The Janet Q Lawson Foundation concentrates its giving in Utah, providing sizable, general operating support to major public universities, community service organizations, cultural programs, and children's health care. Grants are large and often multi-year or repeated, signaling a preference for sustaining institutions that serve broad public needs across the state. The foundation favors unrestricted/general financial support over project-specific funding, enabling grantees flexibility in use.
A defining feature of the Janet Q Lawson Foundation is its repeated, large general operating support for Utah institutions that serve broad public needs. Utah State University received three of the foundation’s largest recent grants: $1,407,900 in 2023, $1,202,000 in 2024, and $1,381,000 in 2025, all listed as general financial support. That pattern puts sustained institutional backing at the center of the foundation’s giving. The same approach shows up across other grantees as well. Neighborhood House in Salt Lake City received $785,000 in 2023, and the University of Utah received $410,000 in 2024 and $286,000 in 2023, also as general financial support. The foundation’s grantmaking reaches higher education, human services, children’s health, cultural organizations, and related civic institutions, with funding that is flexible rather than tightly project-bound. Recent grants also include support for Intermountain Foundation at Primary Children's Hospital, Entrada Cultural Center, Ballet West, and the Salt Lake Tribune, reflecting a portfolio built around organizations with statewide or regional reach.
Public higher education is a major area of support. Utah State University received $1,381,000 in 2025 for general financial support, and the University of Utah received $62,500 in 2025 on the same basis. Human services appear through Neighborhood House, which received $785,000 in 2023 for general financial support. Children’s health care is another clear theme: Intermountain Foundation at Primary Children's Hospital received $255,000 in 2025. Cultural and arts institutions also appear regularly, including Entrada Cultural Center, which received $280,000 in 2025, and Ballet West, which received $130,000 in 2025. The foundation’s giving also includes support for Utah’s civic and information infrastructure, such as the Salt Lake Tribune, which received $200,000 in 2024 and $100,000 in 2025.
The typical grant size sits at $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $16,875 at the 75th percentile. The recent record also shows a small number of much larger awards, especially to major institutions. Repeated grants to the same recipients across multiple years are common: Utah State University, University of Utah, Utah Symphony Utah Opera, Ballet West, Girl Scouts of Utah, Nature Conservancy in Utah, and Salt Lake Tribune each appear more than once in the recent list. The foundation funds organizations rather than individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grant descriptions in the recent data are overwhelmingly labeled general financial support, indicating flexible operating support rather than narrowly defined project grants.
$3.9M
$59M
$5M
$4.6M
Most grants fall between $5K and $17K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$17K
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving primarily within Utah; relatively few grants but large amounts, with repeat funding to major institutions and predominantly unrestricted/general support.
Notable grantees: Utah State University, University of Utah, Neighborhood House, Entrada Cultural Center, Intermountain Foundation at Primary Children's Hospital
Grantmaking is heavily concentrated in Utah, which accounts for 76% of grants and is the top state by grant count. Salt Lake City appears often as the recipient location, alongside Logan, Torrey, and Monticello within the state. Outside Utah, a smaller number of grants go to Indianapolis, Indiana, and Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 160 grants in the United States and none listed elsewhere.
The recent grants show support for public higher education, neighborhood-based human services, children’s health care, and cultural institutions. Examples in the data include universities, a community service organization, a children’s hospital foundation, and arts organizations, all funded through general financial support.
Yes. Utah is the top state by grant count, and 76% of grants go to recipients in Utah. Recent recipient cities in the state include Salt Lake City, Logan, Torrey, and Monticello.
The grant-size distribution places the 25th percentile at $5,000, the median at $10,000, and the 75th percentile at $16,875. The recent list also includes much larger awards to major institutions, so the portfolio includes both modest and very large grants.
