Gates Family Foundation

05/21/2026

In our most recent Annual Report, we are proud to share that in 2025, approximately $7.25 million was awarded through 92 strategic grants. A few of our spotlight partners include:
• Education: Arizona State University – Next Education Workforce
• Natural Resources: Colorado West Land Trust
• Community Development: Startup Colorado
• Informed Communities: Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

These investments reflect our commitment to strengthening communities working toward a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable Colorado.

👉 Read our Annual Report to learn more about this work.
https://bit.ly/4tOI8Jo

04/30/2026

🌱 Spring 2026 Updates from Gates Family Foundation 🌱
Our latest update shares highlights from our 2025 Report to the Community, including recent grantmaking, impact investing, and reflections on a year of transition and strengthening alongside partners across Colorado. You’ll find:
• A snapshot of 2025 giving and capital investments across Education, Natural Resources, Community Development, and Informed Communities
• Impact Investing spotlights advancing equitable opportunity—from rural homeownership to environmental stewardship and public education
• A look ahead as we prepare to mark our 80th anniversary this fall alongside and update to our strategic plan, a refresh of our strategies and approaches across our core programmatic areas, and complementary efforts to align our communications and storytelling with our history and our vision for the years ahead.

Explore the full Spring 2026 Updates and learn more about the partners and work shaping the year ahead.
👉 Read the update:

Email from Gates Family Foundation Report to the Community   Gates Family Foundation Report to the Community 2025   April 2026 Dear Community, The past year brought continued evolution for the Gates F

04/27/2026

Attn community partners: just one week left to apply! The National Forest Foundation is now accepting proposals for its 2026 Collaborative Capacity Program, which supports projects that bring diverse partners together to co‑create solutions for forest stewardship. This year’s program places a strong emphasis on shared decision‑making and includes a Tribal Applicants pathway focused on advancing Tribal co‑stewardship and co‑management of National Forests and Grasslands.

Key details:
-Grant amounts: $20,000–$50,000
-Eligible applicants: Nonprofits, Tribal governments and organizations, colleges/universities, and local governments
-Geographic scope: National (where projects benefit National Forest System lands)
-Deadlines:
--Community Partner Applicants: May 4, 2026
--Tribal Applicants: July 13, 2026

This opportunity aligns with growing efforts to support collaborative, place‑based stewardship and deepen partnerships with Tribal Nations. Please share with partners and networks who may be interested.

🔗 Learn more and access the full RFP: [link in comments]

03/12/2026

🎥 New opportunity for Colorado conservation nonprofits

Strong visual storytelling helps conservation work reach broader audiences and deepen community connection. In partnership with photographer Todd Winslow Pierce, Gates Family Foundation is proud to support a pilot visual communications grant program for a select group of Colorado nonprofit organizations leading critical conservation projects. The program provides support to strengthen photography and visual storytelling that elevate conservation efforts across the state.

📅 Applications are due March 31
🔗 Learn more and apply:

COLORADO CONSERVATION VISUAL STORYTELLING GRANTPhotography is one of the most powerful tools of conservation. Images instantly connect community members and legislators to landscapes and wildlife, helping conservation organizations communicate the vital importance of their work. In many cases, compe...

02/16/2026

🌟 🌟 🌟 We’re excited to welcome Susan Dorsey back to the Gates Family Foundation as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. 🌟 🌟 🌟

Sue previously played a pivotal role in strengthening the Gates Family Foundation’s finance, operations, and impact investing work, and we’re thrilled to have her return with even broader experience and perspective. We look forward to the leadership and partnership she brings as we continue advancing our mission across Colorado.

🔗 Read more about Sue’s return in the link below.

We are thrilled to welcome Sue Dorsey back to Gates Family Foundation in her new role as Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer. Sue returns to...

01/21/2026

REMINDER—application deadline approaching! The Gates Harvard Fellowship was created to equip public sector leaders with the tools, insights, and networks needed to make lasting impact in their communities and across the interconnected challenges they face.

This intensive three-week leadership experience brings together public sector leaders from Colorado and beyond to strengthen their skills while building relationships with peers from across the state, nation, and world.

Why join this program? Participants often leave with:

🎯 Insight into what's coming for their communities
⚡ Renewed energy and commitment to public service
💡 Greater clarity on how to amplify their impact
👥 Lifelong peer networks for collaboration and support

📌 Gates Fellowship Application Deadline: March 2, 2026

Learn more about the program here:

In partnership with Harvard University's Kennedy School, Gates Family Foundation awards public service fellowships to leaders in government. Learn more.

01/16/2026

Planning a capital project that could strengthen your Colorado community? Don’t miss your chance to learn how a Gates Family Foundation Capital Grant can help bring it to life!

Join us for a free informational webinar to get everything you need to prepare a strong application before the March 16, 2026 deadline.

