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· Private foundation

Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$367k
Granted FY2025still arriving
33
Grants FY2025still arriving
2
States reached
$50k
Largest
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2018 to 2025.

Health$1.4MArts & Culture$534kHuman Services$495kEducation$277kReligion$147kCivil Rights$125kCommunity Improvement$78kYouth Development$74kOther$0
02FY2025 · 33 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k11 grants · $52k
  • $10k–50k21 grants · $265k
  • $50k–250k1 grant · $50k
$10,000
Median grant
2
States reached
$7.9M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Jewish Family Service of Colorado Inc$50,000
DENVER MUSEUM OF NATURE AND SCIENCE$23,000
Mountain States Children's Home$20,000
GLOBAL DOWN SYNDROME FOUNDATION$18,000
NATIONAL JEWISH HEALTH$18,000
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART$15,000
Creede Repertory Theatre$15,000
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL COLORADO FOUNDATION$15,000
A Precious Child Inc$11,000
Jewish Community Center of Denver$10,207
Project Angel Heart$10,150
CLOTHES TO KIDS OF DENVER$10,000
TGTHR$10,000
Riverside Education Center$10,000
OPERA COLORADO$10,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY18–25, $400k) land where the poverty rate runs at 10%, against an area that typically sits at 8%. 79% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 8%A Precious Child Inc: $11k → 5%LIFT UP ROUTT COUNTY: $10k → 6%MOUNTAIN STATES CHILDREN'S HOME: $4k → 9%THE MATTHEWS HOUSE: $5k → 11%BOULDER JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER: $10k → 12%A Precious Child Inc: $5k → 5%LIFT-UP ROUTT COUNTY: $8k → 6%FAMILY TREE: $5k → 7%BOULDER JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER: $10k → 12%PRECIOUS CHILD: $3k → 5%LIFT-UP ROUTT COUNTY: $8k → 6%BOULDER JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER: $10k → 12%LIFT UP ROUTT COUNTY: $8k → 6%THE MATTHEWS HOUSE: $5k → 11%BOULDER JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER: $10k → 12%LIFT-UP ROUTT COUNTY: $8k → 6%TGTHR: $10k → 12%ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHILDREN'S HEALTH FOUNDATION: $8k → 7%ATTENTION HOMES: $10k → 12%ATTENTION HOMES: $8k → 12%ATTENTION HOMES: $5k → 12%LIFT UP ROUTT COUNTY: $5k → 6%ROCKY MOUNTAIN CHILDREN'S HEALTH FOUNDATION: $5k → 7%SHALOM PARK: $5k → 8%BEAUTIFUL REDEMPTION: $3k → 9%BEAUTIFUL REDEMPTION: $3k → 9%Jewish Community Centers of Denver: $21k → 12%Jewish Community Center of Denver: $10k → 12%FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER ASSOCIATION INC: $12k → 12%Family Resource Center Association Inc: $12k → 12%Family Resource Center Association Inc: $10k → 12%Jewish Family Service of Colorado Inc: $50k → 12%Jewish Family Service of Colorado Inc: $50k → 12%Jewish Family Service: $20k → 12%JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE: $10k → 12%WARREN VILLAGE: $10k → 12%WARREN VILLAGE: $8k → 12%WARREN VILLAGE: $5k → 12%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
04

Where the work is directed

The same grants placed two ways: where each recipient sits, and where its stated purpose sends the money.

About 29% of Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation’s grant dollars are earmarked for a different county than the recipient’s own address. By recipient address, 100% of the giving stays in CO; by stated purpose, 71%.

Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundationlessmore of its giving
Placed by recipient address · 4.0% directed abroad (not shown)
How this is measured
Recipient view: each grant at its grantee’s ZIP, mapped to a county. Directed view: each grant at the county its stated purpose names, falling back to the recipient’s county when the purpose names no place; US grants only. A county shows only if it carries the top 95% of that view’s dollars. Purposes are read from the funder’s own 990 grant descriptions.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

95%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$3.2M · 72 repeat orgs$169k to everyone else

72 repeat relationships: 30 still active in FY2025, 42 since wound down; 3 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

72
32

Total granted

$3.2M
$158k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+32%
+35%

Still filing today

74%
69%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 97% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $11k went to new ones.

