the summit foundation
The Summit Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation in Breckenridge, Colorado that funds local nonprofits, awards scholarships, and delivers capacity-building programs to Summit County communities, supported by donations, a signature ski medallion program, and workplace giving.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersBreckenridge, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What the summit foundation does
The Summit Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation headquartered in Breckenridge, Colorado, that has served Summit County since its founding in 1984. Its mission is delivered through four primary channels: a Community Grants Program that disbursed $1.88M to 124 local nonprofits in 2025 across focus areas including Healthy and Safe Communities, Youth Development and Education, and Arts and Culture; a Scholarship Program — the largest single scholarship provider in the county — that awarded $598,320 to 148 students in 2026 across 33 named funds; a Nonprofit Resources for Grantees (NRG) program offering Finance Lab, Board Lab, Manager Leadership Lab, networking groups, and a biennial Salary & Benefits Survey covering 48 regional nonprofits; and special initiatives including Bright Futures Fund, Mountain Scholars, and Project Thrive, the latter addressing the local afterschool and summer childcare crisis with $750,000 in directed resort funding.
The Foundation generates revenue through a diversified mix of individual and corporate donations, donor-advised funds, planned giving via the Peaks Society, a workplace giving program reaching 2,000+ employees across 20+ local employers (~$357K annually including match), and its signature Ski Medallion Program, which sells transferable four-year passes to Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone, Vail, and Beaver Creek at $25,000 per medallion and raises over $1.7M annually. Auxiliary fundraising events include the annual Golf Tournament, Wine at the Mine, Philanthropy Awards, and participation in Colorado Gives Day. Total community investment since 1984 exceeds $61M, with $4.99M given back in 2025.
Operationally the Foundation is governed by a Board of Trustees (President David Preaus) and led by Executive Director Ellen Reid, who joined in 2025. It maintains dedicated roles for community impact, philanthropy, and development programs, runs standard online donation, DAF, grant-application (GrantInterface), and scholarship-application portals, and partners closely with Vail Resorts Epic Promise and multiple independent ski resorts. There are no subsidiaries, no external ownership, no funding rounds, and no disclosed AI/ML technology initiatives.
the summit foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- the summit foundation
- Legal name
- The Summit Foundation
- Website
- https://summitfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- The Summit Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation in Breckenridge, Colorado that funds local nonprofits, awards scholarships, and delivers capacity-building programs to Summit County communities, supported by donations, a signature ski medallion program, and workplace giving.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
the summit foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Foundation / Philanthropic Services
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC), Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO)
Keywords
Where the summit foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Breckenridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
the summit foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donor Contributions: The foundation receives charitable donations from community members, local businesses, and visitors through various giving programs including one-time gifts, monthly donations, annual fund contributions, and planned giving.
- Ski Medallion Program: The transferable ski medallion program raises over $1.7 million annually through ski passes at Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone, Vail, and Beaver Creek resorts. Passes are sold for approximately $25,000 for a four-year commitment.
- Employee Giving: Over 2,000 employees from 20+ local businesses contribute through payroll deduction programs, generating approximately $357,000 annually including company matching gifts.
- Donor-Advised Funds: The foundation manages donor-advised funds where donors establish accounts and recommend grants to charitable causes over time.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Four-year transferable ski pass to six mountain resorts |
| Other | Annual | Donor-Advised Fund administration |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
the summit foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Summit Foundation is a community foundation that provides grants to local nonprofits, scholarships to high school seniors, donor-advised fund management, and capacity-building training for nonprofits across Summit County and neighboring communities in Colorado. It also operates signature fundraising programs such as the Ski Medallion Program (multi-resort ski passes) and the Employee Giving workplace payroll deduction program to generate philanthropic capital for the region.
Product overview
The Summit Foundation operates as a community foundation serving Summit County, Colorado, offering a portfolio of interconnected philanthropic programs and services. The core offerings include a Scholarship Program (the county's largest single scholarship provider), a Community Grants Program providing annual funding to local nonprofits, and a comprehensive Nonprofit Resources for Grantees (NRG) Program delivering training, coaching, and networking opportunities. Fundraising is driven by signature programs including the Ski Medallion Program (offering multi-resort ski passes that raise over $1.7 million annually) and events like the Annual Golf Tournament and Wine at the Mine. Special initiatives include the Bright Futures Fund (multi-year scholarships), Project Thrive (childcare programming), and Mountain Scholars (first-generation college support). The Foundation also manages Donor Advised Funds, the Inspire Fund endowment, and the Peaks Society planned giving program. Together, these programs and funds form a cohesive philanthropy ecosystem supporting education, youth development, healthy communities, and arts and culture across the region.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 147-148 local students receive scholarships annually, with $598,320 awarded in 2026
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use the summit foundation
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
the summit foundation technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
the summit foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and event.
