The SJ and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation concentrates its giving on major higher-education institutions in Utah, providing large unrestricted or general support gifts to university colleges and research institutes — notably law and natural-resources programs. Grants are few but sizable, often repeated to the same campus units or development offices, and show a clear Utah geographic focus with occasional funding routed through another charitable foundation.
Concentrated, large grants with repeat multi-year support to a small set of core Utah higher-education units and closely related foundations; emphasis on general/undesignated funding rather than many small awards.
The SJ and Jessie E Quinney Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by large general-support grants to Utah higher-education institutions, especially the University of Utah SJ Quinney College of Law and Utah State University units tied to the Quinney name. Those awards are sizable enough to stand out in a grant list that otherwise shows a steady pattern of flexible support for university colleges, research institutes, and development offices. The foundation also appears in the recent record through an intermediary, with a grant to Renaissance Charitable Foundation for general financial support. Across the newest grants, the foundation’s support to the law school reached $1,545,622 in 2024 and $1,410,000 in 2023, while Utah State University’s LWA Institute received $1,000,000 in 2025 and $750,000 in 2023. That same broad, unrestricted approach extends beyond higher education: the recent list includes support for cultural, health, education, and civic organizations in Utah, all framed as general financial support. The pattern suggests a funder that uses flexible grants to sustain institution-level operations and long-term capacity rather than project-specific awards.
Higher education is the clearest theme in the foundation’s recent grants. At the University of Utah SJ Quinney College of Law, the foundation gave $1,545,622 in 2024 for general financial support, following a $1,410,000 grant in 2023 for the same purpose. Utah State University’s LWA Institute also received repeated general support, including $1,000,000 in 2025 and $750,000 in 2023. Natural resources and research are another recurring focus. Utah State University’s Quinney College of Natural Resources received $575,000 in 2025, $510,000 in 2024, and $530,000 in 2023, all as general financial support. The foundation also supports university development infrastructure, including a $379,000 grant to the University of Utah University Development Office in 2024 and $75,000 in 2023.
Typical grant size is modest relative to the foundation’s largest awards: the p25 is $5,000, the median is $7,000, and the p75 is $15,500. At the same time, the recent record includes several seven-figure grants, showing a mix of smaller community gifts and large institutional commitments. The same recipients appear across multiple years, especially Utah State University units and the University of Utah, indicating recurring support rather than one-time awards. The foundation is not a fund for individuals and does not make program-related investments. The pattern in the data is flexible general support, often unrestricted, with no application process described.
$4.3M
$68.7M
$7.2M
$5.1M
Most grants fall between $5K and $16K, with a median of $7K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$7K
75th Percentile
$16K
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Notable grantees: University of Utah — SJ Quinney College of Law, Utah State University — LWA Institute, Utah State University — Quinney College of Natural Resources, Renaissance Charitable Foundation, University of Utah — University Development Office
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly Utah-centered: 80% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and Utah is the top state by grant count. Salt Lake City and Logan appear repeatedly in the recent grants list, including awards to University of Utah units in Salt Lake City and Utah State University units in Logan. Most of the remaining grants still stay in-state, reaching places such as Park City, Moab, and other Utah-based organizations. Outside the United States, none appear in the grant recipient distribution; all listed grants go to U.S. recipients.
Recent grants center on higher education, especially the University of Utah SJ Quinney College of Law and Utah State University units. The foundation also gives general financial support to organizations in health, arts, education, media, and civic life, including Intermountain Medical Foundation for Primary Childrens Hospital, Ballet West, and The Salt Lake Tribune.
Yes. Utah is the top state by grant count, and 80% of grants go to recipients in Utah, the HQ state. The recent list is heavily concentrated in Salt Lake City and Logan, with additional Utah recipients in places such as Park City and Moab.
The p25 grant size is $5,000, the median is $7,000, and the p75 is $15,500. The recent record also includes much larger institutional grants, so the foundation uses both small awards and major general-support commitments.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years. For example, Utah State University’s Quinney College of Natural Resources appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Utah State University’s LWA Institute appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025 as well.
