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Boettcher Foundation

Annual Giving
$9.8M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.3M
Decision Time
2mo

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $9.8 million (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 6 weeks initial response
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $250,000 (varies by program)
  • Geographic Focus: Colorado only

Contact Details

Address: 600 17th Street, Suite 2210 South, Denver, CO 80202

Phone: 303-534-1937

Website: https://boettcherfoundation.org

Email:

Overview

The Boettcher Foundation was established in 1937 by Charles and Claude Boettcher to give back to Colorado. Since its founding, the foundation has invested more than $422 million in Colorado through scholarships, biomedical research funding, and capital grants. With current assets of approximately $300 million, the foundation awarded $9.8 million in grants and scholarships in 2023. The foundation's mission is to invest in the promise of Colorado and the potential of Coloradans, with a strategic focus on supporting leadership development, strengthening community connections, and advancing biomedical research. The foundation is guided by core values of seeking opportunity, valuing hard work, and giving back to the community.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Community Connections Grants: $20,000 - $75,000
One-time funding for infrastructure projects and facilities that unite and enhance communities. These grants often fund construction of multi-use spaces, shared locations for nonprofit organizations, or strategic investments that elevate successful initiatives. Three funding cycles annually (Winter, Summer, Fall).

Rural Catalyst Grants: $1,000 - $10,000
Capacity-building grants to strengthen internal organizational capacity for rural nonprofits. Support includes strategic planning, convening, short-term staff/contractors, and one-time operating costs. Available to organizations participating in the Rural Leadership Collaborative.

Leadership Practitioner Catalyst Grants: $1,000 - $10,000
Quarterly capacity-building grants for leadership organizations working to create a more inclusive and accessible leadership ecosystem in Colorado. Applicants must have at least one representative attend a Leadership Practitioner Collaborative meeting.

Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards: $250,000
Three-year grants for early career biomedical researchers in Colorado. Supports investigators who are four years or fewer from their initial career-track academic appointment. Administered through partner institutions including University of Colorado, Colorado State University, and National Jewish Health.

Boettcher Scholarships: $80,000 over four years
For Colorado high school seniors attending Colorado colleges and universities. Approximately 42-50 scholarships awarded annually. Scholars also eligible for Educational Enrichment Grants (up to $3,000) and International Education Grants.

Priority Areas

  • Leadership development and inclusive leadership ecosystems
  • Community infrastructure and connection-building projects
  • Early-career biomedical research with direct impact on human health
  • Rural community capacity building
  • Educational facilities and multi-use community spaces
  • Supporting Colorado's most dynamic young minds through scholarships

What They Don't Fund

  • General operating support (Community Connections only)
  • Ongoing cultural or social service programming
  • Fundraising events
  • Religious purposes
  • Animal-focused organizations
  • K-12 school capital projects
  • Hospital facilities
  • Affordable housing projects
  • Emergency service equipment

Governance and Leadership

Katie Kramer, President and CEO
Katie Kramer, a 1993 Boettcher Scholar herself, has led the foundation since 2016. She joined the foundation in 1997 and has held various roles including director of the scholarship program and vice president. Kramer's leadership philosophy emphasizes that "leadership is not about a role or a title. It's about a choice. It's about your behavior. It's about how you show up moment to moment in a specific situation." She believes that "anyone can be a leader and that it most often starts with the choice to care about the success and dreams of others." Under her leadership, the foundation focuses on supporting Colorado's leadership ecosystem to be "inclusive, accessible, diverse, and that people have opportunities to step up and step in to take ownership of what their reality is."

Karen Kruse, Vice President of Finance & Operations
Develops financial strategies, oversees investment management execution, and provides operational oversight.

Tiffany Anderson, Vice President of Grants & Programs
From Idalia, Colorado, Anderson previously directed the Leeds Scholars Program and Presidents Leadership Class at CU Boulder. Her favorite quote reflects her approach: "Just keep swimming" from Finding Nemo.

Curtis L. Esquibel, Senior Director of Communications & Community Engagement
Native Coloradan with extensive nonprofit and education sector experience, focusing on strategic communications, leadership networks, and storytelling.

Board of Trustees (2025 Officers):

  • Gregory L. Moore, Chair
  • Michelle M. Lucero, Chair-Elect (Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel for Children's Hospital Colorado)
  • Dr. Lindsey Paulson, Secretary
  • Jason Wheeler, Treasurer (Executive and former head of corporate functions, Forward)
  • Tony Frank, Past Chair (Chancellor of the Colorado State University system)

Recent board appointments include Lisa Zúñiga Ramírez, CFA (January 2024) and Tom George, a 2001 Boettcher Scholar and partner at Spencer Fane LLP (January 2025).

