The J Landis and Sharon Martin Family Foundation makes a small number of relatively large grants that concentrate on education, cultural institutions, local Denver community initiatives, and disability-related research/advocacy. Their giving mixes support for higher education and K–12/private schools with targeted funding for museums and neighborhood-focused nonprofits, and they occasionally fund national institutions outside Colorado. Grants are program-focused rather than general operating micro‑gifts, indicating interest in specific initiatives or projects.
Concentrated giving: a small number of large grants (often $75k–$250k) to a few select organizations, mix of local Colorado beneficiaries and occasional national institutions, with some repeat support (e.g., Global Down Syndrome Foundation).
A defining feature of the J Landis and Sharon Martin Family Foundation is its mix of sizable education grants and targeted support for cultural and community organizations. In 2025, the foundation gave $250,000 to the Desert Cabelleros Western Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona, and $235,000 to Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, both to further program services. Its giving also includes major support for the University of Colorado Foundation in Denver and Denver Academy, showing a strong interest in education at different levels. Smaller awards extend that pattern into neighborhood and school-based programs, with grants to RiNo Gives Back, Graland Country Day School, and Colorado Academy. The foundation also supports disability-related work through the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, including both a 2023 grant and a 2025 grant. Across the recent grants list, the pattern is program-focused rather than unrestricted, with awards aimed at specific services, initiatives, or institutional programming rather than broad general support.
Education is a central thread in the foundation’s recent grants. It gave $235,000 to Northwestern University to further program services and $200,000 to the University of Colorado Foundation for the same purpose, alongside $100,000 to Denver Academy. School support also appears in smaller awards to Graland Country Day School, Colorado Academy, and St Annes Episcopal School. Cultural and heritage institutions are another clear area of interest. The foundation awarded $250,000 to the Desert Cabelleros Western Museum to further program services, aligning with support for Western heritage programming. Disability-focused philanthropy is represented by the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, which received $50,000 in 2023 and $25,000 in 2025. The foundation also backed local community work through RiNo Gives Back with a $100,000 grant in 2023.
The recent grant sizes range from $100 to $250,000, with a p25 of $750, a median of $1,500, and a p75 of $27,500. That spread shows a core of very small awards alongside a handful of much larger program grants. The same grantees can appear in more than one year: Northwestern University, Global Down Syndrome Foundation, Graland Country Day School, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, and University of California Berkeley all received multiple grants across 2023 and 2025. The foundation is a family foundation, and its grants are program-focused rather than general unrestricted gifts. It does not fund individuals and makes no program-related investments.
$2.4M
$7.8M
$541K
$2.5M
Most grants fall between $750 and $28K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$750
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$28K
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Notable grantees: Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Northwestern University, University of Colorado Foundation, Denver Academy, Global Down Syndrome Foundation
The grant record is entirely U.S.-based, with all 19 recent grants going to recipients in the United States. Colorado is the main giving state by count, accounting for 57% of grants. Denver appears repeatedly as a recipient city, including the University of Colorado Foundation, Denver Academy, RiNo Gives Back, Global Down Syndrome Foundation, Graland Country Day School, University of Denver, and Colorado Academy. Outside Colorado, grants reach Evanston, Illinois; Wickenburg, Arizona; Berkeley, California; Mt Vernon, Ohio; and Middletown, Delaware.
Its recent grants center on education, cultural institutions, local Denver community initiatives, and disability-related work. Examples in the grant list include universities, private schools, a Western museum, neighborhood-focused giving, and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation.
Yes. Several recipients appear in more than one year, including Northwestern University, Global Down Syndrome Foundation, Graland Country Day School, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, and University of California Berkeley. That suggests some ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards only.
The distribution is wide: p25 is $750, median is $1,500, and p75 is $27,500. Recent grants range from $100 to $250,000, so the foundation combines many small awards with a smaller number of large program grants.
