What Cherry Creek Schools Foundation does

Cherry Creek Schools Foundation (CCSF) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation established in 1990 and headquartered in Greenwood Village/Denver, Colorado, that exists to support students, educators, and district-wide programs within the Cherry Creek School District. The foundation's mission is to fund pilot and ongoing educational initiatives that public school budgets cannot fully cover, including Educator Initiative Grants (up to $1,200 per grant), student scholarships (such as the Dr. Monte C. Moses Future Educator Scholarship and Mitch Hanson Memorial Scholarship), a Mental Health Relief Fund, and the Cherry Creek Schools Leadership Academy focused on youth violence prevention. The foundation reports that its programs impact approximately 53,000 students across all 56 schools in the district, which covers 108 square miles of the Denver metropolitan area, and that the district's graduation rate has risen to 91% from 86% in 1999, partially attributed to foundation support.

The foundation operates with 16 employees and a Board of Directors composed of community and business leaders, with current Executive Director Anji Roe Wood succeeding former Executive Director Jill Henden in 2025. Revenue is generated entirely through charitable contributions across six primary streams: individual donations (online, payroll, matching gifts), corporate sponsorships via the Community Champions program with tiered pricing from $2,500 to $50,000, event fundraising (the annual ELEVATE Gala raised approximately $560,000 in 2025), the statewide Colorado Gives Day campaign (more than $97,000 in 2025), planned giving and endowments, and passive community giving through the King Soopers/Kroger loyalty rewards program.

Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven. The foundation engages donors through its website (ccsdfoundation.org), email newsletters, and an active social media presence across Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Program distribution flows exclusively through a single strategic partnership with the Cherry Creek School District, which gives CCSF direct access to every school and educator in the district. Corporate sponsors include more than 15 organizations across construction (Kiewit, GH Phipps, JHL Constructors, DLR Group, Boots Construction, Golden Triangle Construction), banking (ANB Bank, Credit Union of Colorado), healthcare (HCA HealthONE, United Healthcare), professional services (CBRE, AON, Plante Moran, Stifel), and education (Community College of Aurora Foundation), alongside recurring Community Nights partnerships with Denver professional sports franchises (Nuggets, Avalanche, Rockies, Denver Summit FC).

Name

Cherry Creek Schools Foundation

Legal name

Cherry Creek Schools Foundation

Website

https://ccsdfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cherry Creek Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports students and educators across the Cherry Creek School District's 56 schools through grants, scholarships, mental health programs, and fundraising events, funded by individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and an annual gala.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Foundation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Major Gifts, Planned Giving & Endowment Development (EDALAOAC), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

Keywords

• Education foundation grants
• Educator grant programs
• Student scholarship funds
• Corporate sponsorship programs
• School district fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: General donations from individuals supporting education in the Cherry Creek School District. Donors can give online, through payroll deductions, or via matching gifts.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Community Champion program with tiered sponsorship levels from $2,500 to $50,000, providing visibility and engagement at signature events.
3. Event Fundraising: Annual ELEVATE Gala raising approximately $560,000 in 2025, plus silent and live auctions, paddle raises.
4. Colorado Gives Day: Annual statewide giving campaign on December 9, 2025, raised more than $97,000.
5. Endowment & Legacy Gifts: Planned giving including bequests, charitable gift annuities, beneficiary designations, and appreciated securities donations.
6. King Soopers Rewards: Percentage of purchases from King Soopers/City Market and Kroger stores when supporters link their loyalty rewards account.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cherry Creek Schools Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that raises charitable funds from individuals, corporations, and community partners to support students and educators within the Cherry Creek School District. It distributes these funds through Educator Initiative Grants of up to $1,200 for classroom innovation, post-secondary scholarships, the Mental Health Relief Fund, and the yearlong Cherry Creek Schools Leadership Academy, while engaging donors via the Community Champions corporate program, the annual ELEVATE Gala, Colorado Gives Day, the King Soopers Rewards program, and endowment/legacy giving.

