The Esther Foundation
The Esther Foundation is a private foundation based in Denver, Colorado. In its 2024 filing, it reported 11 grants totaling $197,800 to charitable organizations.
The Esther Foundation at a glance
In short: The Esther Foundation gave $198K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $18K), mostly in Colorado. 18% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $197,800
- -62.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- -15.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $17,982
- -56.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $2,407,996
- +79.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (2 of 11, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (71% 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 Esther Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 8181 E Tufts Ave Suite 600, Denver, CO 80237
Phone: (303) 708-5959
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Esther Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Ace Scholarships ($110K). Together the top 10 received $198K.
Grant Size Distribution
58 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 49 grants of 58 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, recipients in Colorado received 71% of grant dollars, followed by recipients in Hawaii (15%), Wisconsin (8%), and California (6%). These shares describe the locations of that year’s recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Esther Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 11 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 45% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+5%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 104% 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 $189K (2021) to $533K (2023). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $198K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ace Scholarships Greenwood Village, CO | Charitable Contribution | $110,000 |
| Athletes in Action Colorado Springs, CO | Charitable Contribution | $15,000 |
| Hope Chapel Maui Kihei, HI | Charitable Contribution | $15,000 |
| Intervarsity Madison, WI | Charitable Contribution | $15,000 |
| Vertical Sports Maui Kihei, HI | Charitable Contribution | $15,000 |
| Young Life Steamboat Steamboat Springs, CO | Charitable Contribution | $10,000 |
| Los Angeles Opera Los Angeles, CA | Charitable Contribution | $7,500 |
| Hope Without Boundaries Solana Beach, CA | Charitable Contribution | $5,000 |
| Cherry Hills Community Church Highlands Ranch, CO | Charitable Contribution | $2,500 |
| Focus on the Family Colorado Springs, CO | Charitable Contribution | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Esther 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 | $2,407,996 | $1,580,277 | $327,971 | $197,800 | 11 | $197,800 | $1,917,239 | $189,444 |
| 2023 | $1,344,427 | $-797,305 | $625,845 | $533,260 | 13 | $533,260 | — | $179,652 |
| 2022 | $2,745,615 | $-507,896 | $453,935 | $319,750 | 12 | $319,750 | $223,191 | $270,078 |
| 2021 | $3,928,959 | $1,082,703 | $305,352 | $188,970 | 11 | $188,970 | $659,208 | $251,052 |
| 2020 | $3,279,535 | $-1,303,485 | $252,734 | $211,000 | 11 | — | — | $173,214 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Esther Foundation reported a distributable amount of $189K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 11 grants totaling $197,800. Grant amounts ranged from $300 to $110,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest grants included $110,000 to ACE Scholarships; $15,000 each to Athletes in Action, Hope Chapel Maui, InterVarsity, and Vertical Sports Maui; and $10,000 to Young Life Steamboat. Each was listed as a charitable contribution.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
R Scot Sellers was listed as Director & President on the 2024 filing.
The Esther Foundation is led by R. Scot Sellers, Director & President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
R. Scot Sellers
Director & President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Esther Foundation
How much does The Esther Foundation give each year?
The Esther Foundation gave $198K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $533K across 13 grants.
What is The Esther Foundation's typical grant size?
The Esther Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $17,982, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Esther Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Esther Foundation give grants?
The Esther Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 71% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Hawaii (15%) and Wisconsin (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kihei, HI (2 grants) and Colorado Springs, CO (2 grants).
Who are The Esther Foundation's largest grantees?
The Esther Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Ace Scholarships ($110,000), Athletes in Action ($15,000) and Hope Chapel Maui ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Esther Foundation?
The Esther Foundation reported $2.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $198K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $189K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
How do I apply for a grant from The Esther Foundation?
The foundation 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 ↑
What is The Esther Foundation's EIN?
The Esther Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1523209. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Esther 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 Esther Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-esther-foundation-morg_418fee6c048c4d03a4770f2339039a98
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_841523209_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Esther Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-esther-foundation-morg_418fee6c048c4d03a4770f2339039a98},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Esther 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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