Catena Foundation is a private, non-operating foundation established in 2016 and headquartered in Carbondale, Colorado. The foundation conducts grantmaking and direct investment to protect the environment and support community development. It maintains additional offices in Chiloquin, Oregon and Greenbrae, California.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$596.4M
+3.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$27.2M
-9.8% YoY
Grant Count
80
-35.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$340K
+39.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Catena Foundation reported a distributable amount of $28.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to "heal the land, heal the people." Primary funding areas include:
- Environmental conservation and climate change
- Youth and community development
- Civic engagement
- Indigenous causes and Native-led organizations
- Environmental education
- Renewable energy
- Community and school gardens
- Leadership development
Grantmaking
The foundation does not appear to accept unsolicited requests for funding and lacks a formal public application process.
Grant Range
$140,000
Average Grant
$241,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Funding is distributed across multiple states with primary concentration in:
- Colorado
- District of Columbia
- Arizona
- California
Grantmaking reaches organizations across 30 states, with 45% of all grants supporting organizations in District of Columbia, Colorado, and California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Income (as of December 2024):
- Total assets: $596,379,235
- Total revenues: $31,209,309
- Total expenses: $32,777,162
- Total giving: $27,197,754
- Investment income and dividends: $14,888,405
Historical Asset Growth:
- December 2019: $157,511,233
- December 2021: $397,661,850
- December 2022: $438,062,805
- December 2023: $573,725,610
- December 2024: $596,379,235
Tax Status:
- EIN: 81-3783868
- Tax-exempt status granted: May 2018
- Classification: 501(c)(3) private foundation
- Unconditional exemption status
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $596,379,235 | $573,725,610 | $438,062,805 |
| Revenue | $31,209,309 | $121,897,799 | $140,948,730 |
| Expenses | $32,777,162 | $37,934,575 | $41,546,612 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $30,594,577 | $33,666,675 | $37,443,385 |
| Net Investment Income | $29,730,402 | $120,140,749 | $138,770,348 |
| Distributable Amount | $28,756,009 | $24,346,729 | $16,295,445 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include New Venture Fund ($3,250,000), Defending Democracy Together Institute ($1,000,000), International Rescue Committee ($1,000,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN HIMALAYAN FOUNDATION SAN FRANCISCO, CA | CRISIS RESPONSE | $50,000 |
| AMERICAN IMMIGRATION COUNCIL WASHINGTON, DC | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | $600,000 |
| APPLEGATE FORESTRY LLC CORVALLIS, OR | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | $45,000 |
| ASPEN CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES ASPEN, CO | CONSERVATION | $103,922 |
| ASPEN GLOBAL CHANGE INSTITUTE BASALT, CO | CONSERVATION | $550,000 |
| ASPEN JOURNALISM ASPEN, CO | CONSERVATION | $143,000 |
| ASYLUM SEEKER ADVOCACY PROJECT NEW YORK, NY | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | $850,000 |
| CANOPY NORTHWEST ARKANSAS FAYETTEVILLE, AR | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $397,440 |
| CENTER FOR TECH AND CIVIC LIFE CHICAGO, IL | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | $275,000 |
| CHILOQUIN VISION IN PROGRESS CHILOQUIN, OR | COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT | $110,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Kerri Genung - Principal Officer
- Steve Matous - Interim Director and Chief Operating Officer / Secretary and Interim Executive Director (Compensation: $233,724 as of 12/31/2024)
- Clare Bastable - Vice President (Compensation: $251,500 as of 12/31/2024)
- Scott Pankratz - Strategic Programs Director
The foundation is governed by 4 officers and trustees and employs 7 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAMUEL R WALTON | PRESIDENT | 0.15 | — |
| GREG NELSON | VICE PRESIDENT | 0.25 | — |
| DREW RITCHEY | TREASURER | 0.1 | — |
| STEVE MATOUS | SECRETARY AND INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECT | 40 | $233,724 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**August 2024:** Chiloquin Youth Bike Program awarded $110,000 grant from Catena Foundation
Press Release: Chiloquin Youth Bike Program Awarded $110,000 Grant fromThe foundation is actively hiring, with recent job postings for Senior Grants Manager and Special Projects Associate positions (2025)
Foundation has been expanding its team and operations across its three office locations
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Catena Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission is to "heal the land, heal the people." Primary funding areas include: • Environmental conservation and climate change • Youth and community development • Civic engagement • Indigenous causes and Native-led organizations • Environmental education • Renewable energy • Community and school gardens • Leadership development
How do I apply for a grant from Catena Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Made 55 grants in 2024 • Total of 505 grants made historically, totaling $121.2 million • Median grant size: $140,000 • Average grant size: $241,000 • Grant range: $1,000 to $4,000,000 • Annual distribution: $23.9 million to $70.1 million (2021-2024) • Highest grantmaking activity in 2022 with $70.1 million distributed across 300 grants • Supported 238 unique organizations **Recent Notable Grants (2024):** • New Venture Fund: $3,250,000 (Community Engagement) • The Trust f…
Where does Catena Foundation make grants?
Funding is distributed across multiple states with primary concentration in: • Colorado • District of Columbia • Arizona • California Grantmaking reaches organizations across 30 states, with 45% of all grants supporting organizations in District of Columbia, Colorado, and California.
What size grants does Catena Foundation award?
In 2024, Catena Foundation awarded 80 grants totaling $27.2M — an average of about $340K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Catena Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Catena Foundation reported a distributable amount of $28.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Catena Foundation's EIN?
Catena Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-3783868. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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