Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation

What Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation does

Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation (PPREF) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation headquartered at 315 E Pikes Peak Ave., Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was chartered in 2006 as a supporting organization of Pikes Peak Community Foundation (PPCF), hired its first Executive Director in 2019, and spun out as a fully independent entity in 2024. The foundation's mission is to receive, manage, sell, steward, and develop real estate and related assets for community benefit in the Pikes Peak Region, with concentration in El Paso County and Teller County.

PPREF's core offerings span three categories: (i) stewardship of donated real estate assets, including Aspen Valley Ranch (a 232-acre outdoor classroom in Teller County) and Venetucci Farm (a conserved flower farm donated in 2006 that hosts events and the Rocky Mountain Flower Festival); (ii) housing development projects such as The Launchpad permanent supportive housing for young adults and the Silver Key 50-unit low-income senior housing development (fully leased in 2024); and (iii) two financing programs — the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF), a $5 million revolving loan fund from the Colorado Division of Housing providing below-market gap financing to non-profit and for-profit developers, and the Workforce Housing Fund offering predevelopment financing and short-term land banking for projects pursuing state affordable housing capital. The foundation has no proprietary technology platform; operations are relationship-driven via a board of real estate professionals and direct outreach.

PPREF's revenue mechanics are those of a foundation: donor services are provided without charge; below-market loans generate interest income rather than market-rate returns; and asset stewardship generates event, lease, and operating income on properties such as Venetucci Farm (operated by Gather Mountain Blooms on 15 leased acres) and 315 Collective (a downtown redevelopment housing philanthropic entities). Customer segments span philanthropists and property donors, non-profit and for-profit housing developers, municipal agencies, low-income seniors, and workforce/essential-worker households. The board comprises nine members led by Chair Dr. Pam Shockley-Zalabak, with Samuel Clark serving as Executive Director.

Name

Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation

Legal name

Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation

Website

https://ppref.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation is an independent Colorado Springs 501(c)(3) that receives, stewards, and deploys donated real estate and operates revolving loan funds (including a $5M AHIF program) to deliver affordable and workforce housing across the Pikes Peak Region (El Paso and Teller Counties).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Real Estate

NAICS

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

SIC

Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Family Offices & Philanthropic Advisors (Grantmaking) (BPAGAKAD), Affordable Rental & Multifamily Housing Finance Programs (LIHTC/Tax Credits/Subsidized Loans) (FSALAKAF), Real Estate Public-Private Partnership (PPP) & Infrastructure-Adjacent Real Estate Advisory (BPAJANAL)

Keywords

• Community development real estate
• Affordable housing financing
• Philanthropic real estate gifts
• Nonprofit housing loans
• Workforce housing fund

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

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. Real Estate Gift Management: PPREF receives, manages, sells, stewarded, and develops real estate and related assets donated by philanthropists. The foundation deploys these assets into community projects or liquidates them to fund community initiatives.
2. Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF): PPREF administers a $5 million revolving loan program from the Colorado Division of Housing, providing below-market rate financing to non-profit and for-profit developers for affordable housing projects in El Paso County and Teller County. Loan terms are negotiable based on project scope.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

PPREF is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation that receives, manages, sells, stewards, and develops donated real estate and related assets for the benefit of the Pikes Peak Region community. It administers a $5 million Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF) revolving loan program from the Colorado Division of Housing providing below-market rate gap financing to non-profit and for-profit developers for affordable housing, and operates a Workforce Housing Fund offering predevelopment financing and short-term land banking. The foundation also stewards a portfolio of community assets including Aspen Valley Ranch (232 acres), Venetucci Farm (15 acres), The Launchpad supportive housing, Silver Key Affordable Housing (50 senior units), and the 315 Collective philanthropy collaborative space.

