Photo courtesy: Colorado Children’s Campaign
This year, several local nonprofits took an important step toward long-term financial stability by opening permanently endowed agency funds. These organizations are investing in their futures and building resources that will support their missions year after year, even during a challenging economic climate.
To support their mission, we provided a special matching opportunity, doubling the opening gift for 10 new permanently endowed agency funds. This match gave each participating organization an immediate boost and set their funds on a path for lasting growth.
A handful of partners shared their motivations and strategy for these funds, including Thriving Families, Art Students League of Denver (ASLD), Colorado Children’s Campaign, and the Boulder Jewish Community Center (JCC), and you can learn more about them below.
What is a permanently endowed agency fund?
A permanently endowed agency fund is a long-term investment fund created by a nonprofit and held at The Denver Foundation. Like an endowment, the principal remains invested permanently, while a portion of the earnings becomes available each year to support the organization’s mission.
How does a permanently endowed agency fund work?
- A nonprofit makes an initial investment to open its permanently endowed agency fund.
- The Denver Foundation invests the fund alongside its larger endowment pool to maximize long-term growth.
- Earnings are distributed annually based on a carefully managed spending policy.
- The fund grows over time, creating sustainable annual support that helps organizations focus on what matters most—their mission.
Hear it from our partners:
We asked several organizations that opened new, permanently endowed funds in 2025 to share their stories and motivations. Here’s what they had to say:
Thriving Families
“An agency-endowed fund is the right choice for Thriving Families because it supports our long-term sustainability while allowing us to stay focused on our mission: empowering parents and children to thrive during pregnancy, postpartum, and early childhood. Our work depends on consistent, stable funding—particularly as we expand integrated services such as healthy relationship education, perinatal mental health programming, and primary care partnerships.
“An endowed fund ensures that, regardless of shifts in public funding or philanthropic cycles, Thriving Families can maintain the high-quality, evidence-based services that families in our community rely on. We chose The Denver Foundation because of its deep knowledge of our community, its longstanding commitment to equity, and its strong reputation for stewarding charitable assets responsibly. As an organization rooted in service to Denver-area families, it was important for us to partner with a foundation that shares our values and understands the systemic challenges faced by the communities we serve.”
– Galena Rhoades, Ph.D. Executive Director, Thriving Families
Art Students League of Denver (ASLD)
“The landscape for nonprofit funding is currently shifting beneath all of our feet. The changes to federal funding in the last year alone are a great example, though there are other long-term trends, like inflation, that continue to affect giving habits. An endowment provides the Art Students League of Denver (ASLD) with a solid base to continue providing affordable and accessible arts programming to our community, no matter what is happening in the economy at large.
“Over the last year, ASLD provided more than $80,000 in scholarships to visual art classes at our main location in the Speer neighborhood, and brought free art-making workshops to more than 6,000 people across the seven-county Denver metro area. An endowment at The Denver Foundation allows ASLD to continue to prioritize the needs of our creative community in the here and now, with the confidence that we will continue to have operational funds for years to come.
“While there are many great organizations to choose from when it comes to endowments, ultimately, we chose to partner with The Denver Foundation because of their values. Much like ASLD, The Denver Foundation is committed to people-centered work that builds strong communities. Community is one of the top benefits that people cite as something gained through programs at ASLD, so partnering with organizations like The Denver Foundation that enhance our local network is vital.”
– Tessa Crisman, Director of Communications & Development at Art Students League of Denver
Colorado Children’s Campaign
“While raising funds for immediate needs is always the number one priority, our organizations’ longevity is also extremely important. Having an agency-endowed fund allows the Colorado Children’s Campaign to be prepared for the long-term sustainability of our organization. The [permanent] agency-endowed funds will help us impact Colorado by allowing us to make Colorado the best place to be a kid and to raise a kid.
“We chose the The Denver Foundation for many reasons. First, we already have a well-established endowment with The Denver Foundation. Second, we have relationships with the wonderful staff and feel comfortable approaching them with any questions we may have. Third, The Denver Foundation is a wonderful partner to our organization and the great Denver community.”
– Shawna Mounsey, Chief Development Officer at the Colorado Children’s Campaign
Boulder Jewish Community Center (JCC)
“Establishing and growing an agency-endowment is a critical component of the Boulder JCC’s financial model and long-term sustainability. Our organization’s annual budget is built on three pillars: earned revenue, annual philanthropy, and endowment distributions. Over the next decades, we will have a growing need to increase the percentage coming from endowment distributions annually to meet our needs. Establishing an agency-endowed fund helps fuel this third pillar by focusing on long-term sustainability and enduring support.
“We will use the agency-endowed fund to ensure the long-term sustainability of the Boulder JCC. Crucially, these funds provide consistent and permanent support that will help us maintain the incredible caliber of programs and services we provide to the community. This fund establishes another way to help ensure we can deliver high-quality support and opportunities for connection year after year.
“We selected The Denver Foundation as our partner for two primary reasons. First, during their 100th anniversary, they provided an incredible matching program that actively inspired our donors and significantly accelerated the establishment of this new [permanently] endowed fund. Second, we deeply value their expert stewardship and partnership, and we are strongly aligned with their mission to inspire people and mobilize resources to strengthen the community.”
– Jonathan Lev, Executive Director at The Boulder Jewish Community Center (JCC)
Why more nonprofits are choosing permanently endowed agency funds
As organizations plan for the future, many are seeking ways to build stability beyond annual fundraising. Permanently endowed agency funds offer:
- A dependable, annual source of revenue
- Peace of mind during economic ups and downs
- A tool for inspiring donor confidence
- Sustainability during economic shifts and leadership transitions
- Access to our professional investment management and stewardship
Partner with us
The Denver Foundation is honored to support the 10 nonprofits that opened endowed agency funds this year, and we hope their leadership inspires others to take the same step. If your organization is considering a permanently endowed agency fund or wants to explore whether it’s the right tool for you, our team is ready to guide you through the process. Let’s build something enduring. For more information, contact our Engaged Philanthropy team or visit our website to learn more.
