The Anna and John J Sie Foundation
The Anna and John J Sie Foundation is a private foundation based in Denver, Colorado. Its 2024 giving included support for Down syndrome research and care, film, children’s health, education, arts and culture, and other charitable activities.
The Anna and John J Sie Foundation at a glance
In short: The Anna and John J Sie Foundation gave $5.1M across 52 grants in 2024 (avg $98K), mostly in Colorado. 17% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $5,073,043
- +61.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 52
- -8.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $97,559
- +76.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,313
- Total assets
- $38,261,211
- -2.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (9 of 52, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (95% 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 The Anna and John J Sie Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3239 E 2Nd Ave, Denver, CO 80206
Phone: (303) 468-6060
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Anna and John J Sie Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Global Down Syndrome Foundation ($1.4M). Together the top 10 received $4.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
334 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 282 grants of 334 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Colorado recipients received 95% of the foundation’s 2024 grant dollars. Recipients in Florida received 2%, and those in Minnesota received 1%; Washington and Arizona each accounted for less than 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 52 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Anna and John J Sie Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 52 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $16K; repeat grants $115K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+3%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 337% 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 $2.4M (2022) to $5.1M (2024). In 2024 it made 52 grants totaling $5.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Global Down Syndrome Foundation Denver, CO | For Research/Edu/Advocacy/Grants. | $1,437,696 |
| Denver Film Society Denver, CO | For Audiences to Discover Film. | $965,780 |
| Children's Hospital Colorado Aurora, CO | Pediatric Health Care | $847,016 |
| University of Colorado Foundation Denver, CO | For Down Syndrome Research. | $750,000 |
| Denver Health & Hospitals Denver, CO | Down Syndrome Medical Care | $275,282 |
| Regis University Denver, CO | For Post Secondary Feasibility Study | $149,194 |
| Denver Art Museum Denver, CO | For Exhibitions/Programs/Collection. | $109,700 |
| Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation Tampa, FL | Cancer Research | $100,000 |
| Judaism Your Way Denver, CO | Connect with All Jews | $60,000 |
| Denver School of Science and Minneapolis, MN | Core Values Education. | $35,300 |
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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 | $38,261,211 | $4,845,761 | $5,780,857 | $5,073,043 | 52 | $5,661,714 | $4,764,139 | $1,680,907 |
| 2023 | $39,196,307 | $2,309,095 | $3,760,984 | $3,144,207 | 57 | $3,660,189 | $2,228,300 | $1,752,469 |
| 2022 | $40,648,196 | $897,903 | $2,908,364 | $2,411,656 | 60 | $2,802,301 | $816,840 | $1,918,411 |
| 2021 | $42,658,657 | $4,257,368 | $5,401,895 | $4,923,068 | 77 | $5,291,499 | $4,174,656 | $2,318,557 |
| 2020 | $43,803,184 | $12,715,659 | $3,334,553 | $2,812,401 | 88 | — | $1,381,007 | $2,033,422 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Anna and John J Sie Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.7M 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
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants supported organizations with varied missions. The Global Down Syndrome Foundation says its mission is to improve the lives of people with Down syndrome through research, medical care, education, and advocacy. The Denver Film Society describes its work as creating opportunities for diverse audiences to discover film, while Children’s Hospital Colorado says it works to improve children’s health through patient care, education, research, and advocacy.
Other 2024 grantees included the University of Colorado Foundation, which receives and manages gifts for the benefit of the University of Colorado; Regis University, which describes its mission as building a more just and humane world through transformative education; and Judaism Your Way, a community organization offering ways for Jews and loved ones to participate in Jewish community life.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 52 grants totaling $5,073,043. Grants ranged from $500 to $1,437,696, with a median of $7,312.
The largest 2024 grants included $1,437,696 to the Global Down Syndrome Foundation; $965,780 to the Denver Film Society; $847,016 to Children’s Hospital Colorado; and $750,000 to the University of Colorado Foundation. Other notable awards were $275,282 to Denver Health & Hospitals for Down syndrome medical care, $149,194 to Regis University, and $109,700 to the Denver Art Museum.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John J Sie as trustee and Michelle Sie Whitten as ED.
The Anna and John J Sie Foundation is led by Michelle Sie Whitten, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; all 2 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michelle Sie Whitten
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$126K (2020) → $138K (2024)
John J. Sie
Trustee
On filings since 2020
25 hrs/week
$12K (2020) → $12K (2024)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Anna M. Sie (2020–2023) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $138K, to Michelle Sie Whitten (Ed). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Anna and John J Sie Foundation
How much does The Anna and John J Sie Foundation give each year?
The Anna and John J Sie Foundation gave $5.1M across 52 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $3.1M across 57 grants.
What is The Anna and John J Sie Foundation's typical grant size?
The Anna and John J Sie Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $7,313, and its average grant was $97,559, across 52 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Anna and John J Sie Foundation that year got $16K on average.
Where does The Anna and John J Sie Foundation give grants?
The Anna and John J Sie Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (23 grants), Englewood, CO (2 grants), Seattle, WA (2 grants) and Lakewood, CO (2 grants).
Does The Anna and John J Sie Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 52 grants with a stated purpose on The Anna and John J Sie Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are The Anna and John J Sie Foundation's largest grantees?
The Anna and John J Sie Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Global Down Syndrome Foundation ($1,437,696), Denver Film Society ($965,780) and Children's Hospital Colorado ($847,016), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Anna and John J Sie Foundation?
The Anna and John J Sie Foundation reported $38.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Anna and John J Sie Foundation fund?
The foundation’s own mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants supported organizations with varied missions. The Global Down Syndrome Foundation says its mission is to improve the lives of people with Down syndrome through research, medical care, education, and advocacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Anna and John J Sie 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 The Anna and John J Sie Foundation's EIN?
The Anna and John J Sie Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-6058353. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Anna and John J Sie 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
(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). The Anna and John J Sie Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-anna-and-john-j-sie-foundation-morg_39b7d92087b0419a96548819a1ac6f0c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_836058353_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Anna and John J Sie Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-anna-and-john-j-sie-foundation-morg_39b7d92087b0419a96548819a1ac6f0c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 The Anna and John J Sie 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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