What The Morgridge Family Foundation does

The Morgridge Family Foundation (MFF) is a private philanthropic foundation co-founded in 2008 by John and Carrie Morgridge and headquartered at 4242 E Amherst Ave., Denver, Colorado. The foundation invests in nonprofits and social enterprises that "reimagine solutions to some of today's most significant challenges," with education as the primary focus area (57% of all grants since founding), alongside workforce development, child welfare, healthcare access (including medical debt relief), and community resilience. Approximately 90% of investments are made in the United States, with operational hubs in Colorado, Florida, and Montana. Since inception, MFF has deployed more than $186M in grants, with $10M+ distributed in 2026 alone, and operates a portfolio of programmatic initiatives rather than a unified technology product.

MFF's core offerings combine grantmaking with capability-building programs: the Morgridge Acceleration Program (MAP) is a six-month fellowship pairing emerging leaders with nonprofit executives; the Student Support Foundation (SSF) teaches students to become philanthropists through grants up to $25,000; My Cause My Corduroy extends a similar model to Colorado FFA state officers; the Data for Nonprofits Workshop Series is a free six-part asynchronous online course on TalentLMS; The Reach is a bimonthly newsletter and blog; MFF Publishing produces books by Carrie Morgridge and thought leaders plus playbooks and reports. The foundation does not develop proprietary technology - its digital presence runs on Squarespace and TalentLMS - and does not sell products or services.

MFF's go-to-market is community-led and outbound: it does not accept unsolicited grant requests and instead actively seeks projects matching its mission, collaborates with partners, makes introductions, and convenes co-funders. Customer relationships are managed through direct grants, multi-party consortia (e.g., the Colorado Implementation Science Unit with Casey Family Programs, Think of Us, and Colorado state agencies), and flagship co-funding initiatives such as the Future of Work Grand Challenge with MIT Solve, XPRIZE, and New Profit. Revenue is generated through endowment returns, investment income, and contributions from the Morgridge family; the foundation is private and does not publicly disclose financial figures.

Name

The Morgridge Family Foundation

Legal name

Morgridge Family Foundation

Website

https://morgridgefamilyfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Morgridge Family Foundation is a Denver-based private philanthropic foundation co-founded by John and Carrie Morgridge in 2008 that deploys grants to nonprofits and social enterprises tackling education, workforce, child welfare, healthcare, and community challenges, with over $186M deployed since inception.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grantmaking

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Family foundation
• Nonprofit funding
• Venture philanthropy
• Social enterprise support

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Giving: As a private family foundation, MFF generates revenue through endowment returns, investment income, and charitable giving from founders John and Carrie Morgridge. They deploy capital in the form of grants to aligned organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Morgridge Family Foundation is a private charitable foundation that provides grants and programmatic support to nonprofit organizations and social enterprises. Founded in 2008 by John and Carrie Morgridge, the foundation is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and focuses on education, health, and community development through programs such as the Morgridge Acceleration Program (MAP).

Product overview

The Morgridge Family Foundation is a philanthropic organization founded in 2008 by John and Carrie Morgridge, offering a portfolio of programs and publishing initiatives rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include: The Reach (bimonthly newsletter and blog), the Morgridge Acceleration Program (MAP fellowship), the Student Support Foundation (SSF), MFF Publishing (books and reports), the Data for Nonprofits Workshop Series (online learning), and My Cause My Corduroy (youth philanthropy). These programs work together to advance MFF's mission of investing in organizations that reimagine solutions to significant challenges, with education as the main focus area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Morgridge Acceleration Program (MAP): A fellowship program that pairs emerging leaders with nonprofit organizations to solve complex challenges
• Student Support Foundation (SSF)
• The Reach

Products and services

• Morgridge Acceleration Program (MAP) A foundation program providing acceleration and support services to social enterprises, helping them scale their operational impact.
• Student Support Foundation (SSF) A foundation program providing student-focused support and aid through the Morgridge Family Foundation.

