The Ball Foundation
The Ball Foundation is a private foundation based in Broomfield, Colorado. It supports specific projects and programs, with stated priorities that include recycling education and disaster relief and preparedness; another description of its grantmaking also identifies STEM education.
The Ball Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ball Foundation gave $1.6M across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $134K), mostly in Colorado. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,607,500
- -9.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +33.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $133,958
- -32.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $51,250
- Total assets
- $29,078,105
- -2.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (4 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (50% 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 Ball Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Submit an application online through the Ball Foundation portal. The filing lists annual deadlines on the second Friday in May and the third Friday in September. Its stated 2025 deadlines, May 16 and September 19, have passed.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists the second Friday in May and the third Friday in September annually; the 2025 dates it specifies have passed.
- Deadline
- The filing lists the second Friday in May and the third Friday in September annually; the 2025 dates it specifies have…
- Contact
Application contact: Jessica Leary
Mailing address: 9200 W 108Th Cir, Westminster, CO 80021
Phone: (303) 460-3613
Email: ben.roberts@ball.com
Website: https://playballfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ball Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was GlobalGiving Foundation ($400K). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
69 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 25 grants of 69 (36%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that 50% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado, 25% to Pennsylvania, 12% to Virginia, 8% to New Hampshire, and 3% to Iowa. The listed grants also included a $25,000 award to National Children’s Museum in Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Ball Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 12 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $94K; repeat grants $154K. How we count
Medians: $80K first-time, $51K repeat.
- 33% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 76% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 137% 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 $912K (2021) to $3.9M (2022). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| GlobalGiving Foundation Arvada, CO | General Purpose | $400,000 |
| EverFi Inc Pittsburgh, PA | General Purpose | $400,000 |
| CANd AID Foundation Longmont, CO | General Purpose | $250,000 |
| JASON Learning Ashburn, VA | General Purpose | $200,000 |
| First Robotics National Manchester, NH | General Purpose | $135,000 |
| Childrens Museum of Denver Denver, CO | General Purpose | $52,500 |
| American Red Cross Boone, IA | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Front Range Community College Westminster, CO | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| National Childrens Museum Washington, DC | General Purpose | $25,000 |
| Community Food Share Louisville, CO | General Purpose | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ball 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $29,078,105 | $1,169,496 | $1,990,738 | $1,607,500 | 12 | $1,977,079 | $1,166,215 | $1,438,115 |
| 2023 | $29,899,347 | $945,422 | $1,906,112 | $1,784,500 | 9 | $1,894,812 | $943,122 | $1,479,642 |
| 2022 | $30,860,037 | $30,303,718 | $3,908,310 | $3,896,000 | 18 | $3,896,000 | $318,608 | $1,285,398 |
| 2021 | $4,464,629 | $96,511 | $913,475 | $911,500 | 12 | $911,500 | $136,353 | $235,052 |
| 2020 | $5,281,593 | $65,859 | $987,629 | $980,000 | 18 | — | $190,413 | $280,329 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ball Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
A description of the Ball Foundation identifies it as a philanthropic arm working to “build a better world.” Its stated areas of support include recycling, disaster relief and preparedness, and STEM education. The foundation says it focuses on specific, measurable projects and programs.
The 2024 grantees included organizations with varied missions. JASON Learning describes its mission as inspiring and educating children and educators through real science and exploration. The Children’s Museum of Denver says it creates experiences that champion childhood wonder and joy. National Children’s Museum says it aims to inspire children to care about and change the world, including through S.T.E.A.M. learning. A Precious Child says it provides children in need with opportunities and resources, while Community Food Share says it works to eliminate hunger in Boulder and Broomfield counties.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 12 grants totaling $1,607,500. Grants ranged from $15,000 to $400,000, with a median of $51,250. The largest grants were $400,000 each to GlobalGiving Foundation and EverFi Inc, followed by $250,000 to CANd AID Foundation, $200,000 to JASON Learning, and $135,000 to First Robotics National. The listed purposes for these grants were “General Purpose.”
The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applications are submitted online through the Ball Foundation portal. The filing identifies recycling education and disaster relief and preparedness as priority areas and says the foundation favors specific, measurable projects and programs over broad sponsorships.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Daniel Fisher as president; Deron Goodwin as treasurer secretary; Bradford Walton as executive officer; and Courtney Reynolds, Carey Causey, Stacy Panayiotou, and Howard Yu as directors.
The Ball Foundation is led by Daniel Fisher, President on every filing since 2022; none of the 7 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Daniel Fisher
President
On filings since 2022
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carey Causey
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Courtney Reynolds
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Howard Yu
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stacy Panayiotou
Director
New on the 2024 filing
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bradford Walton
Executive Officer
On filings since 2022
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deron Goodwin
Treasurer Secretary
On filings since 2022
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Jeffrey A. Knobel (2020–2021) — Secretary, Treasurer & Director
- Former: John A. Hayes (2020–2021) — President & Director
- Former: Scott C. Morrison (2020–2021) — Vice President & Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Ball Foundation
How much does The Ball Foundation give each year?
The Ball Foundation gave $1.6M across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.8M across 9 grants.
What is The Ball Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ball Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $51,250, and its average grant was $133,958, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ball Foundation that year got $94K on average.
Where does The Ball Foundation give grants?
The Ball Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (25%) and Virginia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (2 grants).
Does The Ball Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Ball Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Ball Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ball Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include GlobalGiving Foundation ($400,000), EverFi Inc ($400,000) and CANd AID Foundation ($250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 65% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Ball Foundation?
The Ball Foundation reported $29.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Ball Foundation fund?
A description of the Ball Foundation identifies it as a philanthropic arm working to “build a better world.” Its stated areas of support include recycling, disaster relief and preparedness, and STEM education. The foundation says it focuses on specific, measurable projects and programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ball Foundation?
Submit an application online through the Ball Foundation portal. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Ball Foundation's EIN?
The Ball Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-4099620. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Ball Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ball Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ball-foundation-morg_cccc132996ae4623b82bf05a7f37c6a8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_274099620_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ball Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ball-foundation-morg_cccc132996ae4623b82bf05a7f37c6a8},
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 The Ball 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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