50%100%’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Human ServicesHealthArts & CultureEducationYouth DevelopmentCrime & LegalOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.

Backed again, and grew

  • CH
    Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation
    7× · 2018–2025 · $773k · revenue +37%
  • AV
    ALTA VISTA CENTER FOR AUTISM
    8× · 2018–2025 · $154k · revenue +36%
  • JF
    JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF COLORADO INC
    4× · 2021–2025 · $130k · revenue +39%

Funded once

  • J1
    JACKSON 105 FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
    one grant, 2018 · $10k
  • MA
    MIZEL ARTS & CULTURE CENTER JCC
    2× · 2022–2023 · $10k
  • DF
    DENVER FOOD RESCUEgraduated
    one grant, 2018 · $10k · revenue +256%
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.

04Its field

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.

1
Aia Colorado

AIA Colorado,is the voice of the architecture profession in Colorado. Through advocacy, leadership development, education and resources for architects, the organization supports architecture professionals in designing a better world where…

—
2
Colorado Center On Law and Policy

Colorado center on law and policy is an antipoverty organization advancing the rights of every coloradan.

Crime & Legal
3
Colorado Legal Services

To provide meaningful access to high quality, civil legal services in the pursuit of justice for as many low income persons and members of vulnerable populations throughout colorado as possible.

Crime & Legal
4
Colorado Health Institute
Health
5
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless

The mission of the colorado coalition for the homeless is to work collaboratively toward the prevention of homelessness and the creation of lasting solutions for families, children, and individuals who are experiencing or at-risk of…

Human Services
6
Denver Police Activities League Inc

The denver police activities league's (pal) mission is to create strong communities by providing under-resourced children with opportunities, exposure, and experiences with the intent of changing young people's lives in a positive way.

Youth Development
7
Colorado Nonprofit Association

Colorado nonprofit association strengthens colorado's nonprofits through education, connection and advocacy.

Community Improvement
8
The Colorado Health Foundation
Health
9
Colorado Children's Campaign

The colorado children's campaign relentlessly champions the needs of children. we leverage data, research, and relationships to unapologetically advocate for kids, fighting for a brighter, more equitable future for every child in colorado.…

—
10
Colorado Thrives

Colorado Thrives exists to support Coloradans to achieve economic mobility through access to good jobs.

Community Improvement
11
Colorado Fiscal Institute

To provide timely, credible and accessible analyses of fiscal and economic issues facing colorado to inform public policy debates and promote economic prosperity

Community Improvement
12
Colorado Jobs With Justice Inc

Advance workers rights & social justice through building sustained relationships and taking direct action to create concrete change in the lives of working families

Employment
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is The Childrens Museum of Denver Inc; the most unlike its peers is Knowing Love Ministries. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
05the grantee network

