Telluride Foundation

What Telluride Foundation does

The Telluride Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation established in 2000 by Ron Allred and Hideo Morita with 13 founding donors each contributing $100,000, headquartered in Telluride, Colorado and serving San Miguel, Ouray, and West Montrose counties. It operates a hybrid philanthropic model combining annual competitive grantmaking — distributing roughly $1 million per year to more than 75 regional nonprofits across seven focus areas (Early Childhood Development, Education, Environment & Climate, Arts & Culture, Health, Human Services, and Athletics) — with direct "Impact Initiatives" that tackle region-specific challenges including workforce housing, economic diversification, health equity, food security, education, climate resiliency, equity and inclusion, and nonprofit capacity building. Adjacent operating programs include Tri-County Health Network (healthcare access and insurance enrollment for underserved populations), Telluride Venture Network (entrepreneurship acceleration, mentorship, and capital facilitation), the Housing Opportunity Fund (down payment assistance via forgivable and shared appreciation loans), scholarships and technical training, the Good Neighbor Fund (emergency assistance), and the Ouray County Fire Fund (disaster response). Donor programs are structured as multi-year commitments across tiered giving levels from $2,000 to $30,000 annually for four years, supplemented by unrestricted gifts and sub-funds such as the Lone Cone Legacy Trust and West End Pay It Forward Trust. The Foundation convenes stakeholders across sectors — partnering with institutions such as the National Renewable Energy Lab, EcoAction Partners, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, and the Colorado Water Trust — to address regional challenges, and operates signature community events including the annual Rundola 4th of July race and TVN Pitch Day. Technology dependency is minimal, limited to standard nonprofit SaaS for donations, grant management, event registration, and web analytics; primary value creation derives from relationships, convening authority, and 25 years of accumulated regional trust. Governance is by a volunteer Executive Board of Directors and Leadership Council; Jason Corzine has served as President & CEO since 2022.

Name

Telluride Foundation

Legal name

Telluride Foundation

Website

https://telluridefoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Telluride Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation serving San Miguel, Ouray, and West Montrose counties in Colorado. It distributes ~$1M annually in grants to 75+ regional nonprofits and operates impact initiatives in workforce housing, health equity, and entrepreneurship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation & Philanthropic Services

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH)

Keywords

• Community foundation
• Grantmaking programs
• Workforce housing assistance
• Nonprofit capacity building
• Philanthropic services

Headquarters

HQ city

Telluride

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Donor Contributions and Gifts: The Foundation receives unrestricted and restricted donations from individuals, families, and organizations. Unrestricted gifts provide flexibility to respond to changing community needs. The primary impact comes from unrestricted donations directed by the board to areas of greatest need.
2. Community Grants Program: Annual competitive grants distributed to nonprofits and local governmental entities serving San Miguel County (including Rico, Ouray, and West Montrose counties). Average of $1 million annually to more than 75 regional nonprofits. Grants awarded in seven focus areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Telluride Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community foundation that distributes annual competitive grants to regional nonprofits (averaging $1 million annually to 75+ organizations), runs direct Impact Initiatives addressing workforce housing, economic diversity, health equity, food security, education, climate resiliency, and nonprofit support, and provides donor stewardship, college scholarships, and community convenings across San Miguel, Ouray, and West Montrose counties in Colorado.

Product overview

Telluride Foundation is a community foundation serving the Telluride region of Colorado. The organization operates primarily through its Community Grants Program, which distributes annual competitive grants to regional nonprofits, and its Impact Initiatives portfolio, which includes workforce housing programs (Housing Opportunity Fund and Rural Homes), the Telluride Venture Network for economic development, and convenings on topics like climate resiliency and housing. Additional offerings include college scholarships, the Good Neighbor Fund emergency assistance program, Ouray County Fire Fund for wildfire recovery, and the Rundola community fundraising event. The Foundation functions as a unified philanthropic organization rather than a technology platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Telluride Venture Network (TVN): Entrepreneurial ecosystem supporting small businesses, manufacturing companies, and high-growth startups across the region through business acceleration, mentorship, and capital access programs.
• Rural Homes
• Chang Chavkin Scholars

