The OtterCares Foundation inspires students to become entrepreneurs and philanthropists by equipping K–12 students with hands-on learning, philanthropy education (Project Heart), makerspace/innovation learning, and community engagement.
Otter Cares Foundation AKA OTTERCARES FOUNDATION centers student entrepreneurship and philanthropy through K–12 programming, makerspaces, and youth engagement. A defining thread in its grant history is support for hands-on student enterprise: Junior Achievement USA received $57,500 in 2025 to fund JA in Northern Colorado, Wyoming and rural eastern Colorado, and Colorado State University Foundation received $50,000 in 2023 for the Institute for Entrepreneurship to build an entrepreneurship ecosystem. The foundation also backs student-run and school-based programs that turn learning into practice. Poudre High School received $25,000 in 2024 for its student-run coffee shop, Poudre Perk, while Canon City Schools Fremont Re-1 received $25,000 in 2025 for the Tiger Den School Store fund. That pattern fits the foundation’s stated emphasis on K–12 entrepreneurship education, philanthropy education, makerspaces, and community engagement. Its grantmaking also reaches district-level and nonprofit partners working on student agency, leadership, and career pathways, including programs tied to financial education, innovation spaces, and workforce-oriented learning. Across the recent grants list, the recurring theme is direct support for projects that let students create, operate, and contribute within their schools and communities.
In entrepreneurship education, the foundation backed Generation Schools Network Inc with $40,000 in 2024 for Building Student Agency & Economic Development Through Entrepreneurship Pathways, and Young Americans Center for Financial Education with $25,000 in 2023 for YouthBiz. For philanthropy education, Girl Scouts of Colorado received $25,000 in 2025 for the OtterCares Project Heart Patch Program, following a $25,000 grant in 2024 for the same patch program. In makerspaces and hands-on learning, Harris Bilingual Elementary School received $20,000 in 2025 for Harris Bilingual Innovation Station - PHASE I fund, and Preston Middle School received $15,405 in 2025 for Preston VR Makerspace Refresh fund. Career and technical education also appears in the grant list: Habitat for Humanity International Inc received $20,000 in 2025 for a Construction-Electrical Pathway Career and Technical education program.
$840K
$9.6M
$1.6M
$1.6M
Most grants fall between $275 and $550, with a median of $275.
25th Percentile
$275
Median
$275
75th Percentile
$550
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Typical grants are small and standardized: the p25, median, and p75 are all $275, $275, and $550, even though the recent-grants list includes much larger program awards. The foundation operates as a regular funder and accepts unsolicited applications for the Impact Fund, Innovation Station Fund, and the Impact & Inspiration pre-application intake. The pattern suggests a mix of one-off awards and repeated support over time; several recipients appear in multiple years, including Girl Scouts of Colorado, National Inventors Hall of Fame Inc, Global Leaders Inc, and Colorado State University Foundation. Programmatically, the foundation gives operating, project, staffing, and capacity-building support rather than PRIs.
Grantmaking is heavily Colorado-centered: 72% of grants go to recipients in Colorado, with the strongest concentration in the foundation’s Northern Colorado geography. Fort Collins appears repeatedly in the recent grants list, alongside Loveland, Greeley, Denver, Lakewood, Milliken, Canon City, and Walden. Outside Colorado, named recipient locations include North Canton, Ohio, and San Diego, California. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 1,502 grants to U.S. recipients.
The foundation supports K–12 entrepreneurship education, philanthropy education, makerspaces and hands-on learning, youth development, school supplies and Pack2School work, plus school-based food and farm-to-table programming. Recent grants also show interest in student-run businesses, leadership, and career pathways such as construction and electrical training.
It backs student enterprise and civic-learning programs through the Impact Fund and the Project Heart-related work. Examples in the recent grants list include $40,000 to Generation Schools Network Inc for entrepreneurship pathways and $25,000 to Girl Scouts of Colorado for the OtterCares Project Heart Patch Program.
The foundation’s typical grant size is tightly clustered at $275 for the 25th percentile, $275 median, and $550 for the 75th percentile. Recent awards range much wider, but the distribution suggests many small grants alongside larger program investments.
Yes for some opportunities. The Impact Fund and Innovation Station Fund accept unsolicited applications, and the Impact & Inspiration Pre-Application intake is used to determine fit for those opportunities. The NoCO Fund does not accept unsolicited requests.
Colorado receives 72% of grants, and the top state by grant count is Connecticut. Recent grants cluster in Northern Colorado cities such as Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, and Walden, with additional grants in Denver, Lakewood, Milliken, Canon City, North Canton, and San Diego.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Otter Cares Foundation Aka Ottercares Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Available to K–12 educators nationally. Educators can use the free curriculum and resources; access to Illumination Fund applications requires a free Project Heart educator account and active curriculum use.
