The Flunison Fund
The Flunison Fund is a private foundation based in Aspen, Colorado. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including education, food assistance, health services, environmental preservation, religion, and the arts.
The Flunison Fund at a glance
In short: The Flunison Fund gave $46K across 32 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), mostly in Colorado. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $46,200
- +12.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 32
- -3.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,444
- +15.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $750
- Total assets
- $283,535
- +0.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (2 of 32, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Flunison Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The fund makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 252 Heather Lane, Aspen, CO 81611
Phone: (970) 925-5996
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Flunison Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Holy Family Catholic School ($7K). Together the top 10 received $33K.
Grant Size Distribution
150 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 150 grants of 150 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado, 5% to New Jersey, 1% to Pennsylvania, and less than 1% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Flunison Fund open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 32 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $600; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $600 first-time, $750 repeat.
- 94% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+15%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $35K (2020) to $46K (2025). In 2025 it made 32 grants totaling $46K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Holy Family Catholic School Grand Junction, CO | Education | $7,000 |
| Grand Valley Catholic Outreach Grand Junction, CO | Feed Homeless | $5,000 |
| Aspen Community Foundation Basalt, CO | Feed Homeless | $5,000 |
| Vision Health International Grand Junction, CO | Medical Services | $4,100 |
| Aspen Journalism Aspen, CO | Education | $2,500 |
| Kids Aid Grand Junction, CO | Feed Children | $2,500 |
| Friends of St Bartholomew's Angelican Church Fair Haven, NJ | Religious | $2,000 |
| Wildernes Workshop Carbondale, CO | Preserve Environment | $2,000 |
| Art Base Basalt, CO | Art Education | $1,500 |
| Colorado West Land Trust GRND Junction, CO | Preserve Environment | $1,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $283,535 | $47,953 | $47,542 | $46,200 | 32 | $46,611 | $63,822 |
| 2024 | $283,124 | $46,934 | $42,692 | $41,150 | 33 | $45,392 | $62,492 |
| 2023 | $278,882 | $45,801 | $37,385 | $35,200 | 30 | $44,291 | $57,449 |
| 2022 | $270,466 | $44,247 | $41,646 | $40,300 | 27 | $42,901 | $72,442 |
| 2021 | $267,865 | $41,292 | $41,443 | $40,105 | 28 | $39,954 | $64,631 |
| 2020 | $268,016 | $39,579 | $36,525 | $35,100 | 30 | $38,154 | $61,212 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Flunison Fund reported a distributable amount of $64K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the fund itself is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations addressing a range of needs. For example, Grand Valley Catholic Outreach says it provides food, clothing, and shelter to people in need; Kids Aid says it provides meals to needy children in Mesa County; and Vision Health International says it brings eye care to underserved communities around the world.
Other supported organizations describe work in community philanthropy, investigative journalism, local history, and land conservation. Aspen Community Foundation says it connects donors to community needs and supports nonprofits. Aspen Journalism says it produces investigative journalism, while Aspen Historical Society says it preserves and communicates local history. Aspen Valley Land Trust says it protects open land and special places in its region.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund reported 32 grants totaling $46,200. Grants ranged from $100 to $7,000, with a median grant of $750. Notable grants included $7,000 to Holy Family Catholic School for education; $5,000 each to Grand Valley Catholic Outreach and Aspen Community Foundation for feeding the homeless; and $4,100 to Vision Health International for medical services. Other grants included $2,500 each to Aspen Journalism for education and Kids Aid for feeding children, and $2,000 to Friends of St Bartholomew's Angelican Church for religious purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Hugh D Wise III and Mary Wise as trustees.
The Flunison Fund's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Hugh D. Wise III
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mary Wise
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Flunison Fund
How much does The Flunison Fund give each year?
The Flunison Fund gave $46K across 32 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $41K across 33 grants.
What is The Flunison Fund's typical grant size?
The Flunison Fund's median grant in 2025 was $750, and its average grant was $1,444, across 32 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Flunison Fund that year got $600 on average.
Where does The Flunison Fund give grants?
The Flunison Fund gives mostly in Colorado: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Aspen, CO (11 grants), Grand Junction, CO (10 grants) and Basalt, CO (4 grants).
Does The Flunison Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 32 grants with a stated purpose on The Flunison Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (8 grants), "Preserve Environment" (5 grants) and "Feed Homeless" (3 grants).
Who are The Flunison Fund's largest grantees?
The Flunison Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Holy Family Catholic School ($7,000), Grand Valley Catholic Outreach ($5,000) and Aspen Community Foundation ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 37% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Flunison Fund?
The Flunison Fund reported $284K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $48K.
What does The Flunison Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund itself is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations addressing a range of needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Flunison Fund?
The fund makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is The Flunison Fund required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The Flunison Fund reported a distributable amount of $64K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Flunison Fund's EIN?
The Flunison Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 21-6016865. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Flunison Fund accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 19, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 8, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 1, 2026)
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Figures come from The Flunison Fund'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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