The OtterCares Foundation inspires students to become entrepreneurs and philanthropists by equipping K–12 students with hands-on learning, philanthropy education (Project Heart), makerspace/innovation learning, and community engagement.
Otter Cares Foundation AKA OTTERCARES FOUNDATION centers student entrepreneurship and philanthropy through K–12 programming, makerspaces, and youth engagement. A defining thread in its grant history is support for hands-on student enterprise: Junior Achievement USA received $57,500 in 2025 to fund JA in Northern Colorado, Wyoming and rural eastern Colorado, and Colorado State University Foundation received $50,000 in 2023 for the Institute for Entrepreneurship to build an entrepreneurship ecosystem. The foundation also backs student-run and school-based programs that turn learning into practice. Poudre High School received $25,000 in 2024 for its student-run coffee shop, Poudre Perk, while Canon City Schools Fremont Re-1 received $25,000 in 2025 for the Tiger Den School Store fund. That pattern fits the foundation’s stated emphasis on K–12 entrepreneurship education, philanthropy education, makerspaces, and community engagement. Its grantmaking also reaches district-level and nonprofit partners working on student agency, leadership, and career pathways, including programs tied to financial education, innovation spaces, and workforce-oriented learning. Across the recent grants list, the recurring theme is direct support for projects that let students create, operate, and contribute within their schools and communities.
In entrepreneurship education, the foundation backed Generation Schools Network Inc with $40,000 in 2024 for Building Student Agency & Economic Development Through Entrepreneurship Pathways, and Young Americans Center for Financial Education with $25,000 in 2023 for YouthBiz. For philanthropy education, Girl Scouts of Colorado received $25,000 in 2025 for the OtterCares Project Heart Patch Program, following a $25,000 grant in 2024 for the same patch program. In makerspaces and hands-on learning, Harris Bilingual Elementary School received $20,000 in 2025 for Harris Bilingual Innovation Station - PHASE I fund, and Preston Middle School received $15,405 in 2025 for Preston VR Makerspace Refresh fund. Career and technical education also appears in the grant list: Habitat for Humanity International Inc received $20,000 in 2025 for a Construction-Electrical Pathway Career and Technical education program.
$693K
$9.7M
$2.7M
$1.5M
Most grants fall between $275 and $550, with a median of $275.
25th Percentile
$275
Median
$275
75th Percentile
$550
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Typical grants are small and standardized: the p25, median, and p75 are all $275, $275, and $550, even though the recent-grants list includes much larger program awards. The foundation operates as a regular funder and accepts unsolicited applications for the Impact Fund, Innovation Station Fund, and the Impact & Inspiration pre-application intake. The pattern suggests a mix of one-off awards and repeated support over time; several recipients appear in multiple years, including Girl Scouts of Colorado, National Inventors Hall of Fame Inc, Global Leaders Inc, and Colorado State University Foundation. Programmatically, the foundation gives operating, project, staffing, and capacity-building support rather than PRIs.
Grantmaking is heavily Colorado-centered: 72% of grants go to recipients in Colorado, with the strongest concentration in the foundation’s Northern Colorado geography. Fort Collins appears repeatedly in the recent grants list, alongside Loveland, Greeley, Denver, Lakewood, Milliken, Canon City, and Walden. Outside Colorado, named recipient locations include North Canton, Ohio, and San Diego, California. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 1,502 grants to U.S. recipients.
The foundation supports K–12 entrepreneurship education, philanthropy education, makerspaces and hands-on learning, youth development, school supplies and Pack2School work, plus school-based food and farm-to-table programming. Recent grants also show interest in student-run businesses, leadership, and career pathways such as construction and electrical training.
It backs student enterprise and civic-learning programs through the Impact Fund and the Project Heart-related work. Examples in the recent grants list include $40,000 to Generation Schools Network Inc for entrepreneurship pathways and $25,000 to Girl Scouts of Colorado for the OtterCares Project Heart Patch Program.
