Joel and Diana Peterson
Joel and Diana Peterson is a private foundation based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It made 22 grants totaling $170,501 in 2024 and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
Joel and Diana Peterson at a glance
In short: Joel and Diana Peterson gave $171K across 22 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in Utah. 59% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $170,501
- +6.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 22
- +10.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,750
- -2.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $3,616,596
- +3.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 59% first-time grantees (13 of 22, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Utah (53% 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 Joel and Diana Peterson
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2755 E Cottonwood Parkway Ste 400, Salt Lake City, UT 84121
Phone: (801) 417-0770
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Joel and Diana Peterson funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Gifted Music School ($25K). Together the top 10 received $148K.
Grant Size Distribution
117 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 117 grants of 117 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 53% of grant dollars went to recipients in Utah, 28% to California, 10% to Massachusetts, 6% to Pennsylvania, and 2% to Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Joel and Diana Peterson open to new grantees?
59%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 13 of 22 grantees (59%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $288 first-time, $11K repeat.
- 32% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 22% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% 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 (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 $120K (2020) to $180K (2022). In 2024 it made 22 grants totaling $171K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Gifted Music School Salt Lake City, UT | Support | $25,000 |
| Prager University Foundation Sherman Oaks, CA | Support | $24,500 |
| Intermountain Foundation Salt Lake City, UT | Support | $21,500 |
| Harvard University Cambridge, MA | Support | $17,250 |
| The Policy Project Salt Lake City, UT | Support | $15,113 |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | Support | $11,750 |
| Eden People Planet Murrieta, CA | Support | $10,750 |
| Team Hydro Foundation Malvern, PA | Support | $10,750 |
| Utah Food Bank Salt Lake City, UT | Support | $6,500 |
| Saprea Lehi, UT | Support | $5,250 |
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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 | $3,616,596 | $277,889 | $161,934 | $170,501 | 22 | $160,501 | $277,889 | $169,238 |
| 2023 | $3,500,641 | $53,543 | $159,718 | $159,500 | 20 | $159,500 | $52,686 | $164,681 |
| 2022 | $3,606,816 | $-2,936 | $194,085 | $180,000 | 20 | $180,000 | $983 | $175,593 |
| 2021 | $3,803,837 | $768,091 | $141,217 | $140,000 | 30 | $140,000 | $765,553 | $161,568 |
| 2020 | $3,176,963 | $1,519,207 | $134,355 | $120,135 | 25 | — | $8,178 | $143,005 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Joel and Diana Peterson reported a distributable amount of $169K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s own filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Prager University Foundation describes its mission as promoting American and Judeo-Christian values through digital media, while The Policy Project says it works to remove barriers to opportunity through solution-based policy. Other recipients describe work that includes hydrocephalus research, supporting people affected by child sexual abuse, refugee connections, child safety and well-being, children’s media literacy, and preventing child abuse. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated missions of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $170,501 through 22 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $25,000, with a median grant of $5,000.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $25,000 to Gifted Music School, $24,500 to Prager University Foundation, $21,500 to Intermountain Foundation, $17,250 to Harvard University, $15,113 to The Policy Project, and $11,750 to Stanford University. Each was listed with the purpose “support.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kevin Mitchell as president, Andy Adams as secretary-treasurer, and Clint Peterson as director.
Joel and Diana Peterson is led by Kevin Mitchell, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kevin Mitchell
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Clint Peterson
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Andy Adams
Secretary-Tr
On filings since 2020
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.
Frequently asked questions about Joel and Diana Peterson
How much does Joel and Diana Peterson give each year?
Joel and Diana Peterson gave $171K across 22 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $160K across 20 grants.
What is Joel and Diana Peterson's typical grant size?
Joel and Diana Peterson's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,750, across 22 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Joel and Diana Peterson that year got $4K on average.
Where does Joel and Diana Peterson give grants?
Joel and Diana Peterson gives mostly in Utah: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (28%) and Massachusetts (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Salt Lake City, UT (6 grants) and Logan, UT (2 grants).
Does Joel and Diana Peterson give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Joel and Diana Peterson's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support" (22 grants).
Who are Joel and Diana Peterson's largest grantees?
Joel and Diana Peterson's largest 2024 grantees include Gifted Music School ($25,000), Prager University Foundation ($24,500) and Intermountain Foundation ($21,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Joel and Diana Peterson?
Joel and Diana Peterson reported $3.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $161K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $169K (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 Joel and Diana Peterson fund?
The foundation’s own filing does not state a mission. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Joel and Diana Peterson?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; 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 Joel and Diana Peterson's EIN?
Joel and Diana Peterson's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-0624155. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Joel and Diana Peterson 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.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Joel and Diana Peterson funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Joel and Diana Peterson's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Joel and Diana Peterson funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/joel-and-diana-peterson-morg_72d4a4c9a10d4c3dbee8174a94d50bdd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_870624155_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Joel and Diana Peterson funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/joel-and-diana-peterson-morg_72d4a4c9a10d4c3dbee8174a94d50bdd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Joel and Diana Peterson'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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