The Colorado Trust
The Colorado Trust is a private foundation based in Denver, Colorado. It partners with organizations statewide to advance health equity and the health and well-being of Coloradans through direct services, public education, policy advocacy and efforts to promote systemic change.
The Colorado Trust at a glance
In short: The Colorado Trust gave $28.8M across 2 grants in 2024 (avg $14.4M), mostly in Colorado. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $28,773,733
- +38.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 2
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $14,386,867
- +38.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $14,386,867
- Total assets
- $548,027,277
- +3.1% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Colorado (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Colorado Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The Trust states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. When a competitive opportunity is available, it posts an RFP or RFA with instructions and deadlines on its website. Applications are submitted through its grants portal. Indirect costs should not exceed 10 percent. The Trust does not fund political campaigns or voter registration drives, operating deficits, or debt retirement.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3660 Blake St Ste 800, Denver, CO 80205
Phone: (303) 837-1200
Website: https://coloradotrust.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from The Colorado Trust
Accessing Healthy Foods
The Colorado Trust
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Building Food Systems
The Colorado Trust
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Colorado Trust Event Sponsorships Grant
The Colorado Trust
Amount
Up to US $5,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who The Colorado Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was See Detail of Recipients ($28.8M). Together the top 2 received $28.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
432 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 375 grants of 432 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Trust describes its partnerships and grantmaking as statewide in Colorado. Its 2024 reported grant dollars were entirely directed to recipients in Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 2 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Colorado Trust gives
- Giving grew 86% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 143% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $15.4M (2021) to $28.8M (2024). In 2024 it made 2 grants totaling $28.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| See Detail of Recipients Denver, CO | See Detailed Attachment | $28,773,031 |
| Charitable Contribution from Pass Through Entities Denver, CO | General Support | $702 |
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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 | $548,027,277 | $37,563,966 | $44,821,827 | $28,773,733 | 2 | $38,518,398 | $37,400,363 | $26,960,187 |
| 2023 | $531,367,157 | $28,418,812 | $43,435,122 | $20,716,811 | 2 | $36,224,493 | $19,187,312 | $24,802,742 |
| 2022 | $527,755,649 | $11,676,969 | $39,046,982 | $17,506,947 | 2 | $38,581,320 | $13,218,685 | $29,450,417 |
| 2021 | $617,176,862 | $63,819,774 | $36,064,209 | $15,440,346 | 2 | $36,867,268 | $57,250,819 | $28,302,461 |
| 2020 | $560,209,614 | $33,250,092 | $28,629,200 | $15,736,319 | 424 | — | $26,560,925 | $24,825,870 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Colorado Trust reported a distributable amount of $27.0M 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 Trust’s mission is to advance the health and well-being of the people of Colorado. Its 2024–26 strategic plan identifies food, housing, and mental and behavioral health as focus areas.
Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) organizations classified as “not a private foundation” under Section 509(a), independent projects sponsored by a 501(c)(3), government and public agencies, and tribal nations. The Trust’s grant resources also describe its recipients as including public charities, churches, units of tribal, state and local governments, educational institutions, and fiscally sponsored groups.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Trust reported two grants totaling $28,773,733. The listed grants ranged from $702 to $28,773,031, with a median of $14,386,866. The largest was reported to “SEE DETAIL OF RECIPIENTS” in Denver, with the purpose listed as “SEE DETAILED ATTACHMENT.” The other was a $702 charitable contribution from pass-through entities in Denver for general support.
The Trust’s Community Resilience Initiatives are three-year investments organized into seven competitive initiatives addressing food, housing, and mental and behavioral health. The Trust also currently lists event sponsorships of up to $5,000 for qualifying events aligned with its health-equity vision. Separately, its 2024 filing describes a low-interest-rate loan to the Montbello Organizing Committee to support economic community development in Montbello.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
The Colorado Trust is led by Don Mares, President & CEO since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 15 of 16 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Don Mares
President & CEO
Trustee → President & CEO, 2022
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$25K (2020) → $530K (2024)
Betty Velasquez
Chair
Trustee → Chair Elect, 2022
Chair Elect → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
$29K (2020) → $34K (2024)
Louise Westfall
Trustee
Chair Elect → Chair, 2022
Chair → Trustee, 2024
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
$23K (2020) → $29K (2024)
Brandy Reitter
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1.5 hrs/week
$35K (2022) → $29K (2024)
Christine Marquez-Hudson
Trustee
On filings since 2022
1.5 hrs/week
$36K (2022) → $29K (2024)
Donald Nease
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
1.5 hrs/week
$29K (2024)
Ty Coleman
Trustee
New on the 2024 filing
1.5 hrs/week
$29K (2024)
Brenda J. Allen
Secretary
Trustee → Treasurer, 2021
Treasurer → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
$22K (2020) → $29K (2024)
Jack Blumenthal
Community Member
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
$2K (2020) → $2K (2024)
Tim Shultz
Chair Elect
Trustee → Chair Elect, 2024
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
$23K (2020) → $29K (2024)
Wendy Dominguez
Treasurer
Trustee → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
1.5 hrs/week
$22K (2020) → $29K (2024)
Monalisa Olarte
Vice President & CFO
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$263K (2022) → $304K (2024)
Sam Masoudi
Community Member
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
$2K (2022) → $2K (2024)
Tony Vu
Community Member
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
$2K (2022) → $1K (2024)
James Stanford Willie
Community Member
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
$2K (2023) → $2K (2024)
Todd Rubright
Community Member
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Warren Johnson MD (2020–2023) — Trustee
- Former: Randall Baum (2020–2022) — Community Member
- Former: Danielle R Shoots LEFT (2022) — Vice President & CFO
- Former: Bruce N Calonge MD (2020–2021) — President & CEO
- Former: Danielle R Shoots (2020–2021) — Vice President & CFO
- Former: Kathleen Lutito (2020–2021) — Community Member
- Former: Kent Muckel (2020–2021) — Community Member
- Former: Alan Synn (2020) — Trustee
- Former: Colleen Schwarz (2020) — Trustee
- Former: John Hopkins (2020) — Chair
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 $530K, to Don Mares (President and CEO). 15 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Colorado Trust
How much does The Colorado Trust give each year?
The Colorado Trust gave $28.8M across 2 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $20.7M across 2 grants.
How large is The Colorado Trust?
The Colorado Trust reported $548.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $38.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $27.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Colorado Trust fund?
The Trust’s mission is to advance the health and well-being of the people of Colorado. Its 2024–26 strategic plan identifies food, housing, and mental and behavioral health as focus areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Colorado Trust?
The Trust states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does The Colorado Trust make grants?
The Trust describes its partnerships and grantmaking as statewide in Colorado. Its 2024 reported grant dollars were entirely directed to recipients in Colorado.
What is The Colorado Trust's EIN?
The Colorado Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-0994055. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Colorado Trust 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Colorado Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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