The Peternell Family Foundation
The Peternell Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. In 2024, it reported making 13 grants totaling $165,000, supporting organizations working in areas including conservation, children’s programs, music education, community initiatives, and university programs.
The Peternell Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Peternell Family Foundation gave $165K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $13K), mostly in Colorado. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $165,000
- +3.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +18.2% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,692
- -12.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $3,197,679
- +21.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (3 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (78% 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 Peternell Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Peternell Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Trout Unlimited Inc ($30K). Together the top 10 received $162K.
Grant Size Distribution
58 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 58 grants of 58 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 78% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado and 18% to recipients in Washington, DC. Tennessee received 3% and North Carolina 0%, as reported in the grant-dollar distribution.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Peternell Family Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 12 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $17K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 75% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 21% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 114% 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 $135K (2020) to $165K (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $165K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Trout Unlimited Inc Washington, DC | Rio Grande Basin Improvement | $30,000 |
| Roundup River Ranch Gypsum, CO | General & Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Eagle Valley Land Trust Edwards, CO | General & Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| Inside the Orchestra Inc Aurora, CO | General & Unrestricted | $18,050 |
| University of Colorado Foundation Denver, CO | Crawford WHOLE Student Athlete | $17,000 |
| Vail Valley Foundation Inc Avon, CO | Youth Power 365 | $15,000 |
| Walking Mountains Avon, CO | General & Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| University of Colorado Foundation Denver, CO | Buff Club | $6,450 |
| Yampa Valley Community Foundation Steamboat Springs, CO | Soda Creek Elementary School | $5,000 |
| St Jude Childrens Research Hospital Inc Memphis, TN | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
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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 | $3,197,679 | $764,721 | $204,785 | $165,000 | 13 | $183,604 | $727,082 | $161,588 |
| 2023 | $2,637,743 | $104,773 | $191,068 | $159,000 | 11 | $176,534 | $91,139 | $154,269 |
| 2022 | $2,724,038 | $144,245 | $199,363 | $163,000 | 10 | $181,700 | $129,530 | $171,349 |
| 2021 | $2,766,156 | $177,764 | $174,260 | $136,500 | 12 | $156,083 | $161,787 | $183,732 |
| 2020 | $2,762,652 | $108,330 | $165,789 | $135,000 | 12 | — | $94,881 | $153,441 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Peternell Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $162K 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
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Roundup River Ranch says it offers free, medically supported camp programs for children with life-altering diagnoses and their families. Eagle Valley Land Trust says it protects land, scenic beauty, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitats. Inside the Orchestra says it brings music to children through engaging experiences with orchestral music.
Other 2024 recipients include the University of Colorado Foundation, which describes its role as receiving, managing, and investing philanthropic gifts for the University of Colorado; Vail Valley Foundation, which says it works to enhance quality of life through arts, athletics, and education; and Walking Mountains, which says it provides natural science education to inspire environmental stewardship and sustainability.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $165,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $30,000, with a median grant of $15,000. Notable grants included $30,000 to Trout Unlimited for Rio Grande Basin Improvement; $25,000 to Roundup River Ranch; $20,000 to Eagle Valley Land Trust; $18,050 to Inside the Orchestra; and $17,000 to the University of Colorado Foundation for Crawford WHOLE Student Athlete.
Other listed grants included $15,000 each to Vail Valley Foundation for Youth Power 365 and Walking Mountains; $6,450 to the University of Colorado Foundation for Buff Club; and $5,000 each to Yampa Valley Community Foundation for Soda Creek Elementary School, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Yampa Valley Sustainability Council.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ben C. Peternell as president, director, and secretary; Pamela Peternell as director and vice president; and Andrew Peternell, Jamie Peternell, and Mark A. Peternell as vice presidents.
The Peternell Family Foundation is led by Ben C Peternell, President, Director & Secretary on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ben C Peternell
President, Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pamela Peternell
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Peternell
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jamie Peternell
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark A Peternell
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Sara Delaney Peternell (2020–2022) — Vice President
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 Peternell Family Foundation
How much does The Peternell Family Foundation give each year?
The Peternell Family Foundation gave $165K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $159K across 11 grants.
What is The Peternell Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Peternell Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $12,692, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Peternell Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Peternell Family Foundation give grants?
The Peternell Family Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (3 grants) and Avon, CO (2 grants).
Does The Peternell Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 46% of The Peternell Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (6 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Peternell Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Peternell Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Trout Unlimited Inc ($30,000), Roundup River Ranch ($25,000) and University of Colorado Foundation ($23,450 across 2 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Peternell Family Foundation?
The Peternell Family Foundation reported $3.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $184K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $162K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Peternell Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Roundup River Ranch says it offers free, medically supported camp programs for children with life-altering diagnoses and their families. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Peternell Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 ↑
What is The Peternell Family Foundation's EIN?
The Peternell Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3864384. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Peternell Family 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
Live grants for the work The Peternell Family Foundation funds
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Peternell Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Peternell Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-peternell-family-foundation-morg_dbaf3db833d34c88864d510b404c61ab
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203864384_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Peternell Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-peternell-family-foundation-morg_dbaf3db833d34c88864d510b404c61ab},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Peternell Family 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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