James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation
The James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its 2024 filing describes charitable activities related to education, economic opportunity for historically underserved communities, and software for program-related investments; its grantmaking that year included substantial support for Utah recipients.
Key facts about James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation
In short: James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation gave $2.6M across 31 grants in 2024 (avg $83K), mostly in Utah. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 45-6794415
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,580,040
- Grants made (2024)
- 31
- Average grant
- $83,227
- Median grant
- $500
- Total assets
- $60,604,336
- Primary geography
- Utah (96% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$60.6M
+3.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.6M
+74.8% YoY
Grant Count
31
+6.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$83K
+63.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation gives
- 25% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+12%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 83% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes a program through Owl Ventures LP addressing poor learning achievement outcomes and expanding educational opportunities. It also reports direct charitable activities through Redemption Holding Co. to increase historically underserved communities’ access to resources for prosperity and opportunity, and through Chario Inc. to develop software for finding and making program-related investments and to make it available without charge to low-resourced charitable organizations.
Its 2024 grants show support for organizations working in varied areas. The Utah Sports Commission Foundation says it fosters national and international amateur sports competitions in Utah. Religious Family History Corporation says it pays professional genealogists to conduct research for religious purposes. New Venture Fund describes itself as a fiscal sponsor supporting projects in areas including conservation, education, youth development, global health, public policy, disaster recovery, civil rights, and the arts. Other 2024 recipients included writing education, animal welfare, and girls’ education organizations; those organizations describe their own missions as supporting students’ writing skills, saving dogs and cats in shelters, and advancing girls’ access to quality education.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 31 grants totaling $2,580,040 in 2024. Individual grants ranged from $500 to $1,592,540, with a median of $500. The largest listed awards were $1,592,540 to The Church of Jesus Christ of LDS for general support; two grants of $250,000 each to the University of Utah for its Epicenter building capital campaign; $200,000 to the Utah Sports Commission Foundation for promotion of amateur sports and the Olympics; and $150,000 to The Church of Jesus Christ of LDS for general support. Other notable grants included $100,000 to New Venture Fund for economic innovation research and $15,000 to Religious Family History Corporation for genealogy research.
The foundation reported 29 grants totaling $1,476,000 in 2023 and 7 grants totaling $2,256,000 in 2022.
How to Apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Utah and 4% to recipients in the District of Columbia. The listed grants also included recipients in Minnesota, New York, and California, but those states each accounted for 0% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.5M (2023) to $2.6M (2024). In 2024 it made 31 grants totaling $2.6M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Church of Jesus Christ of LDS ($1.7M across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $2.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
111 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 84 grants of 111 (76%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Church of Jesus Christ of LDS Salt Lake City, UT | General support | $1,592,540 |
| University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT | Epicenter buildling capital campaign | $250,000 |
| University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT | Epicenter buildling capital campaign | $250,000 |
| Utah Sports Commission Foundation Salt Lake City, UT | Promotion of amateur sports/Olympics | $200,000 |
| The Church of Jesus Christ of LDS Salt Lake City, UT | General support | $150,000 |
| New Venture Fund Washington, DC | Economic innovation research | $100,000 |
| Religious Family History Corp Draper, UT | Genealogy research | $15,000 |
| Choice Humanitarian Draper, UT | Charitable event fundraising | $5,000 |
| Junior Achievement of Utah Salt Lake City, UT | Financial literacy educational programs | $3,000 |
| Choice Humanitarian Draper, UT | Fundraising Event Sponsorship | $2,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,580,040 | 31 |
| 2023 | $1,476,000 | 29 |
| 2022 | $2,256,000 | 7 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $60,604,336 | $58,441,836 | $54,317,139 |
| Revenue | $4,234,858 | $3,135,946 | $5,449,667 |
| Expenses | $2,975,255 | $1,942,724 | $2,733,654 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,184,459 | $2,960,393 | $2,928,550 |
| Net Investment Income | $4,842,713 | $2,965,501 | $5,553,960 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,828,638 | $2,767,379 | $3,028,069 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
James Lee Sorenson is listed as a trustee on the 2024 filing.
James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation is led by James Lee Sorenson, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James Lee Sorenson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 6330 S 3000 E 630, Salt Lake City, UT 84121
Phone: (801) 490-1013
Frequently asked questions about James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation
How much does James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation give each year?
James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation gave $2.6M across 31 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.5M across 29 grants.
What is James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation's typical grant size?
James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $500, and its average grant was $83,227, across 31 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation give grants?
James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation gives mostly in Utah: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Salt Lake City, UT (12 grants), Draper, UT (3 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 13% of James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation's largest grantees?
James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Church of Jesus Christ of LDS ($1,742,540 across 2 grants), University of Utah ($500,000 across 2 grants) and Utah Sports Commission Foundation ($200,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 95% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation?
James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation reported $60.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.8M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes a program through Owl Ventures LP addressing poor learning achievement outcomes and expanding educational opportunities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation's EIN?
James Lee Sorenson Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-6794415. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does James Lee Sorenson Family 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 September 2026.
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