The Colorado Health Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Colorado Health Foundation funds only within Colorado, so make sure your organisation and project are based there.
- It looks for work aligned with its cornerstones and priority areas of primary care, affordable housing, community solutions and thriving young people, with a focus on health equity and racial justice.
- Most grants are modest, with half of its 2,012 grants at $75,000 or less and typical grants ranging from $2,500 to $350,000, so pitch your request within that range; very large grants, such as the $5,900,000 given to Latino Community Foundation of Colorado, go to an organisation it funds every year that itself regrants to others.
- With 80% of grant dollars going to organisations it had already funded in the two preceding filings, relationships matter, so speak to a program officer before applying, as the Foundation itself asks.
- Apply through its grantee portal against one of the three annual deadlines of February 15, June 15 and October 15, checking the specific funding opportunity's own eligibility rules, and note that it does not fund individuals, scholarships, for-profit organisations, programmes requiring membership in a particular faith, debt retirement, or organisations that do not meet anti-discrimination requirements.
Overview
The Colorado Health 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 Colorado Health Foundation supports organisations working to advance health equity and racial justice, with funding aligned to its cornerstones and priority areas. Its named areas include primary care, affordable housing, community solutions and thriving young people. It focuses on populations whose lack of power, privilege or income is a barrier to health and well-being, and supports communities in identifying and addressing health challenges on their own terms. It typically considers projects, programming and capacity building, and sometimes capital where proposed efforts have a demonstrable link to community outcomes. Eligible applicants include Colorado 501(c)(3) organisations and public agencies, as well as emerging organisations applying through a tax-exempt fiscal sponsor. Funding criteria vary by opportunity.
Themes
- Adult recovery
- Advocacy
- Affordable housing
- Capacity building
- Community solutions
- Primary care
- Thriving young people
Geographic Focus
Colorado.
What They Don't Fund
- Organizations that willfully discriminate against a particular class of individuals
- Organizations not abiding by all applicable local, state and federal anti-discrimination laws in hiring, employment practices and when providing services
- Individuals
- Scholarships and scholarship funds
- Programs that require membership in a certain religion or advance a particular religious faith
- For-profit organizations or programs operated by, or for the benefit of, for-profit organizations (unless otherwise stated within a particular Funding Opportunity)
- Debt retirement
- Endowments, except as part of an initiative designed to help nonprofits achieve financial sustainability
How to apply
Applicants identify an eligible funding opportunity and submit an application electronically through the grantee portal. The opportunity page provides its eligibility and deadline details; applicants can discuss their project with a program officer beforehand.
Deadlines: Three annual deadlines: February 15, June 15 and October 15.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 80% 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 2,012 grants to organisations were $75,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Applications aligned with the relevant funding opportunity’s criteria and the Foundation’s cornerstones receive priority.
- Reviewers consider the applicant’s proposed strategy, organisational capacity to achieve results and coordination with complementary efforts.
- Applicants are asked to connect with a program officer to discuss project or programme ideas before applying.
- The Foundation focuses on populations whose lack of power, privilege or income is a barrier to health and well-being.
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 3% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 80% of grant dollars went to organisations The Colorado Health Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 16% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 684 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $80,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Trailhead Institute · Advocacy; capacity building; food access and security; thriving young people; general donation to support organization or program; matching contribution to support the organization and/or specific programs as identified by the employee or board member$2,952,0402024 tax year
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment · Primary care$2,150,0002024 tax year
- Denver Health and Hospitals Foundation · Primary care; thriving young people; general operating support; general donation to support organization or program$2,050,0002024 tax year
- Rural Homes · Affordable housing$2,000,0002024 tax year
- Longmont Housing Authority · Affordable housing$2,000,0002024 tax year
- Women's Foundation of Colorado · Community solutions; economic opportunity; general donation to support organization or program; matching contribution to support the organization and/or specific programs as identified by the employee or board member$1,739,0972024 tax year
- Colorado Nonprofit Development Center · Adult recovery; advocacy; capacity building; community solutions; primary care; thriving young people; general donation to support organization or program$1,677,1212024 tax year
- Hadanou Collective · Adult recovery; capacity building; community solutions; food access and security; thriving young people$1,650,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Lauren Y Casteel — Board Member
- Sarah Echohawk — Board Member
- Garrison Ortiz — Board Member
- Karen Mcneil Miller — President & CEO
- Ashley Marks — Board Member
- Ross Brooks — Board Member
- Laurie Muller-Girard — Board Member
- Daniel Gottlieb — Board Member
- Oswaldo Grenado — Board Member
- Terri Richardson MD — Board Member
- Dawn Davenport — Board Member
- Carlos Martinez — Board Member
- Ismael Guerrero — Board Member
- Juana Bordas — Board Member
- Tommy Barnhart — Board Chair
- Erin Brown — VP, Community Investment & Impact
- Amy Latham — Chief Impact Officer
- Aron Grodinsky — Chief Investment Officer
- Mark Evans — Chief Financial Officer
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $154,734,885 | $98,422,733 | $2,822,318,238 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $186,268,845 | $126,961,319 | $2,822,619,845 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $164,501,793 | $102,222,360 | $2,893,236,966 | 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 The Colorado Health Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (303) 953-3672
- Denver, CO
- coloradohealth.org
Applying to The Colorado Health Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (303) 953-3672
- Denver, CO
- coloradohealth.org