The Thiry-O'Leary Foundation concentrates support on civic reform, land/water conservation, and post-secondary student success, favoring a mix of national policy groups and Colorado-based institutions. Their giving also targets early-stage social enterprises and biomedical research, often through sizable gifts that fund program support, endowed funds, or institutional initiatives. Many grants are multi-year or repeated to the same organizations, and they balance local place-based investments in Denver-area projects with national partners.
A $609,352 grant to Unite America Institute in Denver stands out in the Thiry-o'leary Foundation C/o the Klapper Firm’s recent giving, and it captures two themes that recur across the portfolio: democracy reform and Colorado-based civic work. The foundation also made a $500,000 grant to The Nature Conservancy and a $255,000 grant to the University of Denver, showing a mix of national policy, conservation, and student-support funding. The foundation’s grantmaking reaches beyond a single issue area. It backs land and water conservation, voting rights and representation, post-secondary student aid, social entrepreneurship, and biomedical research. Recent grants include support for High Line Canal Conservancy’s protection of the canal, League of Women Voters of Colorado for voting rights, and Gladstone Foundation for biomedical research. It also funds Denver-area institutions such as Denver Hybrid College and the University of Denver, often with general support or student-focused grants. Many of the foundation’s awards are aimed at program support, institutional initiatives, or longer-term capacity-building. The portfolio includes both Colorado organizations and national entities, with repeated support to some recipients over multiple years.
In democracy reform, the foundation funded Unite America Institute several times, including $609,352 in 2025 for democracy reform initiatives across the country and $400,000 in 2024 for the same purpose. It also gave $125,000 to League of Women Voters of Colorado to protect and expand voting rights and representation, and $100,000 to Represent US Education Fund to support American democracy. Land and water conservation is another major thread. The Nature Conservancy received $302,000 in 2025 for conservation of lands and waters, after a $500,000 grant in 2023 for the Nature Vest Program and the One Conservancy Fund. High Line Canal Conservancy also received $200,000 for protection of the canal, and Trust for Public Land received support for conservation finance work in Colorado. On education and student access, the foundation gave $255,000 to University of Denver for students and $250,000 to Denver Hybrid College for general support. It also supported Dsst Public School Fund for students and the Colorado Association for Commerce and Industry Educational Foundation for educational initiatives and programs.
$2.9M
$36.8M
$2.8M
$3.1M
Most grants fall between $4K and $30K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$30K
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Relatively concentrated portfolio of large, often repeat grants to a small set of national and local institutions; mixes place-based Denver investments with national policy and research partners rather than many small, one-off grants.
Notable grantees: Unite America Institute, The Nature Conservancy, Denver Hybrid College / Denver Hybrid College Foundation, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, Gladstone Foundation
Typical grant size is $4,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $30,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent portfolio mixes smaller sponsorships and support grants with much larger awards above $100,000, including multiple six-figure gifts. Repeated grants to the same organizations appear across years, such as Unite America Institute, The Nature Conservancy, Denver Hybrid College, and Gladstone Foundation. The foundation is a regular funder and makes grants to individuals, with a pattern that includes general support, program support, and endowed or pending funds.
Grantmaking is concentrated in Colorado, which accounts for 43% of recipients and is also the top state by grant count. Denver appears frequently, including grants to Unite America Institute, University of Denver, League of Women Voters of Colorado, and Denver Health & Hospitals Foundation. Other Colorado recipients include Boulder, Centennial, and Florence. Outside Colorado, grants also reach San Francisco, Arlington, Stanford, Menlo Park, and Washington, DC, but the portfolio is still strongly Colorado-centered.
The foundation supports democracy reform, land and water conservation, post-secondary student aid, social entrepreneurship, and biomedical research. Recent examples include support for voting rights and representation, protection of the High Line Canal, student support at Denver-area colleges, and biomedical research through Gladstone Foundation.
Yes. Recent records show repeated support for Unite America Institute across 2024 and 2025, The Nature Conservancy in 2023 and 2025, Denver Hybrid College in 2023 and 2025, and Gladstone Foundation in 2023 and 2025.
The 25th percentile grant size is $4,000, the median is $10,000, and the 75th percentile is $30,000. The recent list also includes much larger awards, such as $609,352 to Unite America Institute and $500,000 to The Nature Conservancy.
Colorado receives the largest share of grants, at 43% of recipients, and it is also the top state by grant count. Denver is a frequent city in the grant list, along with Boulder and Centennial, showing a strong local and statewide pattern.
