The Albert E. and Ethel I. Carlton Foundation concentrates its giving on a small number of large operating grants, primarily supporting religious congregations and Colorado-based institutions. Major recipients include Episcopal and Catholic health and church organizations as well as higher education (notably Colorado College), indicating a mix of faith-based community support and investment in regional education and healthcare infrastructure.
Concentrated, high-dollar giving: a small portfolio of sizable, repeated general‑operating grants to familiar organizations (multiple grants to the same grantees) rather than many small or one-off gifts.
The Albert E and Ethel I Carlton Foundation gives a small number of unusually large operating grants, with most awards clustered around the low-$200,000 range. Its recent giving is anchored in Colorado Springs, where repeated support has gone to Grace Episcopal Church, Colorado College, and Penrose St Francis Health Foundation. That pattern points to a foundation that favors core operating support over project-specific funding and backs organizations that can use unrestricted dollars for continuity. The foundation’s grant list also shows a clear faith-and-community-services thread. General operating grants to Episcopal and Catholic institutions sit alongside support for higher education and healthcare, suggesting a portfolio built around institutions with long-term local presence. Colorado College appears as a recurring recipient, while Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado Foundation and Penrose St Francis Health Foundation place healthcare alongside religious congregational support in the foundation’s grantmaking mix. The repeated use of general operating or general support language indicates an emphasis on organizational strength rather than narrowly defined program projects. Across the available recent grants, every recipient is in the United States, and the activity is concentrated in a regional footprint rather than a national one.
One major cause area is faith-based operating support. Grace Episcopal Church in Colorado Springs received multiple general operating grants, including $225,000 in 2023 and $216,786 in 2024, showing sustained support for congregational continuity. Higher education is another clear theme. Colorado College in Colorado Springs received general operating support in both 2024 and 2025, as well as a 2023 general support grant, which signals repeated institutional backing rather than one-time project funding. Healthcare also appears in the portfolio. Penrose St Francis Health Foundation received general operating grants in 2024 and 2025, while Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado Foundation received general support in 2023. Together, those awards show a preference for core support to health-related organizations with a regional role.
Typical grant size is tightly grouped: the 25th percentile is $206,162, the median is $209,075, and the 75th percentile is $222,392. That narrow band suggests a highly consistent grantmaking pattern centered on large operating awards. The recent record also shows repeat support across years for the same organizations, especially in Colorado Springs, which points to recurring institutional relationships rather than one-off grants. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The available grants are all domestic, and the structure of the awards is general operating or general support.
$692K
$8.2M
$835K
$843K
Most grants fall between $206K and $222K, with a median of $209K.
25th Percentile
$206K
Median
$209K
75th Percentile
$222K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in CO.
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Notable grantees: Grace Episcopal Church, Colorado College, Penrose St. Francis Health Foundation, Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado Foundation
Grant activity is heavily concentrated in Colorado, with the top state by grant count being CO. Colorado Springs appears repeatedly as the recipient city for grants to Grace Episcopal Church, Colorado College, and Penrose St Francis Health Foundation. Centennial, CO also appears through Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado Foundation. All recent grants in the data go to U.S. recipients, and none are listed for Missouri, despite the foundation’s Saint Louis headquarters.
The recent grants show support for Episcopal and Catholic religious organizations, a Colorado college, and healthcare foundations. Recipients include Grace Episcopal Church, Colorado College, Penrose St Francis Health Foundation, and Catholic Health Initiatives Colorado Foundation, with most awards described as general operating or general support.
It primarily gives operating support. The recent grants are labeled general operating or general support, including repeated awards to Colorado College, Grace Episcopal Church, and Penrose St Francis Health Foundation. That pattern suggests an emphasis on core organizational sustainability rather than project-specific funding.
The grant-size distribution is very tight. The 25th percentile is $206,162, the median is $209,075, and the 75th percentile is $222,392, so recent awards cluster around roughly $200,000 to $225,000.
Colorado is the top state by grant count. Colorado Springs appears repeatedly among recipients, and Centennial also appears in the recent grants list. Every grant in the provided data goes to a U.S. recipient.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Grace Episcopal Church, Colorado College, and Penrose St Francis Health Foundation. That repeated presence indicates ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| COLORADO COLLEGE | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $232,673 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PENROSE ST FRANCIS HEALTH FOUNDATION | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $231,515 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $227,978 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| COLORADO COLLEGE | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $209,075 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PENROSE ST FRANCIS HEALTH FOUNDATION | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $208,453 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $203,701 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| COLORADO COLLEGE | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $223,445 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PENROSE ST FRANCIS HEALTH FOUNDATION | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $222,392 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $216,786 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $225,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| CATHOLIC HEALTH INITIATIVES COLORADO FOUNDATION | CENTENNIAL, CO | $206,162 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| COLORADO COLLEGE | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $200,193 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
COLORADO COLLEGE
$232,673GENERAL OPERATING
PENROSE ST FRANCIS HEALTH FOUNDATION
$231,515GENERAL OPERATING
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$227,978GENERAL OPERATING
COLORADO COLLEGE
$209,075GENERAL OPERATING
PENROSE ST FRANCIS HEALTH FOUNDATION
$208,453GENERAL OPERATING
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$203,701GENERAL OPERATING
COLORADO COLLEGE
$223,445GENERAL OPERATING
PENROSE ST FRANCIS HEALTH FOUNDATION
$222,392GENERAL OPERATING
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$216,786GENERAL OPERATING
GRACE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
$225,000GENERAL OPERATING
CATHOLIC HEALTH INITIATIVES COLORADO FOUNDATION
$206,162GENERAL SUPPORT
COLORADO COLLEGE
$200,193GENERAL SUPPORT