Top Charities in Colorado (2026)

Food Bank of the Rockies covers the largest food bank territory in the contiguous United States — all of Colorado north of the Denver metro through Wyoming, plus direct programs in the Denver area. They distribute 185,000 meals per day through 800+ Hunger Relief Partners and direct programs. Since founding in 1978, FBR has distributed over 519 million meals. Housing costs in Colorado have increased 734% in that time — from a median home price of $66,400 to $533,692 — making the food access problem significantly worse for the working poor even as Colorado's overall economy has grown.

The 2025 federal program cuts removed 14,000 meals per day from their capacity. Their new Aurora distribution center — opened 2025 with $15 million in New Markets Tax Credit financing — has expanded cold storage capacity, allowing more fresh produce and protein. Food Rescue is a core program: 57% of what they distribute comes from rescued surplus food from retailers, manufacturers, and farms. "By collaborating on the manufacturing, retail, and agricultural levels, we can capture food in our community and keep it in our community," said food sourcing director Mark Weslar.

Volunteer shifts run at their Aurora facility Monday–Saturday from 8:30 a.m. Minimum age 10 (with an adult); dock and order selection require age 16+. No recurring commitment required for most shifts.

Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado is the primary food bank for the southern half of the state — Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and 46 counties stretching from the Front Range to the San Luis Valley and the Four Corners region. Colorado Springs is Colorado's second-largest city and has a significant military population — Fort Carson alone brings tens of thousands of service members and families, and food insecurity among junior enlisted and their families is a documented and underreported problem.

Care and Share is also one of three Colorado food banks that distributes TEFAP (Emergency Food Assistance Program) commodities — federal food that provides 30–50% of what pantries in southern Colorado distribute. The 2025 federal cuts hit southern Colorado pantries proportionally harder because TEFAP made up a larger share of food supply in this more rural, lower-income region. Volunteer shifts run at their Colorado Springs warehouse, and mobile pantry programs reach remote San Luis Valley and Western Slope communities.

Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver builds affordable homes in the Denver metro at a moment when affordability has become one of the defining quality-of-life issues in the state. The median home price in Denver metro passed $550,000 in recent years, and the working-class families who drove Denver's service economy have been pushed further and further from the city center. Habitat serves families earning 30–80% of area median income through sweat equity and affordable mortgages — in a market where even 80% AMI no longer qualifies for a conventional mortgage on the average home, Habitat fills a critical gap.

Colorado has 35+ Habitat affiliates statewide — Fort Collins, Loveland, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, and others all have active chapters. The Metro Denver affiliate is the largest. Their ReStore locations in Denver and suburbs accept furniture, appliances, and building materials. Build days run year-round on Saturdays and weekdays, open to first-timers and corporate groups.

The Denver Dumb Friends League — the name references an old British phrase meaning "helpless animals" rather than anything pejorative — has operated since 1910 and is the largest animal shelter organization in the Rocky Mountain region. They run shelters in Denver, Foothills (Jefferson County), and other metro locations, as well as a full-service veterinary hospital, low-cost spay/neuter clinic, a pet food bank for owners facing financial hardship, and a field investigations unit that responds to animal cruelty and neglect complaints across the metro.

The DDFL is a charter member of Best Friends Animal Society's no-kill coalition. Their save rate is consistently high for a shelter of their size and intake volume. Volunteer roles include dog walking, cat socialization, foster care, and adoption events. Their Harmony Equine Center in Franktown provides rescue and rehabilitation for horses and other large animals — a relatively rare resource in a metro-adjacent area. The pet food bank is worth knowing about if you're a pet owner facing financial hardship — it keeps animals in homes rather than driving owner surrenders.

Mile High United Way distributes grants to nonprofits across the Denver metro and manages one of the most active workplace giving programs in the Mountain West. Major Denver employers — Lockheed Martin, Dish Network, Xcel Energy, and hundreds of others — run United Way campaigns that collectively fund millions in local grants annually. They operate 2-1-1 Colorado, a statewide helpline connecting residents to food, housing, utility, and health resources year-round.

