Erion Foundation

The Erion Foundation is a tightly focused, family-governed grantmaker with 40 years of roots in Loveland, Colorado, founded in 1986 by Helen and Ken Erion. Today it is led by President Doug J. Erion with family members — including Justin Erion and Gentry Erion — occupying board seats alongside community allies Roger E. Clark and Jan Pierce Atnip, with Summer Scott serving as Vice President and Eli Scott as Treasurer. This family stewardship shapes an organizational culture that values deep community knowledge, formal process, and long-term relationships over quick transactional grants.

The foundation's philosophy is explicitly catalytic rather than sustaining. Its guidelines prohibit operating/survival funding, signaling a preference for capital projects, specific programs, and joint ventures that create durable community infrastructure. Approximately half of all designated grant funds go to large multi-year advocacy projects — pools, libraries, museums, hospitals — that have demonstrable economic impact on Northern Colorado families. The clearest illustration is the $1,000,000 multi-year commitment to the Children's Museum of Northern Colorado, the largest known award in the foundation's disclosed grantee record.

First-time applicants should understand this foundation's formal, board-controlled culture. Site visits and presentations are initiated exclusively by the board — applicants are explicitly warned not to contact individual board members to champion their project, as doing so puts them in an uncomfortable position and will not affect the outcome. The expected progression is: submit a clean, complete application with no extras, await quarterly review, respond to any board follow-up, and receive a decision within 30 days of quarter-end.

The foundation maintains three permanent legacy grantees — House of Neighborly Service, Meals on Wheels, and Community Kitchen, all in Loveland — as the only recipients of ongoing operational support. These relationships were built over decades and represent a closed category. New applicants should not expect this pathway.

Critical note for 2025–2026: As of mid-2026, the Erion Foundation's website states it is currently not accepting any grant applications due to numerous large capital projects. No reopening timeline is posted. Prospective applicants should monitor erionfoundation.org and contact erionfoundationorg@gmail.com to request notification when applications reopen. When the window does open, organizations with capital project proposals, Loveland/Larimer County geographic alignment, and a clear connection to economic prosperity for middle-class families will be best positioned.

The Erion Foundation's annual grantmaking has been highly variable, reflecting both investment portfolio performance and the episodic nature of large capital commitments. Total giving over the five-year span 2019–2023 ranged from a low of $334,543 (FY2019) to a high of $1,080,100 (FY2022), with a five-year average of approximately $639,644. As of FY2024 — the most recent period with available data — total assets reached $13,907,638, up $2.77 million (24.9%) from $11,133,636 in FY2023. FY2024 grants_paid data has not yet been publicly filed, but the asset trajectory suggests capacity is building for a future cycle.

Grant size distribution is bimodal. The foundation categorizes awards as small grants (under $10,000) and large grants ($10,000 or more), with multi-year advocacy projects exceeding $50,000 as a distinct third tier. Among the 30 discrete grants on record totaling $1,413,800, a single award dominates: $1,000,000 to the Children's Museum of Northern Colorado (two disbursements), which constitutes 70.7% of all recorded giving. Excluding this outlier, the median award among remaining recipients falls near $15,000, with a floor of $200 (Loveland Strategic Partnership) and a secondary ceiling of $80,000 (Thompson Education Foundation and Loveland Housing Development Corp, tied).

Breaking down cumulative recorded giving by program area: - Education and youth development: ~79% ($1,130,000) — Children's Museum ($1,000,000), Thompson Education Foundation ($80,000), Colorado Youth Outdoors ($50,000) - Culture and community: ~9.7% ($137,600) — Art Works in Loveland ($72,000), PVH MCR Foundation ($40,000), Community Foundation of Northern Colorado ($20,000), Backstage Rialto ($2,500), Loveland Creatorspace ($3,100) - Housing: ~6.1% ($86,000) — Loveland Housing Development Corp ($80,000), Loveland Housing Authority ($6,000) - Health and basic needs: ~3.7% ($52,000) — Meals on Wheels ($18,000), Community Kitchen ($18,000), Hospice of Larimer County ($10,000), Hearts & Horses ($6,000)

Geography is an absolute filter: all 30 grants on record went to Colorado-based organizations, and the vast majority serve Loveland or Larimer County directly. The foundation's typical grant size for non-capital awards is $1,000–$50,000. Multi-year advocacy projects routinely exceed this ceiling. The foundation explicitly states grants over $50,000 will, in most instances, be part of an advocacy project funded over several years.

