The Mayer-Phillips Foundation concentrates on supporting education and youth workforce pathways, primarily through unrestricted operating support to school districts, high schools, and organizations building alternative pathways into careers. Grants are often directed to Colorado-based K–12 and secondary education innovators as well as apprenticeship and job-placement programs, indicating a focus on improving student outcomes and employability. The foundation favors sizable, multi-year or repeat grants to a small set of organizations rather than many one-off gifts.
A defining pattern for The Mayer-Phillips Foundation Inc is its repeated support for youth workforce pathways in Colorado, especially programs that connect students and young adults to work-based learning, job placement, and alternative school models. The foundation has backed CareerWise Colorado, Activate Work Inc, 5280 High School, and St Vrain Valley School District with recurring general and unrestricted grants across multiple years. Its grantmaking also reaches beyond one program type. It funds an online tutoring platform used nationally through Schoolhouse World Inc, and it has supported Arrupe Jesuit High School’s Corporate Work Study Program, which ties schooling to employment experience. These grants show a preference for organizations that build academic access, practical skills, and direct routes to work. The recent record suggests a funder that concentrates on a small set of education and workforce organizations rather than spreading support widely. Several recipients appear in consecutive years, and multiple awards are designated general or unrestricted, pointing to flexibility in how grantees use the money. The foundation’s portfolio includes both established school systems and organizations serving students outside traditional classroom pathways, with Colorado as the most visible setting for that work.
Education and workforce transition are central themes. The foundation gave $50,000 in 2025 to CareerWise Colorado for general and unrestricted support, and it also backed the same organization in 2023 and 2024, indicating sustained support for youth apprenticeship. It has also funded schools that serve students outside conventional pathways. In 2025, 5280 High School received $50,000 for general and unrestricted support, following similar grants in 2023 and 2024. That same pattern appears with Activate Work Inc, which received $50,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. The foundation has supported program design and expansion as well. Mindspark Learning received $25,000 in 2023 for its Education Accelerator program and another $25,000 in 2024 for the Fall 2023 Education Accelerator in Grand Junction. In a different youth-development setting, One World Childrens Fund received $5,500 in 2025 for Empowering Youth in Cambodia.
$422K
$8.4M
$715K
$538K
Most grants fall between $1K and $31K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$31K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in CO.
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Concentrated, relatively large grants with repeat funding to a handful of education and workforce organizations; predominantly unrestricted/general operating support favoring Colorado-focused grantees.
Notable grantees: Schoolhouse.world Inc, St Vrain Valley School District, CareerWise Colorado, 5280 High School, Activate Work Inc
Typical awards cluster above the low end of the distribution: p25 is $1,000, median grant size is $9,750, and p75 is $31,250. The recent record is weighted toward $50,000 and $75,000 grants, with many awards described as general and unrestricted. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including CareerWise Colorado, Activate Work Inc, 5280 High School, St Vrain Valley School District, Arrupe Jesuit High School, Be the Change Program Inc, Fullcircle Program Inc, and Medicine Horse Program. The pattern points to repeat support rather than one-time gifts, with a mix of operating and program-specific grants.
Colorado receives the clear majority of grants, with Denver, Longmont, Commerce City, Lakewood, Boulder, Centennial, and Greenwood Village all appearing in the recent record. Longmont and Denver show up repeatedly, including several grants to organizations in those cities. Outside Colorado, the foundation has also funded organizations in Palo Alto, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Mesa. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based in the data provided.
Its recent grants center on education and youth workforce pathways: public school districts, alternative high schools, apprenticeship programs, work-study initiatives, and employment-placement organizations. Examples in the record include St Vrain Valley School District, 5280 High School, CareerWise Colorado, Activate Work Inc, and Arrupe Jesuit High School.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years. CareerWise Colorado, Activate Work Inc, 5280 High School, St Vrain Valley School District, Arrupe Jesuit High School, Be the Change Program Inc, Fullcircle Program Inc, and Medicine Horse Program each received more than one grant in the recent record.
The distribution centers around modest-to-mid-sized grants: p25 is $1,000, median grant size is $9,750, and p75 is $31,250. Recent awards also include repeated $50,000 grants and a $75,000 grant to Schoolhouse World Inc.
Colorado is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities in Colorado include Denver, Longmont, Commerce City, Lakewood, Boulder, Centennial, and Greenwood Village.
