The Appel Family Foundation concentrates its giving on faith‑based and community service organizations, with a strong emphasis on Jewish social services. A majority of its funding is targeted to a small set of recipients in Colorado (notably Jewish Family Service of Colorado), and grants are typically general/unrestricted operating support. The foundation also supports local faith institutions and independent primary education in the Denver area and uses donor‑advised vehicles for some giving.
The Appel Family Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by a $200,000 unrestricted grant to Jewish Family Service of Colorado in Denver, a clear signal that Jewish social services sit at the center of its philanthropy. The foundation also repeated support for the same organization with a $25,000 general grant the prior year, showing an ongoing relationship rather than a one-off award. Around that core, the foundation backs faith-based and community-serving institutions through flexible operating support, including synagogue, parish, and school recipients in Denver. Its grantmaking pattern suggests a small number of closely aligned grantees rather than a broad portfolio, with gifts directed toward organizations that provide direct community support, social services, and stability for vulnerable people and families. The mix of unrestricted awards and community support funding points to a funder that appears comfortable underwriting general operations for institutions it already knows, rather than limiting support to tightly scoped project work. Recent awards also include donor-advised pass-through giving, adding another layer to how the foundation channels charitable dollars.
Jewish social services are a defining part of the foundation’s giving. In 2025, it awarded $200,000 to Jewish Family Service of Colorado for general and unrestricted support, following a $25,000 general grant to the same organization in 2024. That pattern places case management, social services, and support for vulnerable individuals and families near the center of its philanthropy. The foundation also funds congregational and faith-community institutions. It gave $25,000 to Temple Sinai in Denver for general and unrestricted support, and $14,000 to Denver Inner City Parish for community support for vulnerable people. Education appears as another line of support, with a $20,000 general grant to Stanley British Primary School in Denver.
Typical awards cluster tightly around the mid-$20,000 range: the p25 is $22,250, the median is $25,000, and the p75 is $29,250. One clear outlier is the $200,000 grant to Jewish Family Service of Colorado, alongside a $42,000 unrestricted gift to Fidelity Charitable. The pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards, since Jewish Family Service of Colorado received grants in both 2024 and 2025. The foundation gives as a regional funder and does not fund individuals. The recent grants also show a preference for general and unrestricted support, including pass-through giving through a donor-advised vehicle.
$667K
$2.9M
$2.7M
$691K
Most grants fall between $22K and $29K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$22K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$29K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in CO.
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Highly concentrated giving: relatively few, large grants with one dominant multi‑grant beneficiary; emphasis on general/unrestricted operating support to faith‑based and community service organizations, plus occasional DAF distributions.
Notable grantees: Jewish Family Service of Colorado, Temple Sinai, Denver Inner City Parish, Stanley British Primary School, Fidelity Charitable
Grantmaking is concentrated in Colorado, which accounts for the foundation’s top state by grant count. The largest share of named recipients are in Denver, including Jewish Family Service of Colorado, Temple Sinai, Stanley British Primary School, and Denver Inner City Parish. Outside Colorado, one recent recipient is Fidelity Charitable in Cincinnati, Ohio. All listed recent grants went to U.S. recipients.
Its recent grants support Jewish social services, faith communities, community support for vulnerable people, and independent primary education. Named recipients include Jewish Family Service of Colorado, Temple Sinai, Denver Inner City Parish, Stanley British Primary School, and Fidelity Charitable.
Typical awards are tightly clustered around $25,000. The reported p25 is $22,250, the median is $25,000, and the p75 is $29,250.
Yes. Jewish Family Service of Colorado received a $25,000 general grant in 2024 and a $200,000 unrestricted grant in 2025, indicating repeated support across years.
Colorado is the top state by grant count. The recent grants list shows several Denver recipients, including Jewish Family Service of Colorado, Temple Sinai, Stanley British Primary School, and Denver Inner City Parish.
Yes. Recent awards include general and unrestricted support to Jewish Family Service of Colorado, Temple Sinai, and Stanley British Primary School, as well as an unrestricted grant to Fidelity Charitable.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SALVATION ARMY | DENVER, CO | $500,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY FRIENDS FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $166,667 | 2026 | For the Library Fund, the Free Book Program for Addiction Recovery and/or Mental Health Support, Staff-identified programming/improvements to current programming to support customers experiencing homelessness, customer support supplies and fee costs, Homelessness Advisory Board and Customer-Identified Pilot Programming, and Staff training and Capacity Building for the CRS team |
| JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF COLORADO INC | DENVER, CO | $200,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| STANLEY BRITISH PRIMARY SCHOOL | DENVER, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| JEWISH FAMILY SERVICE OF COLORADO INC | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| TEMPLE SINAI | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| FIDELITY CHARITABLE | CINCINNATI, OH | $42,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| DENVER INNER CITY PARISH | DENVER, CO | $14,000 | 2023 | COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR VULNERABLE PEOPLE |
SALVATION ARMY
$500,000General & Unrestricted
For the Library Fund, the Free Book Program for Addiction Recovery and/or Mental Health Support, Staff-identified programming/improvements to current programming to support customers experiencing homelessness, customer support supplies and fee costs, Homelessness Advisory Board and Customer-Identified Pilot Programming, and Staff training and Capacity Building for the CRS team
General & Unrestricted
TEMPLE SINAI
$25,000General & Unrestricted