The American Opportunity Foundation focuses almost exclusively on supporting postsecondary education in Utah, primarily funding scholarships and general program support at state universities, private colleges, and community colleges. Its grants favor large, recognizable in-state institutions but also include smaller local colleges, indicating a priority on expanding student access to higher education across the state.
Concentrated, in-state higher-education giving with repeat, one-off or annual scholarship grants to a small set of core grantees; grant sizes are modest to mid-range and distributed across both flagship universities and local colleges.
American Opportunity Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by scholarship support at Brigham Young University and the University of Utah, with both institutions appearing multiple times in the grant list and receiving the largest awards. The pattern points to a foundation centered on postsecondary access in Utah, especially for students enrolled at state universities, regional public colleges, and smaller career-oriented schools. Its grants are mostly unrestricted within the education context, often labeled simply as scholarships, which suggests direct support for students rather than broad institutional operating support. The foundation’s recipient list also includes Utah Valley University, Salt Lake Community College, Utah State University, Eagle Gate College, and Utah Tech, showing a spread across major public campuses and smaller local institutions. That mix indicates attention to both flagship universities and more regional pathways into higher education. Even when the grant amounts vary, the underlying purpose remains consistent: tuition and scholarship aid for Utah students. A single out-of-state grant to Metropolitan State University in Denver appears in the recent record, but the giving profile remains overwhelmingly focused on Utah-based education.
Scholarship support is the clearest thread in the foundation’s grant record. In 2025, it gave $36,000 to Brigham Young University for scholarships, and in 2025 it also awarded $25,000 to the University of Utah for scholarships. Those grants sit alongside earlier support for the same institutions, reinforcing a repeated emphasis on student aid at large universities. The foundation also supports access at regional public colleges. It gave $11,000 to Utah Valley University in Orem in 2023, then followed with another $5,500 scholarship grant to the same campus in 2025. Salt Lake Community College received $8,364 in 2023, and Utah State University received $5,500 that year. Smaller career-focused institutions are part of the mix too: Eagle Gate College in Salt Lake City and Utah Tech in St. George each received $5,500. A single 2025 grant of $5,500 to Metropolitan State University in Denver expands the record beyond Utah, while keeping the same higher-education focus.
$78K
$2.9M
$515K
$136K
Most grants fall between $6K and $25K, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$25K
RICHARD M TAGGART
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Notable grantees: Brigham Young University, University of Utah, Utah Valley University, Salt Lake Community College, Eagle Gate College
The typical grant size sits at $5,500 at the 25th percentile, $8,364 at the median, and $25,000 at the 75th percentile, showing a mix of modest awards and a smaller set of larger scholarships. The grant list also shows repeat support to the same universities across multiple years, especially Brigham Young University, the University of Utah, and Utah Valley University. That repeat pattern suggests ongoing institutional relationships rather than one-time gifts. The foundation is a private grantmaker with annual grants of $166,114 and assets of $2,881,757. It also makes program-related investments. No application process is stated in the provided data.
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly Utah-centered: 91% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s headquarters state. Provo and Salt Lake City appear repeatedly among recipient cities, along with Orem, Logan, and St. George. The largest out-of-state recipient in the recent record is Metropolitan State University in Denver, Colorado, but that is an exception within an otherwise local pattern. The recipient-country distribution is entirely in the United States, with 11 grants recorded there.
It funds postsecondary education, especially scholarships and student support. The recent grant list shows awards to Brigham Young University, the University of Utah, Utah Valley University, Salt Lake Community College, Utah State University, Eagle Gate College, Utah Tech, and Metropolitan State University, with several grants explicitly labeled scholarships.
The typical grant size is $5,500 at the 25th percentile, $8,364 at the median, and $25,000 at the 75th percentile. That range reflects a structure with many smaller awards and a smaller number of larger scholarship grants.
Yes. 91% of its grants go to recipients in Utah, and Utah is the top state by grant count. The recent recipient cities include Provo, Salt Lake City, Orem, Logan, and St. George.
Yes. Brigham Young University appears in 2023 and 2025, the University of Utah appears in 2023 and 2025, and Utah Valley University appears in 2023 and 2025. That pattern shows recurring support to the same institutions over multiple years.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY | PROVO, UT | $36,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| UNIVERSITY OF UTAH | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $25,000 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| METROPOLITAN STATE UNIVERSITY | DENVER, CO | $5,500 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY | OREM, UT | $5,500 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| EAGLE GATE COLLEGE | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $5,500 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY BYU | PROVO, UT | $33,250 | 2023 | — |
| UNIVERSITY OF UTAH U OF U | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $25,000 | 2023 | — |
| UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY UVU | OREM, UT | $11,000 | 2023 | — |
| SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SLCC | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $8,364 | 2023 | — |
| UTAH TECH UTAH TECH | ST GEORGE, UT | $5,500 | 2023 | — |
| UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY USU | LOGAN, UT | $5,500 | 2023 | — |
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
$36,000SCHOLARSHIPS
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
$25,000SCHOLARSHIPS
METROPOLITAN STATE UNIVERSITY
$5,500SCHOLARSHIPS
UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY
$5,500SCHOLARSHIPS
EAGLE GATE COLLEGE
$5,500SCHOLARSHIPS
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY BYU
$33,250UNIVERSITY OF UTAH U OF U
UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY UVU
$11,000SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SLCC
$8,364UTAH TECH UTAH TECH
$5,500UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY USU
$5,500