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Denver Scholarship Foundation

EIN 20-5143175 · Denver, CO

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood85 out of 100GovernanceStrong100 out of 100Impact evidenceReports resultsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

DENVER SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION (DSF) INSPIRES AND EMPOWERS DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS (DPS) STUDENTS TO ENROLL IN AND GRADUATE FROM POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION BY PROVIDING THE TOOLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES FOR SUCCESS.

Income
$29.9 million
Spending
$19.5 million
Spent on programs
81%
Reserves
3.4 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 61%
Employees
98
Volunteers
96
Highest pay
$261,542, ceo

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 79% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Reserves

    20 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 3.4 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 4% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    15 of 15

    Income exceeded spending by 35% of income.

  • Income trend

    15 of 15

    Income rose 81% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    81% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 5 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 50% of charities in its peer group (education, $10m to $100m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    30 of 30 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    8 of 8

    Has a written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    7 of 7

    Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Reports results. Its tax return states measurable results. These are its own figures and nobody has checked them.

Results it reports

  • Scholarships were awarded to 2,504 qualifying students.Work delivered
  • 82% of the most recent 6-year cohort graduated or continue to persist in postsecondary education.Change achieved
  • Free career and college advisement services were provided to over 14,000 9th-12th grade students at 15 Future Centers.Work delivered

Read from the return by an AI model and shown only where the wording was found in the return. These are the charity's own figures.

Programs described in its return (4)
  1. $9.3 million spent. SCHOLARSHIPS: DENVER SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION (DSF) AWARDS UP TO FIVE YEARS OF SCHOLARSHIPS TO DPS GRADUATES WITH SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL NEED, WHO QUALIFY TO ATTEND ONE OF DSF'S 30 COLLEGE PARTNERS IN COLORADO, INCLUDING UNIVERSITIES, TECHNICAL AND/OR COMMUNITY COLLEGES. IN FY25, DSF AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS TO 2,504 QUALIFYING STUDENTS WITH 82% OF THE MOST RECENT 6- YEAR COHORT HAVING GRADUATED OR CONTINUING TO PERSIST IN THEIR POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION. THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF DSF SCHOLARS ARE AMONG THE MOST UNDER-REPRESENTED IN COLLEGE; 87% ARE FIRST-GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS, ALL WERE RAISED IN LIMITED-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, AND 93% ARE STUDENTS OF COLOR. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)
  2. $4.1 million spent. COLLEGE ACCESS: DSF PROVIDES FREE CAREER AND COLLEGE ADVISEMENT SERVICES FOR OVER 14,000 9TH-12TH GRADE STUDENTS AT ITS 15 DSF FUTURE CENTERS, WHICH ARE DSF-STAFFED RESOURCE CENTERS LOCATED IN DPS HIGH SCHOOLS. THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS SERVED THROUGH DSF FUTURE CENTERS DEMONSTRATE FINANCIAL NEED AND ARE FIRST IN THEIR FAMILIES TO ATTEND COLLEGE; COACHING THESE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH THE COMPLEXITIES OF PLANNING, APPLYING, ENROLLING, AND PAYING FOR COLLEGE ARE THE CORE FUNCTIONS OF THIS MUCH- NEEDED PROGRAM. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)
  3. $2.3 million spent. COLLEGE SUCCESS: DSF, IN COLLABORATION WITH ITS 30 COLLEGE PARTNERS THROUGHOUT COLORADO, PROVIDES CRITICAL WRAPAROUND SERVICES TO ALL DSF SCHOLARS, ENSURING EACH RECEIVES ADDITIONAL CAREER EXPLORATION AND GUIDANCE, FINANCIAL AID, ACADEMIC, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT TO HELP THEM PERSIST AND GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE. DSF HAS AGREEMENTS IN PLACE WITH EACH COLLEGE PARTNER, INCLUDING ADDITIONAL GIFT AID, WHICH ENSURE DSF SCHOLARS RECEIVE ALL SUCCESS SERVICES THROUGH DESIGNATED CAMPUS AND FINANCIAL AID CONTACTS AT EACH INSTITUTION. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)
  4. LINE 4A (CONTINUED - SCHOLARSHIPS) IMPACT: SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2006, DSF HAS AWARDED 81M MILLION IN SCHOLARSHIPS, CHANGING THE LIFE TRAJECTORY FOR OVER 11,600 DPS GRADUATES WHO HAVE BECOME DSF SCHOLARS. IN ADDITION TO FINANCIAL SUPPORT, ALL DSF SCHOLARS RECEIVE WRAPAROUND SUPPORTS CALLED SUCCESS SERVICES, WHICH ARE REFERENCED BELOW. LINE 4B (CONTINUED - COLLEGE ACCESS) DSF FUTURE CENTERS ARE STAFFED WITH DSF ADVISORS WHO WORK ONE-ON-ONE WITH STUDENTS, HELPING THEM SELECT THE POSTSECONDARY PATHWAY THAT BEST FITS THEIR ACADEMIC, FINANCIAL, AND PERSONAL GOALS, WHICH HELPS ENSURE THEIR SUCCESS IN COLLEGE PERSISTENCE AND COMPLETION. IMPACT: DPS HIGH SCHOOLS WITH AN ON-SITE DPS FUTURE CENTER SEND MORE GRADUATING SENIORS TO COLLEGE, COMPARED TO HIGH SCHOOLS WITHOUT A DSF FUTURE CENTER. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2006, DPS HAS PROVIDED COLLEGE-GOING ASSISTANCE TO OVER 64,000 DPS STUDENTS. LINE 4C (CONTINUED -SUCCESS) FOR DSF SCHOLARS ENROLLED IN ONE OF THREE COLLEGES LOCATED ON DENVER'S AURARIA CAMPUS, DSF'S EMBEDDED TEAM OF DSF ADVISORS PROVIDE SUCCESS SERVICES DIRECTLY TO SCHOLARS. COLLEGE PARTNERS ADDITIONALLY MATCH THE DSF SCHOLARSHIP WITH 3 FOR EVERY 1 IN DSF AWARD. DSF RAISES FUNDS FROM A VARIETY OF SOURCES AND BASED ON STUDENT SUCCESS, ALSO QUALIFIES FOR PARTIAL REIMBURSEMENT ALONGSIDE OTHER NONPROFITS IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER THANKS TO A VOTER APPROVED INITIATIVE MANAGED BY THE PROSPERITY DENVER FUND. WITH 94.7% OF TOP PAYING JOBS IN COLORADO (THOSE OFFERING A FAMILY LIVING WAGE) REQUIRING SOME SORT OF POSTSECONDARY CREDENTIAL, SUPPORTING DSF SCHOLARS TO AND THROUGH COLLEGE COMPLETION AND INTO EARLY CAREER AS ALUMNI IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT. IMPACT: COLLEGE SUCCESS DIRECTLY IMPACTS THE SUCCESS OF DSF SCHOLARS. BECAUSE OF THESE CRITICAL SUPPORT SERVICES, 82% OF THE MOST RECENT SIX-YEAR COHORT OF DSF SCHOLARS HAVE GRADUATED OR CONTINUE TO PERSIST IN THEIR DRIVE TO ATTAIN A COLLEGE CERTIFICATE OR DEGREE. THE SUCCESS DEMONSTRATED BY DSF SCHOLARS ADDITIONALLY ALLOWS FOR PARTIAL REIMBURSEMENT BY THE CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER'S VOTER-APPROVED PROSPERITY DENVER FUND, ENSURING EVEN GREATER STUDENT ACCESS TO A POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION AND SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A DEGREE OR CERTIFICATE.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since August 2007.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.