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Prosperity Denver Fund at a glance

· Public charity

Prosperity Denver Fund

PROSPERITY DENVER FUND invests in denver by financially supporting and partnering with scholarship providers, training providers, and nonprofits to increase the number of denver students who access and complete postsecondary pathways.

$19M
Granted FY2024still arriving
44
Grants FY2024still arriving
3
States reached
$9.8M
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
01100% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2021 to 2024.

Education$35MHuman Services$593kEmployment$468kCrime & Legal$408kYouth Development$136kPublic Benefit$5k
02FY2024 · 44 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2024

  • Under $10k5 grants · $33k
  • $10k–50k14 grants · $289k
  • $50k–250k12 grants · $1.4M
  • $250k+13 grants · $17M
$83,444
Median grant
3
States reached
$47M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
DENVER SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION$9,797,590
THEDREAMUS - NEW VENTURE FUND$1,534,245
COLORADO UPLIFT$1,134,622
CROSSPURPOSE$1,132,216
KIDS ABOVE EVERYTHING - RISE 5280$457,730
MILE HIGH 360$412,569
SAVE OUR YOUTH$402,768
HIGHVIEW SHERMAN HIGHVIEW$379,741
PRODIGY VENTURES$377,518
MINDS MATTER COLORADO$366,144
DENVER KIDS INC$338,722
HARRY L AND EVA J PUKSTA FOUNDATION$280,871
SACHS FOUNDATION$271,658
SCD ENRICHMENT PROGRAM$187,325
BREAKTHROUGH AT KENT DENVER$165,847
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 (FY21–24, $940k) land where the poverty rate runs at 12%, against an area that typically sits at 9%. 99% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 9%FORWARD STEPS FOUNDATION: $13k → 7%ACCESS OPPORTUNITY: $45k → 12%ACCESS OPPORTUNITY: $36k → 12%ACCESS OPPORTUNITY: $18k → 12%ACCESS OPPORTUNITY: $162k → 12%KIDS ABOVE EVERYTHING - RISE 5280: $458k → 12%ACTIVATE WORK: $24k → 12%AFRICAN AMERICAN TRADE ASSOCIATION: $136k → 12%KRAMERICA GIVES: $13k → 12%FORWARD STEPS: $36k → 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.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

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

91%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$32M · 23 repeat orgs$3.1M to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +23% since the first grant, against +15% for those funded once.

23 repeat relationships: 18 still active in FY2024, 5 since wound down; 24 grantees were first funded in FY2024 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

23
7

Total granted

$32M
$44k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+23%
+15%

Still filing today

100%
86%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 82% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $3.1M went to new ones.

50%100%’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

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

’21’22’23’24
EducationHuman ServicesYouth DevelopmentPhilanthropyEmploymentRecreation & SportsOther
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

  • DS
    DENVER SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION
    4× · 2021–2024 · $26M · revenue +91% · 59% of their budget
  • CU
    COLORADO UPLIFT INC
    3× · 2022–2024 · $1.2M · revenue +31%
  • SF
    Sachs Foundation
    4× · 2021–2024 · $787k · revenue +47%

Funded once

  • HI
    HIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT
    one grant, 2021 · $9k · revenue -89%
  • MC
    MARINE CORPS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION INC
    one grant, 2021 · $7k · revenue +15%
  • GA
    GIRLS ATHLETIC LEADERSHIP SCHOOLS O
    one grant, 2022 · $6k
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
Careerwise Colorado

Careerwise's mission is to forge pathways to meaningful careers through bold advocacy, innovative apprenticeships, and industry led partnerships, creating a dynamic talent ecosystem that connects ambition to opportunity for empowered young…

Education
2
Colorado Access Foundation
Health
3
The Greeley Dream Team Inc

To partner with the community to help children succeed in school and prevent student drop-out for students in greeley evans school district 6.