Deadline: Available on an ongoing basis.
Who can apply: Applicants must actively use the Project Heart curriculum and have a free Project Heart educator account. The project must benefit a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or the school. Both the educator application and student application must be approved before the project or event begins; retroactive applications are not accepted.
Deadline: Applications are open year-round; apply and obtain approval before the project begins.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT USA | LOVELAND, CO | $60,000 | 2026 | JA Entrepreneurship Programs & New JA Mobile Unit fund |
| CITY OF FORT COLLINS | FORT COLLINS, CO | $45,000 | 2026 | NextGenServe - the Full-time Youth Engagement Coordinator position fund |
| YOUNG AMERICANS CENTER FOR FINANCIAL EDUCATION | DENVER, CO | $40,000 | 2026 | Northern Colorado Program Staff Position fund |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF LARIMER COUNTY | FORT COLLINS, CO | $30,000 | 2026 | Project Heart Pathway |
| GENERATION SCHOOLS NETWORK INC | DENVER, CO | $26,000 | 2026 | GSN Entrepreneurship Fair with Collegiate Connections |
| THOMPSON R2-J EDUCATION FOUNDATION | LOVELAND, CO | $25,000 | 2026 | Design Teams at Loveland High School, construction classroom ran by David Neisler |
| CHILDRENS HOSPITAL COLORADO | AURORA, CO | $25,000 | 2026 | The Panda Cares Center of Hope (PCCH) Makerspace |
| MINDSPARK LEARNING | LAKEWOOD, CO | $25,000 | 2026 | Problem-Based Learning + Project Heart: Building Innovative Thinking in Classrooms |
| CITY OF FORT COLLINS | FORT COLLINS, CO | $25,000 | 2026 | NextGenServe |
| GLOBAL LEADERS INC | FORT COLLINS, CO | $25,000 | 2026 | salary support fund for the Director of Operations and the Program Assistant |
| GLOBAL LEADERS INC | FORT COLLINS, CO | $20,000 | 2026 | 2025-2026 Work & Earn Program |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL INC | GREELEY, CO | $20,000 | 2026 | Construction-Electrical Pathway Career and Technical Education Program |
| COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY | FORT COLLINS, CO | $18,750 | 2026 | Global Business Academy |
| GLOBAL LEADERS INC | FORT COLLINS, CO | $18,000 | 2026 | the rent payment fund for the 2026 year |
| ENGINEERING BRIGHTNESS | FORT COLLINS, CO | $16,038 | 2026 | 15th Anniversary fund 2025-2026 |
| Platte Valley Middle School | KERSEY, CO | $15,000 | 2026 | Innovation Station program, Growing Expression through Possibilities, led by Wendi Oster |
| CITY OF FORT COLLINS | FORT COLLINS, CO | $15,000 | 2026 | Project Hort at The Gardens on Spring Creek |
| GLOBAL LEADERS INC | FORT COLLINS, CO | $15,000 | 2026 | the Executive Director salary support fund |
| Lincoln Middle School | FORT COLLINS, CO | $15,000 | 2026 | Charitable Event |
| LOVELAND YOUTH GARDENERS | LOVELAND, CO | $12,500 | 2026 | Cultivating Community |
| COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | FORT COLLINS, CO | $10,000 | 2026 | Little Shop of Physics Innovation Station |
| COLORADO YOUTH CONGRESS | DENVER, CO | $10,000 | 2026 | Weld County Regional Hub |
| Blevins Middle School | FORT COLLINS, CO | $10,000 | 2026 | Blevins Middle School's Project-Based Learning Innovation station |
| FORT COLLINS MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY | FORT COLLINS, CO | $10,000 | 2026 | STEAM at FCMoD: Bridging Digital & Physical Creation |
| FOUNDATION MUSIC SCHOOL INC | FORT COLLINS, CO | $9,500 | 2026 | The Current |
| LARIMER COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT | FORT COLLINS, CO | $8,000 | 2026 | Young Entrepreneur Tournament (YET) |
| Johnson Elementary School | FORT COLLINS, CO | $7,500 | 2026 | Together We Create led by Laura Bustos |
| WALT CLARK MIDDLE SCHOOL | LOVELAND, CO | $7,000 | 2026 | STEM-X led by Christine Bebout |
| GLOBAL LEADERS INC | FORT COLLINS, CO | $6,525 | 2026 | 2025 Middle School Summer Camp |
| COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | FORT COLLINS, CO | $6,000 | 2026 | CSU Energy Institute's K-12 Mobile Classroom fund |
| COLORADO ASSOCIATION FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUC | LAKEWOOD, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | Charitable Event |
| SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE INC | PHOENIX, AZ | $5,000 | 2026 | the 2025 closed2open project |
| GRACE UPON GRACE PROJECT | WINDSOR, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | the 2025 closed2open event |
