The Women’s Foundation of Colorado (WFCO)

What The Women’s Foundation of Colorado (WFCO) does

The Women's Foundation of Colorado (WFCO) is a private, community-funded 501(c)(3) foundation founded in 1987 and headquartered at the Merle Catherine Chambers Center for the Advancement of Women in Denver. It operates as the only statewide foundation exclusively focused on advancing gender, racial, and economic equity for Colorado's 2.9 million women and girls, delivering impact through three integrated functions: (1) grantmaking and impact investing across programs such as WINcome (flexible cash assistance), the Women & Girls of Color Fund, the WAGES Grantee Cohort, and the Women's Impact Investing Giving Circle; (2) research and policy advocacy, anchored by a proprietary library of more than 30 reports on the economic status of Colorado women since 1994 and direct engagement on Colorado legislation (29 bills in the 2025 session); and (3) community philanthropy infrastructure comprising the Annual Luncheon, eight giving circles, Power of Extended Philanthropy (PEP) pledges, the Empowerment Council, donor-advised funds, and legacy giving.

WFCO's business model is fundraising-based rather than product-revenue-based. The organization solicits individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and planned gifts across multiple price tiers ranging from small-dollar contributions to $3,000/year Pearl PEP commitments and $2,500-minimum donor-advised funds. Donor-advised funds have grown from 6 to over 80 under current leadership, and total cumulative grants to Colorado nonprofits exceed $33 million. In May 2023 the foundation achieved a 100% gender-lens investing mandate across all investable assets. The organization employs 11-50 staff and is governed by a Board of Trustees; Renee Ferrufino became the first Latina President & CEO in January 2025, succeeding Lauren Y. Casteel.

Name

The Women’s Foundation of Colorado (WFCO)

Legal name

The Women's Foundation of Colorado

Website

https://wfco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Women's Foundation of Colorado is a Denver-based community-funded nonprofit foundation, founded in 1987, that advances gender, racial, and economic equity for Colorado women through grantmaking, research, legislative advocacy, and impact investing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Women philanthropy programs
• Gender equity advocacy
• Grantmaking for nonprofits
• Public policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Gifts: Community-funded foundation supported by individual donors. Accepts gifts of various sizes, from annual fund donations to major gifts. More than 91,000 gifts from generous donors have fueled the organization's work since inception.
2. Donor-Advised Funds: Personalized philanthropic vehicles allowing donors to make charitable contributions, receive immediate tax benefits, and recommend grants over time. WFCO holds nearly 80 donor-advised funds as of 2023.
3. Giving Circles and Communities of Giving: Collective philanthropy through multiple giving circles including Beyond Our Borders, SPIN, Women's Impact Investing Giving Circle, and others. Members pool resources for amplified impact.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support Annual Luncheon and other events. Sponsors include FirstBank (Presenting), Xcel Energy (Platinum), CBS Colorado, Chevron, CoBank (Gold), and numerous Bronze and Friend sponsors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Women's Foundation of Colorado is a community-funded nonprofit foundation that provides grantmaking, public policy advocacy, original research, and community convening services to advance gender, racial, and economic equity for Colorado women and their families. It operates programs such as WINcome cash assistance, the Women & Girls of Color Fund, gender-lens investing through donor-advised funds, and signature events including the Annual Luncheon, while engaging donors through giving circles (PEP, Empowerment Council, Dads for Daughters, SPIN, Beyond Our Borders, Community Chest, Women's Impact Investing Giving Circle).

Product overview

The Women's Foundation of Colorado is a community foundation operating as a unified portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a traditional product platform. The core offerings include grantmaking programs (WINcome, Women & Girls of Color Fund, WAGES), research and advocacy initiatives, signature events (Annual Luncheon, Chat4Change), and multiple giving programs (PEP, Empowerment Council, Donor-Advised Funds, Giving Circles). These programs work together to advance gender, racial, and economic equity through community philanthropy, public policy advocacy, and strategic investments in Colorado women and their families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WINcome: Women + Income = Women Thriving - grantmaking program providing flexible cash assistance to women through grantee partners
• Women and Girls of Color Fund
• Power of Extended Philanthropy (PEP)
• Empowerment Council
• Dads for Daughters/Men for Women
• Chat4Change
• Advocating4Impact
• Women Will
• The Womanifesto
• Women's Impact Investing Giving Circle