The recent grants include general support, program support, student support, sponsorships, and endowed or pending funds. Examples range from general support for Denver Hybrid College to support for students at the University of Denver and a pending endowed fund at Stanford University Development Services.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNITE AMERICA INSTITUTE | DENVER, CO | $609,352 | 2025 | SUPPORT AND PROMOTE DEMOCRACY REFORM INITIATIVES ACROSS THE COUNTRY |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY | ARLINGTON, VA | $302,000 | 2025 | CONSERVATION OF LANDS AND WATERS |
| UNIVERSITY OF DENVER | DENVER, CO | $255,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS |
| GLADSTONE FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | SUPPORTING BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH |
| DENVER HYBRID COLLEGE | DENVER, CO | $250,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS |
| LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF COLORADO | DENVER, CO | $125,000 | 2025 | PROTECT AND EXPAND VOTING RIGHTS AND REPRESENTATION |
| LA RAZA SERVICES | DENVER, CO | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT ESSENTIAL HUMAN SERVICES |
| STANFORD UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT SERVICES | STANFORD, CA | $100,000 | 2025 | DENISE O'LEARY AND KENT THIRY ENDOWED PENDING FUND |
| DSST PUBLIC SCHOOL FUND | DENVER, CO | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS |
| THE COLORADO ASSOCIATION FOR COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT EDUCAITONAL INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS |
| REPRESENT US EDUCATION FUND | FLORENCE, MA | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT AMERICAN DEMOCRACY |
| TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $69,600 | 2025 | PROTECTING PUBLIC LAND |
| COLORADO NONPROFIT DEVELOPMENT CENTER | DENVER, CO | $54,000 | 2025 | AFRIK IMPACT SPONSORSHIP FOR THE AFRICAN LEADERSHIP GROUP |
| DENVER HEALTH & HOSPITALS FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT HIGH QUALTTY HEALTH CARE, RESEARCH AND TRAIN HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS |
| SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL GIFT TO SUPPORT THE SMITHSONIAN |
| THE COLORADO SUN | DENVER, CO | $35,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT LOCAL, INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM |
| UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO | DENVER, CO | $35,000 | 2025 | EYE INSTITUTE IN HONOR OF DR. NARESH |
| LION GLOBAL FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $35,000 | 2025 | DEVELOP EDUCATED, CONSCIENTIOUS AND EMPOWERED COMMUNITY ($10,000); AND COUNTERTERRORISM EDUCATION LEARNING LAB (25,000) |
| COLORADO BLACK WOMEN ENDOWMENT FUND | DENVER, CO | $30,000 | 2025 | SPONSORING A LUNCHEON TO RAISE MONEY FOR COLLEGE GRANTS FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS |
| INDEPENDENCE INSTITUTE | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ABOUT PUBLIC POLICY |
| COLORADO THRIVES | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION |
| US SKI AND SNOWBOARD | PARK CITY, UT | $25,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT ATHLETE TRAINING, DEVELOPEMTN, COMPETITION, EDUCATION |
| REPRESENT WOMEN | SILVER SPRING, MD | $25,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT GENDER-BALANCED REPRESENTATION |
| COLORADO COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | DOMESTIC ABUSE TREATMENT CENTER |
| GREENLIGHT FUND | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT LOCAL COMMUNITIES |
| HIGH HOPES COLORADO | LITTLETON, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | SUPPORTING FREE ENTERPRISE AND EDUCATION REFORM |
| STEADMAN PHILIPPON RESEARCH INSTITUTE | VAIL, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | RESEARCH IN ORTHOPAEDICS, SPORTS MEDICINE AND HEALTHY AGING |
| NAVY SEAL FOUNDATION | VIRGINIA BEACH, VA | $15,000 | 2025 | DENVER EVENING OF TRIBUTE SPONSORSHIP |
| THE WOMEN'S FOUNDATION OF COLORADO | DENVER, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | SAFEGUARD AND ACCELERATE WOMEN'S PROGRESS |
| BREAKTHROUGH T1D | DENVER, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT TYPE 1 DIABETES RESEARCH |
| BAY AREA DISCOVER MUSEUM | SAUSILITO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT PLAY-BASED LEARNING FOR CHILDREN |
| COMMON SENSE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | ENTERTAINMENT AND TECHNOLOGY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FAMILIES |
| GARDNER VALLEY SCHOOL | GARDNER, CO | $8,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS |
| MELANOMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $5,000 | 2025 | SKIN CANER FOUNDATION AND MELANOMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION |
| HAZELDEN BETTY FORD FOUNDATION | CENTER CITY, MN | $5,000 | 2025 | ADDICTION TREATMENT CENTER |
