Philanthropy Colorado

What Philanthropy Colorado does

Philanthropy Colorado is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association, founded in 1971 and headquartered in Denver, that serves as the statewide infrastructure body for Colorado-based foundations and grantmakers. Its functional purpose is to connect funders for peer learning, collaboration, and collective advocacy through 14 structured peer networks spanning every funder archetype (private, family, community, corporate, government) plus targeted interest areas such as rural philanthropy, climate, early childhood, and impact investing. The organization runs 80+ programs and events annually, publishes research and giving reports, maintains a member directory of 120+ organizations, and operates a free job board for members.

Its core platform is a web-based membership and engagement stack built around event registration, a member directory, a job board, peer-network coordination, email communications, and mailing lists supporting hybrid/virtual program delivery. The October 2025 site rebuild consolidated member onboarding, renewal, and content discovery into a unified self-serve surface, signaling deliberate product investment. Operational scale remains intentionally lean (1-10 employees), with the bulk of activity coordinated by a small senior team led by CEO Noah Atencio and supported by program, operations, and data leads.

The business model is membership-driven and recurring: base membership at $750/year, scaled dues from $1,000 to $12,000 tied to discretionary grantmaking levels, optional Impact Champion tiers adding $1,500-$24,000, and a flat $750 Associate tier for consultants and advisors. Revenue is supplemented by event/program fees and grant support from major Colorado funders (Anschutz, Colorado Health Foundation, Boettcher, Gates, Telluride). Customer acquisition is community-led—new memberships begin with a fit conversation and propagate through peer referrals rather than outbound sales.

Name

Philanthropy Colorado

Legal name

Philanthropy Colorado

Website

https://philanthropycolorado.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Philanthropy Colorado is a 501(c)(3) statewide membership association, founded in 1971, connecting 120+ Colorado foundations and grantmakers through 14 peer networks, 80+ annual events, policy advocacy, research, and a member job board.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropy Association and Membership Services

NAICS

Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Membership association services
• Philanthropy peer networks
• Grantmaker resources
• Foundation learning programs
• Policy advocacy coalition

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues based on discretionary grantmaking levels. All members contribute a $750 base, with additional scaled dues based on organization size from $1,000 to $12,000 annually. Impact Champions can contribute $1,500 to $24,000 above standard dues.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from programs and events including workshops, peer network meetings, and signature learning programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Philanthropy Colorado is a statewide 501(c)(3) membership association that connects foundations, corporate giving programs, community foundations, family foundations, and government grantmaking agencies across Colorado. It sells annual tiered memberships and delivers peer learning networks, professional development events, policy advocacy, sector research, and a member directory and job board. The organization functions as a field builder, convener, and advocate for the state's philanthropic sector.

Product overview

Philanthropy Colorado is a membership organization for foundations and grantmakers serving Colorado, established in 1971. The organization offers a suite of interconnected services including Peer Networks (14 networks for peer learning and collaboration), Programs & Events (over 80 programs per year), Policy & Advocacy (state and federal policy engagement), Research & Publications (giving data and special reports), Job Board (free for members), and Member Directory (120+ member organizations). The dues model includes base membership at $750 annually with tiered dues scaled to discretionary grantmaking levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Services Annual membership providing Colorado foundations, family foundations, community foundations, corporate giving programs, and government grantmaking agencies with access to peer networks, events, advocacy, research, and the member directory.
• Peer Networks