The foundation’s typical grant size is tightly clustered at $275 for the 25th percentile, $275 median, and $550 for the 75th percentile. Recent awards range much wider, but the distribution suggests many small grants alongside larger program investments.
Yes for some opportunities. The Impact Fund and Innovation Station Fund accept unsolicited applications, and the Impact & Inspiration Pre-Application intake is used to determine fit for those opportunities. The NoCO Fund does not accept unsolicited requests.
Colorado receives 72% of grants, and the top state by grant count is Connecticut. Recent grants cluster in Northern Colorado cities such as Fort Collins, Loveland, Greeley, and Walden, with additional grants in Denver, Lakewood, Milliken, Canon City, North Canton, and San Diego.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT USA | LOVELAND, CO | $57,500 | 2025 | to fund JA in Northern Colorado, wyoming and rural eastern co |
| NATIONAL INVENTORS HALL OF FAME INC | NORTH CANTON, OH | $35,000 | 2025 | Camp Invention K-6 Out-of-School STEM Enrichment Program serving larimer and weld youth |
| CANON CITY SCHOOLS FREMONT RE-1 | CANON CITY, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | Tiger Den School Store fund |
| GIRL SCOUTS OF COLORADO | DENVER, CO | $25,000 | 2025 | OtterCares Project Heart Patch Program |
| North Park School | WALDEN, CO | $21,000 | 2025 | North Park School Innovation Station |
| CITY OF FORT COLLINS | FORT COLLINS, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | NextGenServe, Young Leaders Making a Difference |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL INC | GREELEY, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | Construction-Electrical Pathway Career and Technical education program |
| Harris Bilingual Elementary School | FORT COLLINS, CO | $20,000 | 2025 | Harris Bilingual Innovation Station - PHASE I fund |
| COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | FORT COLLINS, CO | $18,750 | 2025 | CSU Institute for Entrepreneurship: Global Busines Academy |
| GLOBAL LEADERS INC | FORT COLLINS, CO | $18,000 | 2025 | the student office space fund |
| Preston Middle School | FORT COLLINS, CO | $15,405 | 2025 | Preston VR Makerspace Refresh fund |
| YOUNG AMERICANS CENTER FOR FINANCIAL EDUCATION | DENVER, CO | $15,000 | 2025 | YouthBiz |
| COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | FORT COLLINS, CO | $14,500 | 2025 | CSU Institute for Entrepreneurship: SPARK |
| Lesher Middle School | FORT COLLINS, CO | $11,000 | 2025 | EmpowerED: Building Tomorrow's Leaders |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN COLORADO | FORT COLLINS, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable Event |
| Range View Elementary | SEVERANCE, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | Innovation Station |
| ROBOTICS FOR ALL | PALO ALTO, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | Curriculum Partnerships Program |
| THOMPSON R2-J EDUCATION FOUNDATION | LOVELAND, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | EL Education and PD at Big Thompson Elementary School |
| Polaris Expeditionary Learning School | FORT COLLINS, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | Next Gen Learning Lab |
| SUCCESS FOUNDATION SERVING GREELEY-EVANS SCHOOLS I | GREELEY, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | NHS STEM-O-Sphere - Phase II fund |
| Timnath Middle-High School | TIMNATH, CO | $10,000 | 2025 | Technical Theatre - Industry Standard Technology Upgrade fund |
| LARIMER COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT | FORT COLLINS, CO | $8,000 | 2025 | Young Entrepreneur Tournament |
| Fossil Ridge High School | FORT COLLINS, CO | $7,500 | 2025 | Fort Collins Our Climate Future Student Challenge fund |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF LARIMER COUNTY | FORT COLLINS, CO | $6,666 | 2025 | Keystone Clubs |
| Lincoln Middle School | FORT COLLINS, CO | $6,000 | 2025 | 3-D printing the future |
