Anna Keesling Ackerman Fund

The Anna Keesling Ackerman Fund is an El Pomar Foundation fund supporting nonprofit organizations that serve the Pikes Peak region of Colorado. El Pomar Foundation was established in 1937 by Spencer and Julie Penrose with a mission to enhance, encourage, and promote the current and future well-being of the people of Colorado. The Foundation reports that its grant making and community programming now exceeds $25 million annually. The Anna Keesling Ackerman Fund specifically seeks to continue the charitable intent of Jasper D. Ackerman, who supported numerous charitable organizations and causes throughout the Pikes Peak region. The Ackerman Fund is one of El Pomar's individual funds for specific focus or geographic areas and has a separate proposal process and timeline from El Pomar's competitive grant process. The fund's mission is to support nonprofit organizations serving the Pikes Peak region, specifically El Paso and Teller counties. Its identified focus areas are arts and culture, civic and community initiatives, education, health, and human services. El Pomar Foundation states more generally that it makes grants for general operating, program, and capital support. The Foundation does not accept applications for certain purposes and applicants, including individuals, most primary or secondary schools, endowments, debt elimination, travel and conferences, scientific research projects or studies, political activity, and religious organizations seeking support for religious programs. Organizations must have fiscal responsibility for the proposed project and an active 501(c)(3) nonprofit IRS determination letter or a fiscal agent with active 501(c)(3) status. The Ackerman Fund guidelines specifically identify nonprofits with 501(c)(3) tax status serving the Pikes Peak region as eligible. El Pomar's broader grant-making guidelines state that an organization's activities, or at least the specific programming for which funding is requested, must take place in Colorado. For this specialized fund, the narrower Ackerman geographic requirement of serving El Paso and Teller counties applies. The Foundation also excludes organizations that practice discrimination of any kind and certain private foundations or 509(a)(3) organizations that are not functionally integrated according to the IRS. The supplied materials do not state an award minimum, award maximum, total program funding amount, number of awards, required matching contribution, or specific grant performance period for the Ackerman Fund. Applications are accepted online through El Pomar Foundation's grant application portal, and the Foundation states that applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Applications are reviewed by Trustees, who typically meet four to six times per year. To ensure eligibility for review at a particular Trustee meeting, El Pomar asks applicants to submit a complete competitive or Fund application at least 10 weeks in advance of that meeting. Incomplete applications are assigned to the next Trustee meeting. The Ackerman Fund page identifies a Trustee review on September 18, 2026, while the Foundation's broader grant-making page also lists a subsequent Trustee meeting on December 4, 2026. Because applications are rolling, these review schedules do not constitute final application closing dates. As of August 28, 2026, the 10-week submission target for the September 18, 2026 Trustee meeting has passed. The next listed Trustee meeting is December 4, 2026, and 10 weeks before that meeting is September 25, 2026. Accordingly, September 25, 2026 is the next relevant submission target for applicants seeking consideration at the December meeting, rather than a final closing date for the rolling program. The supplied materials do not identify a separate letter of intent, concept paper, pre-proposal, or notice-of-intent requirement. They also do not provide an exhaustive list of application questions or required uploads. The Foundation describes considerations used by Trustees when assessing organizations and initiatives. These include whether the organization or initiative is making a positive and significant difference in people's lives or solving issues important to its community, whether it has solid plans to activate the mission, program, or project for which funding is requested, financial sustainability, strong community support, and organizational leadership. If funded through the Ackerman Fund, an applicant must wait three years from the date of the meeting at which the grant was awarded to be considered again. If declined, the organization must wait one year from the date of the meeting at which the grant was declined. Questions regarding the Anna Keesling Ackerman Fund may be directed to Erica Oakley-Courage at grants@elpomar.org or 719-577-7056. El Pomar Foundation is located at 10 Lake Circle, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80906. Applicants should use the Foundation's online grant application portal and should account for the 10-week Trustee review scheduling guideline when selecting the meeting at which they seek consideration. Applications remain rolling rather than closing on the Trustee review scheduling dates.

Align the request with the Ackerman Fund's Pikes Peak geography and stated focus areas. Demonstrate positive and significant community impact or response to an important community issue, a solid plan to implement the proposed mission, program, or project, financial sustainability, strong community support, and organizational leadership. Submit a complete application at least 10 weeks before the desired Trustee meeting.