Gates Family Foundation
The Gates Family Foundation funds Colorado-based projects and organizations primarily through capital grants which have meaningful impact and enhance the quality of life for those who live, work and visit the state.  The Foundation seeks to promote self-sufficiency, excellence and innovation in education, healthy lifestyles, community enrichment, connection to nature and stewardship of the state’s natural inheritance.  Funding areas of focus include: Arts & Culture; Education; Well-being of Children, Youth & Families; Parks, Conservation, and Recreation; and Community Development & Revitalization.

The Gill Foundation
Established in 1994 by software entrepreneur Tim Gill, the Gill Foundation is a Colorado-based nonprofit philanthropic organization. The foundation was established in response to the passage of Colorado's anti-gay Amendment 2. The mission of the Gill Foundation is to secure equal opportunity for all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. It provides grants to nonprofit organizations that are working to advance equality throughout the United States. It also works to build awareness of the contributions people of diverse sexual orientations and gender expressions make to American society. Since its inception, the foundation has invested more than $110 million in nonprofit organizations throughout the country. With an endowment of approximately $350 million, the Gill Foundation is the country's largest funder focusing on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights. The foundation granted nearly $12 million to nonprofit organizations in 2006.

Piton Foundation
The Piton Foundation is a private, operating foundation established in 1976 by Denver oil man Sam Gary. The foundation is funded by Gary-Williams Energy Corporation and functions as the community investment division of the company. Its mission is to provide opportunities for children and their families to move from poverty and dependence to self-reliance.  The Piton Foundation’s program areas focus on improving public education, expanding economic opportunity and strengthening neighborhoods as the fundamentals of moving low-income families toward greater prosperity.  The overarching aim of all of the foundation’s programs is to ensure a better future for the low-income children of Denver, providing opportunities for children and their families to move from poverty and dependence to self-reliance.