The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc
The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Denver, Colorado. Created in 1952 and financed by Ensign-Bickford Industries and its subsidiaries, it supports causes in communities where the company and its employees live and work, with a particular emphasis on education and the environment.
The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc gave $215K across 49 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), top state Minnesota. 48% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $215,425
- -42.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 49
- -32.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,396
- -13.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $900
- Total assets
- $5,142,512
- +10.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 48% first-time grantees (19 of 40, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Minnesota (32% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc
- Contact
Application contact: Nancy Hegele
Mailing address: 999 17Th Street Suite 900, Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 583-1355
Website: https://www.e-bfoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc
Who The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Scholarship America Inc ($70K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $182K.
Grant Size Distribution
423 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 416 grants of 423 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes its support as serving communities where the company and its employees live and work. In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to Minnesota (32%), Connecticut (28%), Illinois (14%), Missouri (13%), and Maine (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 49 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
48%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 19 of 40 grantees (48%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 52% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 86% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $215K (2025) to $549K (2023). In 2025 it made 49 grants totaling $215K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Scholarship America Inc Saint Peter, MN | College Scholarships | $60,000 |
| Connecticut Science Center Harford, CT | Education Support | $30,000 |
| Society of Women Engineers Chicago, IL | Education Support | $30,000 |
| Foundation for Portland Public Schools Portland, ME | Education Support | $17,000 |
| Southside Early Childhood Education Center St. Louis, MO | Education Support | $10,000 |
| Colchester Alternative School-Age Total Learning Experience Inc Castle Inc Colchester, CT | Education Support | $5,000 |
| Community Foundation of the Ozarks Springfield, MO | General Operation Support | $5,000 |
| Junior Achievement of Southwest New England Hartford, CT | Education Support | $5,000 |
| Scholarship America Inc Saint Peter, MN | College Scholarships | $5,000 |
| Scholarship America Inc Saint Peter, MN | College Scholarships | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,142,512 | $77,302 | $231,501 | $215,425 | 49 | $215,425 | $77,302 | $251,082 |
| 2024 | $4,645,441 | $76,584 | $390,157 | $372,664 | 73 | $372,664 | $76,584 | $228,530 |
| 2023 | $4,172,754 | $65,273 | $561,367 | $548,562 | 94 | $548,562 | $65,273 | $206,158 |
| 2022 | $3,833,329 | $64,976 | $456,497 | $446,731 | 119 | $446,731 | $64,976 | $183,055 |
| 2021 | $5,164,504 | $65,805 | $447,535 | $438,975 | 88 | $438,975 | $65,805 | $251,433 |
| 2020 | $4,426,550 | $68,211 | $510,492 | $499,482 | 131 | — | $68,211 | $218,218 |
| 2019 | $4,257,801 | $1,064,922 | $464,380 | $404,120 | 126 | — | $64,922 | $208,890 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $251K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website says it believes the company’s success is interwoven with the health, education, and prosperity of the community. Its guidelines identify six areas for grants: education and environment, which are priority areas; health and welfare; local and civic projects; economics and humanities; and arts and culture. Eligible organizations must be designated 501(c)(3) by the IRS. The guidelines also exclude grants to individuals and to religious organizations whose programs benefit only members of one religious group.
Grants listed for 2025 include support for education, college scholarships, general operations, and behavioral health services. Among the grantees, the Society of Women Engineers says its mission is to advance women in engineering and leadership and demonstrate the value of diversity. The Connecticut Science Center describes its mission as inspiring lifelong learning through interactive science experiences. The Foundation for Portland Public Schools says it works to increase educational opportunities, achievement, and equity. The Community Foundation of the Ozarks describes its work as enhancing quality of life through resource development, grantmaking, collaboration, and public leadership. Junior Achievement of Southwest says it educates students about workforce readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. The Village for Families and Children says it works to build strong, healthy families through adoption, treatment, and family and community support.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 49 grants totaling $215,425. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $60,000, with a median of $900. The largest listed grant was $60,000 to Scholarship America for college scholarships. Other large grants included $30,000 each to the Connecticut Science Center and the Society of Women Engineers, and $17,000 to the Foundation for Portland Public Schools, all reported as education support.
The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It reports no formal application for its grant program; grants are selected internally according to the company’s strategic and philanthropic goals each year. If selected, a grantee must provide its organizational name, address, tax ID, and an ACH deposit form. Grant awards are limited to qualified tax-exempt organizations and must comply with board-approved eligibility and funding guidelines.
The filing also describes a separate scholarship program for eligible dependents of Ensign-Bickford Industries and subsidiaries, with an online application, current transcript, and SAT/ACT scores if those scores are not included on the transcript. It lists May 30 as the scholarship deadline; that date has passed for 2026. Employee matching gifts are a separate program for eligible employees, require an internal company electronic application and donation documentation, and have a stated deadline of the first week in December.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Frederick Lovejoy III and Bradley L Ellis II as members; DWMANN as president; CM Verschelden as secretary; Robert J Martin as treasurer; and Natalie Hess as vice president.
The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc is led by Dwmann, President on the 2025 filing; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Dwmann
President
New on the 2025 filing
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bradley L. Ellis II
Member
On filings since 2023
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cm Verschelden
Secretary
On filings since 2024
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Frederick Lovejoy III
Member
On filings since 2024
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Natalie Hess
Vice President
New on the 2025 filing
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert J. Martin
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (18)
- Former: Kelly Frauenknecht (2019–2024) — Member
- Former: Kimberly A. Hendricks (2020–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Andrew C. Pliner (2022–2024) — President
- Former: Mercedes G. Pineda (2024) — Member
- Former: Brendan Kehoe (2019–2023) — Member
- Former: Chad Thompson (2019–2023) — Member
- Former: William M. Welch (2019–2023) — Member
- Former: Ted Lovejoy (2022–2023) — Chairman
- Former: Matthew P. Lewis (2023) — Secretary
- Former: Brendan M. Walsh (2019–2022) — Member
- Former: Dorothy Hammett (2019–2022) — Member
- Former: Jared Lozo (2019–2022) — Vice President
- Former: Thomas J. Perlitz (2019–2022) — President
- Former: Andy Pliner (2019–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Cameron Moyer (2019–2021) — Member
- Former: Joseph E. Lovejoy (2019–2021) — Chairman
- Former: Kiel Davis (2019–2020) — Officer
- Former: David Demeo (2019) — Officer
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc
How much does The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc give each year?
The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc gave $215K across 49 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $373K across 73 grants.
What is The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $900, and its average grant was $4,396, across 49 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc give grants?
The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc's top state is Minnesota, with 32% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Connecticut (28%) and Illinois (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Bloomfield, CT (5 grants), Hartford, CT (4 grants), Saint Peter, MN (3 grants) and Harford, CT (2 grants).
Does The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 20% of The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 49) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Education Support" (16 grants), "Food Pantry Support" (5 grants) and "College Scholarships" (5 grants).
Who are The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Scholarship America Inc ($70,000 across 3 grants), Connecticut Science Center ($30,225 across 3 grants) and Society of Women Engineers ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc?
The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc reported $5.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $215K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $251K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s website says it believes the company’s success is interwoven with the health, education, and prosperity of the community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc?
The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check e-bfoundation.com for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-6041097. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS September 4, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ensign-bickford-foundation-inc-morg_eab7cabe9fb141659d2409a536aad48c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_066041097_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ensign-bickford-foundation-inc-morg_eab7cabe9fb141659d2409a536aad48c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Ensign-Bickford Foundation Inc'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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