80 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. 80 of the 108 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.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
21
Early backer (in before they grew)
77/80
Grantees still filing
56/80
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation: $772,905 · HealthChildren's Hospital Colorado FoundationALTA VISTA CENTER FOR AUTISM: $154,182 · HealthALTA VISTA CENTER FOR AUTISMGLOBAL DOWN SYNDROME FOUNDATION: $115,000 · HealthGLOBAL DOWN SYNDROME FOUNDATIONNATIONAL JEWISH HEALTH: $92,100 · HealthNATIONAL JEWISH HEALTH+9 more: $141,230 · Health+9 moreUNIVERSITY OF CO HOSPITAL FOUNDATION: $100,000 · OtherUNIVERSITY OF CO HOSPITAL FOU…AMERICAN RED CROSS: $50,000 · OtherAMERICAN RED CROSSTHE JEWISH EXPERIENCE: $40,000 · OtherDENVER COMMUNITY KOLLEL: $39,000 · OtherPRODIGY COFFEEHOUSE: $35,000 · OtherDELTA GAMMA ANCHOR CENTER FOR BLIND CHILDREN: $33,000 · OtherJEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER: $32,500 · OtherKARIS COMMUNITY: $30,000 · OtherMT CARMEL VETERANS SERVICES: $30,000 · Other+50 more: $489,930 · Other+50 moreColorado Museum of Natural History: $128,000 · Arts & CultureColorado Museum…OPERA COLORADO: $117,500 · Arts & CultureOPERA COLORADOTHE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF DENVER INC: $85,000 · Arts & CultureTHE CHILDRENS M…MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DENVER: $65,300 · Arts & CultureMUSEUM OF CONTE…WONDERBOUND: $25,000 · Arts & CultureWONDERBOUNDCREEDE REPERTORY THEATRE: $25,000 · Arts & CultureCREEDE REPERTOR…+2 more: $15,000 · Arts & CultureJEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF COLORADO INC: $130,000 · Human ServicesJEWISH FAMILY S…Lift Up of Routt County: $47,000 · Human ServicesLift Up of Rout…THE BOULDER JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER: $40,000 · Human ServicesTHE BOULDER JEW…Mountain States Children's Home: $34,000 · Human ServicesMountain States…FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER ASSOCIATION: $34,000 · Human ServicesFAMILY RESOURCE…ATTENTION INC: $32,500 · Human ServicesATTENTION INCJEWISH COMMUNITY CENTERS OF DENVER: $31,200 · Human ServicesJEWISH COMMUNIT…WARREN VILLAGE INC: $23,375 · Human ServicesCLOTHES TO KIDS OF DENVER INC: $23,000 · Human ServicesA PRECIOUS CHILD INC: $18,566 · Human Services+6 more: $42,000 · Human Services+6 moreANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE: $120,000 · Civil RightsBOOK TRAILS INC: $33,040 · EducationRIVERSIDE EDUCATIONAL CENTER: $20,000 · EducationNew Legacy Charter School: $13,000 · EducationSTEM Generation Inc: $10,000 · EducationA CHILDS SONG INC: $10,000 · EducationThe Girls Athletic Leadership School of Denver: $5,000 · EducationDENVER JEWISH DAY SCHOOL: $5,000 · EducationRight on Mobile Education: $5,000 · EducationPROJECT ANGEL HEART: $35,150 · Community ImprovementMOUNTAIN RESOURCE CENTER: $19,000 · Community ImprovementTHE COLORADO NONPROFIT DEVELOPMENT CENTER: $13,000 · Community Improvement
Health$1,275,417Other$879,430Arts & Culture$460,800Human Services$455,641Civil Rights$120,000Education$101,040Community Improvement$67,150

