The Ellie & Les Hayt Family Foundation concentrates on local Arizona human‑service charities, with significant support for food banks, shelters, health and children’s services, and animal welfare. They fund both direct service providers (food banks, homeless shelters, domestic violence and hospice services) and organizations serving children and families (Ronald McDonald House, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, services for the blind). Grants are often sizable and mission‑specific, and the foundation shows a preference for well‑established local nonprofits that deliver basic needs and crisis support.
The Ellie & Les Hayt Family Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by repeated $75,000 grants to Arizona nonprofits that meet basic needs, including Ronald McDonald House Charities in Phoenix, The Salvation Army in Phoenix, St Vincent De Paul Society in Phoenix, Season for Sharing in Phoenix, and St Marys Food Bank in Phoenix. That pattern puts the foundation in the company of funders that support direct service providers rather than broad advocacy or policy work. Across the latest grants list, the foundation backs organizations serving people facing food insecurity, homelessness, family crisis, pediatric illness, disability, and animal welfare. Phoenix-area recipients appear most often, but the foundation also gives beyond that circle when a mission aligns with its priorities, as seen in grants to Durango Food Bank in Colorado, Guiding Eyes for the Blind in New York, and My Border Collie Brain in Texas. The recurring emphasis is on established nonprofits delivering immediate services: shelter, meals, hospice care, children’s support, and humane services. The grantmaking pattern suggests a family foundation focused on practical community support in Arizona, with a mix of large anchor gifts and smaller mission-specific awards to local charities.
Food security is one of the clearest themes in the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $75,000 to St Marys Food Bank in Phoenix and $50,000 to Durango Food Bank in Durango, along with additional support in prior years to St Marys Food Bank. Homelessness and crisis shelter also receive consistent support. The foundation awarded $50,000 to Central Arizona Shelter Services Inc in Phoenix and $15,000 to Sojourner Center in Phoenix, both of which serve people in emergency housing and safety situations. Children’s health and family support appear in several grants. Ronald McDonald House Charities in Phoenix received $75,000, Phoenix Children’s Hospital received $30,000, and One Step Beyond in Peoria received $20,000. The foundation also funds disability-related services and animal welfare, including $10,000 to Foundation for Blind Children and $40,000 to Arizona Animal Welfare League.
Typical grants cluster at relatively modest to mid-sized levels: p25 is $1,000, median is $2,000, and p75 is $4,500. The recent list also shows a separate layer of larger operating or program gifts, including several six-figure-scale anchors in the $50,000 to $75,000 range. Recurrence is visible across years: The Salvation Army, Season for Sharing, St Marys Food Bank, and St Vincent De Paul Society each appear more than once. The foundation is a family foundation, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The recent grant list also suggests a preference for mission-specific charitable support rather than a formal application-heavy model.
$879K
$148K
$159K
$882K
Most grants fall between $1K and $5K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$5K
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Concentrated, mid‑to‑large grants to local operating charities with some repeat support; funding is program/service‑oriented (food, shelter, health, animal welfare) rather than broad capacity building. A mix of multi‑year or recurring support (several organizations received multiple grants) plus one‑off sizable gifts.
Notable grantees: Season for Sharing, St. Marys Food Bank, Ronald McDonald House Charities, The Salvation Army, Arizona Animal Welfare League
Giving is overwhelmingly local and centered in Arizona: 95% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the top giving state is AZ. Phoenix is the main recipient city, with additional grants in Peoria and Mesa. Outside Arizona, the foundation has made a smaller number of grants to Durango, Colorado; Yorktown Heights, New York; and Houston, Texas. All grants in the recent dataset went to U.S. recipients.
The foundation supports direct-service nonprofits serving food insecurity, homelessness, family crisis, pediatric care, disability-related services, and animal welfare. Recent recipients include food banks, shelter providers, hospice services, children’s health organizations, blind-services nonprofits, and humane societies.
Yes. 95% of its grants go to recipients in Arizona, and Arizona is the top state by grant count. Phoenix accounts for many of the recent awards, with additional grants in Peoria and Mesa.
The grant-size distribution is small to mid-sized: p25 is $1,000, the median is $2,000, and p75 is $4,500. The recent grants list also includes larger awards in the $20,000 to $75,000 range.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including The Salvation Army, Season for Sharing, St Marys Food Bank, and St Vincent De Paul Society. That suggests ongoing support rather than one-time gifts only.