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 120 member organizations representing Colorado's philanthropic diversity
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• United Philanthropy ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024National network partnership providing connection to broader U.S. philanthropy infrastructure. Enables participation in national policy initiatives, access to research and resources, and coordination on advocacy efforts including Foundations on the Hill.
• Colorado Nonprofit AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Collaboration with Colorado Nonprofit Association and Community Resource Center to strengthen Colorado's nonprofit and philanthropic ecosystem. Joint work includes State of the Sector events, policy advocacy protecting sector independence, and ecosystem reports.
• Community Resource CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Three-way collaboration focused on Colorado nonprofit sector health. Partners jointly contributed to State of the Sector events and released Colorado Nonprofit Economic Impact Report (2024-2026) highlighting $62B sector contribution.
• Anschutz Family FoundationmajorOthersSupporting the Rural Funders Learning Network and general philanthropy infrastructure in Colorado.
• The Colorado Health FoundationmajorOthersCo-chair of Rural Funders Learning Network and major supporter of rural philanthropy initiatives.
• Boettcher FoundationmajorOthersSupported 2024 strategic planning session for three CEO collaboration. Co-chair of Rural Funders Learning Network.
• Buell FoundationsupportingOthersFunder supporter of Rural Funders Learning Network.
• Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA)supportingOthersFunder supporter of Rural Funders Learning Network.
• The Colorado TrustsupportingOthersFunder supporter of Rural Funders Learning Network.
• Donnell-Kay FoundationsupportingOthersFunder supporter of Rural Funders Learning Network.
• Gates Family FoundationsupportingOthersFunder supporter of Rural Funders Learning Network.
• Grand FoundationsupportingOthersFunder supporter of Rural Funders Learning Network.
• Rocky Mountain Health FoundationsupportingOthersFunder supporter of Rural Funders Learning Network.
• Telluride FoundationsupportingOthersFunder supporter of Rural Funders Learning Network.
• ZOMA Foundation ColoradosupportingOthersFunder supporter of Rural Funders Learning Network.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Independent Sector: National membership organization for nonprofits, foundations, and corporations advancing the charitable sector. Broader than PC because it covers the entire nonprofit ecosystem rather than just funders, and overlaps on policy advocacy and research.
• Council on Foundations: National membership association for U.S. foundations and corporations providing grantmaking. Overlaps with PC on policy advocacy, peer learning, and research, but serves the entire U.S. rather than a single state, making it a broad incumbent rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Philanthropy Northwest: Regional association serving funders across the Pacific Northwest with peer networks, advocacy, and learning programming. Direct peer because it operates a comparable model in a different geography, providing a useful benchmark for state/regional philanthropy-serving organizations.
• Philanthropy New York: Membership association for grantmakers in the New York region, providing peer networks, programming, advocacy, and resources. Comparable in operating model to PC though operating in a much larger and more concentrated philanthropic market.
• Council of Michigan Foundations: Statewide membership organization for Michigan foundations and funders offering learning programs, policy advocacy, and peer networks. Highly comparable model to Philanthropy Colorado in structure and value proposition.
• United Philanthropy Forum: National network of philanthropy-serving organizations, including state and regional associations like PC. Direct peer because PC explicitly partnered with the Forum in 2024 to access national policy infrastructure and peer learning — they serve overlapping constituencies.
• Philanthropy Ohio: Statewide membership association of funders in Ohio, with a comparable mission of connecting grantmakers, offering peer learning, and advocating for the sector. Closest structural peer to Philanthropy Colorado given its state-level membership, dues model, and policy advocacy role.

Regional players

• Community Resource Center: Colorado-based nonprofit capacity builder that co-authored the Colorado Nonprofit Economic Impact Report with PC. Adjacent peer serving nonprofits and communities, sharing ecosystem data and policy infrastructure rather than competing for dues.
• Colorado Nonprofit Association: In-state partner that collaborates with PC on the State of the Sector events and Colorado Nonprofit Economic Impact Report. Adjacent rather than competing — serves nonprofits while PC serves funders — but operates in the same Colorado ecosystem.

Emerging players

• National Center for Family Philanthropy: National organization supporting family foundations through education, resources, and peer networks. Emerges as a partial overlap because PC has 20 family foundation members; competes for their attention and dues allocation on the family-foundation segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cophilanthropy
• Facebookfacebook.com/philanthropycolorado
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/philanthropy-colorado

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Philanthropy Colorado