The Vance R. and Colleen H. Andrus Family Foundation (including its Indigo Oak Fund) makes small-to-midsize discretionary grants that prioritize personal empowerment through education, the arts, youth and family services, women and children’s issues, and equal justice. Grants are concentrated in Colorado (with occasional support in places like Washington, D.C., California, and New York) and typically support community-level arts, scholarship, and youth development programs. Funding appears program-driven and family-directed rather than large institutional endowments.
The Vance R and Colleen H Andrus Family Foundation Aka the Indigo Oak Fund funds a mix of arts, education, youth, family support, women and children’s issues, and equal justice work through small-to-midsize discretionary grants. In 2025, its largest listed grants include $25,000 to Crisis Center in Littleton for legal advocacy and immediate client needs, alongside $20,000 awards to Art Students League of Denver for its Art in Prison, Diversity in the Arts Internship Program, and adult scholarship work. The foundation’s giving pattern also shows support for legal-services and civil-rights organizations, with grants to Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Transformative Justice Coalition in Washington, DC. Other awards reach programs tied to scholarships, workforce pathways, family services, and community arts. The named Indigo Oak Fund program emphasizes personal empowerment and supports education, the arts, women and children’s issues, equal justice, scholarships, emergency funds, and general operating support. Its recent grant record points to a family-directed, community-level funder rather than a large institutional grantmaker, with recurring attention to Colorado organizations and selective support for groups in other states.
In arts and arts education, the foundation backed Berkeley Music Group with $20,000 for Concert Career Pathways and gave $20,000 to Tri Arts Project for general support. Its education-related giving also includes $15,000 to Quarter Project of Northern Colorado for GEMS, or Girls in Engineering, Maths, and Science, linking STEM exposure to youth programming. Family and community services appear through grants such as $15,000 to Family Visitor Program of Garfield County Inc for Healthy Families America and $15,000 to The Gathering Place a Refuge for Rebuilding Lives for TGP Family Program. Equal justice is another visible line of support: Crisis Center in Littleton received grants for legal advocacy and immediate client need, and The Delores Project received general support. The foundation also funded girls’ leadership and participation programs, including Girls on the Run of the Rockies for serving girls from disadvantaged backgrounds.
$624K
$10.2M
$939K
$795K
Most grants fall between $2K and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in CO.
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Makes relatively small grants (commonly $2,000–$15,000, many around $5,000) through program-specific streams (Indigo Oak Fund; Youth and Family program categories). Grants are discretionary, active annually but with no publicly posted application deadlines; geography is primarily Colorado with occasional out-of-state awards. Likely gives multiple one-year grants rather than large multi-year commitments.
Typical grants fall between $1,500 at the 25th percentile and $10,000 at the 75th percentile, with a median grant of $4,788. The recent record shows a mix of repeat recipients and one-time awards: several organizations appear more than once in the 2025 list, including Art Students League of Denver, Crisis Center, The Delores Project, The Gathering Place a Refuge for Rebuilding Lives, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Transformative Justice Coalition. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and funds individuals. It also accepts unsolicited proposals through the Indigo Oak Fund program. The pattern is program-driven and discretionary rather than tied to program-related investments.
Grantmaking is national, but Colorado receives the highest share of awards by count. Recent Colorado recipients include Littleton, Denver, Castle Rock, Louisville, Parker, Longmont, Fort Collins, Greenwood Village, Buena Vista, Glenwood Springs, and Cortez. Outside Colorado, grants in the recent list reach Washington, DC; Berkeley and Oakland in California; and Buffalo, New York. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 196 grants in the United States.
Its named Indigo Oak Fund program centers on education, the arts, women and children’s issues, equal justice, scholarships, emergency funds, and general operating support. Recent grants also show support for family services, youth programming, legal advocacy, and community arts organizations.
The typical grant size is small to midsize: the 25th percentile is $1,500, the median is $4,788, and the 75th percentile is $10,000. Recent awards also include larger grants, such as $25,000 and multiple $20,000 grants.
No. Colorado is where it gives most often, but recent grants also went to recipients in Washington, DC, California, and New York. The overall giving scope is national, and the recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based.
Yes. The Indigo Oak Fund program is marked as accepting unsolicited applications, and it supports scholarships, emergency funds, and general operating support alongside its broader education, arts, family, and equal justice priorities.
