AJL Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- AJL Foundation funds 501(c)(3) organisations serving marginalised young people and families in Colorado through education and human services, with priority to Metro Denver and the San Luis Valley, so an organisation working in those areas and themes is worth checking.
- Most of its grants are modest: about 8 in 10 fall between $500 and $40,000, the median is $20,000, and half of its grants are $20,000 or less, so a request near that level suits its usual pattern, although its largest grant was $150,000 and that band is not a ceiling.
- Do not apply for research projects, individual scholarships, television or radio programme production, or conferences, seminars, media events or workshops unless they are an integral part of a broader programme, as these are excluded.
- Applications work by invitation, so email the foundation to be considered before its committee selects invitees in June/July, and note that it favours organisations that are community-led or heavily community-informed and that show demonstrated impact or potential impact.
- Repeat support is common, since 46% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in earlier filings.
Overview
AJL 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
AJL invests in people, programmes and movements that benefit Colorado’s youth and families. Its grantmaking supports nonprofit 501(c)(3) organisations serving marginalised young people and families in Colorado through education and human services, with priority to those serving Metro Denver or the San Luis Valley. The foundation favours organisations that reflect the communities they serve and are community-led or heavily community-informed, and those with demonstrated impact or demonstrated potential impact. Its decisions are made through a committee bringing together families and young people, community organisers, education and human-services professionals, and AJL staff and board members. AJL recognises communities as experts on their own experiences and emphasises shared power in funding decisions.
Themes
- Education
- Human services
- Youth and families
Geographic Focus
Colorado. Priority: Metro Denver; San Luis Valley.
What They Don't Fund
- Research projects
- Conferences, seminars, media events, or workshops unless they are an integral part of a broader program
- The production and development of television and radio programming
- Individual scholarships
How to apply
Eligible organisations should email Alece Montez to be considered; the committee selects organisations to invite to apply at its June/July meeting, so that timing is for invite selection rather than a public application window.
Deadlines: The committee identifies and selects organisations to invite to submit applications in June/July; this is the invite-selection stage, not a public submission window.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 46% 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 104 grants to organisations were $20,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Applicants must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organisations serving marginalised youth and families in Colorado through education and human services.
- It favours organisations that are diverse, reflect the communities they serve, and are community-led or heavily community-informed.
- It favours organisations with demonstrated impact or demonstrated potential impact in their communities.
- It prioritises organisations serving young people and families in Metro Denver or the San Luis Valley.
- It considers applications from organisations with budgets under $5 million.
- The grants manager conducts site visits with potential grantees after the committee identifies organisations to invite to apply.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 8% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 46% of grant dollars went to organisations AJL Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 14% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 46 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $20,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Foundation for Black Entrepreneurship · General operating support$150,0002024 tax year
- Denver Foundation · General operating support$150,0002024 tax year
- Aya Foundation · General operating support$150,0002024 tax year
- Shriners Hospitals for Children · General operating support$85,0002024 tax year
- Casa de Amparo · General operating support$50,0002024 tax year
- Colorado Nonprofit Development Center · General operating support$40,0002024 tax year
- Hadanou Collective · General operating support$23,0002024 tax year
- Conejos Clean Water · General operating support$22,5002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Kristi A Petrie — Co Exec Dir
- Alece H M Montez — Co Exec Dir
- Flora Archuleta — Director
- Pui Kalyanamitra — Director
- Scot Spencer — Director
- Julian Seelan — Director
- Colby Lawton — Director
- Christopher Melby — Director
- Melisa Jaen — Director
- Felisa Gonzales — Secretary
- William Donohue — Treasurer
- Darrell Schulte — Vice President
- Erin Creger — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $1,363,484 | $820,150 | $14,657,614 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $1,031,298 | $537,122 | $15,802,945 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,693,052 | $1,034,540 | $15,839,164 | 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 AJL Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (720) 308-4431
- kpetrie@ajlfoundation.org
- amontez@ajlfoundation.org
- KPETRIE@AJLFOUNDATION.ORG
- Denver, CO
- ajlfoundation.org
Applying to AJL Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (720) 308-4431
- kpetrie@ajlfoundation.org
- amontez@ajlfoundation.org
- KPETRIE@AJLFOUNDATION.ORG
- Denver, CO
- ajlfoundation.org