Products and services

• Annual Luncheon Annual fundraising and community-building event, described as the state's largest gathering benefitting Colorado women and girls. Tickets and tables are sold to individuals, corporations, and foundations, and the 2026 event features speakers Margaret Cho and Cristela Alonzo.
• Chat4Change Conversations
• Power of Extended Philanthropy (PEP) Three-year pledge giving program for donors contributing $1,000 or more annually (Pearl PEP at $3,000/year), creating a steady funding stream for the foundation. More than 300 members participate.
• Empowerment Council
• Donor-Advised Funds Personalized philanthropic vehicles allowing donors to make charitable contributions, receive immediate tax benefits, and recommend grants over time. WFCO holds nearly 80 donor-advised funds as of 2023, with a $2,500 minimum to establish and a $2,500 match available for new funds.
• Giving Circles
• Dads for Daughters / Men for Women
• Advocating4Impact Training
• Women's Impact Investing Giving Circle Impact investing program where members contribute a minimum of $2,500 and collectively deploy low-interest loans to women entrepreneurs in Colorado. New members joining before September 15, 2025 receive a $500 match.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of WINcome participants reported positive impact of cash assistance on meeting personal economic security goals
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• LIV Sotheby's International RealtyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Generously donated meeting space for Women's Impact Investing Giving Circle and promotes women's economic advancement through sponsorship.
• Caring for Denver FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-presented Chat4Change conversation on affirming healthcare with Dallas Ducar, CEO of Transhealth. Caring for Denver Foundation supports expanding connections to LGBTQ+ healthcare.
• Impact Finance CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Strategic partner for Women's Impact Investing Giving Circle (WIIGC). Impact Finance Center provides hands-on education to WIIGC members on impact investing and helps evaluate potential investments in women-led ventures. Members learn how to deploy pooled resources to support women entrepreneurs.
• Collaborative Healing Initiatives within Communities (CHIC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Mission-driven partner with SPIN (Sisterhood of Philanthropists Impacting Needs) to launch COVID-19 Community Relief Fund. Both organizations focus on advancement and empowerment of African-American women. Collaboratively raised over $70,000 for individuals and businesses disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
• Joining Vision and ActionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Strategic planning partner that worked with WFCO for one year to develop 2017-2021 strategic plan through stakeholder engagement and community input processes.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dallas Women's Foundation: Texas-based foundation investing in women and girls through research, advocacy, and grantmaking. Comparable as a regional/statewide gender equity funder with similar programmatic model.
• New York Women's Foundation: Citywide foundation mobilizing resources to advance gender, racial, and economic justice in NYC. Comparable as a community-funded foundation combining grantmaking, advocacy, and donor engagement.
• Washington Area Women's Foundation: Regional community foundation focused on economic security for women and girls in the DC area. Comparable in combining research, grantmaking, policy advocacy, and donor community-building.
• Women's Foundation of Minnesota: Statewide community foundation advancing gender equity in Minnesota. Highly comparable in mission, statewide scope, research portfolio, and advocacy focus.
• Women's Foundation of California: Statewide community foundation advancing gender and racial equity in California. Directly comparable as a sister statewide women's foundation doing research, advocacy, and grantmaking for women and girls.

Others

• Impact Finance Center: Strategic partner providing hands-on impact investing education for WFCO's Women's Impact Investing Giving Circle. Comparable as an enabling/ecosystem partner in the impact investing space rather than a grantmaking competitor.
• Women's Funding Network: Network of women's foundations and gender-focused funders. Not a direct competitor but an ecosystem peer and likely partner organization serving WFCO's peer foundations.

Regional players

• Denver Foundation: Denver's largest community foundation serving Colorado. Operates in the same geography with overlapping donor base but with broader (non-gender-specific) community focus, making it an adjacent community foundation rather than direct peer.
• El Pomar Foundation: Major Colorado-based private foundation with broad community giving focus. Comparable as a Colorado funder with overlapping corporate donor network, though broader in scope and not gender-specific.

Broad incumbents

• Ms. Foundation for Women: National women's foundation supporting grassroots movements. Comparable as a multi-issue women's funder, but operates nationally with broader (not statewide) scope and a movement-building rather than state policy focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/wfcolorado
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wfcolorado

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Women’s Foundation of Colorado (WFCO)