Brett Family Foundation
Boulder, CO · EIN 84-1525821. Reported 196 grants totalling $2,044,000 to 76 organizations across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Brett Family Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $5,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $5,000 and $10,000; the smallest was $1,000 and the largest $106,500. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County | Boulder, CO | $376,500 | 5 | 4 | 2024 |
| University of Colorado Foundation | Broomfield, CO | $286,000 | 15 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Bell Policy Center | Denver, CO | $218,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| New Era Colorado Foundation | Boulder, CO | $123,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Progressnow Colorado Education | Denver, CO | $55,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Colorado Civic Engagement Roundtable | Denver, CO | $45,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Public Broadcasting of Colorado Inc | Centennial, CO | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Colorado Independent Dba Colorado News Collaborative | Denver, CO | $33,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Colorado Democracy Network | Denver, CO | $32,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Community Resource Center Inc | Denver, CO | $32,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Conservation Colorado Education Fund | Denver, CO | $32,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Great Education Colorado Fund | Denver, CO | $32,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition | Denver, CO | $30,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Colorado Symphony Association | Denver, CO | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| National Trust for Local News | Philadelphia, PA | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Together Colorado | Denver, CO | $30,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Colorado Poverty Law Project | Denver, CO | $29,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Blair County Historical Society | Altoona, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cobalt Foundation | Denver, CO | $25,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Latino Community Foundation of Colorado Inc | Denver, CO | $25,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Colorado Fiscal Institute | Denver, CO | $22,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Aspen Journalism | Aspen, CO | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Futuro Media Group | New York, NY | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| The Colorado Education Initiative | Denver, CO | $20,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Young Invincibles | New York, NY | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Western Resource Advocates | Boulder, CO | $18,500 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Colorado People's Alliance | Denver, CO | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Civic News Company | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Right | Denver, CO | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Longmont Community Foundation | Longmont, CO | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Sopris Sun Inc | Carbondale, CO | $13,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Naral Pro-Choice Colorado Foundation | Denver, CO | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Good Business Colorado | Denver, CO | $12,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Hope (homeless Outreach Providing Encouragement) | Longmont, CO | $12,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Lyons Emergency Assistance Fund Inc | Lyons, CO | $12,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Outreach United Resource Center | Longmont, CO | $12,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Boulder Building Block Fund | Firestone, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Chalkbeat Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Colorado Times Recorder | Denver, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Florence Crittenton Services of Colorado | Denver, CO | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| High Country News | Paonia, CO | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Impact on Education | Louisville, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Remerg | Denver, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Sister Carmen Community Center | Lafayette, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Lenfest Institute for Journalism | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Denver Foundation | Denver, CO | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| United for a New Economy | Commerce City, CO | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Boulder Valley Women's Health Center Inc | Boulder, CO | $9,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Fraser Valley Community Media | Fraser, CO | $9,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning | Denver, CO | $8,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains Inc | Denver, CO | $8,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Voces Unidas De Las Montanas | Glenwood Springs, CO | $8,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Western Colorado Congress | Grand Junction, CO | $8,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Common Cause Education Fund | Washington, DC | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Denver Film Society | Denver, CO | $7,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Emergency Family Assistance Association Inc | Boulder, CO | $6,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Crestone Eagle Community Media | Crestone, CO | $5,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Aya Foundation | Denver, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Chinook Fund | Denver, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights | Denver, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| From the Heart Productions Inc | Oxnard, CA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Rewire News Group | Mclean, VA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Alliance Center | Denver, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Transformative Leadership for Change | Denver, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Tenderfoot Transmitting Inc | Salida, CO | $5,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Western Colorado Alliance | Grand Junction, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Mile High United Way | Denver, CO | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Rose Community Foundation | Denver, CO | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Colorado Freedom of Information Council | Denver, CO | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Metro Caring | Denver, CO | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Catholic Charities of Central Colorado Inc | Colorado Springs, CO | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Community Shares of Colorado Inc | Denver, CO | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| East High Angel Foundation | Denver, CO | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Project O | Laguna Beach, CA | $2,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Sister-to-Sister | Denver, CO | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Institute for Healthcare Improvement | Boston, MA | $1,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
50 of 76 (66%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 73%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County
BRETT - SHOEMAKER FUND: LYONS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION - The Bell Policy Center
OPERATING SUPPORT; PROGRAM SUPPORT - TAXPAYER EDUCATION PROJECT - University of Colorado Foundation
OPERATING SUPPORT; PROGRAM SUPPORT - CENTER FOR AFRICAN AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES FUND - New Era Colorado Foundation
OPERATING SUPPORT; PROGRAM SUPPORT - CU BOULDER STUDENT ACTIVISM - Naral Pro-Choice Colorado Foundation
OPERATING SUPPORT; PROGRAM SUPPORT - NARAL PRO-CHOICE CO FOUNDATION ENDOWMENT FUND - Impact on Education
PROGRAM SUPPORT - MARSHALL FIRE RELIEF
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 164 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 47 | $473,500 | $5,000 |
| 2022 | 53 | $573,000 | $5,000 |
| 2023 | 47 | $494,000 | $5,000 |
| 2024 | 49 | $503,500 | $5,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 93% of this one's giving went to organizations in Colorado. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $5,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Colorado.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Brett Family Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: 1123 Spruce Street, Boulder, CO, 80302. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 84-1525821 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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