What Rose Community Foundation does

Rose Community Foundation is a nonprofit community foundation established in 1995 from the sale of Rose Medical Center, headquartered in and serving a seven-county Greater Denver region. Its core products are donor-advised funds, endowment services for more than 130 nonprofit partners, multiple giving circles, and a dedicated Jewish Life program, supported by approximately 30 staff. The foundation distributes grants across four stated impact areas — Jewish Life, Education & Economic Opportunity, Health, and Community Wellbeing — with cumulative grantmaking exceeding $450 million and 2024 distributions above $31 million.

The operating model is asset-light and partnership-driven. The foundation outsources investment management to Cambridge Associates in an OCIO arrangement, uses Foundant Technologies for grants management software, and engages with peer funders and regional coalitions such as Colorado Chooses Vaccines alongside partners like the Colorado Hospital Association. Its revenue mechanics rest on a layered endowment management fee schedule, investment returns on roughly $433 million in assets, donor contributions channeled through DAFs and giving circles, and grants such as the historical $2 million award from the Jim Joseph Foundation supporting the Jewish Life endowment. There is no proprietary technology product; the foundation's defensibility comes from 30 years of accumulated community knowledge, multi-stakeholder relationships, and a distinctive conversion-foundation heritage tied to Rose Medical Center.

Name

Rose Community Foundation

Legal name

Rose Community Foundation

Website

https://rcfdenver.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rose Community Foundation is a Denver-area nonprofit community foundation managing roughly $433M in assets, distributing over $31M annually in grants across Jewish Life, education, health, and community wellbeing in a seven-county Colorado region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Donor-advised funds
• Nonprofit endowment management
• Grantmaking philanthropy
• Charitable giving vehicles

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Endowment Fund Management Fees: Annual fees charged to nonprofit endowment funds held at the foundation: 1% for fund balance up to $1 million, 0.5% for $1 million or more. Revenue used to cover administration, investment management, and operational costs.
2. Investment Returns: Investment returns on the foundation's endowment portfolio managed through Cambridge Associates. Investment pools include Growth Pool, Balanced Pool, and Money Market Pool with different risk/return profiles.
3. Donor Contributions: Donations from individuals, families, and businesses to various community funds including donor-advised funds, designated funds, and endowed funds. Tax-deductible contributions as a 501(c)(3) organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rose Community Foundation operates as a community foundation providing philanthropic services including donor-advised funds for individual and family giving, nonprofit endowment fund management, pooled community funds addressing specific causes, and giving circles for collaborative philanthropy. The foundation manages $433 million in assets, invests in three professionally managed pools, and channels grants across four impact areas: Jewish Life, Education & Economic Opportunity, Health, and Community Wellbeing in the seven-county Greater Denver region.

Product overview

Rose Community Foundation operates as a community foundation offering a unified philanthropic services platform centered on donor-advised funds, nonprofit endowment management, and community grantmaking. The core offering includes donor-advised funds for individual giving, nonprofit endowment funds for organizational sustainability, and pooled community funds addressing specific causes. Supporting services include three investment pool options (Growth, Balanced, Money Market) managed by Cambridge Associates, an online Fundholder Portal for account management, and four giving circles (Rose Youth Foundation, Roots & Branches Foundation, Generation Now Circle, Rose Women's Circle) for collaborative philanthropy. The Endowment Building Pathways program provides structured capacity-building support for organizations establishing endowments. The Foundation's grantmaking focuses on four impact areas: Jewish Life, Education & Economic Opportunity, Health, and Community Wellbeing, serving the seven-county Greater Denver region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rose Youth Foundation: Giving circle engaging Jewish high school students in collaborative grantmaking, started in 2001. Members grant $50,000 to improve their community.
• Roots & Branches Foundation
• Generation Now Circle
• Rose Women's Circle

Products and services

• Donor-Advised Funds Charitable giving accounts through which individuals, families, or businesses make donations and recommend grants to nonprofits of their choosing. Donors receive an immediate tax deduction, can recommend grants at any time, and assets grow tax-free within the fund. The fund is managed via a 24/7 online Fundholder Portal.
• Nonprofit Endowment Funds Long-term investment funds established by nonprofit organizations with a $25,000 minimum to build financial stability. Rose Community Foundation provides investment management, oversight, stewardship, and administration over the lifetime of the fund, charging an annual fee of 1% on balances up to $1 million and 0.5% above $1 million. Over 130 nonprofits hold endowed and designated funds at the foundation.
• Community Funds Pooled funds addressing specific community needs, including the Colorado Vaccine Access Fund, Newcomers Fund, Colorado Safe Futures Fund, Policy and Advocacy Fund, and other targeted philanthropic causes. Donors contribute to these funds to support shared community priorities.
• Investment Pools (Growth, Balanced, Money Market) Three investment options managed by Cambridge Associates for fundholders: Growth Pool (diversified long-term portfolio), Balanced Pool (moderate growth with equities and fixed income), and Money Market Pool (short-term grantmaking with minimal risk). Pools integrate mission and values into investment strategies.
• Fundholder Portal Online platform for donors and fundholders to manage their funds, request grants, view grant history, and access investment information 24/7. Provides self-serve access for donor-advised fundholders and endowment fund clients.
• Endowment Building Pathways Structured capacity-building program for nonprofit organizations establishing and growing endowments. Offers four pathway stages (Launch, Growth, Sustain, Momentum) with training, incentives, individual coaching, and peer connection. Designed to help nonprofits build long-term financial sustainability.
• Rose Youth Foundation Jewish youth giving circle engaging high school students in collaborative grantmaking. Members collectively determine funding priorities and award approximately $50,000 annually to community improvement initiatives.
• Roots & Branches Foundation Giving circle for Jewish young adults (started 2007) that explores Jewish values, learns about community issues, and practices strategic philanthropy, granting approximately $50,000 collectively each year.
• Generation Now Circle Giving circle for individuals ages 25-40 that grants approximately $50,000 to nonprofit organizations while exploring emerging community issues and learning collaborative philanthropy in Greater Denver.
• Rose Women's Circle Women's giving circle focused on addressing challenges disproportionately impacting women and girls, advancing social, cultural, and economic change in Greater Denver.

