The Mark J Heider Charitable Foundation concentrates its giving locally in the Denver area with a clear emphasis on Catholic institutions and K–16 education. Most grants are sizeable, unrestricted general operating gifts to parishes, seminaries, Catholic secondary schools, and local independent schools and universities, indicating a preference for strengthening faith-based education and formation. The foundation appears to prioritize institutions that support Catholic formation and high-quality private education in the Denver region.
Concentrated, high-dollar grants (six grants totaling $902K) focused on a small number of local institutions; primarily one-time or large general fund gifts rather than many small grants.
A defining feature of the Mark J Heider Charitable Foundation is the size of its support for Denver-area Catholic institutions: in 2024, it gave $300,000 each to Arrupe Jesuit High School and St John Paul the Great Catholic Church. That same pattern continues across the latest grants, where general operating gifts go to Catholic schools, a seminary, a parish, and other education-focused organizations. The foundation’s giving is concentrated in institutions that serve Catholic formation and private education in the Denver region, with most awards structured as general fund support rather than project-specific grants. Recent grants also show that the foundation does not limit its support to one type of school. It backed a Catholic seminary with $100,000, a Denver independent school with $85,000, and a local university with a $75,000 grant, alongside smaller grants to additional educational institutions. The result is a grant pattern centered on institutions that shape students from K–12 through higher education, while still including parish and priestly formation support. All of the recent grants listed are to U.S. recipients, and the public record points to a regional grantmaker with a strong Denver focus.
Catholic education is a central theme in the Mark J Heider Charitable Foundation’s grantmaking. In 2025, it awarded $100,000 to St John Vianney Seminary for general fund support, and in 2024 it gave $300,000 to Arrupe Jesuit High School for the same purpose. Those grants point to a focus on both priestly formation and Catholic secondary education. The foundation also supports broader K–12 and higher education institutions in Denver. It gave $85,000 to Denver Academy and $42,000 to St Rose of Lima Academy, both for general fund support, and it made a $75,000 grant to the University of Denver. Beyond education, the foundation’s recent list includes $300,000 to St John Paul the Great Catholic Church, showing direct support for parish life alongside schools and seminaries.
Typical grant size clusters in the middle range, with a p25 of $22,500, a median of $42,000, and a p75 of $92,500. The recent grants list also includes several much larger awards, which suggests a mix of standard operating gifts and larger institutional commitments. The foundation is a private foundation with annual grants of $997,000 and total assets of $8,804,546. Its giving appears recurring rather than one-off, with repeated support in the same Denver-centered institutional network across the latest grants. The listed awards are all general fund grants, indicating flexible core support rather than restricted project funding.
$773K
$8.5M
$443K
$794K
Most grants fall between $23K and $93K, with a median of $42K.
25th Percentile
$23K
Median
$42K
75th Percentile
$93K
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Notable grantees: St John Paul the Great Catholic Church, Arrupe Jesuit High School, St John Vianney Seminary, Denver Academy, University of Denver
Grantmaking is highly concentrated in Colorado: 73% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state, and Colorado is also the top state by grant count. The strongest geographic cluster is Denver, which appears repeatedly across the recent grants list. Outside Denver, the foundation made smaller awards to Colorado Springs, including a $25,000 grant to Colorado College. The remaining recent grants went to U.S. recipients in Nebraska and Illinois, showing a regional footprint with most activity anchored in the Denver area.
Its recent grants center on Catholic and education-related institutions, including parishes, seminaries, Catholic secondary schools, independent schools, and universities. The named recipients in the latest list include a seminary, a Catholic church, multiple Denver schools, and a university, all funded as general support.
The typical grant size is $22,500 at the 25th percentile, $42,000 at the median, and $92,500 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include larger general fund grants, such as $300,000 to two Denver institutions in 2024.
Yes. Colorado is the top state by grant count, and 73% of grants go to recipients in the headquarters state. Recent grants are heavily concentrated in Denver, with additional Colorado giving in Colorado Springs.
The recent grants are described as general fund grants, which indicates flexible operating support. That pattern appears across the latest awards, including grants to a school, a church, a seminary, and a university.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST JOHN PAUL THE GREAT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | DENVER, CO | $300,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | AURORA, CO | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| UNIVERSITY OF DENVER | DENVER, CO | $150,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST ROSE OF LIMA ACADEMY | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY | OMAHA, NE | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| DENVER ACADEMY | DENVER, CO | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| DENVER SCHOOL OF THE ARTS | DENVER, CO | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST JOHN VIANNEY SEMINARY | DENVER, CO | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| DENVER ACADEMY | DENVER, CO | $85,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST ROSE OF LIMA ACADEMY | DENVER, CO | $42,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| COLORADO COLLEGE | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| BIOCOLLECTIVE RESEARCH LLC | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION | GLENVIEW, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUND |
| ARRUPE JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL | DENVER, CO | $300,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| ST JOHN PAUL THE GREAT CATHOLIC CHURCH | DENVER, CO | $300,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| UNIVERSITY OF DENVER | DENVER, CO | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| CREIGHTON PREP | OMAHA, NE | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
| EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION | GELNVIEW, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUND |
ST JOHN PAUL THE GREAT CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
$300,000GENERAL FUND
THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
$200,000GENERAL FUND
ST ROSE OF LIMA ACADEMY
$50,000GENERAL FUND
GENERAL FUND
DENVER SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
$3,000GENERAL FUND
ST JOHN VIANNEY SEMINARY
$100,000GENERAL FUND
ST ROSE OF LIMA ACADEMY
$42,000GENERAL FUND
BIOCOLLECTIVE RESEARCH LLC
$25,000GENERAL FUND
EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION
$20,000GENERAL FUND
ARRUPE JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL
$300,000GENERAL FUND
ST JOHN PAUL THE GREAT CATHOLIC CHURCH
$300,000GENERAL FUND
CREIGHTON PREP
$15,000GENERAL FUND
EVANS SCHOLARS FOUNDATION
$10,000GENERAL FUND