· Private foundation
Ernst and Wilma Martens Foundation
Its FY2024 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.
What it funded, over time
Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.
Where the money goes
Grants by size, and the largest recipients.
| Recipient | Amount |
|---|---|
| WILDERNESS WORKSHOP | $7,500 |
| ASPEN JOURNALISM | $5,000 |
| HOSPICE OF THE VALLEY | $5,000 |
| CHALLENGE ASPEN | $4,000 |
| SHINING STARS FOUNDATION | $4,000 |
| ROARING FORK CONSERVANCY | $4,000 |
| INDEPENDENCE PASS FOUNDATION | $3,000 |
| MT SOPRIS NORDIC COUNCIL | $3,000 |
| WALDORF SCHOOL | $3,000 |
| ENGLISH IN ACTION | $3,000 |
| FAMILY VISITOR PROGRAM | $3,000 |
| BASALT REGIONAL LIBRARY | $2,000 |
| WINDWALKERS | $2,000 |
| ASPEN VALLEY SKI AND SNOWBOARD CLUB | $2,000 |
| Individual grant recipient | $2,000 |
Does the money reach high-need areas?
Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.
Its human-services grants (FY17–24, $99k) land where the poverty rate runs at 7%, against an area that typically sits at 8%. 0% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Its grants skew toward lower-need ZIPs.
How this is measured
How this is measured
Who it funds again
Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.
34 repeat relationships: 20 still active in FY2024, 14 since wound down; 2 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).
How the two cohorts compare
Organizations
Total granted
Median revenue growth · since first grant
Still filing today
New vs renewed · share of each year
In FY2024, 95% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $3k went to new ones.
Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant
How this is measured
Backed again, and grew
- WWWILDERNESS WORKSHOP8× · 2017–2024 · $60k · revenue +149%
- SSSHINING STARS FOUNDATION8× · 2017–2024 · $32k · revenue +95%
- CACHALLENGE ASPEN8× · 2017–2024 · $32k · revenue +52%
Funded once
- IGIndividual grant recipientone grant, 2017 · $4k
- RHResponse - Help for Survivors of Domestic Violence & Sexual Assaultgraduatedone grant, 2017 · $3k · revenue ×17
- ACASPEN CAMP FOR THE DEAFone grant, 2017 · $3k
How this is measured
Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.
Closest unfunded matches
The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.
The aspen skiing company environment foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the enhancement and protection of the environmental quality of the roaring fork valley region. we support projects that promote environmental…
Protecting the open land and special places of the roaring fork and middle colorado river valleys for wildlife, agriculture, and community forever.
Provide adaptive sports for the disabled.
To enrich the roaring fork community through locally based curations of high caliber dance.
To broaden the nature of a liberal arts education; teach critical thinking about social & environmental issues; foster understanding of & respect for natural & human communities; & cultivate a sense of place that encourages personal,…
Promote the general interest of daily, weekly, and monthly newspapers and online publications, improve editorials and business methods of daily and weekly newspapers, and advance those newspapers' usefulness and influence in the public…
To empower visitors and locals to explore, learn about and protect the spectacular public lands of Southwest Colorado.
Rocky mountain wild works to protect, connect, and restore wildlife and wild lands in the southern rocky mountain region. we work to secure the biodiversity of the mountains, plains, and desert ecosystems of colorado, wyoming, utah, and…
Entertain, enlighten, enrich, educate and challenge the residents and visitors of the roaring fork valley through professional quality theatrical productions, new play development initiatives and a broad spectrum of educational programs.
To bring nationally and internationally recognized experts on a wide range of public policy issues to the Steamboat community. Seminars are free and open to the public.
To advance the public understanding of science through lifelong discovery, exploration and education.
To expand the potential of people with disabilities and special needs through meaningful, education and inspiring outdoor experiences.
How this is measured
20 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.
Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.
How this is measured
Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 20 of the 39 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.
Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.
Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee
Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding
A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.
- Who funds WILDERNESS WORKSHOP ↗
- Who funds HOSPICE OF THE VALLEY INC ↗
- Who funds SHINING STARS FOUNDATION ↗
- Who funds CHALLENGE ASPEN ↗
- Who funds Aspen Journalism ↗
- Who funds ROARING FORK CONSERVANCY ↗
- Who funds INDEPENDENCE PASS FOUNDATION ↗
- Who funds English in Action ↗
- Who funds MOUNT SOPRIS NORDIC COUNCIL INC ↗
- Who funds CARBONDALE COMMUNITY NONPROFIT CENTER ↗
- Who funds ASPEN VALLEY SKISNOWBOARD CLUB INC ↗
- Who funds Pathfinders ↗
- Who funds THE BUDDY PROGRAM INC ↗
- Who funds ASPEN FILM ↗
- Who funds BASALT EDUCATION FOUNDATION ↗
- Who funds The Art Base ↗
- Who funds WINDWALKERS EQUINE ASSISTED LEARNING AND ↗
- Who funds CARBONDALE CLAY CENTER ↗
- Who funds Response - Help for Survivors of Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault ↗
- Who funds Pregnancy Resource Center Inc ↗
Co-funders
Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.
Open a dossier: Colorado Gives Foundation · Aspen Community Foundation · Brady Foundation · Aspen Business Center Foundation · Arches Foundation · Rose Community Foundation · The Thrift Shop · Alpenglow Foundation · The Thendara Foundation · Fred and Elli Iselin Foundation · Castaways Foundation · The Flunison Fund
How this is measured
How much its grantees rely on government
Each dot is one organization Ernst and Wilma Martens Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Ernst and Wilma Martens Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.
How this is measured
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