The Denver Foundation is a community foundation headquartered in Denver, Colorado, established in 1925. As a 501(c)(3) public charity, the organization serves as a philanthropic institution dedicated to strengthening the greater Denver metropolitan area through strategic grantmaking and resource mobilization.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.3B
+8.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$131.7M
+0.4% YoY
Grant Count
1,184
+2.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$111K
-2.1% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Denver Foundation's mission is to inspire people and mobilize resources to strengthen the community. The organization was created by community leaders who recognized that community needs are constantly evolving and sought to provide succeeding generations with resources to address future challenges.
Primary funding areas include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Community development and policy change
Grantmaking
The Denver Foundation operates multiple grantmaking programs:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Denver Foundation primarily funds organizations in the seven-county metro Denver area. However, donor-advised funds can make grants to any U.S.-based charity or foreign equivalent. The foundation's grantmaking extends to Colorado, California, and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $1,322,643,652 (2024)
Annual Revenue: $208,259,786 (2024)
Annual Expenses: $161,755,855 (2024)
Workforce: 68 employees (2024)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,322,643,652 | $1,218,743,437 | $1,150,464,668 |
| Revenue | $208,259,786 | $108,742,732 | $137,620,038 |
| Expenses | $161,755,855 | $157,373,207 | $132,117,361 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $64,032,761 | $29,960,583 | $29,286,072 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
200 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
50 open opportunities from The Denver Foundation
Alexander Brown Memorial Scholarship (UA1) Grant
THE DENVER FOUNDATION
Amount
US $1,000 - US $6,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Alma M. Poe Scholarship (UA2) Grant
THE DENVER FOUNDATION
Amount
Approximately US $2,500
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ambassador Scholarship Grant
THE DENVER FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Dace West: Chief Impact Officer
- Javier Alberto Soto: Listed as associated with the organization
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALISHA BROWN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| LISA ZUNIGA RAMIREZ | CHAIR | 2 | — |
| PETER J KIRSCH | VICE-CHAIR | 2 | — |
| MIRA J FINE | TREASURER | 2 | — |
| SEAN C KENNEY | SECRETARY | 2 | — |
| JOHN LOEWY | IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR | 2 | — |
| MICHELLE ADAMS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DAMON O BARRY | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MARGARET DEANE FRANKO | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JOSEPH GARCIA | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KELLY JEAN BROUGH | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JENNIFER M KILPELA | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ERIKA REYES MARTINEZ | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MARK NEWHOUSE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| LEE E REICHERT | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JULIE REISKIN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| KAREN M ROBINSON | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| SIMONE D ROSS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| BRENNA SIMMONS-ST ONGE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| JAVIER A SOTO | PRESIDENT | 45 | $490,058 |
| MARGARET DANUSER | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 45 | $229,586 |
| COURTNEY CLAPP | INTERIM CFO (THRU 2/5/24), TREASURY MANAGER | 20 | $125,085 |
| DACE WEST-SCHLUE | CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER | 45 | $245,930 |
| LADAWN SULLIVAN | EXEC. DIR. OF BLACK RESILIENCE OF CO | 45 | $153,259 |
| BRIAN VAN VLEET | SEN. DIR., INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY | 45 | $131,923 |
| BENJAMIN PERRY | SEN. DIR., PHILANTHROPIC INVESTMENT | 45 | $130,675 |
| SHARON HARPER | SENIOR DIRECTOR OF SCHOLARSHIPS | 45 | $139,577 |
| ABIGAIL KESNER | VP OF COMMUNICATION | 45 | $151,421 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**January 2026**: The Denver Foundation awarded $387,500 to 18 organizations working on policy change through the Civic Fabric Fund.
The Denver Foundation awards $387,500 to 18 organizations working on policy**November 2025**: The Denver Foundation awarded $6.1 million in community grants.
The Denver Foundation awards $387,500 to 18 organizations working on policy**2024**: The foundation distributed 3,635 grants from donor-advised funds and supported 1,131 students through 84 scholarship programs across 119 schools.
The Denver Foundation awards $6.1M in community grants - Denver FoundationSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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