Yes. Colorado is the top state by grant count, and 57% of grants go to recipients in Colorado. Denver appears often in the recipient list, though the foundation also funds organizations in Arizona, Illinois, California, Ohio, and Delaware.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST ELIZABETH'S SCHOOL | DENVER, CO | $900,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY | EVANSTON, IL | $835,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| SIGLER WESTERN MUSEUM | WICKENBURG, AZ | $250,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $200,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| DENVER ACADEMY | DENVER, CO | $100,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| UNIVERSITY OF DENVER | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| CENTRAL CITY OPERA HOUSE ASSOCIATION | CENTRAL CITY, CO | $50,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| GLOBAL DOWN SYNDROME FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| GRALAND COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | DENVER, CO | $8,500 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| COLORADO OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER | FLORISSANT, CO | $1,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| ALS UNITED ROCKY MOUNTAIN | WESTMINSTER, CO | $1,000 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | $500 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE UNIVERSITY | MT VERNON, OH | $500 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| COLORADO ACADEMY | DENVER, CO | $258 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| ST ANNES EPISCOPAL SCHOOL | MIDDLETOWN, DE | $100 | 2026 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| DESERT CABELLEROS WESTERN MUSEUM | WICKENBURG, AZ | $250,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY | EVANSTON, IL | $235,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $200,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| DENVER ACADEMY | DENVER, CO | $100,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| GLOBAL DOWN SYNDROME FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| GRALAND COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | DENVER, CO | $8,500 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| COLORADO OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER | FLORISSANT, CO | $2,000 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| UNIVERSITY OF DENVER | DENVER, CO | $750 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE UNIVERSITY | MT VERNON, OH | $500 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | $500 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| COLORADO ACADEMY | DENVER, CO | $258 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| ST ANNES EPISCOPAL SCHOOL | MIDDLETOWN, DE | $100 | 2025 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| DESERT CABELLEROS WESTERN MUSEUM | WICKENBURG, AZ | $250,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY | EVANSTON, IL | $212,500 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $200,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| DENVER ACADEMY | DENVER, CO | $105,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| UNIVERSITY OF DENVER | DENVER, CO | $50,200 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| GLOBAL DOWN SYNDROME FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| RINO GIVES BACK | DENVER, CO | $11,368 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| GRALAND COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | DENVER, CO | $8,500 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| NEUHAUS EDUCATION CENTER | BELLAIRE, TX | $2,000 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE UNIVERSITY | MT VERNON, OH | $500 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | $500 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| COLORADO ACADEMY | DENVER, CO | $258 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| ST ANNES EPISCOPAL SCHOOL | MIDDLETOWN, DE | $50 | 2024 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| RINO GIVES BACK | DENVER, CO | $100,000 | 2023 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| GLOBAL DOWN SYNDROME FOUNDATION | DENVER, CO | $50,000 | 2023 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| GRALAND COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL | DENVER, CO | $5,000 | 2023 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY | EVANSTON, IL | $1,500 | 2023 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| SANBORN WESTERN CAMPS | FLORISSANT, CO | $1,000 | 2023 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE UNIVERSITY | MT VERNON, OH | $500 | 2023 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
| UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY | BERKELEY, CA | $500 | 2023 | TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES |
TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
GRALAND COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
$8,500TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
COLORADO OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER
$1,000TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
ALS UNITED ROCKY MOUNTAIN
$1,000TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
$500TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE UNIVERSITY
$500TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
ST ANNES EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
$100TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
DESERT CABELLEROS WESTERN MUSEUM
$250,000TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
GRALAND COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
$8,500TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
COLORADO OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTER
$2,000TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE UNIVERSITY
$500TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
$500TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
ST ANNES EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
$100TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
DESERT CABELLEROS WESTERN MUSEUM
$250,000TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
RINO GIVES BACK
$11,368TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE UNIVERSITY
$500TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
$500TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
ST ANNES EPISCOPAL SCHOOL
$50TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
RINO GIVES BACK
$100,000TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
SANBORN WESTERN CAMPS
$1,000TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
MOUNT VERNON NAZARENE UNIVERSITY
$500TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY
$500TO FURTHER PROGRAM SERVICES