Colorado Enterprise Fund Inc
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
TO ACCELERATE COMMUNITY PROSPERITY BY FINANCING AND SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS AND SMALL BUSINESSES.
- Income
- $12.5 million
- Spending
- $11.6 million
- Spent on programs
- 76%
- Reserves
- 47.7 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 60%
- Employees
- 48
- Volunteers
- 15
- Highest pay
- $400,010, president an
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 75 out of 100. Higher than 62% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $10m to $100m).
Reserves
35 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 47.7 months of spending.
Debt
10 of 20It owes 42% of what it owns.
Living within its means
15 of 15Income exceeded spending by 7% of income.
Income trend
0 of 15Income fell 48% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1576% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 7 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 42% of charities in its peer group (community improvement, $10m to $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2512 of 12 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $6.8 million spent. SMALL BUSINESS LENDING - CEF AGGREGATES AND LEVERAGES CAPITAL TO SPUR INVESTMENT AND BUILD CAPACITY FOR THOSE WHO LACK ACCESS TO CONVENTIONAL FINANCING AND ENTREPRENEURIAL NETWORKS, SPECIFICALLY TARGETING UNDERSERVED SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS. CEF PROVIDES FINANCING OPTIONS WHEN BANKS CANNOT LEND OR CANNOT LEND ENOUGH, SPECIALIZING IN LOANS UP TO 1,000,000 FOR NEW AND EXISTING SMALL BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY ENTERPRISES THROUGHOUT COLORADO. CEF CATALYZES BUSINESS OWNERSHIP AND JOB CREATION BY OFFERING FLEXIBLE FINANCING PRODUCTS, PERSONALIZED CLIENT SUPPORT, ONE-ON-ONE BUSINESS COACHING, AND ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR ENTREPRENEURS.
- $1.6 million spent. CEF PARTICIPATES IN NEW MARKETS TAX CREDIT (NMTC) PROJECTS BY PROVIDING PROGRAMMATIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES TO PROJECT ENTITIES. CEF'S REVENUE FROM NMTC PROJECTS CONSISTS PRIMARILY OF PROGRAM FEES AND CLOSING FEES, WHICH ARE CONTRACTUALLY SPECIFIED AND PAID BY THE PROJECT ENTITIES IN EXCHANGE FOR SERVICES RENDERED, AND THE EXPENSES CONSIST OF CLOSING FEES PAID TO A SPECIALIZED CONSULTING AGENCY THAT ASSISTS WITH THE FACILITATION AND CLOSING OF NMTC PROJECTS.
- $413,701 spent. DURING 2025 AND 2024, CEF CONTINUED TO PARTICIPATE IN PROGRAMS TO ADMINISTER GRANTS TO SMALL BUSINESSES AFFECTED BY ECONOMIC HARDSHIP CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, FUNDED BY THE STATE OF COLORADO, THE CARES ACT, AND THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA). BECAUSE OF CEF'S INVOLVEMENT IN GRANTMAKING ACTIVITIES FOR THESE PROGRAMS, GRANT REVENUE AND GRANT EXPENSES ARE REPORTED IN THE STATEMENTS OF ACTIVITIES.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending September 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
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 October 13, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
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 October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending September 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since August 1982.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
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 21, 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.