Robert H & Katharine B Garff Foundation
The Robert H & Katharine B Garff Foundation is a private independent foundation based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Established in 2004, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) philanthropic organization dedicated to grantmaking and charitable contributions across multiple states and communities.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$3.9M
-6.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.6M
-1.9% YoY
Grant Count
48
+4.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$55K
-6.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation has not publicly provided a formal mission statement. However, based on its grantmaking activity, the foundation supports education, philanthropy and voluntarism, human services, and recreation-related initiatives. The foundation does not specify particular subject areas of focus in its funding activities.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported total giving of $2,632,761 in its most recent filing. Typical grant awards range from $40 to $2,037,350. The foundation's grantmaking focuses on higher education, cycling, and playground grants for nonprofits, with primary emphasis on recreation grants for nonprofits.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports a wide range of cities and states across the United States. Primary funding areas include Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. Within Utah, the foundation supports Salt Lake City, Provo, and other communities. The foundation also funds major cities including Los Angeles, New York, and Houston.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $4,167,710 (as of 2023)
Total Giving: $2,632,761 (most recent filing)
Revenue: $2,443,140 (2023)
Expenses: $2,687,436 (2023)
Total Liabilities: $1,780 (2023)
The foundation has maintained consistent financial activity, with Form 990 tax filings available from 2011 to 2023.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $3,915,242 | $4,167,710 | $4,401,268 |
| Revenue | $2,430,963 | $2,443,140 | $3,070,137 |
| Expenses | $2,682,726 | $2,687,436 | $1,336,590 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,654,918 | $2,682,919 | $1,316,255 |
| Net Investment Income | $467,231 | $275,113 | $168,460 |
| Distributable Amount | $203,413 | $137,815 | $84,800 |
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
173 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Katharine B Garff serves as President and Director of the Robert H. and Katharine B. Garff Foundation, as well as Chair of Ken Garff Enterprises and Ken Garff Automotive. She is also Chair of the Success in Education Foundation.
John K Garff serves as Vice President and Director of the foundation. All directors serve on a voluntary basis without compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARK RICHARDS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KATHERINE B GARFF | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| JOSHUA GARFF | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JOHN K GARFF | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| JAMES CAMPBELL | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| AMY A GARFF | VICE PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| RACHEL GARFF | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JACOB J GARFF | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MEGAN GARFF | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| Katherine E Garff | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Katharine and Robert Garff were honored as the 42nd recipients of the Giant in Our City award by the Salt Lake Chamber in 2021, recognizing their exceptional service, professional achievement, and decades of community service and charitable contributions. The award citation specifically highlighted their passionate dedication to educational efforts and programs supporting Utah students.
Press Release: Garffs to be Honored with the Utah Foundation\u2019s 2022\The Garff family has demonstrated significant commitment to education through Ken Garff for Good (formerly Ken Garff's Success in Education), which has connected Utah students to over $100 million in scholarships since its inception. The organization's programs operate across all 41 school districts in Utah, impacting students in more than 365 high schools, 100 middle schools and junior highs, and 16,000 elementary school classrooms.
Press Release: Garffs to be Honored with the Utah Foundation\u2019s 2022\Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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