Products and services

• Community Grants Program Annual competitive grants program awarding funding to regional nonprofits and local governmental entities serving San Miguel, Ouray, and West Montrose counties across seven focus areas: Early Childhood Development, Education, Environment & Climate, Arts and Culture, Health, Human Services, and Athletics. Grant amounts typically range from $500 to $40,000.
• Housing Opportunity Fund Down payment assistance program for regional workforce homebuyers offering forgivable loans up to $5,000 (forgiven after 2 years) and shared appreciation loans up to 20% of home price (max $100,000 in San Miguel County, $30,000 in Nucla/Naturita). No monthly payments until home is sold or refinanced.
• Telluride Venture Network

Quantifiable outcome

• $1 million annually to 75+ regional nonprofits
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023In September 2023, Foundation partnered with NREL and EcoAction Partners to discuss climate solutions and San Miguel & Ouray Counties' Climate Action Plan implementation.
• Colorado Water TrustsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2003Partnered to host panel discussion on water, drought, and future of agriculture. Colorado Water Trust works collaboratively with landowners to protect water rights while supporting healthy river flows.
• Tri-County Health NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTCHN is a healthcare initiative of the Foundation. The Foundation files two tax returns annually - one for TF and one for TCHN. TCHN works on health equity,OmniSalud enrollments for undocumented Coloradans, immigration legal services, and behavioral health summits.
• Rural HomescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by the Foundation in 2019, Rural Homes builds affordable workforce housing using donated land, off-site construction, and low-cost financing. Constructed 59 homes across 3 communities. Spun off as independent 501(c)3 in January 2025.
• West End Economic Development Corporation (WEEDC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation supports WEEDC which promotes economic development in Norwood, Nucla, and Naturita.
• Telluride SciencesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered in 2023 to bring science and innovation-based experts and speakers to the community through collaboration science-based convenings.
• Region 10's Area Agency on AgingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerTri-County Health Network partners with Region 10 on the Frontier Adult Services Partnership providing services to older adults including food access, in-home support, transportation, and volunteer opportunities.
• EcoAction PartnerssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on Climate Action Plan development and implementation. EcoAction Partners completed the CAP in 2021 with Sneffels Energy Board.
• Community Banks of ColoradosupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreviously employed Finance Director Karen Byrom from Community Banks of Colorado (18 years of banking experience).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Park City Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the Park City, Utah region with parallel programs in nonprofit grants, housing affordability, and community initiatives in a ski-resort economy.
• Summit Foundation: Community foundation serving Summit County, Colorado, addressing similar workforce housing, education, and human services challenges in a mountain-resort economy.
• Vail Valley Foundation: Colorado mountain community foundation serving Eagle County with comparable grantmaking, scholarships, and community programs serving a resort-based economy and workforce housing challenges.
• Jackson Hole Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Teton County, Wyoming with comparable grantmaking, donor stewardship, and impact initiatives targeting a mountain-resort and conservation-oriented community.
• Aspen Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the Aspen/Pitkin County region of Colorado with similar grantmaking, donor stewardship, and impact initiatives. Most direct comparable by geography, mission, and mountain-resort economy context.

Broad incumbents

• Colorado Health Foundation: Large Colorado-focused foundation with overlapping health equity and rural community initiatives, including partnerships with Tri-County Health Network-adjacent programs.
• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation: Established regional community foundation operating donor-advised funds, grantmaking, and impact initiatives at a metropolitan scale comparable in structure if not geography.
• The Denver Foundation: Largest community foundation in Colorado with similar grantmaking, donor-advised funds, and impact investing programs but operating at metro scale across the Denver region.

Regional players

• La Plata Community Foundation: Rural Colorado community foundation with comparable grantmaking, capacity building, and donor engagement programs serving a smaller mountain-region footprint.
• Eagle County Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Eagle County, Colorado with similar mountain-community grantmaking, scholarships, and housing-related initiatives in an adjacent resort region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/Telluride-Foundation/110163245072
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/telluride-foundation-9494b6b3
• Instagraminstagram.com/telluridefoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Telluride Foundation