The Denver Foundation and the Reisher Scholars Program award $25 million to celebrate 25 years
Landmark investment in Colorado higher education marks program’s silver anniversary and accelerates statewide impact
DENVER, Colo. [Aug. 3, 2026] — The Denver Foundation and the Reisher Scholars Program announced a landmark $25 million grant initiative through the Reisher Family Scholarship Fund to honor the 25th anniversary of the Reisher Scholars Program. The grants will be awarded to current and future school partners across Colorado in 2026, to their general scholarship funds, with all funds to be expended within two years.
The anniversary grants are in addition to the program’s existing scholarship funding of approximately $13 million annually, and represent a strategic opportunity to deepen and expand Colorado’s college access infrastructure.
“This investment celebrates 25 years of transformative partnerships and positions the Reisher Scholars Program for its next chapter of growth,” said Javier Alberto Soto, president and CEO of The Denver Foundation, which administers the scholarship program. “By putting significant resources directly into the hands of institutions that share our commitment to student success, we are strengthening relationships statewide and opening doors for the next generation of Colorado scholars.”
The grants are designed to accomplish multiple goals: strengthening existing partner relationships, introducing future partner institutions to the program, and increasing visibility among key stakeholders across the state. The initiative will also generate critical learning about how school partners approach flexible scholarship spending — insights that will inform the program’s structure as it scales.
The Reisher Scholars Program has supported Colorado students for 25 years through partnerships with colleges and universities across the state. For more information, visit https://denverfoundation.org/scholarships/reisher.
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The Reisher Scholars Program at The Denver Foundation will give grants to the following schools:
- Metropolitan State University of Denver
- University of Northern Colorado
- University of Colorado – Denver
- University of Colorado – Colorado Springs
- Colorado State University
- Colorado Mesa University
- Colorado State University – Pueblo
- Colorado Community College System (see below)
- Fort Lewis College
- Aims Community College
- Western Colorado University
- Colorado Mountain College
- University of Colorado – Boulder
- Adams State University
- Colorado School of Mines
The Reisher Scholars Program at The Denver Foundation will give grants to the following schools in the Colorado Community College System:
- Front Range Community College
- Community College of Denver
- Pikes Peak State College
- Arapahoe Community College
- Community College of Aurora
- Red Rocks Community College
- Northeastern Junior College
- Pueblo Community College
- Morgan Community College
- Trinidad State College
- Lamar Community College
- Otero College
- Colorado Northwestern Community College
