About Caring for Denver Foundation
To address Denver’s mental health and substance misuse needs by growing community-informed solutions, dismantling stigma, and turning the community’s desire to help into action.
Focus Areas
Mental healthSubstance misuse / recoveryAlternatives to jail / criminal-legal diversionYouth servicesCommunity-centered behavioral healthProvider training and workforce developmentEvaluation & learning
Who They Fund
children and adolescents / school-aged youthperinatal people and new parentsBIPOC communitiesnewcomers / immigrants / Spanish-speaking populationsjustice-involved and formerly incarcerated individuals
About Caring for Denver Foundation
Caring for Denver Foundation’s grantmaking centers on Denver’s mental health and substance misuse needs, with large awards flowing to city agencies and health providers that build community-informed responses. Recent funding includes $6,004,217 to the City and County of Denver for Mental Health and $2,993,353 to Denver Health and Hospitals Foundation for Transforming Health. Those awards show a pattern of supporting public systems and service networks rather than individuals. The foundation also funds alternatives to jail and crisis-response work. It gave $2,772,032 to City and County of Denver - Denver for DPD Co-Responder Pro and $2,000,000 to City and County of Denver - Mayor's for House1000 Behavioral, both pointing to behavioral health support tied to public safety and crisis intervention. Community-centered behavioral health appears throughout the grant list, along with youth services, recovery supports, and provider development. Grants to organizations such as La Raza Services Inc, Muslim Youth for Positive Impact, and Brain Injury Association of Colorado show attention to culturally specific services, youth mental wellness, and specialized behavioral health supports. With annual grants of $117,544,121 and assets of $108,614,298, the foundation operates at substantial local scale within Denver and the broader Colorado service network.
What Caring for Denver Foundation Funds
Behavioral health systems are a major theme. The foundation gave $2,772,032 to City and County of Denver - Denver for DPD Co-Responder Pro, and $1,530,845 to City and County of Denver - Department for Support Team Assiste, showing support for crisis-oriented public responses. Youth mental health is another clear area. Denver Health and Hospitals Foundation received $1,722,813 for Youth Crisis Team Re, and Denver Center for 21st Century Lear received $914,502 for Re-Imagining Our Men, connecting the foundation to school-age and youth-facing mental health work. The grant list also includes culturally specific and community-based services. La Raza Services Inc received $936,954 for Comunidad Sana, while Muslim Youth for Positive Impact received $821,854 for MYPI Mental Wellness, indicating support for Spanish-speaking and Muslim youth communities. Recovery and harm reduction appear as well. Harm Reduction Action Center received $834,208 for Let’s Talk About Lif, and Tribe Recovery Homes received $971,780, linking the foundation to substance use support and recovery housing.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$43.6M
Total Assets
$114.8M
Total Revenue
$53.4M
Total Expenses
$46.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $80K and $326K, with a median of $170K.
25th Percentile
$80K
Median
$170K
75th Percentile
$326K
Geographic Reach
Local9 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
LESLIE HEROD
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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