What The Denver Foundation does

The Denver Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation founded in 1925 and headquartered at 1009 Grant Street, Denver, Colorado. It manages more than $1.5 billion in assets across three investment pools (Long-Term Balanced, Sustainable and Responsible Investment, and Index), advised by NEPC, and has distributed more than $1.5 billion in grants to the community over its 100-year history. Its primary service area is the seven-county Metro Denver region (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties), and it serves four principal customer sets: Metro Denver nonprofits seeking grants, individual and family philanthropists (including donor-advised, business, and estate-gift vehicles), students applying to scholarships, and nonprofit organizations using agency endowment funds.

Core products include the Community Grants Program (approximately $4-5M annually in $20,000-$50,000 grants across two cycles, focused on economic opportunity, environment and climate, housing, and youth well-being), Strengthening Neighborhoods ($500-$5,000 community-led grants averaging $2,500), the Reisher Scholars Program ($6,000-$22,000 per year at ten Colorado partner universities, with $45M+ awarded to 2,500+ students to date), the Capacity Building Fund ($500-$6,000), and a Universal Scholarship Application covering 84 funds. The foundation's technology layer consists of three Foundant-based portals (TDF Fund Manager for fundholders, TDF Grant Manager for grant applicants, TDF Scholarship Manager for scholarship seekers) with Candid's national 501(c)(3) database integrated for grantee search. Revenue is sourced from charitable gifts and donations across nearly 1,500 endowment donors plus investment returns on managed assets; the Centennial Campaign is currently raising $100M toward endowed funds and the permanent endowment.

Name

The Denver Foundation

Legal name

The Denver Foundation

Website

https://denverfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Denver Foundation is a 100-year-old community foundation managing more than $1.5 billion in assets that connects donors, nonprofits, students, and residents across seven-county Metro Denver through grantmaking, donor-advised funds, agency endowments, and a portfolio of scholarship programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Donor-advised funds
• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Scholarship administration
• Charitable endowment management

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Charitable Gifts and Donations: The Denver Foundation receives charitable contributions from individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations. Gifts support The Fund for Denver (permanent endowment), donor-advised funds, scholarship funds, designated funds, field of interest funds, and agency funds. The foundation has received more than $1.5 billion in gifts over 100 years from nearly 1,500 donors.
2. Endowment Investment Management: The foundation manages charitable assets across three investment pools: Long-Term Balanced Pool, Sustainable and Responsible Investment (SRI) Pool, and Index Pool. Total assets under management exceed $1.5 billion, generating investment returns that support grantmaking and administrative operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Denver Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation that manages more than $1.5 billion in charitable assets and channels philanthropic capital to nonprofits, students, and community-led initiatives in the seven-county Metro Denver region. It sells philanthropic services through donor-advised funds, scholarship programs (84 funds supporting 1,600+ students annually), grantmaking programs (Community Grants, Strengthening Neighborhoods, Capacity Building Fund), and investment management across three pools.

Product overview

The Denver Foundation operates primarily as a community foundation offering philanthropic services rather than a technology product company. Its core technology offerings are three Foundant-based online portals: TDF Grant Manager (grant applications and management), TDF Scholarship Manager (scholarship applications and evaluation), and TDF Fund Manager (fundholder account and grant recommendation portal). These are complemented by grantmaking programs including the Community Grants Program (~$4-5M annually, $20,000-$50,000 grants), Capacity Building Fund ($500-$6,000), and Strengthening Neighborhoods (up to $5,000 for community-led projects). The foundation's signature scholarship initiative is the Reisher Scholars Program ($6,000-$22,000 per year at ten Colorado partner universities), supplemented by a universal scholarship application covering 25+ scholarships and graduate/bridge variants. Supporting infrastructure includes the permanent endowment (The Fund for Denver), Civic Fabric Fund for policy/advocacy, and investment management across three investment pools managing $1.5B+ in assets. The Centennial Campaign is a $100M fundraising initiative marking the foundation's 100th anniversary.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Fund for Denver: The permanent endowment of The Denver Foundation designed to ensure Colorado always has the resources it needs to thrive.
• Strengthening Neighborhoods
• Reisher Scholars Program
• Civic Fabric Fund
• Critical Needs Fund
• Capacity Building Fund
• EPIC (Elevating Philanthropy in Communities of Color)

