About Saccomanno Higher Education Foundation
The Saccomanno Higher Education Foundation is a highly focused, place-based funder that directs its philanthropic dollars exclusively to higher education in Grand Junction, Colorado. All recorded grants support Colorado Mesa University, indicating the foundation exists primarily to sustain and strengthen that single regional public university through programmatic, scholarship, or institutional support. Its giving appears mission-specific rather than broad-based philanthropy.
Focus Areas
Support for Colorado Mesa University (institutional operating or capital support)Scholarships and student financial aid for local/regional studentsWorkforce-development and applied higher-education programs tied to the Grand Junction community
Who They Fund
Colorado Mesa University (institutional beneficiary)local and regional college students (Grand Junction / Western Colorado)regional workforce participants benefiting from applied higher-education programs
Giving Approach
Concentrated funding: three grants totaling the foundation's entire reported giving to one recurring grantee (Colorado Mesa University), indicating repeat, targeted investment in a single local higher-education institution rather than diversified grantmaking.
About Saccomanno Higher Education Foundation
Saccomanno Higher Education Foundation’s giving is built around Colorado Mesa University, which received the largest recent grants in the record, including $377,808 in 2025 and $369,619 in 2024. That pattern points to a foundation that concentrates on one regional higher-education institution rather than spreading its support across many issue areas. The foundation also makes smaller awards to other colleges and universities in Colorado and nearby states, but the center of gravity remains higher education and student support tied to the Grand Junction area. Recent recipients include Utah State University, the University of Utah, Colorado School of Mines, and Intellitec College. The foundation’s scholarship program reinforces that focus: it offers awards to students in need of financial aid for use at accredited colleges, universities, and vocational schools, and it accepts applications from students regardless of age or prior academic achievement. With annual grants of $1,855,580 and total assets of $14,555,857, the foundation operates as a sustained institutional supporter of post-secondary education in western Colorado and surrounding regions.
What Saccomanno Higher Education Foundation Funds
The foundation’s largest recent awards support Colorado Mesa University, including a $124,800 grant in 2024 and a $377,808 grant in 2025. Beyond institutional support, it also funds student access through scholarships. Its active Saccomanno Higher Education Foundation Scholarship is for students in need of financial aid at accredited colleges, universities, and vocational schools, and it is open regardless of age or prior academic achievement. The grant geography also shows support for nearby post-secondary options. For example, Intellitec College in Grand Junction received $44,500 in 2024, while the University of Colorado Boulder received $41,000 in 2024 and $35,750 in 2025. This mix suggests a focus on both the flagship local university and broader higher-education pathways for students in the region.
How Saccomanno Higher Education Foundation Gives
Typical grants are modest relative to the foundation’s largest awards: the p25 grant size is $3,812, the median is $6,250, and the p75 is $11,250. The recent record shows repeat support to several institutions across multiple years, including Colorado Mesa University, Utah State University, the University of Utah, Colorado Christian University, Adams State University, Colorado State University, Southern Utah University, Utah Tech University, Western Colorado University, and Intellitec College. That repeated pattern fits a recurring institutional-giving model rather than one-off project grants. The foundation also runs a named scholarship program and accepts unsolicited applications through that program.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.9M
Total Assets
$14.6M
Total Revenue
$1.4M
Total Expenses
$1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $4K and $11K, with a median of $6K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$6K
75th Percentile
$11K
Geographic Reach
Regional18 states funded
About 39% of grants go to recipients in CO.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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