Golden Foundation
Golden Foundation is a private foundation based in Sun Valley, Idaho. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations in Idaho, California, and Arizona.
Golden Foundation at a glance
In short: Golden Foundation gave $98K across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in Idaho. 50% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $97,810
- +138.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +71.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $8,151
- +39.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,655
- Total assets
- $720,745
- -10.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (6 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Idaho (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Golden Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 286, Sun Valley, ID 83353-0286
Phone: (858) 558-9200
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Golden Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Spur Community Foundation ($50K). Together the top 10 received $96K.
Grant Size Distribution
47 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 44 grants of 47 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in Idaho, 4% to recipients in California, and 2% to recipients in Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Golden Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 12 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 42% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 86% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 237% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $41K (2023) to $722K (2021). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $98K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Spur Community Foundation Ketchum, ID | Creation of DAF | $50,000 |
| Sun Valley Music Festival Sun Valley, ID | Patron Contribution | $12,000 |
| Presbyterian Church of Bigwood Ketchum, ID | Big Wood School | $10,000 |
| Wood River Land Trust Hailey, ID | General | $5,000 |
| Sawtooth Botanical Garden Sun Valley, ID | BUG ZOO | $4,000 |
| Sun Valley Writers Conference Santa Monica, CA | General | $4,000 |
| Ballet Sun Valley Sun Valley, ID | General | $3,310 |
| Swiftsure Equestrian Center Bellevue, ID | General | $3,000 |
| The Community School Sun Valley, ID | General | $3,000 |
| Childhelp Scottsdale, AZ | General | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Golden Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $720,745 | $26,189 | $107,724 | $97,810 | 12 | $102,898 | $21,363 | $43,404 |
| 2023 | $802,280 | $211,533 | $53,442 | $41,000 | 7 | $48,740 | $201,031 | $38,046 |
| 2022 | $630,188 | $70,198 | $109,846 | $97,690 | 7 | $103,850 | $60,120 | $42,878 |
| 2021 | $669,836 | $88,669 | $750,828 | $721,551 | 11 | $740,295 | $80,476 | $52,965 |
| 2020 | $1,331,995 | $261,708 | $166,863 | $140,000 | 10 | — | $251,349 | $83,299 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Golden Foundation reported a distributable amount of $43K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, a botanical garden, a land trust, a school, a church, and a volunteer fire department.
The grantees describe their own missions as follows: SPUR Community Foundation says it works to inspire effective philanthropy for the Wood River Valley by expanding funding to nonprofits, fostering excellence and accountability, and assisting donors. Sawtooth Botanical Garden says it showcases native and cultivated high-altitude plants and fosters environmental stewardship through education, events, displays, and plant collections. Sun Valley Writers’ Conference says it brings readers and writers together to celebrate ideas at an annual event. Ballet Sun Valley says it brings celebrated ballet companies and dancers to Sun Valley.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $97,810. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $50,000, with a median of $3,655.
The largest reported grants included $50,000 to SPUR Community Foundation for creation of a donor-advised fund, $12,000 to Sun Valley Music Festival as a patron contribution, and $10,000 to Presbyterian Church of Bigwood for Big Wood School. Other grants included $5,000 to Wood River Land Trust, $4,000 each to Sawtooth Botanical Garden and Sun Valley Writers Conference, and $3,310 to Ballet Sun Valley.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Morley Golden as president, Deana Sanders Golden as vice president/treasurer, Mark W Lindsay as assistant secretary, and Hollyn Sanders Martin as secretary.
Golden Foundation is led by Morley Golden, President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Morley Golden
President
Secretary & Treasurer → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark W. Lindsay
Ass't Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deana Sanders Golden
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hollyn Sanders Martin
Secretary
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Connie Golden (2020) — President
- Former: Marilyn Golden Kelley (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Golden Foundation
How much does Golden Foundation give each year?
Golden Foundation gave $98K across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $41K across 7 grants.
What is Golden Foundation's typical grant size?
Golden Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $3,655, and its average grant was $8,151, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Golden Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does Golden Foundation give grants?
Golden Foundation gives mostly in Idaho: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Ketchum, ID (4 grants) and Sun Valley, ID (4 grants).
Does Golden Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 67% of Golden Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Golden Foundation's largest grantees?
Golden Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Spur Community Foundation ($50,000), Sun Valley Music Festival ($12,000) and Presbyterian Church of Bigwood ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Golden Foundation?
Golden Foundation reported $721K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $103K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $43K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Golden Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is not stated in the available information. Its 2024 grants included support for arts and cultural organizations, a botanical garden, a land trust, a school, a church, and a volunteer fire department. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Golden Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Golden Foundation's EIN?
Golden Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-6099985. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Golden Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Golden Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/golden-foundation-morg_d6e821dd7d2f4dea91db4e033bfa5a61
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_956099985_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Golden Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/golden-foundation-morg_d6e821dd7d2f4dea91db4e033bfa5a61},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Golden Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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