Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation
The Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Washington, Utah. In its 2025 filing, it reported grants to 20 organizations totaling $90,000, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Utah.
Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation gave $90K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Utah. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $90,000
- +5.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- +11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,500
- -4.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,625
- Total assets
- $1,797,537
- -0.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (3 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Utah (96% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1271 N Via Del Sol, Washington, UT 84780
Phone: (801) 891-1866
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Philanthropies ($15K). Together the top 10 received $75K.
Grant Size Distribution
99 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 99 grants of 99 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in Utah, 2% to recipients in California, and 1% to recipients in Iowa.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 20 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $667; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $4K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% 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 (2018–2025). 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 2018 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $65K (2018) to $100K (2022). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $90K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Philanthropies Provo, UT | General Donation | $14,750 |
| Hale Center Theater-Friends of HCT Sandy, UT | General Donation | $13,000 |
| St George Musical Theater St George, UT | General Donation | $10,000 |
| NAMI Salt Lake City, UT | General Donation | $6,700 |
| Volunteers of America Salt Lake City, UT | General Donation | $6,700 |
| The Road Home Salt Lake City, UT | General Donation | $6,700 |
| Primary Childrens Hospital Salt Lake City, UT | General Donation | $5,000 |
| Best Friends Animal Society Kanab, UT | General Donation | $5,000 |
| Switchpoint St George, UT | General Donation | $4,000 |
| John a Moran Eye Center Salt Lake City, UT | General Donation | $3,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Paul and Ruth Lyon Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,797,537 | $134,626 | $108,273 | $90,000 | 20 | $90,000 | $116,353 | $91,967 |
| 2024 | $1,800,877 | $107,394 | $106,964 | $85,000 | 18 | $85,000 | $85,430 | $88,927 |
| 2023 | $1,797,711 | $254,669 | $95,685 | $81,564 | 17 | $81,564 | $240,548 | $84,263 |
| 2022 | $1,627,837 | $84,606 | $109,052 | $100,000 | 23 | $100,000 | $75,554 | $92,709 |
| 2021 | $1,653,567 | $111,286 | $107,385 | $96,000 | 21 | $96,000 | $99,901 | $97,207 |
| 2020 | $1,651,651 | $66,980 | $98,238 | $86,452 | 23 | — | $55,194 | $87,648 |
| 2018 | $1,656,795 | $43,388 | $72,868 | $64,800 | 22 | — | $35,320 | $86,605 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $92K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations whose own stated missions span several fields. The Road Home says it helps individuals and families move out of homelessness through emergency shelter and housing services in Salt Lake County. Best Friends Animal Society says it works to save dogs and cats in shelters and make the country no-kill. Guide Dogs for the Blind says it creates partnerships between people, dogs, and communities.
Other 2025 grantees include Wasatch Community Acupuncture, which says it expands access to low-cost acupuncture; Huntsman Cancer Foundation, which says its mission is to support the future of research at Huntsman Cancer Institute; and Granite Education Foundation, which says it reduces barriers to learning and expands opportunities for students and educators in the Granite School District.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $90,000 through 20 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $14,750, with a median grant of $2,625. Among its largest grants were $14,750 to Philanthropies, $13,000 to Hale Center Theater-Friends of HCT, $10,000 to St George Musical Theater, and $6,700 each to NAMI, Volunteers of America, and The Road Home. Other reported grants included $5,000 each to Primary Childrens Hospital and Best Friends Animal Society, and $4,000 to Switchpoint.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert P Christenson as chairman; Lowell Lyon as vice chair; Inna Lyon as secretary; Raylene Lyon as treasurer; and Sylva Christenson and Linda Lyon as directors.
Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation is led by Robert P. Christenson, Chairman since 2020 (on filings since 2018); none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robert P. Christenson
Chairman
Chair & Director → Chairman, 2020
On filings since 2018
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linda Lyon
Director
On filings since 2018
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sylva Christenson
Director
On filings since 2018
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Inna Lyon
Secretary
Secretary & Director → Secretary, 2020
On filings since 2018
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lowell Lyon
Vice Chair
Vice Chair & Director → Vice Chair, 2020
On filings since 2018
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Raylene Lyon
Treasurer
Treasurer & Director → Treasurer, 2020
On filings since 2018
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Paul C. Lyon (2018) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2018–2025. "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 Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation
How much does Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation give each year?
Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation gave $90K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $85K across 18 grants.
What is Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,625, and its average grant was $4,500, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation that year got $667 on average.
Where does Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation give grants?
Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation gives mostly in Utah: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Salt Lake City, UT (9 grants) and St George, UT (2 grants).
Does Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Philanthropies ($14,750), Hale Center Theater-Friends of HCT ($13,000) and St George Musical Theater ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation?
Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation reported $1.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $90K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $92K (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 Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations whose own stated missions span several fields. The Road Home says it helps individuals and families move out of homelessness through emergency shelter and housing services in Salt Lake County. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Paul and Ruth Lyon 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 Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation's EIN?
Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3956435. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2018–2025.
Does Paul and Ruth Lyon 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.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2018 (received by the IRS August 23, 2019)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 26, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/paul-and-ruth-lyon-family-foundation-morg_4262f60887954d94a255ffbddacd5b13
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203956435_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Paul and Ruth Lyon Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/paul-and-ruth-lyon-family-foundation-morg_4262f60887954d94a255ffbddacd5b13},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Paul and Ruth Lyon Family 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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