About Careerwise Colorado
The foundation concentrates on expanding employer‑driven youth apprenticeship and work‑based learning models, chiefly funding organizations that operate or replicate the CareerWise apprenticeship program. Grants support partnerships between employers, K‑12 districts, and community colleges—focused both on building CareerWise sites in Colorado (rural Western Slope) and scaling the model in other U.S. cities. Funding tends to target program implementation and partnership development rather than broad, general philanthropy.
Focus Areas
Scaling the CareerWise youth apprenticeship model (site replication and operations)Employer‑linked work‑based learning / youth apprenticeships in urban and regional settings (New York, DC, Elkhart County)Workforce and pathway partnerships with community colleges (e.g., Colorado Mountain College)K‑12 district support for career pathways in Colorado frontier/rural communities (Mesa County, Grand Junction)
Giving Approach
Concentrated portfolio: a small number of mid‑to‑large grants, often repeated to the same organizations; majority of funding goes to a few core program partners focused on program expansion and replication rather than one‑off small grants.
Notable grantees: CAREERWISE NEW YORK, CAREERWISE ELKHART COUNTY - EMPLOY, CAREERWISE DC - CITY WORKS DC, COLORADO MOUNTAIN COLLEGE, MESA COUNTY VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT
About Careerwise Colorado
Careerwise Colorado’s largest recent grants have gone to Careerwise New York, including $388,259 in 2024 and $294,369 in 2025, which signals a funder focused on extending the CareerWise youth apprenticeship model beyond Colorado. The foundation backs employer-linked work-based learning partnerships that connect employers, K-12 districts, and community colleges, with support aimed at program implementation and site development rather than broad discretionary giving. Recent grants also show repeated support for Careerwise Elkhart County - Employ and Careerwise DC - City Works DC, indicating sustained investment in replication efforts in multiple U.S. markets. In Colorado, the foundation continues to fund the model’s local infrastructure through organizations such as Colorado Mountain College, Denver Public Schools, Mesa County Valley School District, and the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Comm. The pattern is less about isolated project grants and more about building and operating apprenticeship pathways in places where the CareerWise model is being launched, expanded, or maintained.
What Careerwise Colorado Funds
A central theme is site replication of the CareerWise apprenticeship model. Careerwise Colorado gave $388,259 in 2024 and $294,369 in 2025 to Careerwise New York for that work, showing a major commitment to scaling the program in a large metro market. It also backed Careerwise Elkhart County - Employ with $141,235 in 2024 and $110,581 in 2025, and Careerwise DC - City Works DC with $134,020 in 2024 and $88,154 in 2025. Another clear focus is postsecondary partnership building: Colorado Mountain College received $172,023 in 2025 and $60,725 in 2024, linking the foundation’s youth apprenticeship model with community-college pathways. In Colorado’s K-12 and regional pathway work, the foundation supported Denver Public Schools, Mesa County Valley School District, and the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Comm for career-related programming and local coordination.
How Careerwise Colorado Gives
Careerwise Colorado’s recent grant sizes cluster around a median of $99,368, with a lower quartile of $54,794 and an upper quartile of $148,932. The foundation gives regionally, and its recent awards show repeat support to several organizations across 2024 and 2025 rather than one-off giving only. It is a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The pattern suggests operating and partnership support tied to replication and implementation of apprenticeship sites, with some recipients appearing in consecutive years.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.6M
Total Assets
$12.8M
Total Revenue
$6.6M
Total Expenses
$9.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $55K and $149K, with a median of $99K.
25th Percentile
$55K
Median
$99K
75th Percentile
$149K
Geographic Reach
Regional4 states funded
About 50% of grants go to recipients in IN.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
NOEL GINSBURG
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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