About Semnani Family Foundation
The Semnani Family Foundation primarily channels very large, concentrated gifts into philanthropic intermediaries rather than directly to operating nonprofits. Most giving goes to donor-advised/charitable endowment vehicles (Vanguard) and a single local community foundation initiative supporting social entrepreneurship in Utah, indicating a strategy of using intermediaries to deploy philanthropic capital while also making a targeted investment in local social enterprise capacity.
Focus Areas
Donor-advised funds / charitable endowment fundingPhilanthropic intermediaries and pass-through givingSocial entrepreneurship capacity-building in Utah
Giving Approach
Highly concentrated: four very large grants totaling nearly $13.7M, with repeat, multi-million-dollar gifts to Vanguard donor-advised/endowment vehicles and a single six-figure grant to a local community foundation. Emphasis on funding intermediaries rather than many small direct-service grants.
Funding Style
general operating supportunrestricted/core supportundesignated/general contributionannual or one-time general grant
About Semnani Family Foundation
The Semnani Family Foundation’s recent giving is defined by very large transfers to philanthropic intermediaries, especially the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program and the Vanguard Donor Advised Fund, alongside a targeted Utah commitment to social entrepreneurship. That mix shows a foundation that channels substantial capital through pass-through vehicles while also making selected direct grants in its local community. The foundation’s recent grant list also includes support for health and human services organizations in Utah, education and research institutions, and relief-oriented nonprofits. Catholic Relief Services appears in multiple years, and the Utah Community Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship received a $500,000 grant in 2025, signaling a local capacity-building emphasis within a broader pattern of intermediary giving. Semnani Family Foundation’s public grant history points to a regional strategy rather than a broad national spread. Most of its grants land in Utah, and the recurring presence of the same intermediary and service-oriented recipients suggests a concentrated approach to grantmaking. The foundation also supports organizations tied to disability services, mental health, and community assistance, usually through general contributions rather than restricted project awards.
What Semnani Family Foundation Funds
A clear theme in Semnani Family Foundation’s grantmaking is support for philanthropic intermediaries. In 2025 it gave $3,965,750 to the Vanguard Donor Advised Fund as a general contribution, following earlier general contributions of $4,772,240 in 2023 and $4,501,150 in 2024 to the Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program. The foundation also supports Utah-based community infrastructure. It gave $500,000 to the Utah Community Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship for general support, which fits its pattern of backing local capacity rather than only direct-service grants. Health-related giving appears in several forms. The foundation awarded $110,054 to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in 2025 and $55,411 in 2024, both as general contributions. It also gave $75,000 to Shriners Hospital for Children and $35,500 to Moran Eye Center, reflecting support for medical and treatment-oriented organizations. Education and campus institutions are another visible area, with grants to Westminster College, the University of Utah Science Department, and the University of Utah Mechanical Engineering.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$5.6M
Total Assets
$132.2M
Total Revenue
$30.9M
Total Expenses
$7.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $4K and $25K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$25K
Geographic Reach
Regional18 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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