Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation
The Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation is a private foundation based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Utah.
Key facts about Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation
In short: Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation gave $1.6M across 63 grants in 2025 (avg $25K), mostly in Utah. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 20-2029087
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,573,256
- Grants made (2025)
- 63
- Average grant
- $24,972
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (17 of 63, 2025)
- Total assets
- $26,616,178
- Primary geography
- Utah (88% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$26.6M
-3.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.6M
+8.2% YoY
Grant Count
63
+3.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$25K
+4.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.5M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 17 of 63 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $31K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 68% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 23% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 102% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for educational, community, health, literary, environmental, and human-services organizations. These descriptions reflect grantees’ own stated missions, not the foundation’s.
For example, Torrey House Press describes its work as publishing literary books that elevate literary excellence and unheard voices, while Maliheh Free Clinic says it provides free medical services to uninsured and low-income people and families. The Environmental Resource Center describes its mission as providing education and inspiring action for a healthy environment in the Wood River Valley. Other 2025 grantees describe work supporting low-income women seeking living-wage employment (People Helping People), immigrant and refugee women (Women of the World), people with disabilities through sport and recreation (National Ability Center), and people experiencing homelessness who need end-of-life or medical respite housing (The Inn Between).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 63 grants totaling $1,573,256. Grant amounts ranged from $1,100 to $535,000, with a median grant of $10,000.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 88% of grant dollars went to recipients in Utah, 8% to Indiana, and 1% each to Idaho and New York. Ohio accounted for 0% as reported in the filing.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 63 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.5M (2024) to $2.0M (2022). In 2025 it made 63 grants totaling $1.6M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The University of Utah ($535K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
277 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 251 grants of 277 (91%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT | Charitable Contribution | $535,000 |
| Salt Lake Community Foundation Salt Lake City, UT | Charitable Contribution | $150,000 |
| The University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN | Charitable Contribution | $125,000 |
| Neighborhood House Salt Lake City, UT | Charitable Contribution | $58,000 |
| The Children's Center Kearns, UT | Charitable Contribution | $46,550 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, UT | Charitable Contribution | $40,000 |
| Guadalupe School Salt Lake City, UT | Charitable Contribution | $40,000 |
| Torrey House Press Salt Lake City, UT | Charitable Contribution | $40,000 |
| Snow Basin Education Foundation Huntsville, UT | Charitable Contribution | $32,500 |
| Youth Sports Alliance Park City, UT | Charitable Contribution | $30,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $26,616,178 | $825,242 | $1,702,477 | $1,573,256 |
| 2024 | $27,493,413 | $1,206,366 | $1,490,077 | $1,453,816 |
| 2023 | $27,777,124 | $264,626 | $1,622,106 | $1,608,212 |
The foundation files Form 990-PF.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $26,616,178 | $27,493,413 | $27,777,124 |
| Revenue | $825,242 | $1,206,366 | $264,626 |
| Expenses | $1,702,477 | $1,490,077 | $1,622,106 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,573,256 | $1,453,816 | $1,608,212 |
| Net Investment Income | $724,481 | $1,163,809 | $255,459 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,540,220 | $1,570,262 | $1,463,809 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Helen H Cardon as president/director, Jeffrey S Cardon as secretary/treasurer/director, and George J Cardon as director.
Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation is led by Helen H. Cardon, President & Director on every filing since 2020; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Helen H. Cardon
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$9K (2025)
Jeffrey S. Cardon
Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$9K (2025)
George J. Cardon
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Jane H. Mason (2020–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $9K, to Helen H Cardon (President/Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 1663 S Devonshire Dr, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
Phone: (801) 884-8051
Frequently asked questions about Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation
How much does Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation give each year?
Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation gave $1.6M across 63 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.5M across 61 grants.
What is Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation's typical grant size?
Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $24,972, across 63 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation give grants?
Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation gives mostly in Utah: 88% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Indiana (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Salt Lake City, UT (36 grants), Ogden, UT (4 grants), Park City, UT (2 grants) and Logan, UT (2 grants).
Who are Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation's largest grantees?
Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The University of Utah ($535,000), Salt Lake Community Foundation ($150,000) and The University of Notre Dame ($125,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation?
Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation reported $26.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for educational, community, health, literary, environmental, and human-services organizations. These descriptions reflect grantees’ own stated missions, not the foundation’s. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation's EIN?
Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2029087. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Jeffrey S & Helen H Cardon Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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