Catena Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation accepts grant requests only by invitation and does not accept unsolicited requests, and the filing gives no further application steps, so a small charity should not send a cold application and should look for a warm introduction instead.
- Its work fits best where a request falls within its stated themes of climate change, clean energy, youth, civic engagement and Native communities, though its grants also cover conservation, immigration and crisis response.
- Most grants fall between $15,000 and $550,000, with a median of $150,000 and half of its 354 grants at $150,000 or less, so a modest request near the lower end is the more realistic size, and its largest grant was $4,000,000.
- Repeat giving is substantial, with 78% of grant dollars to organisations going to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, so a relationship built over time is likely to matter.
- No geographic focus is stated, so nothing in the filing limits which regions may apply.
Overview
Catena Foundation is a US private foundation based in Carbondale, CO.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and web pages about the foundation (insidephilanthropy.com), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 12 October 2026.
Priority Areas
Catena staff have described its priorities as climate change, clean energy, youth, civic engagement and Native communities. Its grants support community engagement, civic engagement and protecting democracy, conservation, immigration and crisis response. Recipients include advocacy organisations, conservation groups, refugee and immigrant support bodies, community organisations, universities and research bodies. Its grantmaking combines civic participation and community engagement with environmental work and emergency relief; grants reach organisations across many states and span national and local work.
Themes
- Climate change
- Clean energy
- Youth
- Civic engagement
- Native communities
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in District of Columbia, New York, Colorado, California and Arizona.
How to apply
The foundation gives to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests. The filing provides no further application steps.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 78% 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 354 grants to organisations were $150,000 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: 12%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 9%
- The largest single recipient received 5% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 78% of grant dollars went to organisations Catena Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 2% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Nigeria, Colombia, Kenya, Canada).
- 13% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 80 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $172k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- New Venture Fund · Community engagement$3,250,0002024 tax year
- Trust for Public Land · Conservation$3,000,0002024 tax year
- State Leadership Project · Community engagement$1,150,0002024 tax year
- International Rescue Committee · Crisis response$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Defending Democracy Together Institute · General operating support$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Third Way Institute · General operating support$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Policy Impact · Community engagement$945,0002024 tax year
- Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project · Community engagement$850,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Steve Matous — Secretary And Interim Executive Direct
- Drew Ritchey — Treasurer
- Greg Nelson — Vice President
- Samuel R Walton — President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $41,546,612 | $35,029,850 | $438,062,805 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $37,934,575 | $30,178,715 | $573,725,610 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $32,777,162 | $27,197,754 | $596,379,235 | 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 Catena Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Carbondale, CO
Applying to Catena Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Carbondale, CO