants), Garrison, NY (3 grants), Denver, CO (2 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Sorenson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 38 grants with a stated purpose on Sorenson Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (36 grants).
Who are Sorenson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Sorenson Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include European Cultural Center ($11,500), Nature Conservancy Colorado ($10,000) and Boulder Community Foundation ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sorenson Family Foundation?
Sorenson Family Foundation reported $613K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $113K.
What does Sorenson Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sorenson Family Foundation?
The foundation 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 Sorenson Family Foundation's EIN?
Sorenson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1375516. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Sorenson Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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