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Community Connections, Rural Catalyst, and Leadership Practitioner Catalyst Grants:

  1. Submit a Grant Inquiry Form during designated application windows
  2. Foundation staff review inquiries and respond within six weeks
  3. Invited organizations submit full application with additional documents
  4. Organizations may only apply to one grant opportunity per cycle

Webb-Waring Biomedical Research Awards:

  • Administered through partner institutions' internal competitive processes
  • Do NOT contact Boettcher Foundation directly
  • Contact your institution's research office or grants department
  • Eligible researchers must complete Intent to Apply form by institutional deadline

Boettcher Scholarships:

  • Online application opens September 1, deadline November 1 (5 p.m.)
  • For Colorado high school seniors in their final year
  • Application portal available at boettcherfoundation.org

Decision Timeline

Community Connections Grants (2026 cycles):

  • Winter Cycle: Feb 2-27 (inquiry window), May notification
  • Summer Cycle: May 18-June 19 (inquiry window), September notification
  • Fall Cycle: Aug 3-Sept 1 (inquiry window), November notification

Initial Review: Staff respond within six weeks of inquiry submission to inform whether organization will be invited to submit full application.

Success Rates

The foundation does not publicly disclose specific success rates, number of applications received, or acceptance percentages for grant programs. The two-stage inquiry process indicates competitive selection, with only invited organizations advancing to full application.

Reapplication Policy

The foundation does not publicly disclose a specific reapplication policy. Organizations interested in reapplication should contact grants@boettcherfoundation.org for guidance on future opportunities.

Application Success Factors

Focus on One-Time Strategic Investments: Community Connections grants specifically support one-time costs that create lasting impact, not ongoing operations. The foundation seeks projects that "unite and enhance communities" through infrastructure, facilities, or strategic initiatives that elevate programs to the next level.

Demonstrate Community Connection: Whether for rural capacity building or community infrastructure, successful applications show how the project strengthens connections between individuals and organizations. Recent examples include nonprofit hub renovations (Boys & Girls Club of San Luis Valley), shared community spaces (Latino Cultural Arts Center), and facilities that serve multiple purposes (Community Hospital childcare facility).

Leadership Ecosystem Alignment: For Leadership Practitioner Catalyst Grants, participation in the foundation's collaborative meetings is required. This demonstrates commitment to Colorado's broader leadership development ecosystem and shows engagement with peer organizations.

Colorado-Focused Impact: All grants must benefit Colorado communities and organizations. The foundation's deep commitment to the state where the Boettcher family built their legacy means applications should clearly articulate how the project serves Coloradans.

Strategic Capacity Building: For Rural and Leadership Practitioner Catalyst Grants ($1,000-$10,000 range), focus on specific, one-time capacity needs: strategic planning support, specific convenings, short-term expertise, or discrete operational improvements. The foundation describes these as supporting "strategic projects" not general operations.

Recent Successful Projects Include:

  • Trinidad State College library remodeling
  • Unify America's College Bowl
  • Latino Cultural Arts Center renovation
  • RTL Foundation BIPOC Nonprofit Development Center
  • Wet Mountain Valley Community Foundation (Youth Philanthropy Initiative)
  • Paradox Community Trust (Rural Homes Early Childhood Initiative)
  • Food Bank of the Rockies facility expansion
  • Colorado Mesa University Moss Performing Arts Center

Biomedical Research Requirements: Webb-Waring applicants must be early in their careers (four years or fewer from initial appointment), have direct human health impact in their research, and work through institutional processes rather than applying directly.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • One application per cycle rule: Choose strategically between Rural Catalyst, Leadership Practitioner Catalyst, or Community Connections grants - you can only submit one per cycle
  • Two-stage process is the norm: The inquiry form is your first impression. Staff review and decide within six weeks whether to invite a full application, making this initial submission critical
  • One-time funding philosophy: Especially for Community Connections, avoid pitching ongoing programming or general operations. Focus on discrete, strategic investments in infrastructure, capacity, or transformational initiatives
  • Colorado connection is non-negotiable: The foundation was established to give back to Colorado and maintains this exclusive geographic focus after nearly 90 years
  • Relationship building for specialized programs: Leadership Practitioner and Rural Catalyst grants require participation in foundation collaborative meetings, indicating the value they place on relationship and network building
  • Katie Kramer's leadership philosophy emphasizes accessible, inclusive leadership: Applications that demonstrate how projects create opportunities for diverse Coloradans to "step up and step in" align with her vision
  • Think "community connections" literally: Recent grants fund shared spaces, nonprofit hubs, and facilities that physically or programmatically bring people and organizations together

References

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