The W Mack & Julia S Watkins Foundation concentrates its support in Utah, prioritizing performing arts institutions, faith-based (LDS) organizations, and local education/training programs. Grants are commonly made repeatedly to the same cultural and church-affiliated organizations, and include scholarship support and a smaller thread of community services for Native American populations. Their giving emphasizes sustaining flagship Utah arts organizations and supporting Mormon-affiliated philanthropic efforts alongside technical education.
A defining feature of W Mack & Julia S Watkins Foundation’s recent giving is its repeated support for Salt Lake City arts institutions and LDS-affiliated philanthropy, often at the $20,000 level. Ballet West, Pioneer Theater Company, U of U School Music, and the Corp of the President of the Church each appear among the foundation’s top grants, showing a steady pattern of backing established organizations rather than one-time projects. The foundation also extends this same level of support to education and community-serving groups in Utah, including Davis Technical College Foundation and American Indian Services. Its grantmaking reaches beyond performing arts and religious institutions into scholarship aid, student support, and select community programs. Davis Education Foundation received support for students in need, while Davis High School and The Children’s Center show attention to youth-serving services. The presence of both general support and purpose-restricted awards suggests a mix of operating and program funding. Across the recent grants listed, the foundation’s giving is tightly centered in Utah and repeatedly reinforces a small group of grantees over multiple years.
In the performing arts, the foundation gave $20,000 to Ballet West for general support, $20,000 to Pioneer Theater Company for general support, and $20,000 to Utah Symphony Utah Opera for general support. It also supported the U of U School Music with $20,000 for general support, and later backed the Intermountain Suzuki String Institute with $5,000 for a trumpet program. Education and student support are another clear thread. Davis Technical College Foundation received $20,000 for scholarships in 2023 and $9,182 for scholarships in 2025, while Davis Education Foundation received $6,782 to support students in need. Youth-serving grants also appear in the recent list: Davis High School received $5,900 and $5,000 for its high school teen center. Community and faith-linked giving shows up through American Indian Services, The Road Home, Utah Parent Center, and Lds Philanthropies.
Typical grants cluster at $20,000, with the middle of the distribution also at $20,000; the lower quartile is $6,341, showing that many awards are still sizable. The foundation uses both general support and restricted support, including scholarships and program-specific funding. Recipients recur across years: Ballet West, Pioneer Theater Company, U of U School Music, Corp of the President of the Church, American Indian Services, Davis Technical College Foundation, and Davis High School all appear more than once. The pattern points to relationship-based, repeat support rather than a broad one-time grantmaking model.
$225K
$3.2M
$27K
$195K
Most grants fall between $6K and $20K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Concentrated, repeat support: multiple mid-sized grants to a small set of recurring grantees (several organizations received three separate grants), focused geographically in Utah and weighted toward arts and church-related institutions rather than a wide, diffuse portfolio.
Notable grantees: U of U School Music, Ballet West, Corp of the President of the Church (LDS), Pioneer Theater Company, Davis Technical College Foundation
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly Utah-centered: 97% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the top giving state is Utah. Salt Lake City appears repeatedly through Ballet West, Pioneer Theater Company, Utah Symphony Utah Opera, the U of U School Music, and the Corp of the President of the Church. Other Utah recipient cities include Provo, Kaysville, Ogden, Murray, West Valley City, Farmington, and Holladay. Outside Utah, the recent list includes only one recipient in Arizona: Mongol Ecology Center in Tucson.
Its recent grants concentrate on Utah performing arts groups, LDS Church-affiliated philanthropy, and education or scholarship support. The recent list also includes youth services and Native American community support, such as awards to Davis High School, Davis Technical College Foundation, and American Indian Services.
The grant-size distribution centers on $20,000 awards. The lower quartile is $6,341 and the median is also $20,000, so many gifts are at the same level as the foundation’s standard larger awards.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Ballet West, Pioneer Theater Company, U of U School Music, Corp of the President of the Church, American Indian Services, Davis Technical College Foundation, and Davis High School.
Its giving is local and heavily concentrated in Utah: 97% of grants go to recipients in Utah, and Utah is the top state by grant count. Recent Utah recipients include organizations in Salt Lake City, Provo, Kaysville, Ogden, Murray, West Valley City, Farmington, and Holladay.
Yes. Davis Technical College Foundation received $20,000 for scholarships in 2023 and $9,182 for scholarships in 2025. The recent grants also include support for students in need through Davis Education Foundation.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BALLET WEST | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PIONEER THEATER COMPANY | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PIONEER THEATER COMPANY | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BALLET WEST | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| U OF U SCHOOL MUSIC | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| U OF U SCHOOL MUSIC | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CORP OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURC | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| CORP OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURC | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN INDIAN SERVICES | PROVO, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE CHILDREN'S CENTER | WEST VALLEY CITY, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | HONOR RACHEL BARLOW RICHARDSON |
| AMERICAN INDIAN SERVICES | PROVO, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DAVIS TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOUNDATION | KAYSVILLE, UT | $9,182 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL | KAYSVILLE, UT | $5,900 | 2025 | HIGH SCHOOL TEEN CENTER |
| BOUNTIFUL FOOD PANTRY | BOUNTIFUL, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| MONGOL ECOLOGY CENTER | TUCSON, AZ | $5,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL | KAYSVILLE, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | HIGH SCHOOL TEEN CENTER |
| INTERMOUNTAIN SUZUKI STRING INSTITUTE | HOLLADAY, UT | $5,000 | 2025 | TRUMPET PROGRAM |
| CORP OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURC | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| PIONEER THEATER COMPANY | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DAVIS TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOUNDATION | KAYSVILLE, UT | $20,000 | 2023 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| U OF U SCHOOL MUSIC | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UTAH SYMPHONY UTAH OPERA | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| BALLET WEST | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LDS PHILANTHROPIES | PROVO, UT | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN INDIAN SERVICES | PROVO, UT | $20,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE ROAD HOME | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TREEHOUSE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM | OGDEN, UT | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| DAVIS EDUCATION FOUNDATION | FARMINGTON, UT | $6,782 | 2023 | SUPPORT STUDENTS IN NEED |
| SEAGER MEMORIAL CENTER | OGDEN, UT | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| UTAH PARENT CENTER | MURRAY, UT | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| THE MUNDI PROJECT | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
PIONEER THEATER COMPANY
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PIONEER THEATER COMPANY
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
U OF U SCHOOL MUSIC
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
U OF U SCHOOL MUSIC
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CORP OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURC
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
CORP OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURC
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
AMERICAN INDIAN SERVICES
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE CHILDREN'S CENTER
$10,000HONOR RACHEL BARLOW RICHARDSON
AMERICAN INDIAN SERVICES
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DAVIS TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOUNDATION
$9,182SCHOLARSHIPS
DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL
$5,900HIGH SCHOOL TEEN CENTER
BOUNTIFUL FOOD PANTRY
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DAVIS HIGH SCHOOL
$5,000HIGH SCHOOL TEEN CENTER
INTERMOUNTAIN SUZUKI STRING INSTITUTE
$5,000TRUMPET PROGRAM
CORP OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE CHURC
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
PIONEER THEATER COMPANY
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
DAVIS TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOUNDATION
$20,000SCHOLARSHIPS
U OF U SCHOOL MUSIC
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LDS PHILANTHROPIES
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TREEHOUSE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM
$10,000GENERAL SUPPORT
SEAGER MEMORIAL CENTER
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
UTAH PARENT CENTER
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT
THE MUNDI PROJECT
$5,000GENERAL SUPPORT