Louis Calder Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your work centres on children in under-resourced communities, and especially on early literacy or on growing charter schools, the foundation's stated themes fit closely, with a stated preference for early-stage charter schools and emerging networks.
- Most of its grants fall between $2,250 and $400,000, and half are $150,000 or less, so a modest request in the lower part of that range is the most realistic; its largest grant was $1,000,000, so that band is typical rather than a ceiling.
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and the foundation invites funding requests, so you can submit at any time.
- Relationships appear to matter: 82% of its grant dollars to organisations in the filing went to groups it had funded in earlier filings, so building contact with the foundation before or alongside a request is worth the effort.
- No geographic focus is stated, although the filing shows grants mainly in Colorado, New York, California, Tennessee, Connecticut and the United States.
Overview
Louis Calder Foundation is a US private foundation based in Denver, CO.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Louis Calder Foundation invests in organisations that seek to provide high-quality learning opportunities for children in under-resourced communities. Its stated investment themes are growth of charter schools and literacy and the science of reading. In charter-school growth, it seeks to create access to excellent education by investing in new high-performing charter schools, prioritising early-stage schools and emerging networks. In literacy, it invests in organisations that support or provide early literacy instruction grounded in the evidence-based science of reading. The foundation describes its approach as proactive philanthropy: it invites organisations to submit funding requests and regularly identifies and cultivates relationships with nonprofit organisations, education leaders, schools and other foundations whose programmes and initiatives complement its strategies.
Themes
- Growth of Charter Schools
- Literacy, Science of Reading
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Colorado, New York, California, Tennessee, Connecticut and the United States.
How to apply
The foundation invites organisations to submit requests for funding. It also regularly identifies and cultivates relationships with nonprofit organisations, education leaders, schools and other foundations whose programmes and initiatives complement its strategies.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 82% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 116 grants to organisations were $150,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- It prioritises support for early-stage charter schools and emerging networks of charter schools.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 22%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 12%
- The largest single recipient received 13% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 82% of grant dollars went to organisations Louis Calder Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 28% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 38 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $150k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Charter Fund · Growth of charter schools$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Array Education · Fiscal sponsor for the literacy group, science of reading$750,0002024 tax year
- Cambiar Education · Fiscal sponsor for magpie literacy, science of reading$600,0002024 tax year
- Instruction Partners · Science of reading$500,0002024 tax year
- Achievement Network · Science of reading$400,0002024 tax year
- Jeremiah Program · Two-generation family learning$400,0002024 tax year
- Cambiar Education · Fiscal sponsor for onyourmark, science of reading$375,0002024 tax year
- Achievement First · Science of reading$350,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Frank E Shanley — Trustee
- Peter D Calder — Trustee
- M Alexander Calder — Trustee / Executive Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $10,920,251 | $7,854,785 | $171,380,883 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $10,652,996 | $6,877,700 | $194,177,460 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $11,795,473 | $8,196,825 | $199,197,987 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Louis Calder Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (720) 943-9865
- proposals@calderfdn.org
- ALEXANDER.CALDER@CALDERFDN.ORG
- Denver, CO
- louiscalderfoundation.org
Applying to Louis Calder Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (720) 943-9865
- proposals@calderfdn.org
- ALEXANDER.CALDER@CALDERFDN.ORG
- Denver, CO
- louiscalderfoundation.org