Repeated support is common. Several recipients appear across multiple years in the recent grants list, including Utah State University, University of Utah, Utah Symphony Utah Opera, Ballet West, Girl Scouts of Utah, Nature Conservancy in Utah, and Salt Lake Tribune.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah State University | Logan, UT | $1,381,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Renaissance Charitable Foundation Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $840,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Entrada Cultural Center | Torrey, UT | $280,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Intermountain Foundation at Primary Children's Hospital | Salt Lake City, UT | $255,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Ballet West | Salt Lake City, UT | $130,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| YMCA of Northern Utah | Salt Lake City, UT | $110,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Huntsman Mental Health Institute | Salt Lake City, UT | $100,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Salt Lake Tribune | Salt Lake City, UT | $100,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Utah Symphony Utah Opera | Salt Lake City, UT | $75,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| University of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT | $62,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Friends of Tracy Aviary | Salt Lake City, UT | $45,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Nature Conservancy in Utah | Salt Lake City, UT | $42,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Utah's Hogle Zoo | Salt Lake City, UT | $40,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Girl Scouts of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT | $35,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Neighborhood House | Salt Lake City, UT | $35,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Friends of Arches and Canyonlands Parks | Moab, UT | $30,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Blaine Avalanche & Rescue K9S Corp | Hailey, ID | $25,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Black Mesa Trust | Kykotsmovi Village, AZ | $20,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Guadalupe School | Salt Lake City, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| The McGillis School | Salt Lake City, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| New England Conservatory of Music | Boston, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | General Finanical Support |
| Youth Garden Project | Moab, UT | $15,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Bountiful Community Food Pantry | Bountiful, UT | $15,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Bridgerland Technical College Foundation | Logan, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| The Trustees of Reservations | Boston, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Boston Book Festival | Cambridge, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Grand Staircase Escalante Partners | Escalante, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Association of Community Employment Programs for the Homeless (ACE) | Long Island, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| The Madeline Choir School | Salt Lake City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Safe Harbor Crisis Center | Layton, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Moab Music Festival | Moab, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Moab Free Health Clinic | Moab, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Alf Engen Ski Museum | Park City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Shriner's Hospital for Children | Salt Lake City, UT | $7,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Ducks Unlimited | Salt Lake City, UT | $7,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Davis Education Foundation | Farmington, UT | $7,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Moab Public Radio | Moab, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Hopi Tutskwa Permaculture Institute | Kykotsmovi, AZ | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Utah Food Bank | Salt Lake City, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Wasatch Community Gardens | Salt Lake City, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| The Jared Prescott Charitable Trust | Centerville, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Ride With Respect | Moab, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Central Union Church Preschool | Honolulu, HI | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| The Children's Center | Salt Lake City, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| American Foundation for Suicide Prevention | Atlanta, GA | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Harvard Medical School | Boston, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Planned Parenthood of the Columbia Willamette | Portland, OR | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| VNA Care | Marlborough, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Wasatch Adaptive Sports | Snowbird, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) | Lander, WY | $3,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
Utah State University
$1,381,000General Financial Support
Entrada Cultural Center
$280,000General Financial Support
Intermountain Foundation at Primary Children's Hospital
$255,000General Financial Support
General Financial Support
Huntsman Mental Health Institute
$100,000General Financial Support
Salt Lake Tribune
$100,000General Financial Support
Utah Symphony Utah Opera
$75,000General Financial Support
University of Utah
$62,500General Financial Support
Friends of Tracy Aviary
$45,000General Financial Support
Nature Conservancy in Utah
$42,500General Financial Support
Utah's Hogle Zoo
$40,000General Financial Support
Girl Scouts of Utah
$35,000General Financial Support
Neighborhood House
$35,000General Financial Support
Friends of Arches and Canyonlands Parks
$30,000General Financial Support
Blaine Avalanche & Rescue K9S Corp
$25,000General Financial Support
Black Mesa Trust
$20,000General Financial Support
Guadalupe School
$20,000General Financial Support
Youth Garden Project
$15,000General Financial Support
Bountiful Community Food Pantry
$15,000General Financial Support
Bridgerland Technical College Foundation
$10,000General Financial Support
Boston Book Festival
$10,000General Financial Support
Grand Staircase Escalante Partners
$10,000General Financial Support
General Financial Support
The Madeline Choir School
$10,000General Financial Support
Moab Music Festival
$10,000General Financial Support
Moab Free Health Clinic
$10,000General Financial Support
Alf Engen Ski Museum
$10,000General Financial Support
Shriner's Hospital for Children
$7,500General Financial Support
Ducks Unlimited
$7,500General Financial Support
Moab Public Radio
$5,000General Financial Support
Hopi Tutskwa Permaculture Institute
$5,000General Financial Support
The Jared Prescott Charitable Trust
$5,000General Financial Support
Ride With Respect
$5,000General Financial Support
Central Union Church Preschool
$5,000General Financial Support
The Children's Center
$5,000General Financial Support
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
$5,000General Financial Support
Harvard Medical School
$5,000General Financial Support
VNA Care
$5,000General Financial Support
Wasatch Adaptive Sports
$5,000General Financial Support
National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)
$3,500General Financial Support