ZOMA Foundation Inc is a private grantmaking foundation based in Denver, Colorado, established in January 2018. As a 501(c)(3) organization, the foundation operates as a private foundation focused on philanthropic grantmaking and voluntarism. The foundation uses philanthropy as a catalytic tool to support communities in exploring traditional and non-traditional methods, piloting new models, and incubating place-based approaches that can scale and replicate in service of strengthening social and economic systems.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$529.5M
+4.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$23.0M
+124.0% YoY
Grant Count
45
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$512K
+124.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Zoma Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $26.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission centers on building resilient, thriving communities in Colorado and Chile through strategic philanthropic investment.
Colorado Focus Areas:
Early Childhood Development — Working across five Metro-Denver counties (Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, and Jefferson) with a focus on conception to age five, including:
- Perinatal Mental Health: Raising the standard of mental health screening and care from conception through twelve months postpartum to support critical parent-child bonding and optimal social and emotional development
- Child Maltreatment Prevention and Care: Expanding preventative strategies to reduce child maltreatment and increasing access to services that support healing
- Parent Awareness: Improving access to quality resources, affordable services, and support to help parents understand their child's development
Workforce Development — Reconnecting the education system with the labor market, supporting development of affordable and valuable career pathways that provide job-relevant skills
Community Economic Development — Supporting rural communities across Colorado in developing approaches that leverage local assets to catalyze economic opportunities and serve as replicable models
Chile Focus Areas:
The foundation also maintains philanthropic work in Chile, though specific program details are not detailed in available sources.
Grantmaking
Primary funding focuses on Education, Philanthropy/Voluntarism & Grantmaking, and Human Services, with particular emphasis on STEM education, science teachers, and wildlife grants.
Grant Range
s and Distribution:**
Average Grant
amount: Data not specified in sources
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's primary geographic focus areas are:
- Colorado — Specifically five Metro-Denver counties (Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, and Jefferson) for early childhood development work, and rural communities across Colorado for community economic development initiatives
- Virginia
- District of Columbia
- Chile — Secondary geographic focus area for systemic solutions
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets and Giving (2024):
- Total Assets: $529,458,258
- Total Giving: $23,027,286
- Total Revenue: $5,380,000
- Total Expenses: $28,900,000
- Total Liabilities: $0
Assets and Giving (2023):
- Total Assets: $526,000,000
- Total Distributions: $20,000,000
- Contributions: $1,800,000
The foundation maintains substantial assets with significant annual grantmaking activity, demonstrating capacity for major philanthropic investments.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $529,458,258 | $504,557,339 | $513,543,344 |
| Revenue | $5,376,616 | $7,139,327 | $-6,502,322 |
| Expenses | $28,942,330 | $17,294,533 | $13,627,817 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $30,943,070 | $20,066,180 | $11,169,054 |
| Net Investment Income | $10,628,152 | $8,715,158 | $6,697,842 |
| Distributable Amount | $26,117,354 | $20,064,011 | $30,082,217 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
240 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include The Nature Conservancy ($9,500,000), The Nature Conservancy ($7,000,000), High Line Canal Conservancy ($1,530,681).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ARAPAHOE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION LITTLETON, CO | TO SUPPORT THE COLORADO HEALTH CAREERS COLLABORATIVE, LED BY ARAPAHOE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF DENVER, WHICH BRINGS TOGETHER SOME OF COLORADO'S LARGEST HEALTH EMPLOYERS, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, AN INNOVATIVE COLORADO BASED INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN COMPANY, AND 7 RURAL AND URBAN K-12 SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO CO-CREATE EQUITABLE HEALTH CAREER PATHS FOR COLORADO YOUTH. | $425,363 |