The recent grants are described as general financial support, including unrestricted or flexible support for university colleges, research institutes, and development offices. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renaissance Charitable Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $1,395,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Utah State University - LWA Institute | Logan, UT | $1,000,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Utah State University - Quinney College of Natural Resources | Logan, UT | $575,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Intermountain Medical Foundation for Primary Childrens Hospital | Salt Lake City, UT | $250,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| University of Utah SJ Quinney College of Law | Salt Lake City, UT | $150,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| University of Utah - University Development Office | Salt Lake City, UT | $136,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Ballet West | Salt Lake City, UT | $130,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Huntsman Mental Health Institute | Salt Lake City, UT | $100,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Utah Symphony and Opera | Salt Lake City, UT | $55,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| The Salt Lake Tribune | Salt Lake City, UT | $50,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| The McGillis School | Salt Lake City, UT | $35,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Planned Parenthood Association of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT | $31,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Guadalupe Schools | Salt Lake City, UT | $30,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Moab Music Festival | Moab, UT | $30,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| We Are Limitless | Toluca Lake, CA | $27,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Utah State University Development Office | Logan, UT | $25,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Neighborhood House | Salt Lake City, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Warrior Rizen Foundation | Morgan, UT | $16,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Open Doors | Clearfield, UT | $12,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Judge Memorial Catholic High School | Salt Lake City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake | Salt Lake City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Visual Art Institute | Salt Lake City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Moab Valley Multicultural Center | Moab, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| IJ and Jeanne Wagner Jewish Community Center | Salt Lake City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Wasatch Community Gardens | Salt Lake City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Ladies of Charity Center of Hope | North Salt Lake, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Zion Canyon Mesa | Springdale, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Utah Land Use Institute | Salt Lake City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Second Chance Wildlife Rehab | Carbonville, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Other Side Academy | Salt Lake City, UT | $7,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Utah Food Bank | Salt Lake City, UT | $7,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| The Henry's Fork Foundation | Ashton, ID | $6,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| The Nature Conservancy in Idaho | Boise, ID | $6,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| The Nature Conservancy of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT | $6,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Worldwide Addiction Recovery Ltd | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Best Friends Animal Society | Kanab, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation | Park City, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Naraya Cultural Preservation Foundation | Fort Hall, ID | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Fight the New Drug | Salt Lake City, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Utah Film Center - Tumbleweed | Salt Lake City, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Utah Rivers Council | Sandy, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Gonzaga Elder Law Clinic | Spokane, WA | $3,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Utah Open Lands | Salt Lake City, UT | $2,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Utah Blues Society | Ogden, UT | $2,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Salt Lake Acting Company | Salt Lake City, UT | $2,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| The Brigid Alliance | New York, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Women's Reproductive Rights Assistance Project | Santa Monica, CA | $2,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| David Ross Fetzer Foundation for Emerging Artists | Salt Lake City, UT | $2,500 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| Community Foundation of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT | $1,000 | 2025 | General Financial Support |
| University of Utah SJ Quinney College of Law | Salt Lake City, UT | $1,545,622 | 2024 | General Financial Support |
Utah State University - LWA Institute
$1,000,000General Financial Support
Utah State University - Quinney College of Natural Resources
$575,000General Financial Support
Intermountain Medical Foundation for Primary Childrens Hospital
$250,000General Financial Support
University of Utah SJ Quinney College of Law
$150,000General Financial Support
University of Utah - University Development Office
$136,000General Financial Support
Huntsman Mental Health Institute
$100,000General Financial Support
The Salt Lake Tribune
$50,000General Financial Support
Guadalupe Schools
$30,000General Financial Support
Moab Music Festival
$30,000General Financial Support
We Are Limitless
$27,000General Financial Support
Utah State University Development Office
$25,000General Financial Support
Warrior Rizen Foundation
$16,000General Financial Support
Open Doors
$12,500General Financial Support
Judge Memorial Catholic High School
$10,000General Financial Support
IJ and Jeanne Wagner Jewish Community Center
$10,000General Financial Support
Ladies of Charity Center of Hope
$10,000General Financial Support
Zion Canyon Mesa
$10,000General Financial Support
Utah Land Use Institute
$10,000General Financial Support
Second Chance Wildlife Rehab
$10,000General Financial Support
The Nature Conservancy in Idaho
$6,000General Financial Support
The Nature Conservancy of Utah
$6,000General Financial Support
Worldwide Addiction Recovery Ltd
$5,000General Financial Support
Alf Engen Ski Museum Foundation
$5,000General Financial Support
Naraya Cultural Preservation Foundation
$5,000General Financial Support
Fight the New Drug
$5,000General Financial Support
Utah Film Center - Tumbleweed
$5,000General Financial Support
Utah Rivers Council
$5,000General Financial Support
Gonzaga Elder Law Clinic
$3,000General Financial Support
Utah Open Lands
$2,500General Financial Support
Utah Blues Society
$2,500General Financial Support
Salt Lake Acting Company
$2,500General Financial Support
David Ross Fetzer Foundation for Emerging Artists
$2,500General Financial Support
University of Utah SJ Quinney College of Law
$1,545,622General Financial Support