Colorado Gives Foundation

What Colorado Gives Foundation does

Colorado Gives Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity and community foundation headquartered in Arvada, Colorado, originally established in the 1970s as Community First Foundation and rebranded to its current name in 2023. The foundation operates two primary business lines: a statewide online giving platform (ColoradoGives.org, launched 2007 and powered by MightyCause) connecting donors with 4,600+ Colorado nonprofits across 26 cause areas, and a Jefferson County-focused grantmaking operation across three impact areas (Collective Wellbeing, Economic Freedom, and Vibrant Communities). Since 2007, ColoradoGives.org has channeled more than $807 million in contributions, and the foundation's annual Colorado Gives Day (launched 2010) is the state's largest day of giving — raising $54.8 million in 2024 and $56.5 million in 2025.

Product breadth includes individual and Business Donor Advised Funds (minimums of $5K and $5K respectively, plus Advisor Managed Funds at $500K), Nonprofit Endowments (minimum $50K, sliding-scale fees of 0.5%-1.0% on AUM), a GranteeView portal (iPhiview-based) for grant applications and reporting, free meeting space at the Arvada headquarters for nonprofits, and a growing portfolio of programmatic funds — the $15 million Bring It Home Fund for workforce housing, the Pathways to Prosperity workforce development fund, and the Colorado Pay It Forward zero-interest loan program. Supporting technology is web-portal-centric (no public APIs, no disclosed mobile apps) and relies on third-party SaaS (MightyCause, iPhiview) rather than proprietary AI systems.

Revenue mechanics combine four streams: sliding-scale endowment management fees, donor-advised-fund administrative fees, corporate sponsorship and incentive-fund revenue (anchored by FirstBank as Colorado Gives Day presenting sponsor, with Delta Dental, Southwest Airlines, Janus Henderson, and CHFA as supporting partners), and platform transaction processing through ColoradoGives.org. The foundation serves individual donors, Colorado nonprofits, professional advisors (financial advisors, estate attorneys, CPAs), and businesses seeking corporate social responsibility vehicles — with $502 million+ in total assets under stewardship (as of December 2020) and a 25+ person staff operating under National Standards Accreditation from the Council on Foundations.

Name

Colorado Gives Foundation

Legal name

Colorado Gives Foundation

Website

https://coloradogivesfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Colorado Gives Foundation is a Colorado community foundation operating ColoradoGives.org (statewide giving platform) and Colorado Gives Day, serving 4,600+ nonprofits, individual and corporate donors, professional advisors, and Jefferson County grant recipients through DAFs, endowments, and impact funds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation Philanthropy Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Donor advised funds
• Online giving platform
• Nonprofit endowment management
• Charitable grantmaking

Headquarters

HQ city

Arvada

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Endowment Management Fees: Colorado Gives Foundation charges sliding-scale fees for managing nonprofit endowments: 1.0% on funds up to $1 million, 0.75% on funds between $1-2 million, and 0.5% on funds above $2 million. Endowments start at $50,000 minimum.
2. Donor Advised Fund Administration: Fees from managing donor advised funds for individuals, families, and businesses. Initial contribution requirement is $5,000 for standard DAFs and $500,000 for Advisor Managed Funds.
3. Sponsorship and Marketing Partnerships: Revenue from corporate sponsorships during Colorado Gives Day and other campaigns, including presenting sponsorships, incentive funds, and custom branding opportunities.
4. Platform Transaction Processing: Facilitates online donations through ColoradoGives.org, processing contributions from donors to nonprofits across Colorado.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Colorado Gives Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity that operates ColoradoGives.org, a year-round online giving marketplace connecting individual and corporate donors with more than 4,600 Colorado nonprofits. The foundation also administers Donor Advised Funds (individual and business variants), manages long-term nonprofit endowments on a sliding-scale fee basis, makes targeted grants to Jefferson County-serving nonprofits across three impact areas (Collective Wellbeing, Economic Freedom, Vibrant Communities), and produces the annual Colorado Gives Day event.

