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The Denver Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.3M
Grant Range
$20K - $0.1M
Decision Time
3mo

The Denver Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4.3 million (Community Grants Program, 2023)
  • Total Assets: $1.34 billion
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 8-12 weeks
  • Grant Range: $20,000 - $50,000
  • Geographic Focus: Seven-county Metro Denver region (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties)

Contact Details

Address: 1009 Grant Street, Denver, CO 80203

Phone: 303.300.1790

Email: information@denverfoundation.org

Community Grants Program: cgp@denverfoundation.org or 303.300.1790

Technical Support: help@denverfoundation.org or 720.501.3312

Website: https://denverfoundation.org

Overview

The Denver Foundation is the largest and most experienced community foundation in the Rocky Mountain West, serving the community for more than 90 years. With total assets of $1.34 billion as of 2024, the Foundation stewards charitable funds to meet today's needs and tomorrow's opportunities. The Foundation operates through multiple funding streams including donor-advised funds (which represented 3,804 grants or 81% of all grants in 2023), the Community Grants Program (approximately $4 million annually), and special funds including the Critical Needs Fund and Civic Fabric Fund. Under the leadership of President and CEO Javier Alberto Soto, the Foundation has aligned its work with a new Strategic Framework that emphasizes community and constituent leadership, racial equity, and addressing root causes of inequity across the Metro Denver region.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Community Grants Program: $20,000 - $50,000 (online portal, two annual cycles with fixed deadlines)

  • Total of approximately $4 million distributed annually
  • 103 grants awarded in 2023 totaling $4.3 million
  • 54 organizations awarded $2.5 million in fall 2024 cycle

Strengthening Neighborhoods Program: Small grants (amount not specified, rolling basis)

  • Supports hiring capacity-building coaches
  • Funds grassroots community development campaigns or organizing projects
  • Available to groups of residents in low-income neighborhoods

Capacity Building Fund: Grant amounts not specified (rolling basis)

  • Available to any organization that has received a grant from The Denver Foundation within the last three years

Critical Needs Fund: Flexible emergency grants

  • $230,000 awarded to 24 grantees in 2024
  • Rapid response grantmaking for community crises
  • Serves immigrants, LGBTQ+ communities, and climate-impacted communities

Civic Fabric Fund: $99,500 awarded to 14 organizations in 2024

  • Supports policy, advocacy, and voter engagement work

LatinasGive!: $51,000 awarded to 19 organizations in 2024

Donor-Advised Funds: Variable amounts

  • 3,804 grants in 2023 (81% of all Foundation grants)
  • Supports nearly every type and size of nonprofit organization

Scholarship Programs: 87 different programs

  • 1,335 students supported in 102 schools in 2023

Priority Areas

The Community Grants Program focuses on four priority areas:

  1. Economic Opportunity: Supporting pathways to financial stability and wealth-building
  2. Environment and Climate: Addressing climate crisis and environmental justice
  3. Housing: Expanding access to affordable, stable housing
  4. Youth Well-being: Previously called "Education," supporting comprehensive youth development

Core Values in Grant Review (in order of importance):

  • Demonstrated commitment to community and constituent leadership
  • Demonstrated commitment to racial equity
  • Alignment with priority areas and geographic region
  • Financial health of the organization

The Foundation strongly values constituent leadership (making space for community members at the decision-making table) over constituent engagement alone. They prefer general operating grants over project-specific funding when possible, and encourage collaborative applications from organizations working together to achieve greater impact.

What They Don't Fund

  • Religious activities or programs that require individuals to participate in religious activity as a condition of receiving services (though they do fund faith-based organizations that don't have this requirement)
  • Organizations outside the seven-county Metro Denver region (for Community Grants Program and most discretionary funds)

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

Javier Alberto Soto, President and CEO

  • Leads the Foundation's strategic direction and new Strategic Framework
  • Quote: "We are deeply honored to welcome these outstanding leaders at a pivotal moment in The Denver Foundation's history. Our Trustees will play an essential role in fully aligning the Foundation with our values as part of our new Strategic Framework."

Charmaine Brown, Chief of Staff

  • Primary liaison for the Board of Trustees
  • Supports organizational and department planning and processes

Board of Trustees

The Foundation welcomed five new trustees in 2025, bringing diverse skills as community leaders, investment professionals, and philanthropic role models:

  • Kenneth (urban planning background)
  • Marcela de la Mar (senior executive)
  • Garry Woods (IT assurance)

Notable Recent Trustees:

  • Kelly Brough (2024): Vice president of strategic partnerships for Colorado Mesa University and former chief of staff to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper
  • Simone D. Ross (2024): CEO of the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce, visionary leader from Denver's Park Hill neighborhood

President Soto on trustee John: "John embodies The Denver Foundation's vision of engaged philanthropy. He is generous, thoughtful, and endlessly curious about new ways of catalyzing change."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through The Denver Foundation's online portal, TDF Grant Manager.