| ASPEN RIDGE SCHOOL | ERIE, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | Aspen Ridge Makerspace |
| COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | FORT COLLINS, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | Little Shop of Physics Innovation Station |
| NEW VISION CHARTER SCHOOL | LOVELAND, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | The Amazing Shake |
| FORT COLLINS MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY | FORT COLLINS, CO | $4,825 | 2025 | Mobile Discovery Cart fund |
| SEVERANCE MIDDLE SCHOOL | SEVERANCE, CO | $4,000 | 2025 | Hawk Design Lab- Redo & Refresh fund |
| SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE INC | NAMPA, ID | $4,000 | 2025 | to purchase lumber and supplies for the 2024 closed2open project |
| GRACE UPON GRACE PROJECT | WINDSOR, CO | $4,000 | 2025 | to purchase diapers for closed2open event |
| UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO FOUNDATION INC | GREELEY, CO | $4,000 | 2025 | Frontiers of Science Institute |
| Riverview PK-8 | JOHNSTOWN, CO | $3,720 | 2025 | Innovation Space Set Up |
| NORTHERN PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY | AULT, CO | $3,500 | 2025 | Homeschool Enrichment Program |
| Fossil Ridge High School | FORT COLLINS, CO | $3,000 | 2025 | Fossil Ridge High School STEM Capstone Projects |
| ANIMAL FRIENDS ALLIANCE | FORT COLLINS, CO | $3,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| Boltz Middle School | FORT COLLINS, CO | $2,602 | 2025 | Funds are to be used to cover sub costs for the teachers involved in the Project Heart Educator Accelerator |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN COLORADO | FORT COLLINS, CO | $2,500 | 2025 | Charitable Event |
| THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF WELD COUNTY INC | GREELEY, CO | $2,500 | 2025 | Expanding Access to Youth Philanthropic Programs |
| FREDERICK HIGH SCHOOL | FREDERICK, CO | $2,500 | 2025 | Special Education - Student Lead Dog Treats Store fund |
| BIG BONES CANINE RESCUE SERVICE | WINDSOR, CO | $2,200 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| HEARTS & HORSES INC | LOVELAND, CO | $2,000 | 2025 | Charitable Event |
| VETERANS COMMUNITY PROJECT | KANSAS CITY, MO | $2,000 | 2025 | to purchase mulch, soil, plants, and other supplies for the closed2open event located at the Community Outreach Center in Longmont, CO |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL INC | GREELEY, CO | $2,000 | 2025 | Charitable Event |
| THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF WELD COUNTY INC | GREELEY, CO | $2,000 | 2025 | Charitable Event |
| ANIMAL FRIENDS ALLIANCE | FORT COLLINS, CO | $2,000 | 2025 | Charitable Event |
| ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAPTOR PROGRAM | FORT COLLINS, CO | $2,000 | 2025 | Charitable Event |
| NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR INC | FORT COLLINS, CO | $2,000 | 2025 | Charitable Event |
| HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF LOVELAND | LOVELAND, CO | $2,000 | 2025 | Charitable Event |
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT USA
$57,500to fund JA in Northern Colorado, wyoming and rural eastern co
NATIONAL INVENTORS HALL OF FAME INC
$35,000Camp Invention K-6 Out-of-School STEM Enrichment Program serving larimer and weld youth
CANON CITY SCHOOLS FREMONT RE-1
$25,000Tiger Den School Store fund
GIRL SCOUTS OF COLORADO
$25,000OtterCares Project Heart Patch Program
North Park School
$21,000North Park School Innovation Station
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
$20,000Financiamiento actual y próximo de Otter Cares Foundation Aka Ottercares Foundation al que tu organización sin fines de lucro podría postularse.
¿Quién puede postularse? Must be a 501(c)(3) public charity or public school district; serve youth in Larimer or Weld Counties; propose creation or enhancement of a hands-on learning space with entrepreneurial learning experiences; space must be accessible to a broad student population; a designated project champion is required.
