Grant funders / Colorado / Higher Education
Higher Education Grant Funders in Colorado
991 foundations with a documented higher education focus have made grants to Colorado nonprofits in recent years, together directing $545.3M to organizations across the state. Below are the most active — every funder links to a full giving profile, and Bespoke Grants will match all 991 against your nonprofit's specific mission, for free.
991
Higher education funders
$545.3M
Given to Colorado nonprofits
10,888
Grants on record
2025
Most recent giving
Most active higher education funders in Colorado
| # | Funder | Based in | Total Colorado giving | Grants | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Opportunity Fund | Colorado | $64.3M | 5 | 2024 |
| 2 | Daniels Fund | Colorado | $44.7M | 2203 | 2024 |
| 3 | Metropolitan State University of Denver | Colorado | $31.9M | 6 | 2024 |
| 4 | Prosperity Denver Fund | Colorado | $30.0M | 81 | 2024 |
| 5 | The Fort Lewis College Foundation | Colorado | $22.4M | 3 | 2025 |
| 6 | Reisher Family Foundation | Colorado | $19.0M | 2 | 2023 |
| 7 | Colorado Mesa University Foundation | Colorado | $18.6M | 7 | 2025 |
| 8 | The Denver Foundation | Colorado | $17.7M | 96 | 2024 |
| 9 | United States Figure Skating Foundation | Colorado | $13.8M | 3 | 2025 |
| 10 | Colorado Community College System | Colorado | $11.0M | 112 | 2025 |
| 11 | Adams State University Foundation Inc | Colorado | $10.9M | 16 | 2025 |
| 12 | The Andrew W Mellon Foundation | New York | $10.7M | 8 | 2024 |
| 13 | Suzanne & Walter Scott Foundation | Nebraska | $10.5M | 3 | 2024 |
| 14 | Walton Family Foundation Inc | Arkansas | $8.7M | 7 | 2024 |
| 15 | Schmitz Family Foundation | Colorado | $8.4M | 12 | 2024 |
This list is ranked by size. Yours should be ranked by fit.
The funders above are the biggest higher education funders in Colorado — not necessarily the right ones for you. Bespoke Grants ranks all 991 against your nonprofit's actual mission, service area, and budget, and shows you why each one matches. Free, no credit card.
Rank these funders for my nonprofit →Higher Education funders in other states
Other causes funded in Colorado
How this list is built. Bespoke Grants indexes 13M+ grants from public IRS Form 990 filings. This page shows foundations whose giving carries a documented higher education focus and that have funded Colorado nonprofits. Giving figures reflect each funder's total recent grants to Colorado recipients. IRS data publishes on a 1–2 year lag; figures are current through the most recent available filings.