The Willard L Eccles Charitable Foundation concentrates its recent giving on higher education in Utah, demonstrated by a single, sizable grant to the University of Utah for general charitable purposes. The foundation appears to favor place-based support for a major local university, providing flexible funding that can be used across the institution. Its giving is institutional rather than program-specific, suggesting a preference for core or unrestricted support to a flagship educational institution.
Highly concentrated: a single large grant to a local flagship university, indicating selective, institution-level philanthropy rather than broad, diversified grantmaking.
Willard L Eccles Charitable Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by flexible support to Utah institutions, led by a $145,000 grant to the University of Utah for general charitable purposes. That pattern continues across the foundation’s larger awards: the University of Utah College of Science received $100,000, the University of Utah School of Medicine received $86,667, and The Children’s Center received $80,000. These grants point to a funder that supports core institutional needs rather than narrow project lines, with higher education appearing alongside health, family services, and conservation. Recent awards also include The Nature Conservancy of Utah, ASCENT Center, Crossroads Urban Center, and YCC Family Crisis Center, showing a mix of university, social-service, and environmental recipients. The grant language is consistently broad, often listed as general charitable purposes, which aligns with the foundation’s tendency to provide operating or unrestricted support. Across the recent grants list, the foundation’s profile is one of place-based philanthropy concentrated on organizations serving Utah communities, especially in Salt Lake City and nearby areas.
Higher education is one of the clearest themes in the recent grants list. The foundation gave $100,000 to the University of Utah College of Science and $86,667 to the University of Utah School of Medicine, both for general charitable purposes. Environmental work also appears in the record: The Nature Conservancy of Utah received $75,000 in 2023, $75,000 in 2024, and $60,000 in 2025. In health-related grantmaking, the foundation supported The Children’s Center with $55,000 in 2024 and $80,000 in 2025, while YCC Family Crisis Center received $45,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2025. The list also includes social-service support such as $60,000 to Crossroads Urban Center, indicating that the foundation’s priorities extend beyond academia into community needs and health care.
Typical grant size clusters around a relatively modest core, with a p25 of $10,000, a median of $15,000, and a p75 of $25,000. Recent awards also show a mix of mid-sized and larger institutional grants, including repeated support to organizations across multiple years. The grant list includes back-to-back funding for recipients such as The Nature Conservancy of Utah, ASCENT Center, The Children’s Center, and YCC Family Crisis Center, which suggests recurring relationships rather than one-time gifts. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Its active grant programs indicate that unsolicited applications are accepted.
$1.5M
$26.6M
$846K
$2.2M
Most grants fall between $10K and $25K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$25K
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Notable grantees: University of Utah
Giving is heavily concentrated in Utah, with 84% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Salt Lake City is the main recipient city in the recent grant list, with additional awards in South Salt Lake, Murray, Ogden, and Bozeman. The only non-Utah recipient city in the recent list is Bozeman, Montana, through a grant to Mountain Journal. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 257 grants in the United States.
The foundation’s active grant programs focus on nonprofit organizations working in basic science, education, the environment, social causes, and health care. Its five core interest areas are Education, Environment, Social Services, Basic Science, and Healthcare for the Underserved.
Yes. The active grant program descriptions say it accepts applications and that unsolicited requests are allowed, even though it mostly funds organizations it has supported in the past.
Typical grants cluster at $10,000 for the 25th percentile, $15,000 at the median, and $25,000 for the 75th percentile. The foundation also makes larger awards when it supports institutions or longer-running relationships.
Yes. Its geographic scope is listed as local, and 84% of grants go to recipients in Utah. The recent grants list is centered in Salt Lake City and nearby Utah communities.
Yes. The recent grants list shows repeated awards to several recipients across multiple years, including The Nature Conservancy of Utah, ASCENT Center, The Children’s Center, and YCC Family Crisis Center.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Willard L Eccles Charitable Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Nonprofit organizations; foundation states it cannot grant to individuals. Majority of giving is to organizations previously supported by the foundation.