NextGenServe, Young Leaders Making a Difference
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL INC
$20,000Construction-Electrical Pathway Career and Technical education program
Harris Bilingual Elementary School
$20,000Harris Bilingual Innovation Station - PHASE I fund
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$18,750CSU Institute for Entrepreneurship: Global Busines Academy
GLOBAL LEADERS INC
$18,000the student office space fund
Preston Middle School
$15,405Preston VR Makerspace Refresh fund
YOUNG AMERICANS CENTER FOR FINANCIAL EDUCATION
$15,000YouthBiz
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$14,500CSU Institute for Entrepreneurship: SPARK
Lesher Middle School
$11,000EmpowerED: Building Tomorrow's Leaders
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN COLORADO
$10,000Charitable Event
Range View Elementary
$10,000Innovation Station
ROBOTICS FOR ALL
$10,000Curriculum Partnerships Program
THOMPSON R2-J EDUCATION FOUNDATION
$10,000EL Education and PD at Big Thompson Elementary School
Polaris Expeditionary Learning School
$10,000Next Gen Learning Lab
SUCCESS FOUNDATION SERVING GREELEY-EVANS SCHOOLS I
$10,000NHS STEM-O-Sphere - Phase II fund
Timnath Middle-High School
$10,000Technical Theatre - Industry Standard Technology Upgrade fund
LARIMER COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
$8,000Young Entrepreneur Tournament
Fossil Ridge High School
$7,500Fort Collins Our Climate Future Student Challenge fund
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS OF LARIMER COUNTY
$6,666Keystone Clubs
Lincoln Middle School
$6,0003-D printing the future
ASPEN RIDGE SCHOOL
$5,000Aspen Ridge Makerspace
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
$5,000Little Shop of Physics Innovation Station
NEW VISION CHARTER SCHOOL
$5,000The Amazing Shake
FORT COLLINS MUSEUM OF DISCOVERY
$4,825Mobile Discovery Cart fund
SEVERANCE MIDDLE SCHOOL
$4,000Hawk Design Lab- Redo & Refresh fund
SLEEP IN HEAVENLY PEACE INC
$4,000to purchase lumber and supplies for the 2024 closed2open project
GRACE UPON GRACE PROJECT
$4,000to purchase diapers for closed2open event
UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO FOUNDATION INC
$4,000Frontiers of Science Institute
Riverview PK-8
$3,720Innovation Space Set Up
NORTHERN PLAINS PUBLIC LIBRARY
$3,500Homeschool Enrichment Program
Fossil Ridge High School
$3,000Fossil Ridge High School STEM Capstone Projects
ANIMAL FRIENDS ALLIANCE
$3,000General & Unrestricted
Boltz Middle School
$2,602Funds are to be used to cover sub costs for the teachers involved in the Project Heart Educator Accelerator
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN COLORADO
$2,500Charitable Event
THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF WELD COUNTY INC
$2,500Expanding Access to Youth Philanthropic Programs
FREDERICK HIGH SCHOOL
$2,500Special Education - Student Lead Dog Treats Store fund
BIG BONES CANINE RESCUE SERVICE
$2,200General & Unrestricted
HEARTS & HORSES INC
$2,000Charitable Event
VETERANS COMMUNITY PROJECT
$2,000to purchase mulch, soil, plants, and other supplies for the closed2open event located at the Community Outreach Center in Longmont, CO
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY INTERNATIONAL INC
$2,000Charitable Event
THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF WELD COUNTY INC
$2,000Charitable Event
ANIMAL FRIENDS ALLIANCE
$2,000Charitable Event
ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAPTOR PROGRAM
$2,000Charitable Event
NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR INC
$2,000Charitable Event
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF LOVELAND
$2,000Charitable Event
Fecha límite: Pre-application due September 30, 2026; main application due October 30, 2026.
¿Quién puede postularse? Must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit or school; program must primarily teach entrepreneurship and/or philanthropy to K-12 students; serves students in Larimer or Weld counties; organization should have a clear plan to continue the program beyond OtterCares funding.
Fecha límite: Spring 2026 pre-application deadline: March 20, 2026; main application deadline: April 20, 2026. Fall 2026 pre-application deadline: September 30, 2026; main application deadline: October 30, 2026.
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