Leprino Foods Company Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $706,000 (2024)
• Success Rate: N/A (invitation only)
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
• Grant Range: $1,000 - $125,000
• Geographic Focus: Colorado, California, and Michigan (communities where Leprino Foods operates)

Contact Details

Headquarters: 1830 W 38th Ave Denver, CO 80211-2225

Foundation Website: https://leprinogr.com/our-communities/

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited funding requests

Overview

Established in 2015, the Leprino Foods Company Foundation is a private corporate foundation supporting charitable organizations in communities where Leprino Foods operates. With total assets of approximately $12.9 million, the foundation has donated $5.09 million to 194 nonprofit organizations since its inception. The foundation drives positive change by leveraging time, talent, and resources to improve education, nutrition, fitness, and local needs. Each Leprino Foods facility location has annual budgets for local giving and establishes Community Impact Teams comprised of passionate employee volunteers who help coordinate company and employee-driven initiatives.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis and makes contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations. Each Leprino Foods facility location receives annual budgets for local giving, coordinated through Community Impact Teams.

Recent Grant Activity:

• 2024: 36 grants totaling $706,018
• 2023: 44 grants totaling $565,809
• 2022: 43 grants
• Since 2016: 402 grants totaling $4,858,016

Priority Areas

The foundation focuses on four core pillars:

1. Education

• Academic scholarships
• University partnerships supporting dairy science
• Internship programs
• Educational research and career development

2. Nutrition

• Food access programs
• Hunger relief organizations
• Nutrition education initiatives

3. Fitness

• Youth sports and recreation programs
• Community wellness initiatives

4. Local Needs

• Community development
• Human services
• Organizations addressing specific local challenges in their operational communities

Geographic Focus

Grants are concentrated in communities where Leprino Foods operates facilities:

• Colorado: Denver (headquarters), Greeley, Fort Morgan
• California: Tracy, Lemoore (two facilities)
• Michigan: Remus, Allendale

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations.

Governance and Leadership

Terry Leprino serves as President of the Leprino Foods Foundation. She is also an active board member of Leprino Foods Company, Colorado Christian University, and Issachar Urban Leadership Center.

The foundation operates through a decentralized model with Community Impact Teams at each facility location. These teams, comprised of employee volunteers, coordinate local giving and community engagement activities aligned with the foundation's four pillars.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Leprino Foods Company Foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grants are awarded through:

• Strategic partnerships identified by foundation leadership
• Community Impact Teams at each facility location
• Employee-driven initiatives and volunteer engagement
• Pre-existing relationships with organizations in communities where they operate

Getting on Their Radar

Organizations in Leprino Foods' operational communities (Colorado, California, and Michigan) may be noticed through:

Community Impact Teams: Each Leprino Foods facility has a Community Impact Team of employee volunteers who coordinate local giving. Organizations working in their operational areas on education, nutrition, fitness, or local needs may come to the attention of these teams through:

• Local community partnerships and collaborative initiatives
• Employee volunteer connections at the facility level
• Participation in community events where Leprino Foods employees are active

Month of Impact: The company hosts an annual "Month of Impact" in September, which increases visibility of community partnerships and initiatives. Organizations that align with their focus areas and are active in this period may gain attention.

Facility-Level Engagement: Since each location has annual budgets for local giving, organizations should be aware that grant decisions are often made at the facility level by Community Impact Teams rather than centrally. Building relationships with Leprino Foods employees and facilities in your area may be more effective than corporate-level outreach.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Grant decisions are made at both the corporate foundation level and through individual facility Community Impact Teams throughout the year.

Success Rates

Not applicable - invitation only process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable given the invitation-only model.

Application Success Factors

While there is no public application process, analysis of funded organizations reveals the following patterns:

Organizational Characteristics of Funded Projects:

Organizations that receive funding typically demonstrate:

1. Geographic alignment - Located in or serving communities where Leprino Foods operates facilities (Denver, Greeley, Fort Morgan, Tracy, Lemoore, Remus, Allendale)

2. Mission alignment with core pillars - Strong focus on one or more of: education (especially STEM and workforce development), nutrition and food access, fitness and youth wellness, or addressing local community needs

3. Examples of Recently Funded Organizations:

   • American Educational Assistance Foundation ($110,000) - education
   • CHOP Out Hunger ($12,000) - nutrition/food access
   • Trust for Public Land ($40,000) - community development
   • Denver Scholarship Foundation ($25,000) - education
   • Girls Inc ($25,000) - youth development
   • Tracy Joint Unified ($44,000) - education
   • Fellinlove Farm ($30,000) - local agriculture/education

4. Employee connection potential - Organizations where Leprino Foods employees can volunteer and engage (the company logged 42,428 employee volunteer hours in 2022)

5. Measurable community impact - Projects with clear outcomes that benefit local communities

6. Capacity for partnership - Ability to engage with corporate volunteers and facilitate employee engagement

Strategic Insight:

The foundation's structure suggests grants are driven by both strategic corporate priorities and grassroots employee engagement. Organizations are most likely to receive funding when they align with corporate focus areas while also providing meaningful volunteer opportunities for employees at nearby facilities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No public application process - The foundation exclusively funds preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited proposals
• Geographic targeting is critical - Focus on communities where Leprino Foods operates facilities in Colorado, California, and Michigan
• Facility-level relationships matter - Grant decisions often occur at individual facility locations through Community Impact Teams of employee volunteers
• Four-pillar alignment - Organizations must align with education, nutrition, fitness, or local needs to be considered
• Employee engagement is valued - Organizations that can facilitate meaningful volunteer opportunities for Leprino Foods employees may be favored
• Grant sizes vary widely - Awards range from $1,000 to $125,000 with an average around $13,000
• Alternative entry point - Building relationships with Leprino Foods employees in your community may provide the best path to foundation awareness

References

• Leprino Global Responsibility - Our Communities. https://leprinogr.com/our-communities/ (Accessed January 2026)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Leprino Foods Company Foundation (EIN: 47-3608278). https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/473608278 (Accessed January 2026)
• Instrumentl - Leprino Foods Company Foundation 990 Report. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/leprino-foods-company-foundation (Accessed January 2026)
• Grantmakers.io Profile - Leprino Foods Company Foundation. https://www.grantmakers.io/profiles/v0/473608278-leprino-foods-company-foundation/ (Accessed January 2026)
• CHOP Out Hunger - Leprino Foods Company Awards $12,000 Grant (2024). https://www.chopouthunger.org/post/leprino-foods-company-awards-12-000-grant-to-chop-out-hunger (Accessed January 2026)
• Hanford Sentinel - Leprino Foods Foundation continues tradition of giving back. https://hanfordsentinel.com/news/leprino-foods-foundation-continues-tradition-of-giving-back/ (Accessed January 2026)
• Big Rapids News - Leprino Foods Community Foundation donates to local causes. https://www.bigrapidsnews.com/family/article/Leprino-Foods-Community-Foundation-donates-to-14150695.php (Accessed January 2026)