Quantifiable outcome

• $186M+ in grants deployed since 2008; $10M+ in grants in 2026 alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Yellowstone Club Community FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026MFF made a transformative $5 million investment in YCCF's childcare initiative in Big Sky, Montana. Of this, $1.2 million supports families immediately through income-based scholarships, while the remainder establishes the MFF Elevate Endowment for sustainable early childhood education access.
• Dollar ForflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDollar For founder Jared Walker crushes medical debt for Americans by helping patients navigate charity care programs. MFF supports this work as a grantee, with Dollar For having eliminated over $135 million in medical debt since launching.
• MIT SolvecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFF partnered with MIT Solve to create Solv[ED] Youth Innovation Challenge, inspiring people 24 and under to solve problems in their communities. Also partnered on Future of Work Grand Challenge.
• XPRIZE FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Future of Work Grand Challenge alongside MIT Solve and New Profit, focused on identifying and accelerating solutions for workers without four-year degrees.
• New ProfitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-leaders of Future of Work Grand Challenge with MFF, combining networks of thought leaders and funders to multiply impact for workforce development initiatives.
• Casey Family ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Colorado Implementation Science Unit (CISU) within Colorado Office of Children, Youth and Family Services, focused on building evidence for child welfare programs.
• Think of UscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and development lab for child welfare, transforming systems so people with lived experience are at the center of designing solutions. Partner in MFF's Child Welfare Initiative.
• MindSparkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial design firm received $330,000 grant to create Child Welfare Executive Accelerator, offering design thinking and executive training for frontline child welfare staff.
• Basil DataminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged in 2021 to offer in-person data courses at no charge, which informed the development of MFF's free online Data for Nonprofits Workshop Series.
• Center on Rural Innovation (CORI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for MAP Project48 competition, bringing together student teams from Columbia University, University of Missouri-Columbia, and Parsons School of Design to create data visualization solutions for rural America.
• sparks & honeyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural consultancy partnered with MFF in 2020 to create the Future of Giving report, exploring five cultural shifts and their impact on philanthropy.
• National Jewish HealthflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerHome to the Morgridge Fellowship Program which has produced over 700 fellows practicing worldwide. MFF supports this fellowship program for medical professionals and researchers.
• Colorado Implementation Science Unit (CISU)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner$1.1 million funding to create CISU within Colorado Office of Children, Youth and Family Services, in partnership with Casey Family Programs, Think of Us, Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab, Mile High United Way, and Colorado Department of Human Services.
• Jobs For The Future (JFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Future of Work Grand Challenge, equipping five innovation-oriented workforce boards to reach displaced workers using MIT Solve and XPRIZE training technologies.
• Colorado FFAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMFF invested in My Cause My Corduroy program, adapting the Student Support Foundation model for FFA state officers who each receive $1,000 to reinvest in their communities.
• The COMMIT FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides high-touch transition support to help veterans access services, identify passions, build networks, and leverage skills in civilian careers. 85% of COMMIT veterans work in positions aligning with their goals.
• Wounded Warrior ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization offering free programs and services to help veterans adjust to challenges they face, including physical injuries and mental health issues.
• Operation Family CaregiverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram under Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers, offering one-on-one counseling and group sessions to help military caregivers develop problem-solving skills and resilience.
• Colorado Open LandsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit protecting Colorado's natural resources in partnership with landowners. Hosts the MFF Land Stewardship Fellow.
• CareerVillageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI-powered career guidance platform; MFF invested $100,000 to help the company scale its mission of providing career advice to young people.
• Magical Bridge FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization creating inclusive playgrounds. MFF Senior Advisors Hillary and John Morgridge visited and decided to invest after seeing the impact.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Casey Family Programs: Large private foundation dedicated to child welfare and family systems reform, and a direct MFF co-investor in the Colorado Implementation Science Unit (CISU). Comparable in operating model, systems-change orientation, and child welfare focus area.
• Doris Duke Charitable Foundation: Family-founded U.S. private foundation supporting child well-being, education, medical research, and the arts. Comparable to MFF in family-driven origins, multi-thematic portfolio, and emphasis on measurable outcomes.
• New Profit: Venture philanthropy fund that backs innovative social impact organizations and is an explicit MFF co-investor in the Future of Work Grand Challenge. Directly comparable in taking a multi-year, capacity-building, partner-style approach to grantmaking.
• Ballmer Group: Private philanthropic organization backed by a single wealthy family that invests large, multi-year, partnership-style grants in education, economic mobility, and child welfare. Comparable to MFF in operating style, focus areas, and family-driven model.
• Walton Family Foundation: Large U.S. private family foundation focused on education (K-12), environment, and regional economic inclusion. Highly comparable to MFF as a multi-issue family foundation with a strong education thesis, venture philanthropy posture, and similar grant scale.
• Emerson Collective: Mission-driven family-funded organization that mixes philanthropy with impact investing across education, climate, and immigration. Similar to MFF in being a high-engagement, venture-style family foundation deploying capital and strategic support to grantees.

Broad incumbents

• Robin Hood Foundation: Large New York-based poverty-fighting foundation that uses venture philanthropy approaches and rigorous impact measurement. Comparable in operating philosophy and education/workforce overlap, though more concentrated on NYC-based poverty programs.
• Lumina Foundation: Large, established U.S. private foundation focused on education and workforce beyond four-year degrees. Overlaps with MFF's education and Future of Work focus but operates at significantly larger scale and with a single-issue thesis.
• Ford Foundation: Major U.S. private foundation investing in education, economic opportunity, and civic engagement. Comparable to MFF as a multi-issue grantmaker, though at much larger scale and with a more global footprint.
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: The largest U.S. private foundation, with major investments in U.S. education, child welfare, and global health. Comparable in venture philanthropy posture and overlapping themes with MFF (Dollar For-style medical debt, education), but vastly larger in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thinkmff
• Facebookfacebook.com/morgridgefamilyfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/morgridgefamilyfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments2 records

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Frequently asked questions about The Morgridge Family Foundation