Brett Family Foundation
Boulder, CO · EIN 84-1525821. Reported 242 grants totalling $2,525,000 to 81 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. 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. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Community Foundation Serving Boulder County | Boulder, CO | $466,500 | 6 | 5 | 2025 |
| University of Colorado Foundation | Broomfield, CO | $332,000 | 19 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Bell Policy Center | Denver, CO | $278,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| New Era Colorado Foundation | Boulder, CO | $158,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Progressnow Colorado Education | Denver, CO | $65,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Colorado Civic Engagement Roundtable | Denver, CO | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Public Broadcasting of Colorado Inc | Centennial, CO | $50,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Community Resource Center Inc | Denver, CO | $45,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Colorado Symphony Association | Denver, CO | $45,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Colorado Democracy Network | Denver, CO | $42,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Conservation Colorado Education Fund | Denver, CO | $42,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition | Denver, CO | $40,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Great Education Colorado Fund | Denver, CO | $37,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| National Trust for Local News | Philadelphia, PA | $35,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Together Colorado | Denver, CO | $35,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Colorado Independent Dba Colorado News Collaborative | Denver, CO | $33,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Cobalt Foundation | Denver, CO | $32,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Latino Community Foundation of Colorado Inc | Denver, CO | $30,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Colorado Poverty Law Project | Denver, CO | $29,500 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Colorado Fiscal Institute | Denver, CO | $27,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Western Resource Advocates | Boulder, CO | $26,500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Aspen Journalism | Aspen, CO | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Blair County Historical Society | Altoona, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Colorado Times Recorder | Denver, CO | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Futuro Media Group | New York, NY | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| The Colorado Education Initiative | Denver, CO | $25,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Young Invincibles | New York, NY | $25,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Civic News Company | New York, NY | $22,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Right | Denver, CO | $20,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Sopris Sun Inc | Carbondale, CO | $17,000 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Colorado People's Alliance | Denver, CO | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Common Cause Education Fund | Washington, DC | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Florence Crittenton Services of Colorado | Denver, CO | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Impact on Education Inc | Louisville, CO | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Longmont Community Foundation | Longmont, CO | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Good Business Colorado | Denver, CO | $14,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Naral Pro-Choice Colorado Foundation | Denver, CO | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Fraser Valley Community Media | Fraser, CO | $12,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| 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 |
| High Country News | Paonia, CO | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Impact Charitable | Denver, CO | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| 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 |
| Transformative Leadership for Change | Denver, CO | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| The Denver Foundation | Denver, CO | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| United for a New Economy | Commerce City, CO | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Western Colorado Alliance | Grand Junction, CO | $10,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Boulder Valley Women's Health Center Inc | Boulder, CO | $9,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Crestone Eagle Community Media | Crestone, CO | $8,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning | Denver, CO | $8,500 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Colorado Immigrant Justice Fund | Denver, CO | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains Inc | Denver, CO | $8,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Rose Community Foundation | Denver, CO | $8,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Voces Unidas De Las Montanas | Glenwood Springs, CO | $8,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Western Colorado Congress | Grand Junction, CO | $8,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Denver Film Society | Denver, CO | $7,500 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Tenderfoot Transmitting Inc | Salida, CO | $7,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Colorado Freedom of Information Council | Denver, CO | $6,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Emergency Family Assistance Association Inc | Boulder, CO | $6,000 | 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 |
| Mainstream Colorado Education | Denver, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Rewire News Group | Mclean, VA | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| The Alliance Center | Denver, CO | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Mile High United Way | Denver, CO | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Wyoming Foundation | Laramie, WY | $4,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Metro Caring | Denver, CO | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood | Greenwood Village, CO | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| 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 |
57 of 81 (70%) received money in more than one year over the 5 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 75%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is unusually consistent. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
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 activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 203 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
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 |
| 2025 | 46 | $481,000 | $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
93% of its giving went to organizations in Colorado. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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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 a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $5,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- 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 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
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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