| CAREERWISE DENVER, CO | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS | $50,000 |
| CITY YEAR INC DENVER, CO | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS | $100,000 |
| CLAYTON EARLY LEARNING DENVER, CO | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS | $50,000 |
| COLORADO CHILDREN'S CAMPAIGN INC DENVER, CO | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS | $50,000 |
| COLORADO EDUCATION INITIATIVE (CEI) DENVER, CO | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS | $50,000 |
| COLORADO EDUCATION INITIATIVE (CEI) DENVER, CO | TO SUPPORT STRATEGIC CAPACITY SUPPORT FOR COLORADO EDUCATION INITIATIVE'S CAREER-CONNECTING LEARNING. | $300,000 |
| COLORADO EDUCATION INITIATIVE (CEI) DENVER, CO | TO SUPPORT HOMEGROWN TALENT INITIATIVE, A JOINT EFFORT BETWEEN COLORADO EDUCATION INITIATIVE AND COLORADO SUCCEEDS TO DEVELOP CAREER-CONNECTED LEARNING EXPERIENCES FOR K-12 STUDENTS IN RURAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS COLORADO. | $240,000 |
| COLORADO ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY COLLABORATORY DENVER, CO | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS | $50,000 |
| COLORADO EQUITABLE ECONOMIC MOBILITY INITIATIVE (CEEMI) DENVER, CO | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS WITH A SPECIFIC FOCUS ON EVIDENCE-BASED WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES. | $50,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board and Key Personnel (as of 2023):
- Benjamin S. Walton — Director/Co-President
- Lucy Ana A. Walton — Director/Co-President
- Janna Williams — Treasurer
All listed leadership serve on a voluntary basis with no reported compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BENJAMIN S WALTON | DIRECTOR/ CO-PRESIDENT | 5 | — |
| LUCY ANA A WALTON | DIRECTOR/ CO-PRESIDENT | 5 | — |
| JANNA WILLIAMS | SECRETARY | 12 | — |
| ABRAHAM SHERMAN | TREASURER | 5 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has been active in several strategic initiatives:
**Climate Debt Swap Investment** — ZOMA Foundation invested $100 million in a climate debt swap initiative
**Maternal Mental Health Systems Change** — Awarded a multi-year grant to 2020 Mom to advance maternal mental health systems change
2020 Mom Receives Multi-Year Grant from the ZOMA Foundation to Advance Maternal**Outcomes Financing Fund** — Partnered with Maycomb Capital to launch a new fund designed to accelerate outcomes financing in Colorado
Maycomb Capital and ZOMA Foundation launch new fund to accelerate outcomesSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Zoma Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation's mission centers on building resilient, thriving communities in Colorado and Chile through strategic philanthropic investment. **Colorado Focus Areas:** **Early Childhood Development** — Working across five Metro-Denver counties (Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, and Jefferson) with a focus on conception to age five, including: • Perinatal Mental Health: Raising the standard of mental health screening and care from conception through twelve months postpartum to support critic…
How do I apply for a grant from Zoma Foundation Inc?
**Grant Sizes and Distribution:** • Total giving in 2024: $23,027,286 • Typical award range: $12,100 to $9,500,000 • Median grant amount: $75,000 • Average grant amount: Data not specified in sources • Grant count (2023): 45 grants **Grant Focus Areas:** Primary funding focuses on Education, Philanthropy/Voluntarism & Grantmaking, and Human Services, with particular emphasis on STEM education, science teachers, and wildlife grants.
Where does Zoma Foundation Inc make grants?
The foundation's primary geographic focus areas are: • **Colorado** — Specifically five Metro-Denver counties (Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, and Jefferson) for early childhood development work, and rural communities across Colorado for community economic development initiatives • **Virginia** • **District of Columbia** • **Chile** — Secondary geographic focus area for systemic solutions
What size grants does Zoma Foundation Inc award?
In 2024, Zoma Foundation Inc awarded 45 grants totaling $23.0M — an average of about $512K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Zoma Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Zoma Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $26.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Zoma Foundation Inc's EIN?
Zoma Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-4630003. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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