Yes. Several organizations appear multiple times in the 2025 grant list, including Art Students League of Denver, Crisis Center, The Delores Project, The Gathering Place a Refuge for Rebuilding Lives, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Transformative Justice Coalition.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRISIS CENTER | LITTLETON, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | Legal Advocacy and Immediate Client Need Fund |
| MILESTONE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION INC | BUFFALO, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | Pre-settlement Funding |
| LAWYERS COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS UNDER LAW | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2025 | General Operating Support |
| MILESTONE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION INC | BUFFALO, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | Pre-settlement funding |
| TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE COALITION | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2025 | GenZ and Young Millennial Voting Rights Leadership Program |
| ART STUDENTS LEAGUE OF DENVER | DENVER, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | Art in Prison, Diversity in the Arts Internship Program, and Adult Scholarship programs |
| ART STUDENTS LEAGUE OF DENVER | DENVER, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | Art in Prison, Diversity in the Arts Internship Program, and Adult Scholarships fund |
| BERKELEY MUSIC GROUP | BERKELEY, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | Concert Career Pathways |
| CRISIS CENTER | LITTLETON, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | Immediate Client Need Fund & Legal Advocacy Program |
| TRI ARTS PROJECT | CASTLE ROCK, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| GROUNDWORK RANCH | LOUISVILLE, CO | $17,355 | 2025 | Stable Life, Taking the Reins, and Hold Your Horses |
| REENTRY INITIATIVE | LONGMONT, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| ELEVATEHER | BUENA VISTA, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE COALITION | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| GIRLS ON THE RUN OF THE ROCKIES | GREENWOOD VLG, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | Girls on the Run of the Rockies: Serving Girls from Disadvantaged Backgrounds |
| QUARTER PROJECT OF NORTHERN COLORADO | FORT COLLINS, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | GEMS - Girls in Engineering, Math and Science |
| THE DELORES PROJECT | DENVER, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| CHABOT SPACE & SCIENCE CENTER FOUNDATION | OAKLAND, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | Aerospace Academy: Workforce Development fund |
| THE DELORES PROJECT | DENVER, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| LAWYERS COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS UNDER LAW | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| THE GATHERING PLACE A REFUGE FOR REBUILDING LIVES | DENVER, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | TGP's Family Program |
| FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS INC | CORTEZ, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | Growing Social Entrepreneurship Program |
| FAMILY VISITOR PROGRAM OF GARFIELD COUNTY INC | GLENWOOD SPGS, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| COLORADO IMMIGRANT JUSTICE FUND | DENVER, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| FAMILY VISITOR PROGRAM OF GARFIELD COUNTY INC | GLENWOOD SPRINGS, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | Healthy Families America |
| DOUGLAS COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | PARKER, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | Matching grant program |
| SECOR | PARKER, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | Free Food Market Improvements fund |
| THE GATHERING PLACE A REFUGE FOR REBUILDING LIVES | DENVER, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | TGP Family Program |
| QUARTER PROJECT OF NORTHERN COLORADO | FORT COLLINS, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Maths, and Science) |
| JACOBS HEART CHILDRENS CANCER SUPPORT SERVICES | WATSONVILLE, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| YOUTH RADIO | OAKLAND, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| CHILDSAFE COLORADO INC | FORT COLLINS, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | General operating support for ChildSafe Colorado's Expansion program |
| ELEVATEHER | BUENA VISTA, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| FOSTER SOURCE | THORNTON, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| ROCKY MOUNTAIN IMMIGRANT ADVOCACY NETWORK | WESTMINSTER, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| ARCHWAY HOUSING & SERVICES INC | LAKEWOOD, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | Women and Children Housing and Support Services fund |
| SAN FRANCISCO ARTS EDUCATION PROJECT | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | Art Classes & Workshops @ MSP |
| THREE BIRDS ALLIANCE | AURORA, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| SAN FRANCISCO SAFEHOUSE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| ROCKY MOUNTAIN MICROFINANCE INSTITUTE | DENVER, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | Business Launch Boot Camp |
| IMPACT ON EDUCATION | LOUISVILLE, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| SAFEHOUSE DENVER INC | DENVER, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | SafeHouse Denver Family Services |
| HANDS OF THE CARPENTER | GOLDEN, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER INC | DENVER, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | Month of Photography Denver Festival Portfolio Review Equity Scholarship fund |
| REENTRY INITIATIVE | LONGMONT, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| ROCKY MOUNTAIN DIAPER DEPOT | CENTENNIAL, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING FOR KIDS | DENVER, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER INC | DENVER, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| COLORADO COLLEGE | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | FAC Free Community Programming |
| BERKELEY MUSIC GROUP | BERKELEY, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | Concert Career Pathways |
MILESTONE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION INC
$20,000Pre-settlement Funding
MILESTONE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION INC
$20,000Pre-settlement funding
TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE COALITION
$20,000GenZ and Young Millennial Voting Rights Leadership Program
Art in Prison, Diversity in the Arts Internship Program, and Adult Scholarship programs
Art in Prison, Diversity in the Arts Internship Program, and Adult Scholarships fund
BERKELEY MUSIC GROUP
$20,000Concert Career Pathways
TRI ARTS PROJECT
$20,000General Support
GROUNDWORK RANCH
$17,355Stable Life, Taking the Reins, and Hold Your Horses
REENTRY INITIATIVE
$15,000General Support
ELEVATEHER
$15,000General Support
TRANSFORMATIVE JUSTICE COALITION
$15,000General Support
Girls on the Run of the Rockies: Serving Girls from Disadvantaged Backgrounds
QUARTER PROJECT OF NORTHERN COLORADO
$15,000GEMS - Girls in Engineering, Math and Science
Aerospace Academy: Workforce Development fund
FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS INC
$15,000Growing Social Entrepreneurship Program
FAMILY VISITOR PROGRAM OF GARFIELD COUNTY INC
$15,000General Support
COLORADO IMMIGRANT JUSTICE FUND
$15,000General Support
FAMILY VISITOR PROGRAM OF GARFIELD COUNTY INC
$15,000Healthy Families America
DOUGLAS COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$15,000Matching grant program
QUARTER PROJECT OF NORTHERN COLORADO
$15,000GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Maths, and Science)
CHILDSAFE COLORADO INC
$10,000General operating support for ChildSafe Colorado's Expansion program
ELEVATEHER
$10,000General & Unrestricted
Women and Children Housing and Support Services fund
THREE BIRDS ALLIANCE
$10,000General Support
HANDS OF THE CARPENTER
$10,000General Support
COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER INC
$10,000Month of Photography Denver Festival Portfolio Review Equity Scholarship fund
REENTRY INITIATIVE
$10,000General Support
ROCKY MOUNTAIN DIAPER DEPOT
$10,000General Support
COLORADO PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS CENTER INC
$10,000General Support
COLORADO COLLEGE
$10,000FAC Free Community Programming
BERKELEY MUSIC GROUP
$10,000Concert Career Pathways