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetChildren's Hospital Colorado Foundation: $772,905 over 7y, 0.3% of budgetALTA VISTA CENTER FOR AUTISM: $154,182 over 8y, 0.4% of budgetJEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF COLORADO INC: $130,000 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetColorado Museum of Natural History: $128,000 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE: $120,000 over 7y, 0.1% of budgetOPERA COLORADO: $117,500 over 8y, 0.4% of budgetGLOBAL DOWN SYNDROME FOUNDATION: $115,000 over 7y, 1.3% of budgetNATIONAL JEWISH HEALTH: $92,100 over 8y, 0.0% of budgetTHE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF DENVER INC: $85,000 over 6y, 0.5% of budgetMUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DENVER: $65,300 over 7y, 0.3% of budgetLift Up of Routt County: $47,000 over 7y, 0.5% of budgetTHE BOULDER JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER: $40,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetPROJECT ANGEL HEART: $35,150 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetMountain States Children's Home: $34,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetFAMILY RESOURCE CENTER ASSOCIATION: $34,000 over 3y, 0.8% of budgetBOOK TRAILS INC: $33,040 over 7y, 1.7% of budgetDELTA GAMMA ANCHOR CENTER FOR BLIND CHILDREN: $33,000 over 6y, 0.4% of budgetSamaritan Counseling Center: $32,500 over 5y, 0.5% of budgetATTENTION INC: $32,500 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetJEWISH COMMUNITY CENTERS OF DENVER: $31,200 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetKARIS COMMUNITY: $30,000 over 4y, 2.0% of budgetJEFFERSON COUNTY LIBRARY FOUNDATION: $29,000 over 6y, 1.6% of budgetCANCER LEAGUE OF COLORADO INC: $26,000 over 3y, 1.3% of budgetWONDERBOUND: $25,000 over 5y, 0.3% of budgetCREEDE REPERTORY THEATRE: $25,000 over 3y, 0.3% of budgetBRENT ELEY FOUNDATION: $25,000 over 3y, 0.3% of budgetALLIED HOUSING INC: $23,500 over 3y, 1.2% of budgetWARREN VILLAGE INC: $23,375 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetCLOTHES TO KIDS OF DENVER INC: $23,000 over 4y, 0.4% of budgetTHE GABBY KRAUSE FOUNDATION: $23,000 over 5y, 0.7% of budgetSEEKING COMMON GROUND INC: $23,000 over 4y, 4.6% of budgetDENVER ZOOLOGICAL FOUNDATION: $20,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTHE CONFLICT CENTER: $20,000 over 3y, 1.1% of budgetRIVERSIDE EDUCATIONAL CENTER: $20,000 over 3y, 0.3% of budgetJEWISHColorado: $20,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetMOUNTAIN RESOURCE CENTER: $19,000 over 3y, 0.5% of budgetA PRECIOUS CHILD INC: $18,566 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetStableStrides: $17,637 over 5y, 0.5% of budgetTHE GROWHAUS: $15,000 over 2y, 0.5% of budgetTHE CHELSEA HUTCHISON FOUNDATION: $14,680 over 3y, 1.9% of budgetTHE COLORADO NONPROFIT DEVELOPMENT CENTER: $13,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetNew Legacy Charter School: $13,000 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetROCKY MOUNTAIN CHILDREN'S HEALTH FOUNDATION: $13,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetFOOD BANK OF THE ROCKIES: $12,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetSTEM Generation Inc: $10,000 over 2y, 7.1% of budgetMIRROR IMAGE: $10,000 over 2y, 0.7% of budgetA CHILDS SONG INC: $10,000 over 2y, 1.0% of budgetSOUND AFFECTS MUSIC: $10,000 over 2y, 2.2% of budget
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 Children's Hospital Colorado Foundation ↗
  • Who funds ALTA VISTA CENTER FOR AUTISM ↗
  • Who funds JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF COLORADO INC ↗
  • Who funds Colorado Museum of Natural History ↗
  • Who funds ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE ↗
  • Who funds OPERA COLORADO ↗
  • Who funds GLOBAL DOWN SYNDROME FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds NATIONAL JEWISH HEALTH ↗
  • Who funds THE CHILDRENS MUSEUM OF DENVER INC ↗
  • Who funds MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART DENVER ↗
  • Who funds Lift Up of Routt County ↗
  • Who funds THE BOULDER JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER ↗
  • Who funds PROJECT ANGEL HEART ↗
  • Who funds Mountain States Children's Home ↗
  • Who funds FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER ASSOCIATION ↗
  • Who funds BOOK TRAILS INC ↗
  • Who funds DELTA GAMMA ANCHOR CENTER FOR BLIND CHILDREN ↗
  • Who funds Samaritan Counseling Center ↗
  • Who funds ATTENTION INC ↗
  • Who funds JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTERS OF DENVER ↗
  • Who funds KARIS COMMUNITY ↗
  • Who funds JEFFERSON COUNTY LIBRARY FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds CANCER LEAGUE OF COLORADO INC ↗
  • Who funds WONDERBOUND ↗
  • Who funds CREEDE REPERTORY THEATRE ↗
  • Who funds BRENT ELEY FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds ALLIED HOUSING INC ↗
  • Who funds WARREN VILLAGE INC ↗
  • Who funds CLOTHES TO KIDS OF DENVER INC ↗
  • Who funds THE GABBY KRAUSE FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds SEEKING COMMON GROUND 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.

Colorado Gives FoundationCO87.5× affinity57 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Colorado Gives Foundation · The Denver Foundation · Rose Community Foundation · The Colorado Health Foundation · The Anschutz Foundation · Mile High United Way Inc · Anschutz Family Foundation · El Pomar Foundation · Schlessman Foundation Inc · Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation · Xcel Energy Foundation · Hill Foundation Wells Fargo Bank Na

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%1%3%6%10%funder's share of their income ↑0%25%50%75%100%share of the org’s income from government →
    no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
    0get no government money at all
    33report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
    0rely on government for over half their income
    typical government reliance, FY20–25
    How this is measured
    Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
    05Through Plinth

    Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

    How do I get to Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation?

    Find your warmest path to Melvin & Elaine Wolf Foundation through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

    Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

    On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 108 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

    How this is measured
    Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

    Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

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