Product overview

Colorado Gives Foundation operates a multi-product philanthropy platform centered around ColoradoGives.org, a year-round online giving platform launched in 2007 that has channeled over $807 million to Colorado nonprofits. The foundation's core offerings include Colorado Gives Day (annual giving event since 2010), Donor Advised Funds (individual and business variants with $5,000 minimum), Endowments for nonprofits starting at $50,000, and a GranteeView portal for grant management. Supporting programs include the Bring It Home Fund (housing initiative with $15M seed), Pathways to Prosperity Fund (workforce development), and Colorado Pay It Forward Fund (zero-interest education loans). The foundation serves donors (individual and corporate), nonprofits, and professional advisors through integrated web-based platforms and direct services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ColoradoGives.org: Year-round online giving platform connecting donors with nonprofits across Colorado
• Colorado Gives Day

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• FirstBankflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025FirstBank is the presenting sponsor for Colorado Gives Day, the state's largest day of giving. As one of Colorado's top corporate philanthropists, FirstBank partnered to create and grow the giving day event, which has become one of the largest online giving movements in the nation.
• Delta Dental of ColoradocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Delta Dental of Colorado sponsors the Good for Business Challenge, encouraging other companies to participate in business giving around Colorado Gives Day through gamification and incentives.
• Southwest AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Southwest Airlines provides in-kind sponsorship by donating airline tickets for Colorado Gives Foundation to give away as incentives to encourage giving.
• Janus Henderson InvestorsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Janus Henderson Investors sponsored #GivingTuesday during the Colorado Gives Day campaign to inspire donors to give on the international day of giving, supporting their brand exposure objectives as a global company.
• CHFA (Colorado Housing and Finance Authority)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025CHFA sponsored the Colorado Gives Day Incentive Fund, providing financial boost to donations made to participating nonprofits.
• Syntrinsic Social CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColorado Gives Foundation partnered with Syntrinsic Social Capital to conduct an affordable housing study for Jefferson County, analyzing current housing needs, housing efforts, and production gaps to inform strategies.
• BetterOffercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBetterOffer is a program supported by Colorado Gives Foundation that connects employers with skilled professionals in IT, cybersecurity, business development, skilled construction trades, and healthcare. Job seekers can find top training and apprenticeship programs leading to better jobs.
• Weave Social Finance / CHAI FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColorado Gives Foundation partnered with Weave Social Finance's Colorado Housing Accelerator Initiative (CHAI) Fund to provide a $500,000 loan to Foothills Regional Housing for the Vance Street Lofts affordable housing project.
• Bell Policy CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Bell Policy Center on the Jeffco Housing Webinar Series and collaborative efforts including research on historic housing barriers affecting BIPOC communities in Jefferson County.
• Colorado Nonprofit AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColorado Gives Foundation partners with Colorado Nonprofit Association alongside STEP Denver and La Puente to enable donors to support nonprofits helping those experiencing homelessness through ColoradoGives.org with state tax credits.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Rose Community Foundation: Denver-area community foundation focused on Jewish community, older adults, and youth; directly comparable in DAF administration, grant cycles, and Colorado-based nonprofit fundraising infrastructure.
• The Denver Foundation: Colorado-based community foundation running donor advised funds, endowments, and grant programs across Metro Denver; closest geographic peer with overlapping DAF and grantmaking products to Colorado nonprofits.
• El Pomar Foundation: Colorado-based private foundation managing significant assets, DAF-style giving, and statewide grantmaking; comparable scale and statewide Colorado footprint to Colorado Gives Foundation.

Emerging players

• MightyCause: Software provider that powers ColoradoGives.org and offers online fundraising tools to thousands of nonprofits; adjacent as both platform vendor and potential competitor if it launches its own statewide marketplace.
• Network for Good: Donor management and online giving SaaS for nonprofits; competes with ColoradoGives.org in providing donation processing and fundraising tools to small and mid-sized nonprofits.

Broad incumbents

• Schwab Charitable: Major national DAF sponsor affiliated with Charles Schwab; competes in the same donor advised fund space and benefits from integration with brokerage wealth management relationships.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: Large U.S. community foundation running DAFs, endowments, and grant programs; broader regional scope but directly comparable operating model in DAFs and community grantmaking.
• Bonterra (Network for Good / GiveCorps): Social-good software suite including donor management, grant management, and corporate giving; competes in grantmaking and CRM technology used by community foundations.
• Fidelity Charitable: Largest national donor-advised fund sponsor; competes for DAF dollars with Colorado Gives Foundation's DAF program but with vastly larger AUM and a national giving platform.

Others

• Council on Foundations: National membership organization that issues the National Standards Accreditation held by Colorado Gives Foundation; enabling/industry body rather than direct competitor, but relevant ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@coloradogivesfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/ColoradoGivesFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coloradogivesfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/coloradogivesfoundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Colorado Gives Foundation