Step-by-step process:

  1. Review Guidelines: Study the core values, funding priorities, and submission requirements on the Foundation's website
  2. Attend Pre-Application Workshop: Attend the online information session or review information slides (next session scheduled for January 27, 2026)
  3. Create Account: Create an account or login to TDF Grant Manager
  4. Submit Application: Complete and submit the online application
    • Fields with asterisks are required
    • System auto-saves every 100 characters or when clicking out of a field
    • Questions are straightforward and can be previewed by logging into the portal

Application Cycles:

Cycle 1 (Spring):

  • Opens: January 15
  • Closes: March 2

Cycle 2 (Summer/Fall):

  • Opens: June 16
  • Closes: August 3

Who Can Apply:

  • First-time applicants can apply during either cycle
  • Current grantees can apply during either cycle if it has been at least 12 months since their last application submission (regardless of whether previous application was approved or declined)
  • 501(c)(3) organizations
  • Groups of residents in low-income neighborhoods
  • Collaborative efforts among groups in the seven-county Metro Denver region

Pre-Application Support: Contact the Foundation with questions about fit: 303.300.1790 or cgp@denverfoundation.org

Decision Timeline

  • Review and due diligence process takes 8-12 weeks after the application closes
  • Projected timelines are provided in the "Application Submission Notification" email
  • Notification methods are outlined in communications from the Foundation

Success Rates

While specific success rate percentages are not publicly disclosed, the Foundation awards:

  • Approximately 50-55 grants per cycle in the Community Grants Program
  • In 2023: 103 grants awarded totaling $4.3 million
  • Spring 2024 (Cycle 1): Not disclosed
  • Fall 2024 (Cycle 2): 54 grants awarded totaling $2.5 million

Reapplication Policy

Yes, unsuccessful applicants can reapply.

Current grantees and declined applicants can apply during either grant cycle if it has been at least 12 months since their last application submission. The 12-month period is calculated from the submission date, not the decision date. Both approved and declined applications are treated the same way under this policy.

Application Success Factors

Based on The Denver Foundation's own guidance and priorities:

What The Foundation Looks For (in order of importance):

  1. Demonstrated commitment to community and constituent leadership

    • The Foundation distinguishes between "constituent engagement" (including the voices of those receiving services) and "constituent leadership" (making space for community members at the decision-making table to help direct and improve programs)
    • Constituent leadership is more highly valued

  2. Demonstrated commitment to racial equity

    • Organizations should show how they actively address racial equity in their work

  3. Alignment with priority areas and geographic region

    • Focus your application on 1-2 priority areas (economic opportunity, environment and climate, housing, youth well-being)
    • Serve the seven-county Metro Denver region

  4. Financial health of the organization

    • Sound financial management and sustainability

Collaboration

"The strongest collaborative applications come from organizations working together to achieve greater impact and do things in the community they could not do alone." Organizations should demonstrate genuine partnership and shared goals, not just coordination.

Funding Preference

The Foundation prefers general operating grants over project-specific funding when possible, recognizing that unrestricted funds provide organizations with flexibility to respond to community needs.

Recent Grant Recipients (Examples)

  • African Sustainable Development Foundation – ASDF (2024)
  • 14 nonprofits focused on voter engagement (Civic Fabric Fund, 2024)
  • 24 grantees serving immigrants, LGBTQ+ communities, and climate-impacted communities (Critical Needs Fund, 2024)
  • 19 nonprofit organizations (LatinasGive!, 2024)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Prioritize constituent leadership: Don't just engage the community in your work—demonstrate how community members are at the decision-making table directing programs and strategy
  • Focus on 1-2 priority areas: Rather than trying to address all four priority areas, show depth in one or two that align most closely with your mission
  • Request general operating support when possible: The Foundation values organizational flexibility and sustainability over restricted project funding
  • Emphasize racial equity: Show concrete examples of how your organization addresses racial equity, not just diversity or inclusion statements
  • Attend the pre-application workshop: This session addresses most common questions and helps applicants understand the Foundation's strategic framework
  • Consider collaboration: If your work would be strengthened by partnership, collaborative applications are welcomed and valued
  • Apply early in the year if possible: With two cycles annually, you have flexibility in timing, but note the 12-month waiting period between applications

References

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