Pictured above: Barbara Grogan (right), with daughter Holiday Goodreau (left) and granddaughter Olivia Goodreau.
The turning point
For 100 years, The Denver Foundation has been at the heart of philanthropy in Denver, helping individuals and families turn their desire to make a difference into real, lasting change. Barbara Grogan is one of those individuals whose journey has been shaped by the foundation’s support and guidance.
Grogan’s story with The Denver Foundation began over 20 years ago. After selling her company, Western Industrial Contractors, Grogan had originally planned to start a family foundation. However, a chance conversation with David Miller, then CEO of The Denver Foundation, shifted her path.
“After our lunch, I got in the car, I got my lawyer on the phone, and I said, ‘You know, ditch the family foundation,’” Grogan recalls. Miller had introduced her to a simpler way to give back that better fit Grogan’s needs: a donor-advised fund at The Denver Foundation.
Opening this fund with The Denver Foundation was a decision that became a defining moment in her, and her family’s lives.
Leading by example
The day Grogan opened her family’s donor-advised fund, she showed up at The Denver Foundation with her daughter Holly, her first grandchild, Olivia, and a check with their initial gift. “I put [the check] in Olivia’s hand because I wanted her to give the check to David,” said Grogan. Olivia was only two months old at the time. With a laugh, Grogan said to David, “Grab the check quickly, or she will eat it.”
Grogan always wanted this gift to live on across multiple generations, but that moment marked the start of something much bigger than Grogan could have expected.
When Olivia was six years old, she was bitten by a tick and became extremely ill. It took two years and 51 doctors to finally figure out she had Lyme disease. One day, when Oliva was around 11 years old, after reading a story about a young mother who was living in her car so she could afford her son’s Lyme disease medication, Grogan recalled Olivia telling her mom, “You and Bebe [Olivia’s nickname for Barbara Grogan] are always raising money for other people. We need to raise money for families that have kids with Lyme disease to be able to pay for their medicine.”
“I have lived to see the future and what they will continue to do with it. It's heartwarming and inspiring. They're doing this. My daughter and my granddaughter are doing this themselves. This is not something that I did. They did it. So, I get to see already how it's going to live on.”
- Barbara Grogan
“I didn’t realize I was a role model for her, but I did that day,” said Grogan.
Throughout Olivia’s childhood, she had seen her grandma support various causes. Grogan has served on a number of boards with Metropolitan State University (MSU) Denver, the National Civic League, and The Denver Foundation.
She was also the first female chair for both the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City’s Denver Branch and the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. Grogan has championed numerous causes in education, health, and civic development through her leadership and fundraising support.
At age 12, Olivia founded the nonprofit LivLyme Foundation to support families with children with Lyme disease, increase awareness, and support scientific research on the disease.
“You know, I wasn’t consciously grooming her. I was just living my life,” said Grogan, sharing, “I don’t think you go around proselytizing. You don’t tell people what they ought to do. You live your life with what you ought to do.”
That day, Grogan was reminded that giving is something we teach by doing, over and over again, and that small moments can leave a big impact.
A partnership that opened opportunities for deeper engagement
“Our relationship with The Denver Foundation has been absolutely invaluable to my family and to me,” said Grogan. The Denver Foundation has helped support the legacy of philanthropy she is building with her family, and it has allowed her to focus her time on causes close to her heart.
“What this foundation has done for me personally is allowed me to live fully the best chapter of my life. And I couldn't have done it without that partnership.”
- Barbara Grogan
Instead of dealing with taxes, paperwork, and investments that she would have to manage through a family foundation, Grogan learned that with a donor-advised fund, she could focus on what mattered most: giving. The Denver Foundation would then help handle all the logistics.
“I get to learn about [organizations] and support them, where if I were in this constant state of trying to stay legit, I wouldn’t have the time to do that or be involved in these organizations.” The foundation’s support freed Grogan from the administrative burden, enabling her to dedicate more time to the projects and people who needed it most.
Grogan emphasizes that The Denver Foundation’s approach is about more than managing funds. “Their direct funding and facilitated funding with donor-advised funds are equally important,” she said, adding, “Their direct funding is part of what allows them to be so successful because they actually make those commitments, and they actually have to do the research and evaluate. They are going through exactly what their fundholders are going through.”
Since 1925, The Denver Foundation has built strong relationships with nonprofits and community leaders across Colorado through its grantmaking expertise, working both directly with donors and through its own funding programs. This experience helps connect donors with organizations that align with their goals while addressing pressing community needs.
100 years of impact and family legacies
Barbara’s story mirrors The Denver Foundation’s long history of helping families give back to the community and create a lasting legacy. For 100 years, the foundation has been a trusted partner for people who want to make a meaningful impact—whether through time, money, or expertise.
As The Denver Foundation looks ahead to the next century, you too can become part of this legacy of giving. Whether you’re giving time, money, or expertise, The Denver Foundation can help you make a lasting impact on the causes that matter to you.
To learn more about opening a donor-advised fund, contact our team at information@denverfoundation.org or 303.300.1790.
