The Cielo Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The filing describes this foundation's organisational grants as chiefly scholarships for trade and technical schools, colleges and specialist training providers, with awards that are needs-based and aimed at trade-school candidates rather than traditional college students, so check first whether your work involves that kind of training.
- Most grants are modest: about 8 in 10 fall between $545 and $38,000, and half were about $7,200 or less, so a request in the low thousands sits closer to its usual giving, although its largest grant, about $8,550,000, went to Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund, a regranter it pays every year, and that sum is not a guide for a small request.
- Repeat giving is high, with 99% of its grant dollars to organisations in its most recent filing going to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, so before you apply, find out whether there is an existing relationship or a route in.
- The filing states no deadlines and says the foundation accepts applications, but it does not name a submission channel, so ask how to apply before you prepare a full package, which for a scholarship means school or certificate details, estimated programme and book costs, programme dates, an essay, recommendation letters, FAFSA and either a latest-year tax return or previous-year financial statements.
Overview
The Cielo Foundation is a US private foundation based in Boulder, CO.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
By number, the foundation’s recorded organisational grants are chiefly scholarships: the recipients include trade and technical schools, colleges and specialist training providers. The records also show a small number of much larger donations to a charitable gift fund. Its filing describes scholarship awards as needs-based and intended for trade-school candidates rather than traditional college students; recipients are expected to attend classes, achieve passing grades and complete a certificate. Scholarship requests require school or certificate details, estimated programme and book costs, programme dates, an essay response, recommendation letters and financial information.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants spread across the United States.
How to apply
The filing lists school or certificate interest, estimated programme and book costs, programme dates, an essay response, letters of recommendation, FAFSA and either a latest-year tax return or previous-year financial statements, with other information available on request. It does not identify a submission channel.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 99% 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 68 grants to organisations were about $7,200 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: <1%
- The largest single recipient received 97% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to organisations The Cielo Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 97% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 30 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $5,439 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund · Donation$8,525,0002024 tax year
- The Beauty Collective · Scholarship$53,8002024 tax year
- United States Truck Driving School · Scholarship$39,8052024 tax year
- Accent Beauty · Scholarship$23,2502024 tax year
- GALS · Scholarship$10,8612024 tax year
- Colorado Advanced Esthetics · Scholarship$9,2952024 tax year
- IBMC College · Scholarship$8,5902024 tax year
- School of Botanical & Medical Aesthetics · Scholarship$8,5902024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Judith Cogen — President
- Alan Cogen — Vice President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $8,650,477 | $7,543,970 | $87,745,779 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $8,106,855 | $7,139,803 | $89,293,624 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $9,586,715 | $8,760,703 | $93,681,074 | 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
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At a glance
Applying to The Cielo Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (303) 449-4707
- Boulder, CO
Applying to The Cielo Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (303) 449-4707
- Boulder, CO