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Utah Foundation

EIN 87-0199245 · Salt Lake Cty, UT

Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.

LegitimacyPassesRegistration and standingFinancial healthGood73 out of 100GovernanceGood85 out of 100Impact evidenceDescribes programsHow well its results are evidenced

What it says it does

UTAH FOUNDATION'S MISSION IS TO PRODUCE OBJECTIVE, THOROUGH AND WELL- REASONED RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS THAT PROMOTES THE EFFECTIVE USE OF PUBLIC RESOURCES, A THRIVING ECONOMY, A WELL-PREPARED WORKFORCE AND A HIGH QUALITY OF LIFE FOR UTAHNS. UTAH FOUNDATION SEEKS TO HELP DECISION-MAKERS AND CITIZENS UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS COMPLEX ISSUES. UTAH FOUNDATION ALSO OFFERS CONSTRUCTIVE GUIDANCE TO IMPROVE GOVERNMENTAL POLICIES, PROGRAMS AND STRUCTURES. UTAH FOUNDATION IS AN INDEPENDENT, NONPARTISAN, NONPROFIT RESEARCH ORGANIZATION.

Income
$473,338
Spending
$560,567
Spent on programs
85%
Reserves
9.2 months of spending
Largest source of income
donations and private grants, 53%
Employees
4
Volunteers
55
Highest pay
$162,747, president

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Financial health

Good: 73 out of 100. Higher than 40% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $250k to $1m).

  • Reserves

    28 of 35

    Spendable reserves would cover 9.2 months of spending.

  • Debt

    20 of 20

    It owes 6% of what it owns.

  • Living within its means

    0 of 15

    Spending exceeded income by 18% of income.

  • Income trend

    10 of 15

    Income fell 5% on the year before.

  • Spending floor

    15 of 15

    85% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 13 cents.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Governance

Good: 85 out of 100. Higher than 74% of charities in its peer group (public benefit, $250k to $1m).

  • Independent board

    25 of 25

    20 of 20 voting board members are independent.

  • Conflict of interest policy

    15 of 15

    Has a written conflict of interest policy.

  • Whistleblower policy

    0 of 8

    Reports no written whistleblower policy.

  • Record keeping policy

    0 of 7

    Reports no written policy on keeping and destroying records.

  • Board minutes

    5 of 5

    Keeps minutes of board meetings.

  • Board sees the tax return

    10 of 10

    Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.

  • Pay set independently

    5 of 5

    Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.

  • Independent check of accounts

    15 of 15

    Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.

  • No reported misuse

    10 of 10

    Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Impact evidence

Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.