Most grants stay in Arizona, but the recent list includes recipients in Durango, Colorado; Yorktown Heights, New York; and Houston, Texas. All grants in the dataset went to U.S. organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES | PHOENIX, AZ | $75,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | PHOENIX, AZ | $75,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ST MARYS FOOD BANK | PHOENIX, AZ | $75,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SEASON FOR SHARING | PHOENIX, AZ | $75,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| MY BORDER COLLIE BRAIN | HOUSTON, TX | $75,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY | PHOENIX, AZ | $75,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| DURANGO FOOD BANK | DURANGO, CO | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CENTRAL ARIZONA SHELTER SERVICES INC | PHOENIX, AZ | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| ARIZONA ANIMAL WELFARE LEAGUE | PHOENIX, AZ | $40,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| GOMPERS HABILITATION CENTER | PHOENIX, AZ | $40,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PHOENIX CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | PHOENIX, AZ | $30,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ARIZONA BURN FOUNDATION | PHOENIX, AZ | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| HOSPICE OF THE VALLEY | PHOENIX, AZ | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ONE STEP BEYOND | PEORIA, AZ | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| CIRCLE THE CITY | PHOENIX, AZ | $15,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SOJOURNER CENTER | PHOENIX, AZ | $15,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| GABRIEL'S ANGELS | PHOENIX, AZ | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| A NEW LEAF | MESA, AZ | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ARIZONA HUMANE SOCIETY | PHOENIX, AZ | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND | YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| THE PHOENIX THEATRE COMPANY | PHOENIX, AZ | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FOUNDATION FOR BLIND CHILDREN | PHOENIX, AZ | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| MCKENNA YOUTH FOUNDATION | CAVE CREEK, AZ | $7,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| BRAMBLEY HEDGE RABBIT RESCUE | PHOENIX, AZ | $7,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| MOTORCYCLE RELIEF PROJECT | FOUNTAIN, CO | $7,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ANNIE'S ORPHANS | DURANGO, CO | $6,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| FLIGHTS FOR LIFE | PHOENIX, AZ | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| AOPA FOUNDATION | FREDERICK, MD | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| ROSIE'S HOUSE | PHOENIX, AZ | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SUN SOUNDS OF ARIZONA | TEMPE, AZ | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| BMW MOA FOUNDATION | GREER, SC | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| PACKAGES FROM HOME | GLENDALE, AZ | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SEASON FOR SHARING | PHOENIX, AZ | $14,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| THE SALVATION ARMY | PHOENIX, AZ | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ST MARYS FOOD BANK | PHOENIX, AZ | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY | PHOENIX, AZ | $8,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES | PHOENIX, AZ | $6,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| CENTRAL ARIZONA SHELTER SERVICES INC | PHOENIX, AZ | $4,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| SOJOURNER CENTER | PHOENIX, AZ | $4,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ARIZONA ANIMAL WELFARE LEAGUE & SPCA | PHOENIX, AZ | $3,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| GOMPERS HABILITATION CENTER | PHOENIX, AZ | $3,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND | YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NY | $2,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| ARIZONA BURN FOUNDATION | PHOENIX, AZ | $2,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| FOUNDATION FOR BLIND CHILDREN | PHOENIX, AZ | $2,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| THE PHOENIX THEATRE COMPANY | PHOENIX, AZ | $2,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| SUN SOUNDS OF ARIZONA | TEMPE, AZ | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| MCKENNA YOUTH FOUNDATION | CAVE CREEK, AZ | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| A NEW LEAF | MESA, AZ | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| HOSPICE OF THE VALLEY | PHOENIX, AZ | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
| BRAMBLEY HEDGE RABBIT RESCUE | PHOENIX, AZ | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE |
THE SALVATION ARMY
$75,000CHARITABLE
ST MARYS FOOD BANK
$75,000CHARITABLE
SEASON FOR SHARING
$75,000CHARITABLE
MY BORDER COLLIE BRAIN
$75,000CHARITABLE
ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY
$75,000CHARITABLE
GOMPERS HABILITATION CENTER
$40,000CHARITABLE
GABRIEL'S ANGELS
$10,000CHARITABLE
ARIZONA HUMANE SOCIETY
$10,000CHARITABLE
GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND
$10,000CHARITABLE
THE PHOENIX THEATRE COMPANY
$10,000CHARITABLE
MCKENNA YOUTH FOUNDATION
$7,500CHARITABLE
BRAMBLEY HEDGE RABBIT RESCUE
$7,500CHARITABLE
MOTORCYCLE RELIEF PROJECT
$7,500CHARITABLE
ANNIE'S ORPHANS
$6,000CHARITABLE
FLIGHTS FOR LIFE
$5,000CHARITABLE
ROSIE'S HOUSE
$5,000CHARITABLE
SUN SOUNDS OF ARIZONA
$5,000CHARITABLE
BMW MOA FOUNDATION
$5,000CHARITABLE
PACKAGES FROM HOME
$5,000CHARITABLE
SEASON FOR SHARING
$14,000CHARITABLE
THE SALVATION ARMY
$10,000CHARITABLE
ST MARYS FOOD BANK
$10,000CHARITABLE
ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY
$8,000CHARITABLE
ARIZONA ANIMAL WELFARE LEAGUE & SPCA
$3,000CHARITY
GUIDING EYES FOR THE BLIND
$2,000CHARITABLE
THE PHOENIX THEATRE COMPANY
$2,000CHARITABLE
SUN SOUNDS OF ARIZONA
$1,000CHARITABLE
MCKENNA YOUTH FOUNDATION
$1,000CHARITABLE
BRAMBLEY HEDGE RABBIT RESCUE
$1,000CHARITABLE