These are excerpts from Chapter 5 of our book, “A Century of Impact: The Denver Foundation’s First 100 Years.” It offers a glimpse into the history of the foundation, highlighting our ongoing journey to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work.
From the start, The Denver Foundation established a reliable framework and clear goals—two factors in its ongoing success and a track record that’s lasted a century and counting. The cultural landscape, of course, has seen much change since 1925. But the original mission holds true, and the organization remains flexible and willing to adapt. The foundation offers trust, relationships, and methodical action to accompany donations, planned giving, advocacy, and volunteer support. Solving today’s issues takes study, buy-in from those affected, and creative solutions that are self-sustaining and equitable.
If the community feels strongly about an issue, we will provide a platform for that. All our programs exist because of expressed community need.
The Denver Foundation
The Fund for Denver
An example of this balance is the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative. The Denver Foundation, partnering with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the City and County of Denver since 2014, supports organizations so that they may “hire and train formerly homeless individuals to serve as peer counselors to people currently experiencing homelessness.” The foundation realizes that systemic issues must be tackled from multiple directions in order to make a significant impact; this is certainly true with homelessness.
Recently, the foundation supported the Montbello Organizing Committee’s plan to create the FreshLo Hub affordable housing development—a well-rounded plan spearheaded by an organization that required resources and access to capacity-building support to bring its plan to life. Today, the committee’s plans are becoming a reality. Support for initiatives like these stems from The Denver Foundation’s Fund for Denver, its permanent endowment.
This endowment, established in 1925, has grown from its initial $1,000 gift to more than $1.3 billion in assets dedicated to supporting Colorado communities now and into the future. The foundation’s donor-built permanent endowment fuels its Community Grants Program, which emphasizes support for constituent-led organizations that serve historically underserved communities, including communities of color. The Fund for Denver also supports the foundation’s Civic Fabric Fund, Critical Needs Fund, and Strengthening Neighborhoods program.
These funds and programs serve community groups making impacts at all levels every day, such as Padres Unidos, American Indian Academy of Denver, and Mi Casa Resource Center. The Fund for Denver awarded $5.8 million in grants in 2023, and demand for the program continues to grow.
Denver’s Next 100 Years and You
As a community, we still have more work to do—there is always more to do—and Denver has a say in the how, the where, and the why.
Philanthropy, at its heart, is generosity. All people can be generous. Giving of time and talent is philanthropy.
Involvement in community issues, advocacy, and awareness is philanthropy. The Denver Foundation envisions a world in which everyone can see themselves as a philanthropist, and everyone has a say in how we can shape the future.
“There’s one group that is never at the table: future generations. Community foundations provide a way for future generations to be at the table and pass resources down into the future,” said David Miller, former executive director.
After a string of record grant-making years, the foundation is more prepared than ever to follow through on this vision. Of the $1.6 billion the foundation has put back into the community in the past century, $1 billion has been granted in the past decade alone. Importantly, with the support of its communities, The Denver Foundation has been able to continue to expand that generosity. Individuals have entrusted more than $2.1 billion in gifts to the foundation. By putting dollars back into the community, the foundation stands ready to meet the ever-changing needs of its city.
Thanks to the original endowment, we’ve served our community for 100 years, and we plan to serve this community for the next century and beyond.
—Javier Alberto Soto, president & CEO
The Denver Foundation’s 100th anniversary marks more than just the passage of time. It symbolizes its community’s strength, resilience, and unity. It is a testament to the trust placed in the foundation over the last century and the collaboration that has allowed it to tackle the most complex challenges of changing times.
The Denver Foundation’s generous donors, community partners, and staff—past and present—have been on the front lines of issues affecting Colorado and the world for a century. As times change, so do the organization’s priorities and the donors it supports. But two elements remain constant: The Denver Foundation’s commitment to building a better world, and its partners’ trust as they and the foundation come together to do just that.
“This centennial anniversary represents our stability and innovation. Most importantly, it symbolizes your generosity—and the generosity of the thousands of donors and fundholders who have made it possible to lift up this community for past and future generations. Thanks to the original endowment, we’ve served our community for 100 years, and we plan to serve this community for the next century and beyond,” said Javier Alberto Soto, president & CEO.
