University of Colorado Foundation
78% goes to programs $13 to raise $100 Strong reserves
University of Colorado Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in Denver, Colorado, registered in 1967, with $456,087,334 in FY2024 revenue. CharityIndex grades it B+, and it directs about 78% of spending to programs.
1800 N Grant St Ste 725, Denver, CO, 80203 EIN 84-6049811 Since 1967
Revenue (FY2024)
$456.1M
▲ 33.3% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2024)
$294.5M
Net assets
$2.9B
Employees
27
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
B+
B+Program efficiency40% of the rating78% to programs · $13 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For University of Colorado Foundation: 78% to programs · $13 to raise $100 earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating117 mo reserves · +35% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For University of Colorado Foundation: 117 mo reserves · +35% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For University of Colorado Foundation: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
ATransparency10% of the rating4 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For University of Colorado Foundation: 4 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
The university of colorado foundation is the portal for philanthropic giving to the university of colorado and is responsible for receiving, managing, and investing the endowments and other gift funds the foundation holds for the benefit of cu.
Contact & location
- Address
- 1800 N Grant St Ste 725, Denver, CO, 80203
- City
- Denver
- State
- Colorado
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Support Foundations & Fundraising
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $230.1M (FY2013) to $456.1M (FY2024) across 12 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2024)
Liabilities $680.8MNet assets $2.9B
Operating margin
35.4%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$3.5B
Total liabilities
$680.8M
Net assets
$2.9B
Salaries & benefits
$3.9M
1% of expenses
Board members
19
18 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $456,087,334▲33.3% | $294,501,134▲4.5% | $2,868,904,777▲10.7% | $3,549,699,710▲9.8% | 990 |
| 2023 | $342,190,499▼23.0% | $281,807,879▼1.7% | $2,591,238,952▲6.6% | $3,233,557,618▲6.1% | 990 |
| 2022 | $444,580,366▼1.1% | $286,615,114▼1.6% | $2,429,789,885▲9.6% | $3,048,394,011▲8.0% | 990 |
| 2021 | $449,363,151▼8.9% | $291,342,484▲17.6% | $2,217,266,566▼8.6% | $2,823,618,516▼8.7% | 990 |
| 2020 | $493,527,038▲90.5% | $247,747,875▲8.8% | $2,425,110,620▲34.0% | $3,091,828,238▲33.7% | 990 |
| 2019 | $259,096,557▼10.3% | $227,794,715▲7.0% | $1,809,784,744▲3.1% | $2,312,395,198▲2.9% | 990 |
| 2018 | $288,964,718▼11.6% | $212,904,491▲1.9% | $1,755,781,062▲6.7% | $2,247,296,786▲6.5% | 990 |
| 2017 | $327,050,096▲28.2% | $208,897,114▲17.6% | $1,645,076,972▲13.0% | $2,110,481,587▲11.6% | 990 |
| 2016 | $255,074,240▲11.8% | $177,651,398▲24.4% | $1,455,912,890▲14.5% | $1,890,930,203▲15.0% | 990 |
| 2015 | $228,112,629▲11.8% | $142,773,171▲0.5% | $1,271,927,835▲2.2% | $1,643,660,283▲0.8% | 990 |
| 2014 | $203,985,505▼11.3% | $142,071,639▲0.8% | $1,244,710,125▲3.4% | $1,629,994,000▲3.8% | 990 |
| 2013 | $230,082,250 | $140,971,659▼4.6% | $1,203,255,595▲18.3% | $1,570,759,090▲18.3% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $147,788,000▲6.0% | $1,017,026,393▲10.3% | $1,327,866,222▲10.5% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $139,450,023▲10.7% | $921,766,181▼2.4% | $1,202,230,932▼2.2% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $125,941,086 | $944,465,335 | $1,229,718,321 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2024)
Highest-paid: Jack Finlaw — $489,971 (0.17% of total expenses)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Finlaw | President & Ceo | 40 | $489,971 |
| A Keller Young Esq | Svp, General Counsel, Cao | 40 | $326,258 |
| Charlene Laus | Vp & Cfo | 40 | $312,152 |
| Lynnea Hutton | Vp, People & Culture | 40 | $216,231 |
| Elizabeth Sayer | Controller | 40 | $172,034 |
| Saskia Sawyer | Avp Gift Services - Term End 6/14/24 | 40 | $144,116 |
| Shannon Knapp | Director, Gift Services - Term Ended 11/22/24 | 40 | $142,209 |
| Annie Baccary | Vp For Advancement Operations | 1 | — |
| Barbara Winter | Director | 1 | — |
| Becky L Medved | Director | 1 | — |
| Brian Dolan | Director | 1 | — |
| Carole Yaley | Director | 1 | — |
| David Tryba | Director | 1 | — |
| Heidi Wagner | Director | 1 | — |
| Ilana Dubin-spiegel | University Regent | 1 | — |
| Lisa Kettering | Director | 1 | — |
| Mary Sullivan | Director | 1 | — |
| Melinda H Yee | Director | 1 | — |
| Michael Donnelly | Director | 1 | — |
| Nan Eklund | Director | 1 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2024)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Cerity Partners Ocio | Investment Manager | $5,512,515 |
| Founders Fund | Investment Manager | $2,991,754 |
| Peakspan | Investment Manager | $1,617,025 |
| Charlesbank | Investment Manager | $1,244,820 |
| Tembo Capital Management | Investment Manager | $1,158,633 |
Grants received · $168.3M total
554 grants to University of Colorado Foundation totaling $168.3M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $1,854,594 |
| Denver Foundation | Single organization support | 2024 | $1,431,553 |
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $400,353 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Education | 2024 | $382,700 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Education | 2024 | $361,450 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2024 | $344,600 |
| Impactassets Inc | General support | 2024 | $259,700 |
| The Us Charitable Gift Trust | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2024 | $199,367 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $178,340 |
| Rose Community Foundation | Korey wise innocence project, holocaust genocide contemporary bioethics program | 2024 | $177,800 |
| Fjc | General operating support | 2024 | $155,000 |
| American Gift Fund | Operations | 2024 | $151,000 |
| The Seattle Foundation | Kimes postdoctoral fellowship | 2024 | $90,000 |
| Greater Kansas City Community Foundation | Education | 2024 | $85,200 |
| Foundation For the Carolinas | Charitable gift | 2024 | $72,888 |
Grants made · $230.6M in FY2024
2 grants totaling $230.6M in FY2024. All grants made by University of Colorado Foundation →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Regents of the University of Colorado | See part iv | $228,961,654 |
| University of Colorado Hospital Foundation | Public service, medical outreach | $1,630,471 |
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Frequently asked questions
- Is University of Colorado Foundation a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. University of Colorado Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 84-6049811, based in Denver, Colorado. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is University of Colorado Foundation's EIN?
- University of Colorado Foundation's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 84-6049811.
- How much revenue does University of Colorado Foundation report?
- University of Colorado Foundation reported $456,087,334 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of University of Colorado Foundation's spending goes to programs?
- University of Colorado Foundation spends about 78% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does University of Colorado Foundation have?
- CharityIndex grades University of Colorado Foundation B+, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does University of Colorado Foundation's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on University of Colorado Foundation's latest Form 990 is $489,971, paid to Jack Finlaw (President & Ceo).
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Data for University of Colorado Foundation (EIN 84-6049811) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.