| SPECIAL OLYMPICS COLORADO | CENTENNIAL, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | Unified Champion Schools in Larimer & Weld Counties |
| THOMPSON R2-J EDUCATION FOUNDATION | LOVELAND, CO | $3,706 | 2026 | Berthoud High School: Make for Good Compassionate Makerspace Support and Expansion |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF LARIMER COUNTY | FORT COLLINS, CO | $3,333 | 2026 | BGCLC Keystone Clubs |
| ASPEN RIDGE SCHOOL | ERIE, CO | $3,000 | 2026 | Textile Arts led by Beckie Nelson |
| ANIMAL FRIENDS ALLIANCE | FORT COLLINS, CO | $2,950 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| COURT APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE INC | FORT COLLINS, CO | $2,525 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF WELD COUNTY INC | GREELEY, CO | $2,500 | 2026 | Torch/Keystone Club MoA for Impact fund |
| THE COLORADO YOUTH OUTDOORS CHARITABLE TRUST | FORT COLLINS, CO | $2,296 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAPTOR PROGRAM | FORT COLLINS, CO | $2,275 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| HOMEWARD ALLIANCE INC | FORT COLLINS, CO | $2,000 | 2026 | Charitable Event |
| LARIMER COUNTY PARTNERS INC | FORT COLLINS, CO | $2,000 | 2026 | Charitable Event |
| HEARTS & HORSES INC | LOVELAND, CO | $2,000 | 2026 | Lucky Hearts Gala |
| SUCCESS FOUNDATION SERVING GREELEY-EVANS SCHOOLS I | GREELEY, CO | $2,000 | 2026 | Charitable Event |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF LARIMER COUNTY | FORT COLLINS, CO | $2,000 | 2026 | Charitable Event |
| ST VRAIN VALLEY EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION INC | LONGMONT, CO | $2,000 | 2026 | Charitable Event |
| NEW VISION CHARTER SCHOOL | LOVELAND, CO | $2,000 | 2026 | Charitable Event |
| RESPITE CARE INC | FORT COLLINS, CO | $2,000 | 2026 | Charitable Event |
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
$45,000NextGenServe - the Full-time Youth Engagement Coordinator position fund
Northern Colorado Program Staff Position fund
GSN Entrepreneurship Fair with Collegiate Connections
THOMPSON R2-J EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$25,000Design Teams at Loveland High School, construction classroom ran by David Neisler
Problem-Based Learning + Project Heart: Building Innovative Thinking in Classrooms
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
$25,000NextGenServe
GLOBAL LEADERS INC
$25,000salary support fund for the Director of Operations and the Program Assistant
GLOBAL LEADERS INC
$20,0002025-2026 Work & Earn Program
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL INC
$20,000Construction-Electrical Pathway Career and Technical Education Program
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
$18,750Global Business Academy
GLOBAL LEADERS INC
$18,000the rent payment fund for the 2026 year
ENGINEERING BRIGHTNESS
$16,03815th Anniversary fund 2025-2026
Platte Valley Middle School
$15,000Innovation Station program, Growing Expression through Possibilities, led by Wendi Oster
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
$15,000Project Hort at The Gardens on Spring Creek
GLOBAL LEADERS INC
$15,000the Executive Director salary support fund
Lincoln Middle School
$15,000Charitable Event
LOVELAND YOUTH GARDENERS
$12,500Cultivating Community
Little Shop of Physics Innovation Station
Blevins Middle School
$10,000Blevins Middle School's Project-Based Learning Innovation station
FORT COLLINS MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY
$10,000STEAM at FCMoD: Bridging Digital & Physical Creation
FOUNDATION MUSIC SCHOOL INC
$9,500The Current
LARIMER COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
$8,000Young Entrepreneur Tournament (YET)
Johnson Elementary School
$7,500Together We Create led by Laura Bustos
WALT CLARK MIDDLE SCHOOL
$7,000STEM-X led by Christine Bebout
GLOBAL LEADERS INC
$6,5252025 Middle School Summer Camp
CSU Energy Institute's K-12 Mobile Classroom fund
COLORADO ASSOCIATION FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUC
$5,000Charitable Event
GRACE UPON GRACE PROJECT
$5,000the 2025 closed2open event
Unified Champion Schools in Larimer & Weld Counties
THOMPSON R2-J EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$3,706Berthoud High School: Make for Good Compassionate Makerspace Support and Expansion
ASPEN RIDGE SCHOOL
$3,000Textile Arts led by Beckie Nelson
Torch/Keystone Club MoA for Impact fund
LARIMER COUNTY PARTNERS INC
$2,000Charitable Event
ST VRAIN VALLEY EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION INC
$2,000Charitable Event
NEW VISION CHARTER SCHOOL
$2,000Charitable Event