—
4
Denver Metro Pm Education Foundation Inc
Education
5
University of Denver

The university of denver (du) is a higher educational institution, providing both undergraduate and graduate degrees - the mission of the university of denver is to promote learning by engaging with students (continued on schedule o)in…

Education
6
Mesa County Business Education Foundation

Education for youth throughout mesa county, co

Education
7
Denver Justice High School

Denver justice high schools mission is to provide a college preparatory education for all enrolled students. justice high school targets students who are chronically truant who have been unsuccessful in the traditional school setting or…

Education
8
Denver Kiwanis Foundation
Community Improvement
9
The Elway Foundation
—
10
Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation Inc Colorado

Scholarships for scienctific students

Education
11
Agile Learner Fund

The Agile Learner Fund is a nonprofit organization of Colorado Succeeds. As a supporting organization, ALF exists for the express purpose of supporting activities that benefit Colorado Succeeds' mission, vision, and core strategies. More…

Education
12
Alexander Dawson Foundation

The mission of the alexander dawson foundation is to establish, operate and maintain an educational organization that will provide students with the highest quality education, nurture future leaders, prepare young adults to excel in…

Education
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Denver Kids Inc; the most unlike its peers is Harry L and Eva J Puksta Foundation. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

55 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. 55 of the 56 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.

7
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
5
Early backer (in before they grew)
55/55
Grantees still filing
32/55
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

DENVER SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION: $25,643,789 · EducationDENVER SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATIONCOLORADO UPLIFT INC: $1,221,720 · Education+21 more: $2,547,096 · Education+21 moreNEW VENTURE FUND: $1,794,861 · EnvironmentCROSSPURPOSE: $1,132,216 · Community ImprovementHIGHVIEW: $402,983 · Youth DevelopmentMINDS MATTER COLORADO INC: $392,894 · Youth DevelopmentGIRLS INCORPORATED OF METRO DENVER: $116,202 · Youth Development+2 more: $27,907 · Youth DevelopmentKids Above Everything: $457,730 · Human ServicesACCESS OPPORTUNITY: $260,712 · Human ServicesAfrican American Trade Association: $135,504 · Human ServicesForward Steps Foundation: $49,087 · Human Services+2 more: $36,829 · Human ServicesHARRY L AND EVA J PUKSTA FOUNDATION: $769,085 · PhilanthropyTHE DENVER FOUNDATION: $54,564 · PhilanthropyTHE CHALLENGE FOUNDATION: $46,450 · Philanthropy+1 more: $15,598 · PhilanthropyLATIN AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION INC: $314,513 · OtherNORTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATI: $212,907 · OtherCOLORADO DREAM FOUNDATION: $68,597 · OtherMILE HIGH 360: $459,799 · OtherPRODIGY VENTURES INC: $377,518 · OtherSAVE OUR YOUTH INC: $408,408 · Other+10 more: $154,257 · Other
Education$29,412,605Environment$1,794,861Community Improvement$1,132,216Youth Development$939,986Human Services$939,862Philanthropy$885,697Other$1,995,999

