Pictured above: The Denver Foundation staff at the launch event of Belonging Colorado, a special fund at The Denver Foundation.
We know we can’t do the work that we do without working together – with our donors and fundholders to support their giving, with our community partners to catalyze change, and internally with all the teams at The Denver Foundation.
Together we have been able to work more efficiently and effectively to meet our mission, making 2024 another great year.
The Denver Foundation and our partners…
1 …celebrated another impressive year of grantmaking
Every year, we’re inspired by your giving to the community. 2024 was a big grantmaking year, and we’re not done yet.
The Denver Foundation gave about $129 million in grants and scholarships in 2024 so far.
We can’t wait to see what your generosity will do in the remaining weeks of the year.
2 … launched a new initiative to bring people together
We kicked off Belonging Colorado, a special fund at The Denver Foundation, in 2024 to bring people together in new ways, grow resilience, and expand Coloradans’ sense of belonging.
The inaugural Belonging Colorado Cohort supported 15 organizations all across Colorado, representing a diverse set of nonprofits, community-based organizations, and local governments. These organizations will develop innovative programs to bring people together across lines of difference to address shared challenges, connect on shared interests, deepen community relationships, and heal divides.
3 …recognized our staff’s leadership and contributions to community
In 2024, we celebrated staff members recognized for their work supporting meaningful, inclusive, and community-driven change:
Naomi Amaha, our director of policy and government affairs, received the Denver’s 40 under 40 award alongside a group of leaders making a difference in our community.
She has accomplished so much in such a short period of time, and we are very fortunate to have this brilliant and talented woman on our team.
We honored David Portillo’s 25th anniversary working at The Denver Foundation, and his award recognition for the Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy & Research Organization 2024 Bernie Valdez Award.
This award is given to leaders dedicated to empowering Colorado Latinos and Latinas. David, our Strengthening Neighborhoods and Technical Assistance officer, has been an instrumental part of our team and community. We are so grateful for all the meaningful work he has done and continues to do.
Javier Alberto Soto, our president and CEO, received the Denver Business Journal’s 2024 Leader in Diversity Award.
Javier is a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion, integrating these principles into every aspect of our work. For Javier, it’s not just about saying, “DEI is important.”
It’s about improving our organization, our community, and our country by valuing and including diverse voices and perspectives. Javier shared this award with the staff, talking about how it takes the whole team to make this work a success.
And, Titan 100 recognized Dace West, our chief impact officer, as one of Colorado’s Top 100 CEOs & C-level executives in 2024.
Dace has long been a leader in the Denver community. She’s led multiple organizations, including The Denver Foundation, in building infrastructure for sustainability and growth.
4 … expanded our bike tour
In 2023, we reached a major milestone, biking through all 78 Denver neighborhoods.
In 2024, we expanded that tour by biking to other Metro Denver counties, including Jefferson County and Adams County.
We met with community leaders at Seniors Resource Center and Cultivando to learn about the opportunities and challenges impacting their communities.
5 …lifted community voice, and connected donors and nonprofits to discuss important issues
We believe in building connections throughout the community.
One way we do this is through our donor and nonprofit dialogues. These events connect donors to each other and nonprofits to discuss how philanthropy can address the challenges facing our communities.
In 2024, we held two such events, one focused on the environment, and one focused on housing and homelessness. You can read the incredible stories of our grantees working in these areas on our blog.
6 …responded to the community’s emerging needs
Our Critical Needs Fund is our fastest and most flexible way to respond to crises in our community. We raised $124,000 for the fund in 2024.
To respond to shifting policies that will impact our neighbors, we activated this fund to give $230,000 to 24 grantees serving immigrants, LGBTQ+ communities, and communities impacted by the changing climate crisis.
7 … supported voter outreach and engagement efforts
Our Civic Fabric Fund awarded $99,500 to 14 nonprofits working on voter engagement efforts and encouraging people to register to vote.
This fund supports nonprofits with expertise and resources to reach and mobilize new and low-turnout voters from historically underrepresented communities. We raised around $70,000 for the fund in 2024.
8 …deepened our investment in the community through impact investments
We added to our place-based impact investments, which provide a social benefit to our community while achieving a financial return. Our Impact Investment Pool continues to grow, reaching $9.2 million in 2024. From that pool, we made $3.2 million in impact investments this year. One such investment was to the Capitol City Mobile Home Park.
Affordable housing is one of the strategic priorities for The Denver Foundation and its impact investing portfolio. Mobile home parks offer a crucial source of naturally occurring affordable housing in Metro Denver and across Colorado, but the affordability of these parks is increasingly under threat from corporate ownership and rising rents.
We closed on a $250,000 loan to Sharing Connexion to help them acquire the Capital City Mobile Home Park on behalf of the residents and prevent nearly 80 families from experiencing displacement. Sharing Connexion is a nonprofit that provides affordable housing organizations and other nonprofits with real estate expertise, funding, and preservation.
9 …expanded Reisher Scholars Program to community college students
The 2023-24 academic year was the Reisher Scholars Program’s largest year in both the number of scholarships awarded and the total dollar amount distributed.
The program awarded 507 Reisher Scholarships to students at partner universities, and 268 Bridge Scholarships to students across the Colorado Community College System. In total, the programs distributed over $5.2 million in scholarship funds.
In 2024, we grew the impact of the Reisher Scholarship Program by adding Aims Community College to the Reisher Bridge Scholarship Program.
A partnership that began more than 20 years ago, The Denver Foundation and the Reisher family have collaborated to develop a scholarship program that is on track to be one of the largest in Colorado.
10 … celebrated LatinasGive! 10th anniversary
LatinasGive! is Denver’s first Latina giving circle with a charitable fund at The Denver Foundation, and in 2024 it celebrated its 10th anniversary.
It also awarded $51,000 in grants to 19 nonprofit organizations across Metro Denver, which marked 2024 as its biggest year of grantmaking. Since 2014, the giving circle has awarded more than $238,000 in grants to 95 unique organizations. A 2023 report mentioned collective giving groups, like LatinasGive!, as the fastest-growing form of philanthropy.
*Bonus: … And we set the foundation for our 100th anniversary in 2025
In 1925, leaders of Denver’s banking and legal communities established The Denver Foundation because they saw a need to set up a pooled endowment fund to help meet the Denver area’s most pressing needs. In 2024, we started the initial stages of planning for our 100th anniversary to celebrate the impact we’ve had since our founding, and to continue our commitment to meet the evolving needs of our community for another 100 years.
2024 was a big year, and we are proud of all we have accomplished. Thank you for your support of The Denver Foundation. 2025 will be a big year full of celebration and partnership, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you.