Colorado UPLIFT
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1982
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Colorado UPLIFT does
Colorado UpLift is a Denver-area 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1982 that places full-time, career-professional Teacher/Mentors inside public schools to build long-term relationships with urban youth from 4th grade through high school and into college and career. The organization operates four integrated programs — In-School (accredited electives in character and leadership), After-School (3pm-6pm engagement during high-risk hours), Adventure (outdoor experiences such as skiing, rafting, and ropes courses), and College and Career (campus visits, scholarships, first-generation support) — that are delivered as a single relationship continuum rather than discrete services. Outcomes are third-party validated through the Thriving Youth Scorecard by Excellence in Giving and the Search Institute, reporting a 90% high school graduation rate (vs. 72% citywide), 86% post-secondary enrollment, a 261% increase in peer-elected student leaders, and a 2x increase in supportive adult connections after three semesters.
The organization serves 4,000+ students annually across 23 partner schools in Denver and Westminster with 70+ staff, mentors, and program leaders. Its revenue model is a diversified nonprofit funding stack: recurring monthly individual donors ($25–$250/month tiers), one-time gifts ($50–$1,000), a $15 million Community Campus capital campaign (over $8 million raised as of the most recent disclosure against a $6 million campus acquisition at 1500 S. Dayton Street, Aurora), corporate partnerships at $15,000+ (Target, Bank of Colorado, Saunders Construction, Power Home Remodeling, Plante Moran, ANM, 1st Bank/PNC, Freeway Ford, FourPoint Energy, NBA Foundation), legacy/planned giving, and gifts of appreciated securities. Customer segments comprise urban youth (primary beneficiaries), partner schools and districts, and corporate partners; go-to-market is community-led through formal school partnership agreements and direct donor engagement via DonorBox-powered online giving.
Colorado UPLIFT firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Colorado UPLIFT
- Legal name
- Colorado UpLift
- Website
- https://coloradouplift.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1982
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Colorado UPLIFT industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Mentorship Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (61), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL), After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC), Leadership, Service Learning & Volunteer-to-Career Pathways (EDAMAKAJ), Post-Secondary Transition Planning & Coordination (EDAKANAA)
Keywords
Where Colorado UPLIFT is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Colorado UPLIFT business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Monthly recurring gifts and one-time donations from individual donors funding Teacher/Mentors in schools
- Capital Campaign: $15 million capital campaign for Community Campus at 1500 S. Dayton Street; raised over $8 million as of current date
- Legacy/Planned Giving: Bequests, beneficiary designations, charitable remainder trusts, and gifts of real estate for long-term sustainability
- Corporate Partnerships: Corporate sponsorships at $15,000+ threshold including cash contributions, employee engagement programs, career fairs, and event sponsorships
- Gifts of Stock/Assets: Appreciated securities and asset donations allowing donors to avoid capital gains while receiving charitable deductions
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly recurring donor tiers |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | One-time gift tiers |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Adventure Program sponsorship |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | College and Career cohort support |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
Colorado UPLIFT product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Colorado UpLift places full-time, career-professional Teacher/Mentors inside partner schools in the Denver Metro area to build long-term, multi-year relationships with urban youth from 4th grade through high school and into college and career. Service delivery is organized through four integrated programs: an In-School accredited character and leadership curriculum, an After-School program for high-risk 3pm-6pm hours, an Adventure Program using outdoor experiential activities, and a College and Career Program for post-secondary transition support. The organization is funded through charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, and planned giving.
Product overview
Colorado UpLift is a nonprofit youth mentorship organization offering four integrated programs delivered by full-time Teacher/Mentors embedded in schools across Denver and Westminster since 1982. The In-School Program serves as the entry point where daily classroom instruction in character and leadership begins relationships. The After-School Program deepens engagement during high-risk afternoon hours. The Adventure Program builds confidence through outdoor experiences. The College and Career Program extends support through post-secondary transition. Together, these four programs form a continuum of long-term mentorship that follows students from 4th grade through college and career.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- In-School Program
- After-School Program
- Adventure Program
- College and Career Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% high school graduation rate vs 72% citywide average
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Colorado UPLIFT
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Colorado UPLIFT technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Colorado UPLIFT partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- FourPoint EnergycoreCorporate cash contributor at $15,000+ level. Created The FourPoint Pickler event to bring together employees, industry partners, and Denver community around the UpLift mission.
- TargetcoreCorporate partner providing cash contributions of $15,000+ as part of Proud Partners program.