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 budgetDENVER SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION: $25,643,789 over 4y, 59% of budgetNEW VENTURE FUND: $1,794,861 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetCOLORADO UPLIFT INC: $1,221,720 over 3y, 19% of budgetCROSSPURPOSE: $1,132,216 over 1y, 6.2% of budgetSachs Foundation: $787,457 over 4y, 7.3% of budgetHARRY L AND EVA J PUKSTA FOUNDATION: $769,085 over 4y, 63% of budgetMILE HIGH 360: $459,799 over 4y, 23% of budgetKids Above Everything: $457,730 over 1y, 53% of budgetSAVE OUR YOUTH INC: $408,408 over 2y, 18% of budgetHIGHVIEW: $402,983 over 3y, 55% of budgetMINDS MATTER COLORADO INC: $392,894 over 3y, 28% of budgetPRODIGY VENTURES INC: $377,518 over 1y, 19% of budgetDENVER KIDS INC: $343,747 over 2y, 12% of budgetLATIN AMERICAN EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION INC: $314,513 over 4y, 12% of budgetACCESS OPPORTUNITY: $260,712 over 4y, 14% of budgetGREENHOUSE SCHOLARS: $232,211 over 4y, 2.1% of budgetNORTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATI: $212,907 over 4y, 23% of budgetSCD ENRICHMENT PROGRAM: $187,325 over 1y, 36% of budgetEVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION - COLORADO: $178,038 over 3y, 55% of budgetKENT DENVER COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL: $165,847 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetPUBLIC EDUCATION & BUSINESS COALITION: $151,357 over 1y, 1.8% of budgetCOLORADO ACADEMY: $127,831 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetGIRLS INCORPORATED OF METRO DENVER: $116,202 over 4y, 1.6% of budgetEVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION: $83,444 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetLATINAS FIRST FOUNDATION: $82,462 over 4y, 10.0% of budgetCOLORADO DREAM FOUNDATION: $68,597 over 2y, 2.3% of budgetDENVER HYBRID COLLEGE: $61,701 over 1y, 2.9% of budgetTHE DENVER FOUNDATION: $54,564 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetForward Steps Foundation: $49,087 over 2y, 6.7% of budgetPINNACOL FOUNDATION: $47,716 over 2y, 5.1% of budgetTHE CHALLENGE FOUNDATION: $46,450 over 3y, 1.1% of budgetCHERRY HILLS COUNTRY CLUB: $31,875 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetDENVER PLUMBERS JOINT APPRENTICESHIP & JOURNEYMEN COMMITTEE: $24,742 over 1y, 1.9% of budgetACTIVATE WORK INC: $23,826 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetCOLLEGE TRACK: $20,700 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetDENVER KAPPA ALPHA PSI SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION: $15,750 over 1y, 3.9% of budgetEast High Angel Foundation: $15,650 over 2y, 2.5% of budgetFOUNDATION FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE: $15,598 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetBIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF COLORADO INC: $15,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetTHE ARCHITECTURAL EDUCATION FOUNDATION AIA COLORADO: $14,999 over 1y, 5.1% of budgetKRAMERICA GIVES: $13,003 over 1y, 6.8% of budgetYEAR ONE INC: $12,907 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetCOLORADO RESTAURANT FOUNDATION: $12,750 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetCONSTRUCTION EDUCATION FOUNDATION OF COLORADO: $10,768 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetHIDE IN PLAIN SIGHT: $9,450 over 1y, 4.1% of budgetCOLORADO WOMEN'S EDUCATION FOUNDATI: $7,365 over 1y, 1.7% of budgetMARINE CORPS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION INC: $6,563 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetThe YESS Institute: $6,217 over 1y, 0.4% 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.

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.

The Denver FoundationColorado Gives Founda…Rose Community Founda…The Colorado Health F…Mile High United Way …Denver Broncos Founda…Ima FoundationAdolph Coors Foundati…Schlessman Foundation…Boettcher FoundationThe Anschutz Foundati…Daniels Fund
The Denver FoundationCO48.9× affinity26 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The Denver Foundation · Colorado Gives Foundation · Rose Community Foundation · The Colorado Health Foundation · Mile High United Way Inc · Denver Broncos Foundation · Ima Foundation · Adolph Coors Foundation · Schlessman Foundation Inc · Boettcher Foundation · The Anschutz Foundation · Daniels Fund

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 Prosperity Denver Fund funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Prosperity Denver Fund. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 10%5%19%42%75%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
    1get no government money at all
    22report 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 Prosperity Denver Fund?

    Find your warmest path to Prosperity Denver Fund 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 56 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 e-file return for fiscal year 2024, released 2024. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

    Source object · view filing

    Play a game based on Prosperity Denver’s filings →

    More from the funding graph

    The unnamed billions
    grants reported with no recipient in the public record
    The regranting layer
    51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
    The DAF merry-go-round
    $9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
    The endowment market
    who holds foundation money, and what just moved
    The camps
    funders cluster by geography, not ideology
    By state
    where grant money is based, and what stays home