Product overview

Cherry Creek Schools Foundation operates as a single unified non-profit service focused on supporting students and educators in the Cherry Creek School District. The foundation's core offerings consist of grant programs (Educator Initiative Grants, THRIVE Grants, Mental Health Relief Fund), scholarship programs (including the Dr. Monte C. Moses Future Educator Scholarship and Mitch Hanson Memorial Scholarship), and the Leadership Academy. Supplementary programs include the Community Champions corporate partnership tier, King Soopers Rewards community giving program, Alumni Network, Endowment & Legacy Giving planned giving services, and signature events like the ELEVATE Gala and Community Nights. Together, these programs provide financial support, resources, and community engagement opportunities to enhance educational experiences across the district's 56 schools serving 53,000 students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Educator Initiative Grants (EIG) Grants of up to $1,200 awarded to Cherry Creek Schools educators to fund specific classroom projects, innovative learning materials, technology, and programs aligned with district core values. More than $200,000 in 198 grants were awarded across 56 schools in the most recent funding cycle.
• Scholarships

Quantifiable outcome

• 53,000 students impacted by foundation programs annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered community champion sponsor, core, community partner, key event partner, community night partner and funding partner.

• DLR Groupcommunity champion sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerArchitecture and design firm serving as Community Champion sponsor for ELEVATE Gala and other foundation events
• GH Phippscommunity champion sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerConstruction company as Community Champion sponsor
• ANB Bankcommunity champion sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanking partner as Community Champion sponsor
• JHL Constructorscommunity champion sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerConstruction firm as Community Champion sponsor and major gala supporter
• United Healthcarecommunity champion sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare company as Community Champion sponsor supporting foundation events
• HCA HealthONEcommunity champion sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerHealthcare system as Community Champion sponsor
• Kiewitcommunity champion sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerEngineering and construction company as Community Champion sponsor
• Cherry Creek School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation's core partner - the school district the foundation serves. All programs flow through district schools and educators.
• King Soopers / Krogercommunity partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerGrocery rewards program allowing shoppers to support the foundation through community rewards
• Colorado Gives Daykey event partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerStatewide giving initiative providing platform for annual fundraising with incentive funding
• Denver Summit FCcommunity night partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional soccer team hosting community nights to support foundation
• Denver Nuggetscommunity night partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional basketball team hosting community nights to support foundation
• Colorado Avalanchecommunity night partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional hockey team hosting community nights to support foundation
• Colorado Rockiescommunity night partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional baseball team hosting community nights to support foundation
• Kenneth Kendal King Foundationfunding partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation partner that co-funded the Summer Chorale Experience program in 1996
• Community College of Aurora Foundationcommunity champion sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational foundation partner

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AdoptAClassroom.org: National K-12 nonprofit that enables direct classroom funding for teachers. Highly comparable to CCSF's Educator Initiative Grants in mechanic, beneficiary (public school teachers), and donor experience, though national in scope.
• DonorsChoose: National nonprofit crowdfunding platform for K-12 teacher classroom grants. Directly comparable to CCSF's Educator Initiative Grants (up to $1,200) in target beneficiary (K-12 educators), funding mechanism, and donor experience, though national in scope rather than district-specific.
• Adams 12 Five Star Schools Education Foundation: Direct peer district education foundation serving Adams 12 Five Star Schools in the Denver metro area. Operates with educator grant programs, scholarships, and community fundraising events at a similar scale.
• Boulder Valley Education Foundation: Direct peer district education foundation supporting Boulder Valley School District. Comparable grant-and-scholarship model with similar reliance on community events and corporate sponsorship in the Colorado Front Range.
• Denver Public Schools Foundation: Direct peer district-based education foundation serving Denver Public Schools. Operates with the same grantmaking, scholarship, and corporate partnership model focused on a single K-12 district in the same Denver metro area, competing for overlapping donor pools.
• Jeffco Public Schools Foundation: Direct peer district education foundation supporting Jeffco Public Schools in the Denver metro area. Closely comparable in mission, scale (similar student counts), and program mix (educator grants, scholarships, mental health).
• Douglas County Educational Foundation: Direct peer district foundation supporting Douglas County School District. Closely aligned operating model — educator classroom grants, scholarships, and signature fundraising events — within the same Colorado Front Range geography.

Broad incumbents

• Communities In Schools: National K-12 dropout prevention nonprofit operating inside public schools. Comparable mission footprint around student support, mental health, and leadership programming inside school districts; broader and more established than CCSF.
• National Education Foundation: National education-focused public charity funding STEM, literacy, and educator innovation across school districts. Operates in the same K-12 grantmaking space but at national scale rather than district-specific.

Regional players

• Pikes Peak United Way: Regional community fundraising organization serving the Colorado Springs / Pikes Peak region. Comparable model of community-wide giving campaigns, corporate sponsorships, and event-driven fundraising, but operating in a different Colorado geography and broader social-service mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvE-O7R1m60h5aH25Sm8TRg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CCSDFoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ccsdfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/ccsdfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Cherry Creek Schools Foundation