- Bank of ColoradocoreCorporate partner committed to empowering youth, strengthening community, and creating lasting impact through mentorship and leadership development.
- Saunders ConstructioncoreCorporate cash contributor at $15,000+ threshold as part of Proud Partners program.
- Power Home RemodelingcoreCorporate partner at $15,000+ contribution level.
- Plante MorancoreCorporate partner at $15,000+ contribution level.
- ANMcoreCorporate partner at $15,000+ contribution level.
- 1st Bank/PNCcoreCorporate partner at $15,000+ contribution level.
- Freeway FordcoreCorporate partner at $15,000+ contribution level.
- NBA FoundationcoreFoundation funder supporting youth development programs.
- Excellence in GivingcoreThird-party evaluator providing Thriving Youth Scorecard validation of program outcomes.
- Search InstitutecoreResearch partner providing 60+ years of youth development research to validate program outcomes through before-and-after surveys.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Colorado UPLIFT competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Communities In Schools: National nonprofit that places site coordinators inside K-12 schools to connect students to community resources and caring adults, with explicit dropout-prevention focus. Highly comparable in-school service delivery model and outcome metrics (graduation rates, attendance).
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of America: Largest youth mentoring nonprofit in the US, matches adult volunteers with youth for long-term one-to-one relationships. Closely comparable mission (sustained mentoring relationships to improve youth outcomes) though Colorado UpLift's full-time embedded Teacher/Mentor model is a more intensive variant.
- I Have A Dream Foundation: Sponsors cohorts of students from elementary school through college with sustained mentoring and tuition assistance. Closely comparable long-arc "promise" model that follows cohorts for 10+ years, with similar graduate outcomes and postsecondary enrollment focus.
Emerging players
- Year Up: National workforce-development nonprofit serving young adults from under-resourced communities with training, mentorship, and corporate internship placement. Comparable in the career-pathways segment and corporate-engagement funding model, though focused on older youth than Colorado UpLift.
Broad incumbents
- Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Nationwide youth development organization providing after-school programming, mentorship, and college/career readiness across thousands of club locations. Broader portfolio than Colorado UpLift but overlapping focus on after-school hours, character development, and postsecondary transition.
- Junior Achievement USA: Large national youth workforce-readiness and financial literacy nonprofit with K-12 in-school programming. Comparable in the career-pathways and workforce-readiness category, including similar corporate partnership models and after-school program extensions.
Regional players
- Denver Kids, Inc. Denver-area nonprofit providing long-term educational mentoring and support for students at risk of dropping out of school. Directly comparable in geography, mission (graduation rates, postsecondary planning), and student population.
- Mentor Colorado: Statewide mentoring intermediary advancing quality mentoring in Colorado. Comparable as a regional peer in the same mentoring category and geography, though operating as a network/capacity-builder rather than direct-service provider.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Colorado UPLIFT social profiles
Digital presenceColorado UPLIFT compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Colorado UPLIFT financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Colorado UPLIFT leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Colorado UPLIFT funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Colorado UPLIFT M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Colorado UPLIFT
What does Colorado UPLIFT do?
Colorado UpLift places full-time, career-professional Teacher/Mentors inside partner schools in the Denver Metro area to build long-term, multi-year relationships with urban youth from 4th grade through high school and into college and career. Service delivery is organized through four integrated programs: an In-School accredited character and leadership curriculum, an After-School program for high-risk 3pm-6pm hours, an Adventure Program using outdoor experiential activities, and a College and Career Program for post-secondary transition support. The organization is funded through charitable donations, corporate sponsorships, and planned giving.
Is Colorado UPLIFT a public or private company?
Colorado UPLIFT is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Colorado UPLIFT founded?
Colorado UPLIFT was founded in 1982. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Colorado UPLIFT based?
Colorado UPLIFT is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does Colorado UPLIFT make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are capital Campaign, legacy/Planned Giving, corporate Partnerships and gifts of Stock/Assets.
Who are Colorado UPLIFT's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Communities In Schools, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and I Have A Dream Foundation. Year Up is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Junior Achievement USA. Regional players are Denver Kids, Inc. and Mentor Colorado.
Does Colorado UPLIFT have an API?
No public API is recorded for Colorado UPLIFT.
What industry is Colorado UPLIFT in?
Colorado UPLIFT's product category is Youth Mentorship Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGADAF, Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits, with a secondary code of BPAGADAL, Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits. Its NAICS code is 61 and its SIC code is 8200.