| DENVER SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SCHOLARSHIPS |
| THE STANFORD FUND | STANFORD, CA | $4,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS |
| GLOBAL DOWN SYNDROME FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $2,500 | 2025 | IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DOWN SYNDROME |
| STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS | STANFORD, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT SBGS |
| STANFORD ATHLETICS BUCKCARDINAL CLUB | STANFORD, CA | $2,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT THE STANFORD ATHLETICS PROGRAM |
| CENTER FOR WORK EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT | DENVER, CO | $2,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT LOW-INCOME, CAREER SEEKING PARENTS |
| MAYA'S WAY FUND | CINCINNATI, OH | $2,000 | 2025 | INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE FOUNDATION |
| MILL VALLEY PUBLIC LIBRARY | MILL VALLEY, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY |
| MARIN HORIZON SCHOOL | MILL VALLEY, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS |
| FRIENDS OF POTAWATOMI STATE PARK INC | STURGEON BAY, WI | $1,000 | 2025 | PRESERVATION OF PUBLIC PARK, IMPROVE FACILITIES |
| GREEN DOT PUBLIC SCHOOLS DEVELOPMENT | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS |
| THE MARINE MAMMAL CENTER | SAUSALITO, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT RESCUING, REHABILITATING, RELEASING OF MARINE MAMMALS |
| DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN (CAROLE KRAEMER MEMORIAL FUND) | PHOENIX, AZ | $1,000 | 2025 | IN SUPPORT OF PROTECTING THE SONORAN DESERT |
| GOLDEN GATE NATIONAL PARKS CONSERVANCY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT PARKS AND CONSERVATION |
| UNITE AMERICA INSTITUTE | DENVER, CO | $400,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT AND PROMOTE DEMOCRACY REFORM INITIATIVES ACROSS THE COUNTRY |
SUPPORT AND PROMOTE DEMOCRACY REFORM INITIATIVES ACROSS THE COUNTRY
SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF COLORADO
$125,000PROTECT AND EXPAND VOTING RIGHTS AND REPRESENTATION
DENISE O'LEARY AND KENT THIRY ENDOWED PENDING FUND
DSST PUBLIC SCHOOL FUND
$100,000SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
THE COLORADO ASSOCIATION FOR COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
$100,000SUPPORT EDUCAITONAL INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS
AFRIK IMPACT SPONSORSHIP FOR THE AFRICAN LEADERSHIP GROUP
TO SUPPORT HIGH QUALTTY HEALTH CARE, RESEARCH AND TRAIN HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS
THE COLORADO SUN
$35,000SUPPORT LOCAL, INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
$35,000EYE INSTITUTE IN HONOR OF DR. NARESH
LION GLOBAL FOUNDATION
$35,000DEVELOP EDUCATED, CONSCIENTIOUS AND EMPOWERED COMMUNITY ($10,000); AND COUNTERTERRORISM EDUCATION LEARNING LAB (25,000)
COLORADO BLACK WOMEN ENDOWMENT FUND
$30,000SPONSORING A LUNCHEON TO RAISE MONEY FOR COLLEGE GRANTS FOR WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
COLORADO THRIVES
$25,000ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION
US SKI AND SNOWBOARD
$25,000SUPPORT ATHLETE TRAINING, DEVELOPEMTN, COMPETITION, EDUCATION
COLORADO COALITION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
$25,000DOMESTIC ABUSE TREATMENT CENTER
HIGH HOPES COLORADO
$20,000SUPPORTING FREE ENTERPRISE AND EDUCATION REFORM
RESEARCH IN ORTHOPAEDICS, SPORTS MEDICINE AND HEALTHY AGING
BREAKTHROUGH T1D
$10,000SUPPORT TYPE 1 DIABETES RESEARCH
BAY AREA DISCOVER MUSEUM
$10,000TO SUPPORT PLAY-BASED LEARNING FOR CHILDREN
COMMON SENSE
$10,000ENTERTAINMENT AND TECHNOLOGY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FAMILIES
GARDNER VALLEY SCHOOL
$8,000SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
SKIN CANER FOUNDATION AND MELANOMA RESEARCH FOUNDATION
THE STANFORD FUND
$4,000SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
IMPROVE HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DOWN SYNDROME
STANFORD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
$2,000SUPPORT SBGS
STANFORD ATHLETICS BUCKCARDINAL CLUB
$2,000SUPPORT THE STANFORD ATHLETICS PROGRAM
CENTER FOR WORK EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
$2,000SUPPORT LOW-INCOME, CAREER SEEKING PARENTS
MAYA'S WAY FUND
$2,000INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE FOUNDATION
MILL VALLEY PUBLIC LIBRARY
$1,000SUPPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY
FRIENDS OF POTAWATOMI STATE PARK INC
$1,000PRESERVATION OF PUBLIC PARK, IMPROVE FACILITIES
GREEN DOT PUBLIC SCHOOLS DEVELOPMENT
$1,000SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
SUPPORT RESCUING, REHABILITATING, RELEASING OF MARINE MAMMALS
DESERT BOTANICAL GARDEN (CAROLE KRAEMER MEMORIAL FUND)
$1,000IN SUPPORT OF PROTECTING THE SONORAN DESERT
SUPPORT AND PROMOTE DEMOCRACY REFORM INITIATIVES ACROSS THE COUNTRY