The Erion Foundation's $13.9 million asset base (FY2024) places it in a cohort of similarly sized private family foundations matched by NTEE category (Philanthropy & Grantmaking). The table below compares Erion to its closest asset-size peers:

What distinguishes Erion from most $13–14 million family foundations is its unusual degree of public accessibility: a downloadable application form, published guidelines and FAQ pages, a dedicated grant email address (GrantRequest@erionfoundation.org), and a maintained website. Most comparable private foundations at this asset level operate without any public grant program and are effectively inaccessible to unsolicited applicants. Erion's geographic hyper-focus on Loveland (population approximately 82,000) also produces a concentration of impact rare for foundations of its size — it functions as the dominant private philanthropic force for capital projects in that community. The competitive tradeoff is sharp geographic exclusivity: organizations outside Loveland and Larimer County should not apply regardless of project quality.

No press releases, leadership announcements, or media coverage from 2025 or 2026 are publicly discoverable for the Erion Foundation, consistent with the foundation's characteristically low media profile. The most significant observable development is financial: total assets climbed from $11,133,636 (FY2023) to $13,907,638 (FY2024) — a $2.77 million gain representing 24.9% growth — accompanied by $2,109,350 in FY2024 revenue, a sharp increase from just $36,886 the prior year. This pattern suggests a major investment appreciation event or a new significant contribution in FY2024, though the source is not documented in public filings.

The most consequential programmatic development of recent years is the $1,000,000 multi-year commitment to the Children's Museum of Northern Colorado (disbursed as two grants under Operating Support), representing the largest disclosed investment in the foundation's record. This project, alongside the other undisclosed large capital projects referenced on the foundation's website, explains the current pause on new grant applications as of mid-2026.

Board composition as of the most recent IRS filings remains: Doug J. Erion (President), Summer Scott (Vice President), Eli Scott (Treasurer), and board members Jan Pierce Atnip, Roger E. Clark, Justin Erion, and Gentry Erion. All board positions are unpaid ($0 officer compensation across all reported fiscal years). No leadership transitions have been publicly announced. The foundation operates with lean administration — a P.O. Box address, a Gmail contact address, and no apparent paid staff — indicating board members are directly and actively involved in grantmaking decisions.

Applying to the Erion Foundation requires precision and timing. This is not a funder where mass outreach, supplemental materials, or board networking will help. The following guidance is specific to this funder:

Time your application to the open window. As of mid-2026, Erion explicitly states it is not accepting applications. Email erionfoundationorg@gmail.com to request notification when the window reopens, and check erionfoundation.org/grants/ periodically. Do not submit while the pause is in effect — there is no indication submissions are held for a future review cycle.

Submit exactly what is requested — nothing more. Required materials are: (1) completed application form (fillable PDF from the foundation's website), (2) current 501(c)(3) IRS determination letter, (3) page 1 of most recent IRS Form 990, and (4) a current board of directors list. The FAQ is explicit: if the board needs more information, they will contact you. Extra attachments signal you did not follow instructions.

Use the correct submission channel. Email complete packets to GrantRequest@erionfoundation.org, not the general contact address. Mailed submissions go to P.O. Box 732, Loveland, CO 80539-0732.

Lead with economic prosperity language. The foundation's stated mission is to increase economic prosperity in Northern Colorado. Proposals connecting directly to this framing — workforce development, community capital infrastructure, housing for working families, educational programs building human capital — will resonate more than general community benefit narratives.

Anchor your geography explicitly. Preference is given to the Loveland Planning Area, Thompson School District, Poudre School District, and Larimer County. State this alignment clearly in your application rather than assuming the board will infer it.

Do not contact board members. The FAQ warns that doing so puts them in an uncomfortable position and will not affect the outcome. This is a hard rule, not a soft suggestion.

Plan for quarterly review cycles. Grants of $10,000 or more are reviewed at quarterly board meetings; expect a decision within 30 days of quarter-end. Build a 3–4 month lead time into your fundraising calendar.

If denied, wait 12 months. The reapplication policy requires a full year wait after receiving a denial notice. Use this period to strengthen project specifics, deepen community partnerships, and more clearly demonstrate Loveland/Larimer County impact before resubmitting.