Quantifiable outcome

• $31 million+ in grants invested in 2024 to strengthen communities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Colorado Chooses VaccinescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Partnership to preserve and expand access to immunizations through the Colorado Vaccine Access Fund, supporting community-based solutions and policies protecting Coloradans' vaccine access.
• City and County of DenvercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Steering committee representative for the Newcomers Fund providing vital services to immigrants including temporary and permanent housing, basic needs, and health support.
• The Denver FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Steering committee representative for the Newcomers Fund supporting immigrant services across Greater Denver.
• Latino Community Foundation of ColoradocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Steering committee representative for the Newcomers Fund supporting immigrant and refugee populations.
• Mile High United WaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Steering committee representative for the Newcomers Fund supporting wraparound services for newcomers.
• Leading EdgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Leading Edge to deliver the Leading Partners Colorado program - a four-month cohort exclusively for CEOs and board chairs of Jewish organizational grantees featuring masterclasses, relationship building, and executive coaching.
• Wexner Heritage ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo-year educational experience focusing on Jewish learning and leadership training, selecting 20 Jewish volunteer leaders from the local community annually.
• Secure Community Network (SCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCN-based Regional Security Advisor works with law enforcement partners across Colorado to ensure Jewish community safety, develop best practices for emergency communication and training, and secure funding for security infrastructure.
• Colorado Hospital AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Colorado Health Care Safety Net Stabilization Fund, having committed to raising $40 million as part of the $90 million public-private initiative over five years.
• Colorado State LegislaturecoreOthersAdvocacy partnership for legislation including SB26-032 (Immunization Access), HB26-1263 (AI Safety), HB26-1144 (3D Firearms), HB26-1274 (Nonprofit Payments), and SB26-118 (Legacy Giving).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Schwab Charitable: Major national DAF sponsor backed by Charles Schwab, offering low-cost investment options and integrated brokerage-account giving. Competes with Rose's DAF offering on convenience and brand, though it lacks local grantmaking expertise.
• Fidelity Charitable: Largest national donor-advised fund sponsor, offering zero-minimum DAFs, broad investment options, and no geographic restrictions. A broad incumbent that competes with Rose for the same donor dollars but operates at vastly larger scale and without community-rooted programmatic grantmaking.

Direct peers

• The Chicago Community Trust: One of the oldest and largest U.S. community foundations, operating donor-advised funds, nonprofit endowments, and multi-area impact strategies in a single metro region. Comparable operating model, product mix, and community-foundation structure to Rose, useful as a scale benchmark.
• Mile High United Way: Denver's primary United Way affiliate mobilizing workplace giving, donor-advised-style funds, and competitive grants to overlapping health, education, and basic-needs nonprofits in the seven-county region. Direct peer for both donor services and grantmaking competition.
• The Denver Foundation: Denver's largest community foundation and Rose's closest direct peer, operating DAFs, endowments, and competitive grantmaking across overlapping seven-county Greater Denver geographies. The two even co-steer the Newcomers Fund, underscoring their parallel positioning.
• Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Denver: Denver-area Jewish-focused community foundation offering donor-advised funds, endowments, and planned-giving services to overlapping Jewish-donor and nonprofit segments. Directly competes for Jewish Life philanthropic dollars and grantees in the same geography.

Regional players

• Colorado Health Foundation: Large Colorado health-focused foundation with substantially greater AUM than Rose, funding health access and equity statewide. Directly comparable on the Health impact area and policy/advocacy approach, though broader geographically.
• Latino Community Foundation of Colorado: Colorado-focused community foundation serving Latino populations through grantmaking and donor services; co-steer of the Newcomers Fund with Rose. Comparable operating model and regional scope, but narrower community focus.
• El Pomar Foundation: Large Colorado-focused foundation (Colorado Springs origin) operating competitive grant programs across the state, with comparable multi-area impact strategies and trustee-governed structure. Comparable in scale and program breadth, though El Pomar serves a wider statewide footprint than Rose's seven-county focus.
• Anschutz Family Foundation: Colorado-based family foundation funding education, youth, and community-wellbeing initiatives across Metro Denver. Overlapping donor-advised fund and grantmaking activity in the same Denver nonprofit ecosystem as Rose.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rcfdenver
• Facebookfacebook.com/rosecommunityfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/rcfdenver

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments15 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rose Community Foundation