Many awards are labeled general and unrestricted, especially for school districts, high schools, and workforce organizations. The record also includes program-specific support such as the Corporate Work Study Program at Arrupe Jesuit High School, the Education Accelerator program at Mindspark Learning, and Empowering Youth in Cambodia at One World Childrens Fund.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCHOOLHOUSE WORLD INC | PALO ALTO, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MOMENTUM ADVISORY COLLECTIVE | DALLAS, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | General Operating Grant for Cafe Momentum Denver |
| ACTIVATE WORK INC | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| ARRUPE JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2025 | Corporate Work Study Program |
| ST VRAIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT | LONGMONT, CO | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CAREERWISE COLORADO | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| 5280 HIGH SCHOOL | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CROSSPURPOSE | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| ONE WORLD CHILDRENS FUND | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,500 | 2025 | Empowering Youth in Cambodia |
| FULLCIRCLE PROGRAM INC | MESA, AZ | $5,000 | 2025 | Boulder FullCircle Program |
| FULLCIRCLE PROGRAM INC | MESA, AZ | $2,500 | 2025 | BOULDER FullCircle Program |
| ACTIVATE WORK INC | DENVER, CO | $1,500 | 2025 | Charitable Event |
| WOMEN'S FOUNDATION OF COLORADO INC | DENVER, CO | $1,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| FRESH START MAKING FUTURES POSSIBLE ONE STEP AT A | TUCSON, AZ | $1,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| ELEVATE NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CAPITAL SISTERS INTERNATIONAL INC | GOLDEN, CO | $1,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| MEDICINE HORSE PROGRAM | BOULDER, CO | $1,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CHALLENGE FOUNDATION INC | ENGLEWOOD, CO | $1,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| THORNE ECOLOGICAL INSTITUTE | BOULDER, CO | $500 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| WOMENS BEAN PROJECT | DENVER, CO | $500 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SCHOOLHOUSE WORLD INC | PALO ALTO, CA | $75,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| ACTIVATE WORK INC | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| CAREERWISE COLORADO | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| 5280 HIGH SCHOOL | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| ST VRAIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT | LONGMONT, CO | $50,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| ARRUPE JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2024 | Corporate Work Study Program |
| MINDSPARK LEARNING | LAKEWOOD, CO | $25,000 | 2024 | Fall 2023 Education Accelerator in Grand Junction |
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT USA | GREENWOOD VILLAGE, CO | $25,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| BE THE CHANGE PROGRAM INC | COMMERCE CITY, CO | $20,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| FULLCIRCLE PROGRAM INC | MESA, AZ | $10,000 | 2024 | Boulder Program |
| CHALLENGE FOUNDATION INC | ENGLEWOOD, CO | $5,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| MEDICINE HORSE PROGRAM | BOULDER, CO | $5,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| FULLCIRCLE PROGRAM INC | MESA, AZ | $4,250 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| ONE WORLD CHILDRENS FUND | LOS ANGELES, CA | $3,000 | 2024 | Empowering Youth in Cambodia |
| CAPITAL SISTERS INTERNATIONAL INC | GOLDEN, CO | $1,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| WOMEN'S FOUNDATION OF COLORADO INC | DENVER, CO | $1,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| FOREST HEIGHTS LODGE INC | GOLDEN, CO | $500 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| ONE WORLD CHILDRENS FUND | LOS ANGELES, CA | $250 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| ACTIVATE WORK INC | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2023 | General & Unrestricted |
| ST VRAIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT | LONGMONT, CO | $50,000 | 2023 | General & Unrestricted |
| 5280 HIGH SCHOOL | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2023 | General & Unrestricted |
| CAREERWISE COLORADO | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2023 | General & Unrestricted |
| MINDSPARK LEARNING | LAKEWOOD, CO | $25,000 | 2023 | Education Accelerator program |
| BE THE CHANGE PROGRAM INC | COMMERCE CITY, CO | $20,000 | 2023 | General & Unrestricted |
| FULLCIRCLE PROGRAM INC | MESA, AZ | $15,000 | 2023 | The Denver Full Circle Program |
| PUBLIC BROADCASTING OF COLORADO INC | CENTENNIAL, CO | $10,000 | 2023 | General & Unrestricted |
| MEDICINE HORSE PROGRAM | BOULDER, CO | $9,500 | 2023 | General & Unrestricted |
| FULLCIRCLE PROGRAM INC | MESA, AZ | $5,000 | 2023 | Denver Program |
| CHALLENGE FOUNDATION INC | ENGLEWOOD, CO | $3,500 | 2023 | General & Unrestricted |
| ONE WORLD CHILDRENS FUND | LOS ANGELES, CA | $3,500 | 2023 | Empowering Youth in Cambodia |
SCHOOLHOUSE WORLD INC
$75,000General & Unrestricted
MOMENTUM ADVISORY COLLECTIVE
$50,000General Operating Grant for Cafe Momentum Denver
ARRUPE JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL
$50,000Corporate Work Study Program
ST VRAIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$50,000General & Unrestricted
General & Unrestricted
FRESH START MAKING FUTURES POSSIBLE ONE STEP AT A
$1,000General & Unrestricted
ELEVATE NEW YORK
$1,000General & Unrestricted
CAPITAL SISTERS INTERNATIONAL INC
$1,000General & Unrestricted
MEDICINE HORSE PROGRAM
$1,000General & Unrestricted
SCHOOLHOUSE WORLD INC
$75,000General & Unrestricted
ST VRAIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$50,000General & Unrestricted
ARRUPE JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL
$25,000Corporate Work Study Program
MINDSPARK LEARNING
$25,000Fall 2023 Education Accelerator in Grand Junction
BE THE CHANGE PROGRAM INC
$20,000General & Unrestricted
MEDICINE HORSE PROGRAM
$5,000General & Unrestricted
CAPITAL SISTERS INTERNATIONAL INC
$1,000General & Unrestricted
FOREST HEIGHTS LODGE INC
$500General & Unrestricted
ST VRAIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT
$50,000General & Unrestricted
BE THE CHANGE PROGRAM INC
$20,000General & Unrestricted
PUBLIC BROADCASTING OF COLORADO INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
MEDICINE HORSE PROGRAM
$9,500General & Unrestricted