What Minds Matter Colorado does

Minds Matter Colorado is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates a three-year intensive college access and success program for high-achieving high school students from low-income families in the Denver and Aurora metro area. The program pairs each student with two dedicated volunteer mentors and delivers 25 weeks per year of after-school college-readiness programming—covering SAT preparation, writing, financial aid (FAFSA/CASFA), application strategy, and scholarship identification—along with two summer college campus experiences during the 10th-through-12th-grade tenure. All services are provided at no cost to students; eligibility requires a minimum 3.0 GPA and income thresholds (e.g., $65,200 or less for a family of four). The organization claims a 100% college acceptance rate with scholarships since 2004, with graduates attending institutions including Yale, Boston University, Howard, and Colorado schools.

The business model is donation-funded, not revenue-generating. Operating as a 98% volunteer-run organization, the entity runs on a small 5–10 person professional staff supported by 120+ volunteer mentors, site directors, college advisors, and program leaders. Revenue is diversified across individual donations, foundation grants (notably Prosperity Denver Fund and the Denver Broncos Foundation), the annual CELEBRATE gala (over $530K raised in 2024 with 400+ attendees), planned giving and an endowment (with notable support from the Choksi family and DJ Tiësto), employer matching gifts (via Double the Donation integration), and corporate sponsorships. Program reach in Fall 2025 covers 108 students across partner high schools, with all sophomore programming consolidating at George Washington High School starting Fall 2025. Auxiliary offerings include the College Support Pilot for recent alumni, a College Advising Initiative for upperclassmen, Kynd Kits (in partnership with Project Helping), and planned giving services.

Technology plays a supporting, non-differentiating role: the organization uses TFAForms for applications, Mailchimp for newsletters, Calendly for info sessions, Double the Donation for matching-gift processing, and HopSkipDrive for student transportation. The Colorado chapter was established in 2004 as Minds Matter Denver, rebranded to Minds Matter Colorado in 2019, and operates as part of a national network of 14 Minds Matter chapters sharing curriculum and quality standards. Leadership transitioned to Brad Reubendale as Executive Director in January 2025, with Anata Walsh as Board Chair.

Name

Minds Matter Colorado

Legal name

Minds Matter Colorado, Inc.

Website

https://mindsmatterco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Minds Matter Colorado is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit running a three-year college access program that pairs low-income high-achieving high school students with volunteer mentors, weekly SAT and application prep, and summer campus experiences. The organization is 98% volunteer-run with 5–10 professional staff serving 108 students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education Services (College Access)

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM, Digital Literacy & Maker Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

College & Career Exploration Camps (Pre-College Samplers, Pathways) (EDAMALAN)

Keywords

• College access programs
• Mentorship services
• College readiness
• Youth education services
• Nonprofit tutoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals supporting the mission. Minds Matter Colorado is a 501(c)(3) organization with EIN 20-1449487.
2. Foundation and Grant Funding: Funding from foundations including Prosperity Denver Fund (awarded over $70,000 as part of High School Support Services Reimbursement Program pilot) and Denver Broncos Foundation grants to support enrollment growth.
3. Corporate Sponsorships and Event Revenue: Corporate sponsorships and ticket sales from the annual CELEBRATE gala event, which raised over $530,000 in 2024.
4. Planned Giving and Endowments: Bequests, IRA charitable rollovers, and endowment contributions. The organization has an endowment created with support from the Choksi family, with investments from notable donors including DJ Tiësto.
5. Employer Matching Gifts: Corporate employee matching gift programs where donors double their impact by having employers match donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Minds Matter Colorado runs a free three-year intensive college access and success program pairing high-achieving students from low-income families with two dedicated volunteer mentors, delivering weekly college-readiness programming (SAT prep, writing, financial aid guidance, and application support) for 25 weeks per academic year, and providing two summer on-campus college experiences. The program is delivered at no cost to students and targets qualifying high school sophomores through seniors in the Denver and Aurora metro area.

Product overview

Minds Matter Colorado is a nonprofit college access and success organization offering a three-year intensive program combining mentorship (two volunteer mentors per student), weekly college-readiness programming (25 weeks/year covering SAT prep, writing, applications, and financial aid), and summer experiences on college campuses. The program runs from 10th through 12th grade for high-achieving students from low-income families. Core offerings include the Mentorship Program, Weekly Programming, and Summer College Experiences, supplemented by the College Support Pilot for alumni, College Advising Initiative for upperclassmen, and Kynd Kits for college preparation. Additional services include Program Mentor and Program Team Lead volunteer opportunities, the annual CELEBRATE gala event, and Planned Giving options for donors. All students graduate with 100% college acceptance and scholarship awards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Core Mentorship Program Three-year intensive college access and success program that pairs each high-achieving student from a low-income family with two dedicated volunteer mentors for the duration of high school (10th through 12th grade), combined with weekly after-school programming and two summer college campus experiences. Delivered at zero cost to qualifying students in the Denver and Aurora metro area; produces a 100% college acceptance rate with scholarships for graduates.
• Weekly College-Readiness Programming After-school sessions delivered 2 hours per week for 25 weeks per academic year covering SAT preparation, writing and critical thinking, financial aid navigation (FAFSA/CASFA), scholarship identification, college list development, and application support. Delivered to mentees through Program Team Leads using prepared curriculum, with 90-minute academic instruction blocks provided in partnership with Denver Test Prep.
• Summer College Experiences Free summer academic programs held on college campuses that provide students with full on-campus residential college experiences. Students participate in two summer programs during the three-year program to explore college environments and build aspirations.
• College Support Pilot Post-secondary support initiative serving graduates from the Class of 2025, providing monthly pulse check-ins, personalized text outreach, milestone tracking, and targeted micro-grants to help alumni navigate the first year of college with confidence and connection to campus resources.
• College Advising Initiative

