An Overview of the Community Foundation of Utah’s Local Grantmaking

Based in Salt Lake City, the Community Foundation of Utah (CFU) is one of the largest grantmakers in Utah and has been awarding over $57 million in annual grants lately. CFU has granted over $205 million since 2008 and holds more than $173 million in assets. There are over 358 charitable funds at the community foundation, most of which are donor-advised funds that give based on donors’ recommendations. However, CFU is still an accessible and approachable funder that offers year-round funding opportunities for local nonprofits.

Here’s a closer look at what the Community Foundation of Utah supports to guide organizations in the state toward potential grants.

Foundation initiatives

Every year, CFU hosts a variety of initiatives to support the social sector in Utah. It often provides capacity-building funding for local groups to further their professional development and leadership sabbatical goals. For example, Invest in Success is a CFU capacity-building program that engages nonprofit leaders across the state in partnership with the Center for Community Development at American Express.

Meanwhile, the 22 Squared Grant Initiative features a partnership with Square Financial Services and has awarded small grants to Utah nonprofits engaged in community development work. Specific activities of interest include affordable housing, small business development, reentry support, entrepreneurship and financial wellness.

CFU offers Utah Ethical Leadership Awards to recognize business, nonprofit and government leaders, and it has a Social Sector Sabbatical program to reduce staff burnout and improve leadership retention. CFU’s Morgan Stanley Fellowship is a program designed to invest in talent and human capital to connect students to community development work.

Community impact funds

In addition to initiatives like these, CFU works through community impact funds by pooling money and fostering collaboration among donors and nonprofits. For example, the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust works to enhance water quality in the local lake. The Silicon Slopes Computer Science Fund helps extend access to computer science education to Utah students, and the Utah Impact Partnership addresses solutions for homelessness.

Mission-related investments

Beyond traditional grantmaking, CFU makes mission-related investments to help businesses drive social impact. The foundation allows donors to invest charitable dollars in funds and businesses working on social and environmental challenges. This is an excellent opportunity for early-stage social enterprises, and CFU has a catalytic investment manager to assist with this process. Participating companies include Joule Case, Beta Boom, Hello Bulk and Backflip Technologies.

Utah nonprofits looking for funding should contact CFU directly to inquire about any current grant opportunities and for more information on the application process for any specific fund. Learn more about this funder and others that give locally throughout the state in IP’s Utah grantmaking guide.

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