About Rollie R Kelley Family Foundation
The Rollie R Kelley Family Foundation makes a small number of large, unrestricted grants focused on institutional support for community philanthropy, higher education, and cultural/science institutions. Most dollars flow to a few repeat recipients—particularly the Denver Foundation—suggesting the foundation prioritizes strengthening civic infrastructure and core operations of longstanding partners rather than project-based giving. There is a clear regional emphasis on Denver-area institutions with a secondary tie to a specific college (Dakota Wesleyan), indicating personal or geographic connections guide some decisions.
Focus Areas
General operating support to community foundations and philanthropic infrastructure (Denver Foundation)Unrestricted institutional support to private colleges/universities (Dakota Wesleyan University)Major gifts to cultural and natural science institutions (Denver Museum of Nature and Science)
Who They Fund
unspecified/any eligible nonprofitsbroad community beneficiaries
Giving Approach
Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a very small set of repeat grantees; predominantly unrestricted/general operating grants rather than many small or program-specific awards.
About Rollie R Kelley Family Foundation
Rollie R Kelley Family Foundation’s recent grantmaking is defined by large, unrestricted support for a small set of institutions. The biggest awards on file go to the Denver Foundation, including $470,916 in 2025 and $518,000 in 2023, showing a sustained commitment to community philanthropy and civic infrastructure in Denver. The foundation also backs higher education and cultural or science institutions, with general-use gifts to Dakota Wesleyan University and the Denver Museum of Nature and Science among its larger recent grants. Its giving pattern points to flexible support rather than project-specific funding. General-use awards recur across multiple years, and several recipients appear more than once, suggesting ongoing relationships with selected organizations. Metro Denver organizations dominate the recent grants list, but the portfolio also includes a South Dakota college, indicating that the foundation’s reach is not limited to one city even though its activity is concentrated locally. The result is a portfolio built around operating support for established nonprofit institutions rather than a wide spread of small grants.
What Rollie R Kelley Family Foundation Funds
A core theme in the foundation’s grantmaking is support for community philanthropy and civic infrastructure. The Denver Foundation received $470,916 in 2025 and $518,000 in 2023, both marked general use, which places organizational strength at the center of the relationship. Higher education is another visible area. Dakota Wesleyan University received $130,000 in 2024 and $10,000 in 2025, again as general-use support. The foundation also funds cultural and science institutions. The Denver Museum of Nature and Science received $100,000 in 2025 and $50,000 in 2023. Beyond those areas, the recent grants list includes recurring support for the Denver Center for Performing Arts, Denver Zoological Society, and Young Americans Center for Financial Education, all of which point to institutional support across cultural, educational, and public-facing nonprofit organizations.
How Rollie R Kelley Family Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster tightly around $50,000, with the p25 at $50,000 and the median also $50,000; the p75 rises to $122,500. That distribution fits a small number of larger awards alongside several steady mid-size grants. The recent record also shows repeat recipients across multiple years, especially among Denver-based institutions, which indicates ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards. The foundation operates an invitation-based grantmaking model: the listed programs do not accept unsolicited applications. Its grants are described as project, organizational, and general-use support, with a strong preference for flexible funding.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$690K
Total Assets
$11.4M
Total Revenue
$1.7M
Total Expenses
$836K
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $50K and $123K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$123K
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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