Deadline: Application window open January 1 through December 31 (annual cycle). The foundation meets several times a year to review applications.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Utah College of Scien | Salt Lake City, UT | $100,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| University of Utah School of Medici | Salt Lake City, UT | $86,667 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| The Children's Center | Salt Lake City, UT | $80,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| ASCENT Center | Salt Lake City, UT | $66,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| The Nature Conservancy of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT | $60,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Crossroads Urban Center | Salt Lake City, UT | $60,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| YCC Family Crisis Center | Ogden, UT | $50,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| University of Utah Orthopedic Cente | Salt Lake City, UT | $50,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Prospekt Mira | Salt Lake City, UT | $35,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| University of Utah Nat Hist Museum | Salt Lake City, UT | $35,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| 4th Street Clinic | Salt Lake City, UT | $34,300 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Wasatch Community Gardens | Salt Lake City, UT | $30,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Intermountain Health Foundation | Salt Lake City, UT | $30,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Red Butte Garden | Salt Lake City, UT | $27,740 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Moran Eye Center | Salt Lake City, UT | $27,500 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Adopt A Native Elder | South Salt Lake, UT | $25,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Salt Lake Tribune | Salt Lake City, UT | $25,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| The Nature Conservancy of Idaho | Hailey, ID | $25,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| The Peregrine Fund | Boise, ID | $25,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Spy Hop | Salt Lake City, UT | $25,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Yellowstone Forever | Bozeman, MT | $24,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Hutchings Museum | Lehi, UT | $21,464 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| PBS | Salt Lake City, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Greater Yellowstone Coalition | Bozeman, MT | $20,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Utah Community Action | Salt Lake City, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| American Red Cross | Murray, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Summit Land Conservancy | Park City, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Friends of Great Salt Lake | Salt Lake City, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Salt Lake County Animal Services | Salt Lake City, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Tracy Aviary | Salt Lake City, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Utah Clean Energy | Salt Lake City, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Petersen Automotive Museum | Los Angeles, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Hogle Zoo | Salt Lake City, UT | $15,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| UVU Foundation | Orem, UT | $15,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| University of Idaho | Moscow, ID | $15,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Utah Foster Care | Murray, UT | $13,900 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Rite Care of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT | $12,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Craft Lake City | Salt Lake City, UT | $12,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Henry's Fork Foundation | Ashton, ID | $10,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Utah Zoological Society | Salt Lake City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| The Sammy Center | Salt Lake City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Seager Memorial Clinic | Ogden, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Trails Utah | Salt Lake City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| University of Utah Museum of Fine A | Salt Lake City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Galapogos Conservancy | Washington, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Confession Films | Millcreek, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Snow Basin Ski Education Foundation | Ogden, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Bicycle Collective | Salt Lake City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Of Salt and Sand | Salt Lake City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
| Rowland Hall | Salt Lake City, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | General charitable purposes |
University of Utah College of Scien
$100,000General charitable purposes
University of Utah School of Medici
$86,667General charitable purposes
The Children's Center
$80,000General charitable purposes
ASCENT Center
$66,000General charitable purposes
The Nature Conservancy of Utah
$60,000General charitable purposes
General charitable purposes
University of Utah Orthopedic Cente
$50,000General charitable purposes
Prospekt Mira
$35,000General charitable purposes
University of Utah Nat Hist Museum
$35,000General charitable purposes
4th Street Clinic
$34,300General charitable purposes
Intermountain Health Foundation
$30,000General charitable purposes
Red Butte Garden
$27,740General charitable purposes
Moran Eye Center
$27,500General charitable purposes
Adopt A Native Elder
$25,000General charitable purposes
Salt Lake Tribune
$25,000General charitable purposes
Hutchings Museum
$21,464General charitable purposes
PBS
$20,000General charitable purposes
American Red Cross
$20,000General charitable purposes
Friends of Great Salt Lake
$20,000General charitable purposes
Salt Lake County Animal Services
$20,000General charitable purposes
Tracy Aviary
$20,000General charitable purposes
Utah Clean Energy
$20,000General charitable purposes
Hogle Zoo
$15,000General charitable purposes
University of Idaho
$15,000General charitable purposes
Utah Foster Care
$13,900General charitable purposes
Rite Care of Utah
$12,000General charitable purposes
Craft Lake City
$12,000General charitable purposes
Utah Zoological Society
$10,000General charitable purposes
The Sammy Center
$10,000General charitable purposes
Trails Utah
$10,000General charitable purposes
University of Utah Museum of Fine A
$10,000General charitable purposes
Confession Films
$10,000General charitable purposes
Snow Basin Ski Education Foundation
$10,000General charitable purposes
Bicycle Collective
$10,000General charitable purposes
Of Salt and Sand
$10,000General charitable purposes