- Arapahoe Basin Ski AreacoreMajor resort partner providing ski medallion passes to the foundation's fundraising program. Provides unrestricted access to Arapahoe Basin for medallion holders. Contributes to Bright Futures Fund with $10K+ donations.
- Breckenridge ResortcoreMajor resort partner providing ski medallion passes. Presenting sponsor of the annual Golf Tournament (Breckenridge Grand Vacations). Supports Bright Futures Fund and community initiatives.
- Copper Mountain ResortcoreResort partner for ski medallion program providing unrestricted access. Supports Bright Futures Fund and community scholarships.
- Keystone ResortcoreResort partner for medallion program. Hosted Employee Last Tracks Party event. Contributed $750,000 directed grant for Project Thrive through ski medallion program.
- Vail Resorts Epic PromisecoreParent company of Breckenridge and Keystone resorts. Provides Epic Promise matching for employee giving programs and supports community initiatives through the Bright Futures Fund.
- First BankkeyColorado Gives Day incentive fund sponsor. FirstBank contributes to the $1.4 Million Incentive Fund that multiplies donations made during Colorado Gives Day.
- ColoradoGives.orgkeyStatewide platform for Colorado Gives Day, channeling thousands of dollars to nonprofits across Summit County during the 24-hour giving event.
- Country Boy MineeventVenue partner for the annual Wine at the Mine fundraising event. Hosts foundation supporters at historic mine site for community celebration.
- Summit School DistrictcoreKey education partner managing Project Thrive afterschool program, hosting Bright Futures CTE programs, and providing facilities for community programming. Recipient of $750,000 in directed grants.
- Breckenridge Ski ResortcoreProvided $750,000 directed grant for Project Thrive through medallion program proceeds. Supports Bright Futures Fund and career-connected learning programs.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
the summit foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Telluride Foundation: Community foundation serving the Telluride region of Colorado. Closely comparable mountain-community foundation with similar small-population, tourism-dependent grantmaking profile and scholarship programs.
- Vail Valley Foundation: Community foundation serving the Vail Valley in Eagle County, Colorado. Directly comparable as another mountain-resort community foundation with similar grantmaking, scholarship, and event-driven fundraising models targeting ski-resort-region nonprofits.
- Aspen Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Aspen and Pitkin County, Colorado. Comparable as a mountain-resort community foundation with parallel scholarship, grantmaking, and donor-advised fund programs for a small affluent donor base.
- Park City Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Park City, Utah. Strongly comparable as a ski-town community foundation offering grants, scholarships, and donor services to a resort-driven local economy.
- Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation: Community foundation serving the Truckee/North Tahoe region of California/Nevada. Comparable mountain-resort community foundation with parallel grantmaking, scholarship, and workforce-focused initiatives.
- Eagle Valley Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Eagle County, Colorado (home to Vail and Beaver Creek). Comparable as a resort-region community foundation with overlapping ski-resort-community donor base and similar grantmaking scope.
Broad incumbents
- Community Foundation of Boulder County: Larger Colorado community foundation serving Boulder County. Operates in the same state with overlapping grantmaking, scholarship, and donor-advised fund services, but at significantly greater scale and broader geography.
- Denver Foundation: One of the largest community foundations in the Rocky Mountain region. Broader incumbent operating at greater scale across a major metro region with analogous grantmaking and DAF programs.
Others
- Colorado Gives Foundation: Statewide giving platform and supporting foundation that runs Colorado Gives Day. Functions as an ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor, channeling donations to community foundations including The Summit Foundation during the annual giving event.
- Schwab Charitable: Large national donor-advised fund sponsor. Comparable as a DAF administration provider competing for the same donor-advised giving dollars, though operating at national scale rather than community-anchored.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
the summit foundation social profiles
Digital presencethe summit foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
the summit foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
the summit foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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the summit foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about the summit foundation
What does the summit foundation do?
The Summit Foundation is a community foundation that provides grants to local nonprofits, scholarships to high school seniors, donor-advised fund management, and capacity-building training for nonprofits across Summit County and neighboring communities in Colorado. It also operates signature fundraising programs such as the Ski Medallion Program (multi-resort ski passes) and the Employee Giving workplace payroll deduction program to generate philanthropic capital for the region.
Is the summit foundation a public or private company?
the summit foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was the summit foundation founded?
the summit foundation was founded in 1984.
Where is the summit foundation based?
the summit foundation is headquartered in Breckenridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does the summit foundation make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donor Contributions are the primary driver. The others are ski Medallion Program, employee Giving and donor-Advised Funds.
Who are the summit foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Telluride Foundation, Vail Valley Foundation, Aspen Community Foundation, Park City Community Foundation, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation and Eagle Valley Community Foundation. Broad incumbents are Community Foundation of Boulder County and Denver Foundation. Others are Colorado Gives Foundation and Schwab Charitable.
Does the summit foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for the summit foundation.
What industry is the summit foundation in?
the summit foundation's product category is Community Foundation / Philanthropic Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAK, Education Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211 and its SIC code is 8600.