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of graduates accepted to four-year colleges with scholarships
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, minor and supporting.

• Prosperity Denver FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Prosperity Denver Fund (PDF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing financial reimbursement to qualifying nonprofits that offer college scholarships to Denver students. PDF was started in 2018 after Denver voters passed a ballot initiative. MMCO has partnered with PDF to support college-based scholarship efforts and participated in the pilot for the High School Support Services Reimbursement Program (HSSSP), ultimately awarded over $70,000 to MMCO.
• Denver Broncos FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Denver Broncos Foundation awarded Minds Matter Colorado a generous grant to support an increase in enrollment for the Class of 2027, ensuring more Colorado youth will have access to a four-year college degree and the transformational benefits that degree can bring over a lifetime.
• Project HelpingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Project Helping, a mental health nonprofit, to deliver College Preparation Kynd Kits. Kynd Kits are volunteer projects in a box resulting in care packages for students preparing for life after high school. Completed kits delivered to high schools in Metro Denver area.
• Denver Test PrepcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDenver Test Prep provides academic instruction for the 90-minute academic instruction block every Monday night, delivering rotating SAT Prep and Writing instruction in alignment with new Minds Matter National standards.
• HopSkipDrivesupportingOthersSafe and vetted transportation option for minors offered to support students with transportation needs as Aurora West programming consolidates to George Washington HS. Helps address barriers to program attendance.
• Kara Pearson PhotographyminorOthersPhotography services donated for senior portraits and event documentation, providing professional quality images for student memories and organizational marketing materials.
• National Minds Matter NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of a national organization with 14 chapters across the United States (Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, Twin Cities, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.). National organization sets standards, shares curriculum resources, and facilitates best practice sharing across chapters.
• QuestBridgemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuestBridge connects exceptional students from low-income backgrounds with top colleges and full-ride scholarships. Through the National College Match program, students receive full four-year scholarships covering tuition, housing, meals, books, and travel. MMCO students Abdel A. and Amen T. were named 2025 QuestBridge Match Scholarship Recipients, attending Yale and Boston University respectively.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination): National K-12 college readiness system used in schools to close the opportunity gap for underrepresented students. Comparable college-readiness training focus and student population, but delivered as a school-based curriculum system rather than a volunteer-mentor model.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America - Metro Denver: Broader youth development nonprofit serving Denver-area low-income youth with after-school programming, including college/career readiness components. Comparable target demographic but significantly broader scope beyond college access.
• KIPP Colorado: Colorado-based charter school network serving low-income students from elementary through college with a 'KIPP Through College' program. Overlapping college access mission for the same Denver low-income population, with broader scope (K-12 schooling) and a paid staff model.

Direct peers

• College Advising Corps: Places recent college graduates as full-time college advisors in underserved high schools to expand college access. Comparable target population and outcome orientation, though using paid advisors rather than volunteers.
• Bottom Line: Boston-based nonprofit providing one-on-one college access advising to high school students from low-income backgrounds, with a strong record of college persistence. Direct peer in college access counseling with comparable student outcomes focus.
• College Possible: National nonprofit providing intensive college access coaching to low-income high school students with a near-100% college acceptance rate, using near-peer coaches and structured curriculum. Closely comparable mission, target student, and volunteer-driven model.
• Minds Matter (National): Parent national network of 14 chapters (including Colorado) providing the same 3-year college access mentorship model. Directly comparable program, target student, and outcome metrics, and is the entity through which curriculum and standards are set.
• iMentor: National nonprofit pairing low-income high school students with volunteer mentors for college success, with technology-enabled curriculum and matching. Closely comparable volunteer-mentor-driven college access model serving similar student populations.

Emerging players

• QuestBridge: National nonprofit connecting high-achieving, low-income students to full-ride scholarships at top colleges. Minds Matter Colorado is a partner that feeds students into QuestBridge's Match program; partial overlap in target student and outcome (top college placement).

Regional players

• Denver Scholarship Foundation: Denver-based nonprofit providing college-readiness advising, scholarships, and post-secondary support to DPS graduates. Direct peer in Denver metro with overlapping target students and scholarship-funded model, but with broader scale and embedded school-district relationships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/minds-matter-colorado

Compliance1 record

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 Minds Matter Colorado