Product overview

Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization managing a portfolio of real estate assets and housing development programs. The foundation's offerings include seven distinct products: (1) real estate asset holdings—Aspen Valley Ranch (232-acre outdoor classroom), Venetucci Farm (flower farm with event venues), and The Launchpad (supportive housing)—(2) housing development projects—Silver Key Affordable Housing (50-unit senior housing) and 315 Collective (philanthropy collaborative space), and (3) two financing programs—the Workforce Housing Fund (revolving loan for predevelopment and land banking) and the Affordable Housing Investment Fund ($5M revolving loan for acquisition, construction, or renovation of affordable housing). The foundation deploys real estate assets and financing programs to support workforce housing, community development, and philanthropic partnerships in the Pikes Peak Region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF) $5 million revolving loan program administered by PPREF from the Colorado Division of Housing that provides below-market rate gap financing to non-profit and for-profit developers for the acquisition, construction, or renovation of affordable housing projects in El Paso County and Teller County. Loan terms are negotiable based on project scope and timeline, with a structured application process including LOI submission, eligibility review, and loan committee approval.
• Workforce Housing Fund Revolving loan fund to help launch new affordable and workforce housing projects in the Pikes Peak Region, offering predevelopment financing or short-term land banking for projects pursuing funding from the Colorado Division of Housing or Colorado Housing and Finance Authority.
• Real Estate Gift Management Service Service for philanthropists and property donors through which PPREF accepts gifts of real estate and related assets, leverages its board of real estate professionals to quickly assess the community value of each donation, and deploys the assets into community-serving projects or liquidates them to fund community initiatives. Provided as a complimentary service to donors without charge.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50 units of low-income senior housing delivered through Silver Key partnership (fully leased in 2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gather Mountain BloomscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2020, PPREF partnered with Gather Mountain Blooms to operate a flower-growing business on 15 leased acres of Venetucci Farm in Fountain, Colorado. This partnership provided a new productive use for land that had been contaminated by PFAS from firefighting foam at Peterson Air Force Base, preventing the production of edible crops while maintaining community benefit through flower farming.
• The PlacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Launchpad is a permanent supportive housing project on Colorado Springs' west side developed by The Place and Cohen-Esry Development Group on a site previously owned by PPREF. The project was funded with low-income housing tax credits and will serve young adults.
• Cohen-Esry Development GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCohen-Esry Development Group partnered with The Place and PPREF to develop The Launchpad, a permanent supportive housing project for young adults funded by low-income housing tax credits.
• Silver KeycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPPREF worked with Silver Key to support its tax credit application for 50 units of affordable senior housing in Southeast Colorado Springs. The project was awarded credits in 2022 and was fully leased in 2024.
• Pikes Peak Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPPREF was chartered in 2006 as a supporting organization of Pikes Peak Community Foundation. In 2024, PPREF spun out as an independent entity but continues to work closely with PPCF on community initiatives.
• The Philanthropy CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 315 Collective is a downtown redevelopment project providing collaborative space for philanthropic entities in the Pikes Peak Region, fostered through The Philanthropy Collective partnership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• NeighborWorks America: National network that supports affordable housing and community development through local affiliates. Comparable to PPREF in affordable housing development focus, though it operates as a network umbrella rather than a direct real estate donor or lender.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): LISC is a national community development financial institution that provides financing and technical assistance for affordable housing and community development. It is comparable to PPREF's revolving loan and gap financing model, though operating at much greater scale across multiple markets.
• El Pomar Foundation: El Pomar is a large Colorado-based foundation that deploys capital across community development, housing, and human services statewide. It is comparable to PPREF in mission (community-focused grantmaking and asset stewardship in Colorado) but operates at significantly greater scale and broader geographic scope.
• Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA): CHFA is the state's quasi-governmental housing finance agency that finances affordable housing across Colorado. It is comparable to PPREF's AHIF-administering role (which actually deploys Colorado Division of Housing capital), though CHFA operates at state-wide scale with bond financing capacity.
• Enterprise Community Partners: Enterprise is a national nonprofit that invests in affordable housing and community development through loans, grants, and equity. It is comparable to PPREF's affordable housing finance and community asset development activities, but operates nationally with significantly larger capital pools.

Regional players

• Groundwork Denver: Colorado-focused nonprofit that redevelops underutilized land into community assets. Comparable to PPREF's asset-stewardship and community-development orientation, though operating in the Denver metro area rather than the Pikes Peak Region.
• Denver Foundation: Metro Denver community foundation focused on grantmaking and community assets. Comparable to PPREF in grantmaking foundation structure and Colorado focus, but serves a different geography and does not directly overlap in the Pikes Peak Region.

Direct peers

• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit that conserves land and creates parks and community assets through real estate transactions. Comparable to PPREF in the model of accepting real estate gifts and stewarding them for community benefit (e.g., Venetucci Farm, Aspen Valley Ranch), though at national scale and focused on conservation.
• Pikes Peak Community Foundation: PPCF is the Colorado Springs community foundation that originally housed PPREF as a supporting organization from 2006 to 2024. It remains the closest operational peer given shared regional focus, community grantmaking mandate, and ongoing collaborative relationship post-spin-off.
• Habitat for Humanity of Colorado Springs: Local Habitat affiliate that builds and finances affordable and workforce housing for low-income households in the Pikes Peak Region. Comparable to PPREF in target segment (low-to-moderate income housing) and geographic footprint (El Paso County), though it executes through homebuilding rather than real estate donation and lending.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pikes-peak-real-estate-foundation-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Pikes Peak Real Estate Foundation