The Trio Foundation
The Trio Foundation is a private foundation based in Bellvue, Colorado. In 2024, it made 36 grants totaling $135,804 to charitable recipients, including organizations supporting education, families, youth, food, and environmental work.
The Trio Foundation at a glance
In short: The Trio Foundation gave $136K across 36 grants in 2024 (avg $4K), mostly in Colorado. 26% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $135,804
- +24.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 36
- +9.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,772
- +14.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $2,576,918
- +0.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (7 of 27, 2024)
- 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 Trio Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 6304 W County Road 50, Bellvue, CO 80512-5801
Phone: (970) 988-9582
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Trio Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Haitian Education and Leadership ($15K). Together the top 10 received $75K.
Organizations only. It also paid 9 individual scholarships ($29,449), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
134 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 134 grants of 134 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 78% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado. Other recipient-state shares were New York (11%), Indiana (4%), Connecticut (3%), and California (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 36 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Trio Foundation open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 27 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 74% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 72% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 108% 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 $53K (2020) to $136K (2024). In 2024 it made 36 grants totaling $136K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Haitian Education and Leadership New York, NY | Educational Scholarship | $15,000 |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of LC Fort Collins, CO | Operational Support | $10,000 |
| Center for Family Outreach Fort Collins, CO | Operational Support | $10,000 |
| Project Self-Sufficieny Loveland, CO | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Big City Mountaineers Arvada, CO | Program Support | $5,000 |
| Bird Conservancy of the Rockies Fort Collins, CO | Educational Program Support | $5,000 |
| Coalition for the Poudre River Wate Fort Collins, CO | Program Support | $5,000 |
| Food Bank of Larimer County Loveland, CO | Program Support | $5,000 |
| Iwin Foundation Indianapolis, IN | Program Support | $5,000 |
| Respite Care Fort Collins, CO | Program Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Trio 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 | $2,576,918 | $181,191 | $166,209 | $135,804 | 36 | $135,804 | $152,288 | $126,326 |
| 2023 | $2,553,866 | $-152,747 | $136,182 | $108,894 | 33 | $108,894 | $29,579 | $119,781 |
| 2022 | $2,360,945 | $68,312 | $148,066 | $116,906 | 28 | $116,906 | $39,902 | $124,946 |
| 2021 | $2,958,497 | $473,917 | $110,394 | $78,733 | 23 | $78,733 | $335,445 | $130,605 |
| 2020 | $2,618,747 | $827,323 | $75,302 | $52,619 | 14 | — | $270,626 | $85,960 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Trio Foundation reported a distributable amount of $126K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included educational scholarships, operational support, and program support. The grantees’ own descriptions show the range of work among recipients: Haitian Education and Leadership says its mission is to create a community of young professionals and leaders promoting a more just society in Haiti through merit- and need-based scholarships. The Center for Family Outreach describes its work as strengthening families through education, prevention, and early intervention, while Big City Mountaineers says it provides nature-based experiences for youth from disinvested communities.
Other 2024 recipients describe work including short-term care for children with developmental disabilities and respite for their families (Respite Care); empowering people to take ownership of the food cycle (Vindeket); and building diverse communities that care for the land (Wildlands Restoration Volunteers).
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 36 grants totaling $135,804. Grants ranged from $405 to $15,000, with a median of $2,500. The largest grants included $15,000 to Haitian Education and Leadership for an educational scholarship; $10,000 each to Boys and Girls Clubs of LC and the Center for Family Outreach for operational support, and to Project Self-Sufficiency for program support. Other grants of $5,000 included awards to Big City Mountaineers, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Coalition for the Poudre River Wate, Food Bank of Larimer County, IWIN Foundation, Respite Care, and Vindeket.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Joseph Basta and Melissa Basta as trustees.
The Trio Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Joseph Basta
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Melissa Basta
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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 Trio Foundation
How much does The Trio Foundation give each year?
The Trio Foundation gave $136K across 36 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $109K across 33 grants.
What is The Trio Foundation's typical grant size?
The Trio Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $3,772, across 36 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Trio Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Trio Foundation give grants?
The Trio 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 New York (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fort Collins, CO (11 grants), Loveland, CO (2 grants) and Norwich, CT (2 grants).
Does The Trio Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 8% of The Trio Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 36) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (17 grants) and "Scholarship" (9 grants).
Who are The Trio Foundation's largest grantees?
The Trio Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Haitian Education and Leadership ($15,000), Boys and Girls Clubs of LC ($10,000) and Center for Family Outreach ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 9 individual scholarships ($29,449), which are not listed by name. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Trio Foundation?
The Trio Foundation reported $2.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $136K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $126K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Trio Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included educational scholarships, operational support, and program support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Trio Foundation?
The foundation 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 Trio Foundation's EIN?
The Trio Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-0936849. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Trio 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 Trio Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-trio-foundation-morg_7af6bf96f02a42b3b78a0a13bbe15867
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_830936849_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Trio Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-trio-foundation-morg_7af6bf96f02a42b3b78a0a13bbe15867},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Trio 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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