Products and services

• TDF Grant Manager
• TDF Scholarship Manager
• TDF Fund Manager
• Community Grants Program
• Strengthening Neighborhoods
• Capacity Building Fund
• Reisher Scholars Program
• Reisher Graduate Scholarship Program
• Reisher Bridge Program
• Universal Scholarship Application
• The Fund for Denver
• Civic Fabric Fund
• Investment Management Services
• Agency (Nonprofit) Funds
• Business Donor-Advised Funds
• Estate and Planned Giving Services
• Collective Giving Circles
• Critical Needs Fund
• DESCI (Community Housing Program)

Quantifiable outcome

• More than $1.5 billion in grants to the community over 100 years
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Reisher Partner Institutions (9 Colorado universities)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2001The Reisher family established the Reisher Scholars Program at The Denver Foundation in 2001 to support Colorado students in completing their undergraduate degrees. Partner institutions include Colorado Mesa University, Colorado State University, Colorado State University-Pueblo, Fort Lewis College, Metropolitan State University of Denver, University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, University of Colorado-Denver, University of Northern Colorado, and Western Colorado University. The program has awarded $45M+ to 2,500+ students.
• NEPCcoreTechnology or IntegrationNEPC is the foundation's investment consultant, providing portfolio oversight and directing overall investment strategies. NEPC is one of the industry's largest independent, full-service investment consulting firms serving large endowments and community foundations with total AUM of more than $1.1 trillion.
• Colorado Community College System (CCCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to strengthen transfer student pipeline through the Reisher Bridge Scholarship program. Utilizes existing Bridge to Bachelor's Degree program model to support students in successful degree completion and transfer to partner institutions.
• Aims Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to strengthen transfer student pipeline through the Reisher Bridge Scholarship program, supporting students transferring to Reisher Partner Institutions.
• Capacity Building Consultants NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of capacity building consultants used by grantees of the Capacity Building Fund program. The foundation maintains a shared list of approved consultants for strategic planning, governance, communications, cybersecurity, and other organizational development needs.
• Candid (GuideStar)coreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with Candid's national database of 501(c)(3) nonprofits in the TDF Fund Manager portal. Allows fundholders to search and identify grantees beyond The Denver Foundation's existing grantee records.

Scale indicators25 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Boston Foundation: Major metropolitan community foundation managing DAFs, scholarship funds, agency endowments, and competitive community grants for Greater Boston. Directly comparable across program categories and AUM tier.
• The Cleveland Foundation: Century-old community foundation offering DAFs, scholarship administration, agency funds, and competitive grantmaking across Cuyahoga County. Direct comparable on longevity, service model, and program structure.
• The Pittsburgh Foundation: Long-established community foundation serving a defined metro region with donor-advised funds, scholarship programs, and competitive grantmaking. Comparable in mission, product offering, and competitive positioning.
• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation: Mid-size community foundation serving the Kansas City metro with donor-advised funds, scholarship funds, agency funds, and competitive community grantmaking. Closely matches The Denver Foundation's product mix and asset scale.
• New York Community Trust: Long-established community foundation serving the New York metro with permanent funds, competitive grantmaking, and donor services. Comparable in longevity, endowment scale, and program model.
• Chicago Community Trust: Major regional community foundation operating DAFs, scholarship programs, agency endowments, and competitive grant cycles across the Chicago metro. Comparable in scale, program breadth, and community foundation model.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: One of the largest US community foundations, also operating donor-advised funds, scholarship programs, and a permanent community endowment across a defined regional service area. Directly comparable in structure, product mix (DAFs, scholarships, competitive grants), and the $1B+ AUM scale tier.

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Charitable: The largest national donor-advised fund sponsor, offering a low-friction, nationally accessible DAF product that competes directly for the same donor-advised fund dollars that The Denver Foundation seeks. Not regionally focused, but a key competitive substitute in the DAF market.
• Foundation Source: Provider of administrative and investment services for private foundations, an alternative vehicle for HNW philanthropists evaluating between private foundations and community foundation DAFs. Adjacent competitor for philanthropic giving vehicles.
• National Philanthropic Trust: National donor-advised fund sponsor and philanthropic services provider that competes with community foundations for DAF assets, particularly from donors with no strong local tie. A relevant substitute product for the foundation's DAF offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tdfcommunity
• Facebookfacebook.com/280105511218
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tdfcommunity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Denver Foundation