Founder Bart Holaday Retires from The Dakota Foundation After Nearly Three Decades of Impactful Giving, Appoints Andrew Sellers as Chairman
Colorado Springs, CO — The Dakota Foundation announces the retirement of its founder and longtime chairman, A. Bart Holaday, whose visionary leadership has guided the Foundation from its inception in 1997 to its position today as a local leader in catalytic philanthropy. Holaday recalls that “from childhood, I have believed that those of us who are more fortunate have an obligation to help those who are less fortunate, but always to do so in a respectful way that enhances self-sufficiency and self esteem and does not create dependency."
Established with an initial donation of just over $600,000, The Dakota Foundation began as a small family endeavor committed to supporting individuals in achieving economic self-reliance through education, job creation, and entrepreneurship. Today, thanks to Holaday’s leadership and ongoing generosity, the Foundation manages assets exceeding $29 million and has made over $7.2 million in grants and more than $4.8 million in program-related investments (PRIs) to over 200 nonprofits nationwide, affecting thousands of people positively.
The Dakota Foundation’s mission is “to change lives by assisting people to achieve greater self-sufficiency for themselves and their families, providing them with tools to help them help themselves.” Holaday championed a philanthropic model grounded in business discipline and sustainability, prioritizing program-related investments over traditional grantmaking. By focusing on PRIs, the Foundation seeks to achieve double the impact: empowering nonprofit recipients while preserving and recycling capital to fund future initiatives.
One of the Foundation’s proudest accomplishments under Holaday’s leadership is its early support for the Dakota Promise program in partnership with Pikes Peak State College—an innovative college access initiative that became the model for the first publicly-funded, first-dollar Promise program in the country, adopted by Harrison School District 2 voters in November 2024. This milestone stands as a testament to Holaday’s forward-thinking approach to catalytic philanthropy.
Among the Foundation’s largest and most enduring commitments under Holaday are the Alberta B. and Sidney E. Holaday Scholarship at Exeter College, Oxford University; major contributions to the United States Air Force Academy; and the first student-run venture fund out of the University of North Dakota’s Center for Innovation. The Foundation now focuses on economic and workforce development, entrepreneurship, and education in partnership with primarily Colorado-based nonprofits.
Holaday’s wife, Catharine Holaday, who joined the Foundation in 2013 and served as vice-chairman, is also retiring from the board. Her leadership, alongside the counsel of experienced senior advisors and the operational guidance of President and CEO, Kelsey Nolan (appointed in 2019), has helped usher the Foundation into the next generation.
The Foundation has undergone a profound organizational evolution. What began with a family-based advisory committee has grown into a professionally governed institution with a board that now includes individuals who have directly benefited from its charitable work. This unique structure ensures decisions are grounded in both strategic expertise and lived experience.
Newly-appointed Chairman, Andrew Sellers, recipient of the Holaday Scholarship at Exeter College, said, “Bart’s philosophy has always been about more than giving—it’s about building. He’s helped create an organization that invests in people, ideas, and systems that lead to long-term success. His retirement marks the end of an extraordinary chapter, but his legacy will continue to shape our mission for many years to come.”
As The Dakota Foundation looks ahead, it does so with confidence—grateful for Bart Holaday’s decades of service and fully committed to carrying his legacy forward: a legacy of smart giving, thoughtful compassion, and enduring impact.