📅 Choose the session that works for you:
• Tuesday, February 3, 2026 | 10:00–11:30 AM (MT)
• Wednesday, March 4, 2026 | 1:00–2:30 PM (MT)

📍 Location: Online via Zoom

💡 In this session, you’ll learn:
• What types of capital projects are eligible
• Key application requirements & deadlines
• Tips for crafting a strong proposal
• Live Q&A with foundation staff

Register Today:

Upcoming Webinar Are you planning a capital project that could benefit your Colorado community? Join Gates Family Foundation for a free informational webinar to...

01/09/2026

🎉 Happy New Year! 🎉
As we begin 2026, we are excited to share highlights from our latest newsletter:

✨ Celebrating Gates Tennis Center's 50th Anniversary
For eight decades, Gates Family Foundation has supported partners and communities building a more equitable and resilient Colorado. Today, we are proud to celebrate a milestone that reflects this commitment: Gates Tennis Center's 50th anniversary. Since 1975, in partnership with Denver Parks and Recreation, we founded and funded this facility as a gift to the City and County of Denver, transforming a former landfill in Pulaski Park into the thriving facility it is today.

✨ Board Spotlight: Celebrating Rosemary Rodriguez
With gratitude and admiration, we honor Rosemary Rodriguez as she retires from the Gates Family Foundation Board of Trustees. Rosemary brought her deep experience, equity lens, and community relationships to every discussion. Her thoughtful questions, practical wisdom, and focus on real-world impact have enriched our work and inspired our team. Colorado is more representative, more democratic, and more equitable because of her.

✨ Driving Impact Through Program-Related Investments (PRI)
Program-related investments are more than financial tools — they are catalysts for change. These flexible, low-cost commitments of capital help nonprofits and mission-driven organizations scale their impact. Recent examples include investments in Blueprint Colorado, the Rural Homes Initiative, the Nonprofit Bridge Loan Fund, and Colorado West Land Trust.

✨ Looking Ahead: Strategy Updates
Since 2022, we have followed a strategic plan aimed at addressing interrelated challenges facing our state, informed by a community engagement process that involved extensive feedback from our partners, grantees, and peers. As we near the end of this cycle, we have identified opportunities to reflect, grow, and build upon our existing efforts. We are in the process of refreshing and updating strategies in each of our five major program areas including: Public Education, Natural Resources, Community Development, Informed Communities, and Responsive Capital.

📩 Read the full newsletter here:

Email from Gates Family Foundation Refreshing Our Strategic Approach   Gates Family Foundation Updates   January 2026 In this issue: Celebrating 50 Years of Gates Tennis Center Looking Ahead: Strategy

12/23/2025

As we approach the end of 2025, we're taking time to celebrate and reflect on a year filled with meaningful progress.

The holidays remind us of what matters most: connection, community, and the collective work we do to support one another. As you celebrate this season, we hope that you can reflect on your own accomplishments from the year and the support you received from your community that made them possible.

As the Gates Family Foundation team takes time to reflect, slow down, and enjoy time with loved ones, our office will be closed from noon on December 24th to January 2nd.

🌱 Thank you for being part of Colorado's story and for your partnership in building stronger, more equitable communities. We are grateful for you and excited for what we will build together in 2026.

Wishing you joy, rest, and a hopeful new year.

12/17/2025

Looking to work with us to build a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable Colorado? We offer several pathways to get involved. Because these programs have different processes and outcomes, the application procedures are also distinct:

🏢 Capital Grants: Building a new facility? Renovating your space? Need critical equipment? We support our partners by helping them invest in physical infrastructure that allows them to serve our communities more effectively. Applications are reviewed twice a year by our team, with deadlines on March 15 (decision by mid-June) and September 1 (decision by mid-December). Learn more: https://bit.ly/4qe72R8

🌟 Strategic Grants: Working on creative solutions in public education, natural resources, informed communities, or community development? We fund initiatives that align with our strategic goals to enhance the lives of people across Colorado. If you believe your work might be a good fit, we encourage you to review our priorities and reach out to the relevant program officer. We're happy to discuss your ideas through an introductory conversation. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3KFvJqO

For full details on all our programs and how to apply, visit: https://bit.ly/44wF4YA

Learn about Gates Family Foundation's capital grants for nonprofits. Our Colorado grant opportunities are focused on transformative, long-term investments.

12/10/2025

As one of Colorado’s oldest family foundations, we have been committed to strengthening communities since 1946. Guided by our mission to create a more equitable, resilient, and sustainable Colorado, here is how we put that vision into action:

We have awarded more than $700 million to support charitable activities aligned with this mission. Our financial support spans multiple channels, including capital and strategic grantmaking, impact investments, and family giving.

Beyond funding, we also leverage staff expertise, data, relationships, and space to address Colorado’s most significant challenges.

We invest in initiatives that enhance communities and organizations aligned with our strategic priorities across Colorado. To learn more about the support we offer, visit: https://gatesfamilyfoundation.org/types-of-support/overview/.