Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation
The Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation is a private foundation based in Littleton, Colorado. It has provided scholarships and grants since 1938, supporting student financial assistance through colleges, universities, and hospitals, as well as the mineral economics program at Colorado School of Mines.
Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation at a glance
In short: Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation gave $308K across 32 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in Colorado. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $307,500
- +2.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 32
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,609
- +2.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,000
- Total assets
- $7,210,655
- +26.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 27, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (73% 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 Viola Vestal Coulter 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. Students must contact participating institutions, and sometimes specific departments, about scholarships; the Foundation does not accept scholarship applications directly from students. Scholarship recipients must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Since calendar year 2020, the Foundation’s policy is not to make grants where the school or college assesses management or similar fees on the grant amount, except nominal transfer fees.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4836 W Fair Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123
Phone: (303) 902-0989
Website: https://violavestalcoulterfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was CSM-Mem Chair Min Eco ($61K). Together the top 10 received $176K.
Organizations only. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($36,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
191 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 188 grants of 191 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 73% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado, 9% to Nevada, 6% to California, 6% to Washington, and 5% to Montana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 27 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. How we count
- 93% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+1%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 98% 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 (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 $300K (2023) to $314K (2022). In 2024 it made 32 grants totaling $308K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CSM-Mem Chair Min Eco Golden, CO | Award | $61,000 |
| UNR - Mackay Undergraduate Reno, NV | Scholarship | $21,000 |
| CSM-VVC Instructorship Golden, CO | Award | $16,000 |
| CSM-WJC Instructorship Golden, CO | Award | $16,000 |
| CSM-Student Health Cent Golden, CO | Award | $15,000 |
| Regis College Loretto Heights Denver, CO | Scholarship | $14,000 |
| CU-Coulter Health Science Denver, CO | Scholarship | $9,000 |
| National Jewish Hospital and Resear Denver, CO | Scholarship | $9,000 |
| CSM-Min Econ Prof Dev Golden, CO | Award | $7,500 |
| Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO | Scholarship | $7,000 |
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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 | $7,210,655 | $1,993,166 | $493,191 | $307,500 | 32 | $358,659 | $1,845,449 | $367,796 |
| 2023 | $5,695,447 | $367,607 | $465,203 | $299,500 | 32 | $352,114 | $271,146 | $352,934 |
| 2022 | $5,789,571 | $541,659 | $457,409 | $314,250 | 36 | $354,607 | $380,865 | $366,838 |
| 2021 | $5,708,886 | $693,111 | $455,623 | $303,500 | 45 | $350,055 | $524,631 | $397,550 |
| 2020 | $5,475,594 | $310,631 | $439,080 | $306,250 | 46 | — | $212,863 | $331,708 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation reported a distributable amount of $368K 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
The Foundation says it was established to help students achieve an education that would otherwise be financially impossible. Its scholarships and grants support study in mining, mineral economics, business, education, engineering, law, medical research, and nursing.
Scholarship funds are awarded by participating institutions, rather than directly by the Foundation to students. The Foundation also provides resources for the Colorado School of Mines Mineral Economics Chair and Health Center.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation made 32 grants totaling $307,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $61,000, with a median of $7,000. Among the largest were $61,000 to CSM-Mem Chair Min Eco in Golden, Colorado, for an award; $21,000 to UNR - Mackay Undergraduate in Reno, Nevada, for a scholarship; and $16,000 each to CSM-VVC Instructorship and CSM-WJC Instructorship in Golden, Colorado, for awards. Other notable grants included $15,000 to CSM-Student Health Cent in Golden for an award and $14,000 to Regis College Loretto Heights in Denver for a scholarship.
The Foundation’s website lists participating institutions and departments including Colorado School of Mines, Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Montana Technological University, New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology, UCLA School of Nursing, University of Colorado, University of Denver, and Washington State University.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The Foundation’s website lists Priscilla Barsotti as president and trustee; Pamela L. Saxton as vice president and trustee; Eric P. Turner as assistant vice president and trustee; J. Samuel Gutshall as treasurer and trustee; Gina Louise Gutshall Turner as secretary and trustee; and Judy G. Ward, Ellen M. Vestal, Nikki L. Carlson, and Ben K. Sparks as trustees. Ben K. Sparks is also identified as legal counsel.
Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation is led by Priscilla Barsotti, President & Trustee on every filing since 2020; 2 of 8 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Priscilla Barsotti
President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$14K (2020) → $23K (2024)
Pamela L Saxton
Vice President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$14K (2020) → $27K (2024)
Ben Sparks
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ellen M Vestal
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric P Turner
Assistant Vice President & Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J Samuel Gutshall
Treasurer & Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Judy G Ward
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gina Louise Turner
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Mary Lynne Gutshall Braun (2020–2023) — Secretary, Grants & Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $27K, to Pamela L Saxton (VP/Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation
How much does Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation give each year?
Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation gave $308K across 32 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $300K across 32 grants.
What is Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation's typical grant size?
Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $7,000, and its average grant was $9,609, across 32 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation give grants?
Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation gives mostly in Colorado: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Nevada (9%) and California (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (10 grants), Golden, CO (8 grants) and Reno, NV (2 grants).
Does Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 32 grants with a stated purpose on Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (25 grants) and "Award" (7 grants).
Who are Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation's largest grantees?
Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include CSM-Mem Chair Min Eco ($61,000), UNR - Mackay Undergraduate ($21,000) and CSM-VVC Instructorship ($16,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($36,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation?
Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation reported $7.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $359K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $368K (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 Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation fund?
The Foundation says it was established to help students achieve an education that would otherwise be financially impossible. Its scholarships and grants support study in mining, mineral economics, business, education, engineering, law, medical research, and nursing. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Viola Vestal Coulter 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 Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation's EIN?
Viola Vestal Coulter Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-6029641. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Viola Vestal Coulter 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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