Marriner S Eccles Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker SALT LAKE CITY, UT EIN: 23-7185855

The Marriner S Eccles Foundation is a private foundation based in Salt Lake City, Utah, established in 1972. It is a 501(c)(3) organization designated for religious, educational, charitable, scientific, literary, and other qualifying philanthropic purposes. The foundation operates as a non-operating private foundation with a small staff of two employees.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$68.5M

+6.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.3M

-0.0% YoY

Grant Count

-1.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$24K

+1.0% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Marriner S Eccles Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation does not maintain a publicly stated mission statement. However, its grantmaking reflects support across multiple areas including:

Higher education
Health and public health access
Arts and culture
Community development and human services
Education
Philanthropy and voluntarism

The foundation also supports initiatives focused on marginalized communities, including children and youth, older adults, women and girls, Hispanic/Latino communities, Indigenous peoples, immigrants and migrants, economically disadvantaged individuals, homeless populations, and people with disabilities.

Grantmaking

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. It operates on an invite-only basis, selecting grantees rather than accepting open proposals. This makes it a less accessible foundation for first-time grant seekers.

Grant Range

$2,000–$425,000

Average Grant

amount: $17,000

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in Utah, with some grants distributed to organizations in Washington, D.C. The foundation maintains an in-state only geographic restriction for most of its giving.

Grant Distribution by State

Utah $3.3M (100%)

District of Columbia $5K (0%)

States

District of Columbia Utah

Cities

Cedar CityClearfieldCottonwood HeightsKaysvilleKearnsLaytonLehiLoganMidvaleMillcreekMoabMonticelloMurrayNorth LoganOgdenPark CityRichfieldSalt Lake CitySalt Lake CitytSandy

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Income (2024):

Total assets: $68.5 million
Total revenues: $4.1 million
Total expenses: $3.9 million
Annual giving: $2.3 million

Assets & Income (2025):

Total assets: $78.1 million
Total revenues: $3.97 million
Total expenses: $3.85 million
Net income: $117,372

Historical Growth: Total assets have grown from $19.4 million in 2011 to $68.5 million by 2024. Annual giving increased from $1.3 million in 2020 to $2.3 million in 2023, with peak grantmaking activity in 2022 when $2.8 million was distributed across 186 grants.

The foundation maintains a giving rate of approximately 3.1% of assets.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$68,513,383	$64,151,696	$63,918,966
Revenue	$4,088,831	$2,059,555	$5,151,183
Expenses	$3,924,010	$4,109,188	$2,766,861
Qualifying Distributions	$2,674,339	$2,668,874	$1,703,304
Net Investment Income	$2,169,774	$1,481,452	$3,544,250
Distributable Amount	$2,587,332	$2,672,175	$2,845,886

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Ballet West ($150,000), Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake ($75,000), Neighborhood House ($55,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ADOPT-A-NATIVE-ELDER SALT LAKE CITY, UT	MEDICAL AND FOOD BOXES	$5,000
ALF ENGEN SKI MUSEUM PARK CITY, UT	EDUCATIONAL FIELD TRIP PROGRAM AND ENTRANCE TO MUSEUM REMODEL	$50,000
ALLIANCE HOUSE SALT LAKE CITY, UT	ACCESS PROGRAM	$10,000
AMERICAN INDIAN SERVICES LEHI, UT	2024 AMERICAN INDIAN SERVICES (AIS) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM	$10,000
AMERICAN RED CROSS IN UTAH SALT LAKE CITY, UT	RED CROSS DISASTER CYCLE SERVICES IN UTAH	$20,000
ASSISTANCE LEAGUE OF SALT LAKE CITY SALT LAKE CITY, UT	OPERATION SCHOOL BELL PROGRAM	$9,000
BAD DOG ARTS SALT LAKE CITY, UT	BAD DOG ARTS OPERATIONS AND PROGRAMMING	$5,000
BALLET WEST SALT LAKE CITY, UT	FY24 PRODUCTION SPONSOR OF SWAN LAKE & FY25 REFURBISHMENT OF "CINDERELLA" SET AND COSTUME	$150,000
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF GREATER SALT LAKE MURRAY, UT	YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS	$75,000
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF WEBER-DAVIS OGDEN, UT	YOUTH AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAMS TO FACILITATE ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING	$15,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Spencer F Eccles – Chair, Trustee, Committee Member
C Hope Eccles – Principal Officer, Trustee, Committee Member
Elmer D Tucker – Trustee
Hannah Eldredge – Executive Director (compensation: $134,562 as of 2024)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
SPENCER F ECCLES	CHAIR/TRUSTEE/COMMITTEE MEMBER	1	$15,000
CLISTA H ECCLES	TRUSTEE/COMMITTEE MEMBER	11	$61,338
JAMES M STEELE	COMMITTEE MEMBER	1	$20,000
HANNAH ELDREDGE	EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR	40	$134,562

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Marriner S Eccles Foundation fund?

The foundation does not maintain a publicly stated mission statement. However, its grantmaking reflects support across multiple areas including: • Higher education • Health and public health access • Arts and culture • Community development and human services • Education • Philanthropy and voluntarism The foundation also supports initiatives focused on marginalized communities, including children and youth, older adults, women and girls, Hispanic/Latino communities, Indigenous peoples, immigran…

How do I apply for a grant from Marriner S Eccles Foundation?

**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical grant range: $2,000–$425,000 • Median grant amount: $10,000–$15,000 • Average grant amount: $17,000 • Recent annual giving: $2.1–$2.3 million distributed across 82–100 grants **Application Process:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. It operates on an invite-only basis, selecting grantees rather than accepting open proposals. This makes it a less accessible foundation for first-time grant seekers. **Recent Grantees (2024):** • Ballet W…

Where does Marriner S Eccles Foundation make grants?

What size grants does Marriner S Eccles Foundation award?

In 2024, Marriner S Eccles Foundation awarded 97 grants totaling $2.3M — an average of about $24K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Marriner S Eccles Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Marriner S Eccles Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.6M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.