Colorado Gives Day, an annual statewide online giving event in December, raises tens of millions for Colorado nonprofits each year through the Community First Foundation — Mile High United Way is closely partnered with that campaign. If you want to identify vetted Colorado nonprofits quickly, the Colorado Gives platform (coloradogives.org) lists thousands of organizations that have been reviewed through the Community First Foundation's process.

The Community First Foundation manages Colorado Gives Day — the annual statewide online giving event that has raised over $500 million for Colorado nonprofits since its launch. The platform (coloradogives.org) lists thousands of vetted Colorado nonprofits organized by cause area and geography, making it one of the most useful discovery tools for anyone looking to find credible Colorado organizations to support. Colorado Gives Day happens every December and often features matching gift incentives that amplify individual donations.

The Colorado Community Foundation manages over $1 billion in charitable assets on behalf of donors statewide and distributes grants to Colorado nonprofits. Their Capacity Building Grants help smaller organizations develop infrastructure; their emergency response funds activated after wildfires, flooding, and other Colorado disasters. For donors who want strategic giving in Colorado, the CCF's donor-advised fund options provide more flexibility than direct giving to individual organizations.

The Red Cross Colorado Region responds to wildfires, flooding, severe weather, and home fires across the state. Colorado wildfire risk is year-round in recent years — the Marshall Fire (2021) destroyed over 1,000 homes in Boulder County; the 2020 fire season burned record acreage. The Red Cross deploys immediately after wildfires to open shelters and provide emergency assistance, and coordinates long-term recovery work for displaced residents. Blood collection runs at donor centers across the Front Range and Western Slope.

Blood donation appointments are available within days at most Colorado chapters. Wildfire disaster volunteers complete additional specialized training beyond the standard disaster response curriculum. If you were displaced by a wildfire or flood in Colorado and need immediate help, call 1-800-RED-CROSS. CPR and first aid classes are available at chapter locations across the state.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Denver runs one of Colorado's largest social service networks — refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, food assistance (through the Little Flower Assistance Centers in Aurora and other locations), housing stability programs, and mental health counseling. Colorado has been a significant destination for refugees from Afghanistan, Somalia, Myanmar, and Central America. Catholic Charities handles the complex legal and integration support those families need in their first years in the state.

Their Little Flower Assistance Centers operate food pantries in Aurora — one of the most diverse cities in Colorado — serving clients regardless of faith background. Volunteers assist with food pantry shifts, English tutoring, and administrative support. The organization's immigration legal services program is one of the few in the region offering pro bono representation for asylum cases and DACA renewals.

Volunteers of America Colorado is one of the larger human services organizations in the state, running programs for people experiencing homelessness, veterans, people in addiction recovery, and domestic violence survivors. They operate City Harvest Food Bank, which collects perishable and non-perishable donated food and distributes it to 60+ community pantries and food banks across the Denver metro, reaching an estimated 40,000 individuals annually. VOA Colorado also operates housing programs, a veterans services division, and addiction treatment facilities.

City Harvest is worth knowing about separately from Food Bank of the Rockies — it specifically focuses on food rescue from Denver metro donors and distributes to smaller neighborhood pantries that may not have direct Feeding America access. If you're a business in the Denver area with surplus food, City Harvest is one of the most practical options for food rescue logistics. Volunteers assist with food sorting and distribution at multiple metro locations.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado matches children facing adversity with adult volunteer mentors across the state. Colorado's booming economy has not reached all communities equally — Aurora, North Denver, Pueblo, and parts of Colorado Springs have child poverty rates substantially higher than state averages. Denver's rapid gentrification has also displaced working-class families from neighborhoods with nonprofit services closer to where they moved. Mentoring research consistently shows improved outcomes: better school attendance, higher graduation rates, reduced juvenile justice involvement.

Community-based mentoring requires meeting 2–4 times per month for at least a year. School-based mentoring runs weekly during school hours. The Colorado chapter serves multiple metro areas. Volunteers must be 18 or older and pass a background check. Demand for mentors typically exceeds supply — new Bigs are usually matched quickly after completing the approval process.