Programs described in its return (1)
  1. $476,345 spent. FIRST. WE HAD A STELLAR YEAR WITH MEDIA OUT- REACH PERHAPS THE BEST MEDIA YEAR EVER WITH AT LEAST 220 STORIES OR MENTIONS. IN ADDITION, WE RAMPED UP OUR INTERACTIONS WITH POLICYMAKERS. NOT ONLY HAVE WE FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING RE- LATIONSHIPS WITH LEGISLATORS, BUT WE PRESENTED TO INNUMERABLE LOCAL OFFICIALS AS PART OF OUR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES ROADSHOW AND THE 2024 UTAH PRIORI- TIES PROJECT ROADSHOW. SECOND. EVERY FOUR YEARS, THE UTAH FOUNDATION CONDUCTS A SERIES OF SURVEYS TO DISCOVER WHICH TOPICS ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO UTAH VOTERS. WE CALL THIS THE UTAH PRIORITIES PROJECT. 2024 MARKED THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROJECT - AND THE MOST SUCCESSFUL EVER. WE KICKED IT OFF WITH A WONDERFUL ANNUAL LUNCHEON, WE RELEASED TWO MAJOR REPORTS AND 17 RESEARCH BRIEFS, AND WE SHARED ALL OF THAT WITH PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE STATE. IN ADDITION, WE RELEASED SIX OTHER MAJOR REPORTS ON OTHER IMPORTANT POLICY TOPICS. THIRD. HOW DO WE DO THIS CONSISTENTLY YEAR AFTER YEAR? WE HAVE A FANTASTIC GROUP OF STAFF, INTERNS, VOLUNTEERS, PARTNERS, AND SUPPORTERS. IN THE WORDS OF TWO OF OUR TRUSTEES: LAST YEAR WAS A HIGH-WATER MARK FOR THE UTAH FOUNDATION. AN ENGAGED BOARD AND TOP- NOTCH STAFF PROVIDED MORE INFORMATION TO MORE UTAHNS THAN EVER BEFORE. A HIGHLIGHT FOR ME WAS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UTAH PRIORITIES PROJECT - CLEARLY SIGNALING WHAT MATTERS MOST TO VOTERS. IN 2024, THE UTAH FOUNDATION HELPED POLICYMAKERS AND THE PUBLIC BETTER UNDERSTAND KEY ISSUES AFFECTING UTAH RESIDENTS. FROM COMPREHENSIVE REPORTS ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY TO HEALTHY COMMUNITY ROADSHOWS, THE UTAH FOUNDATION PROVIDED THOUGHTFUL AND OBJECTIVE INFORMATION, STANDING OUT IN A WORLD INCREASINGLY DOMINATED BY BIASED OPINIONS AND MISINFORMATION. UTAH FOUNDATION PRODUCED THE FOLLOWING DURING 2022: - 8 IN-DEPTH RESEARCH REPORTS - 17 INSIGHTFUL BRIEFS - 59 KEY FINDINGS AND HIGHLIGHTS - 12 COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS - 2 PODCASTS - 153 SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS - 4 OP-EDS IN THE DESERET NEWS AND SALT LAKE TRIBUNE FIRST. WE HAD A STELLAR YEAR WITH MEDIA OUT- REACH PERHAPS THE BEST MEDIA YEAR EVER WITH AT LEAST 220 STORIES OR MENTIONS. IN ADDITION, WE RAMPED UP OUR INTERACTIONS WITH POLICYMAKERS. NOT ONLY HAVE WE FOCUSED ON STRENGTHENING RE- LATIONSHIPS WITH LEGISLATORS, BUT WE PRESENTED TO INNUMERABLE LOCAL OFFICIALS AS PART OF OUR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES ROADSHOW AND THE 2024 UTAH PRIORI- TIES PROJECT ROADSHOW. SECOND. EVERY FOUR YEARS, THE UTAH FOUNDATION CONDUCTS A SERIES OF SURVEYS TO DISCOVER WHICH TOPICS ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO UTAH VOTERS. WE CALL THIS THE UTAH PRIORITIES PROJECT. 2024 MARKED THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROJECT - AND THE MOST SUCCESSFUL EVER. WE KICKED IT OFF WITH A WONDERFUL ANNUAL LUNCHEON, WE RELEASED TWO MAJOR REPORTS AND 17 RESEARCH BRIEFS, AND WE SHARED ALL OF THAT WITH PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE STATE. IN ADDITION, WE RELEASED SIX OTHER MAJOR REPORTS ON OTHER IMPORTANT POLICY TOPICS. THIRD. HOW DO WE DO THIS CONSISTENTLY YEAR AFTER YEAR? WE HAVE A FANTASTIC GROUP OF STAFF, INTERNS, VOLUNTEERS, PARTNERS, AND SUPPORTERS. IN THE WORDS OF TWO OF OUR TRUSTEES: LAST YEAR WAS A HIGH-WATER MARK FOR THE UTAH FOUNDATION. AN ENGAGED BOARD AND TOP- NOTCH STAFF PROVIDED MORE INFORMATION TO MORE UTAHNS THAN EVER BEFORE. A HIGHLIGHT FOR ME WAS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE UTAH PRIORITIES PROJECT - CLEARLY SIGNALING WHAT MATTERS MOST TO VOTERS. IN 2024, THE UTAH FOUNDATION HELPED POLICYMAKERS AND THE PUBLIC BETTER UNDERSTAND KEY ISSUES AFFECTING UTAH RESIDENTS. FROM COMPREHENSIVE REPORTS ON HOUSING AFFORDABILITY TO HEALTHY COMMUNITY ROADSHOWS, THE UTAH FOUNDATION PROVIDED THOUGHTFUL AND OBJECTIVE INFORMATION, STANDING OUT IN A WORLD INCREASINGLY DOMINATED BY BIASED OPINIONS AND MISINFORMATION. UTAH FOUNDATION PRODUCED THE FOLLOWING DURING 2022: - 8 IN-DEPTH RESEARCH REPORTS - 17 INSIGHTFUL BRIEFS - 59 KEY FINDINGS AND HIGHLIGHTS - 12 COMMUNITY PRESENTATIONS - 2 PODCASTS - 153 SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS - 4 OP-EDS IN THE DESERET NEWS AND SALT LAKE TRIBUNE

Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2024, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate

Legitimacy checks

  1. Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.

    Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  2. Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.

    Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.

    Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.

  3. Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.

    On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.

    Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.

  4. Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.

    Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2024.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  5. How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.

    Recognized by the IRS since November 1946.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

  6. Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.

    Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.

    Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.

  7. Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.

    A much larger organization has a similar name: Ufw Foundation (Los Angeles, CA), EIN 95-2703575. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.

    Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.

Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.