Sorenson Impact Foundation
Sorenson Impact Foundation is a private foundation based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It supports innovative, scalable approaches to social challenges through grants and program-related investments (PRIs), with its stated mission of advancing the flow of capital into solutions to the world’s pressing needs.
Sorenson Impact Foundation at a glance
In short: Sorenson Impact Foundation gave $3.6M across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $300K), top state Washington. 64% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,603,000
- +53.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +9.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $300,250
- +40.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $250,000
- Total assets
- $140,180,609
- -1.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 64% first-time grantees (7 of 11, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (28% 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 Sorenson Impact 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. Its PRI page describes a pitch-deck intake process for companies or funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 6330 S 3000 E 630, Salt Lake City, UT 84121
Phone: (801) 490-1013
Website: https://sorensonimpactfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sorenson Impact Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Realize Impact ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $3.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
66 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 30 grants of 66 (45%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington (28%), Utah (18%), and the District of Columbia (14%), followed by Florida (10%) and New Jersey (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Sorenson Impact Foundation open to new grantees?
64%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 11 grantees (64%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $345K; repeat grants $297K. How we count
Medians: $250K first-time, $250K repeat.
- 36% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 43% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 103% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $2.4M (2023) to $4.5M (2022). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $3.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Realize Impact Bainbridge Island, WA | Philantrhopic investment grant for affordable home ownership | $1,000,000 |
| University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT | Impact investing student program; general support | $638,000 |
| Lafayettte Square Foundation Miami, FL | Support for projects creating equitable wealth including employee ownership | $375,000 |
| The Aspen Institute Washington, DC | Neiborhood real estate ownership project and employee ownership project | $250,000 |
| Rutgers University New Bruswick, NJ | Education and research in the area of emloyee ownership and profit sharing models | $250,000 |
| Ownership Works Inc New York, NY | Research and framework development for home shared ownership projects | $250,000 |
| ImpactAlpha Berkeley, CA | Providing public education on homeownership, employee ownership and community ownership | $250,000 |
| B Lab Company Berwyn, PA | Development of B Corp certification process and assistance | $250,000 |
| New Venture Fund Washington, DC | Catalytic capital consortium project | $175,000 |
| New Venture Fund Washington, DC | Impact investing alliance | $75,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Sorenson Impact 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $140,180,609 | $4,644,487 | $5,342,680 | $3,603,000 | 12 | $7,533,599 | $6,351,824 | $7,299,659 |
| 2023 | $142,073,772 | $2,244,274 | $4,132,028 | $2,350,000 | 11 | $7,061,166 | $901,552 | $7,277,937 |
| 2022 | $142,242,497 | $2,427,083 | $6,189,659 | $4,472,800 | 12 | $8,131,267 | $1,469,927 | $7,309,922 |
| 2021 | $157,397,407 | $2,854,934 | $3,852,268 | $2,512,000 | 11 | $6,574,391 | $12,502,960 | $7,658,388 |
| 2020 | $156,657,761 | $8,044,183 | $4,419,966 | $3,203,000 | 20 | — | $10,238,712 | $7,196,005 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sorenson Impact Foundation reported a distributable amount of $7.3M 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 mission is to advance the flow of capital into innovative, scalable solutions to the world’s most pressing needs. Its website identifies access to education, workforce development, and healthcare among the challenges its PRIs may address, particularly where underserved populations are affected.
In its 2024 ownership-focused funding initiative, the foundation sought to support economic empowerment and equity through ownership, including employee ownership, homeownership, community real estate, stakeholder trusts, and broad-based entrepreneurship. The initiative invited proposals for grants or PRIs, with PRIs potentially structured as concessionary debt, loan guarantees, or first-loss equity.
The foundation’s 2024 filing also describes support for several investment programs: Omnivore Partners, focused on livelihoods and higher wages in developing economies; TEAMFund, supporting med-tech companies working on non-communicable diseases; Apis & Heritage Legacy Fund, supporting workforce ownership and wealth-building opportunities for people of color; and Eleos Social Venture Fund, investing in companies addressing sanitation, healthcare, education, energy, and water in East Africa.
Grantees’ stated missions illustrate the range of organizations supported. Realize Impact says it provides financial support, mentorship, and other assistance to early-stage enterprises that cannot obtain conventional financing. B Lab Company says it works to help businesses measure and improve their social and environmental impact. The Aspen Institute describes its work as driving change through dialogue, leadership, and action. New Venture Fund describes itself as a public charity providing fiscal sponsorship and operational support to projects working across fields including conservation, education, global health, and civil rights.
Grantmaking
The foundation reported 12 grants totaling $3,603,000 in 2024. The median grant was $250,000, with awards ranging from $40,000 to $1,000,000. Recent examples include:
The foundation’s website describes a separate PRI process for post-revenue companies at the Seed and Series A stage. It asks prospective companies or funds to submit a pitch deck through its PRI Deal Intake form. The stated process generally takes three to six months for deals that close and receive funding, and includes screening, due diligence, board and investment committee decisions, negotiations, documentation, and compliance review.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists James Lee Sorenson, Krista Sorenson, and Luke Sorenson as directors, and Paul Ludlow as CFO and Secretary.
Sorenson Impact Foundation's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Krista Sorenson
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$5K (2024)
James Lee Sorenson
Director
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Luke Sorenson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Ludlow
CFO & Secretary
On filings since 2022
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Lauren Sercu (2022) — CIO
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $5K, to Krista Sorenson (Director).
Frequently asked questions about Sorenson Impact Foundation
How much does Sorenson Impact Foundation give each year?
Sorenson Impact Foundation gave $3.6M across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.4M across 11 grants.
What is Sorenson Impact Foundation's typical grant size?
Sorenson Impact Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $250,000, and its average grant was $300,250, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sorenson Impact Foundation that year got $345K on average.
Where does Sorenson Impact Foundation give grants?
Sorenson Impact Foundation's top state is Washington, with 28% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Utah (18%) and District of Columbia (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants).
Does Sorenson Impact Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 8% of Sorenson Impact Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sorenson Impact Foundation's largest grantees?
Sorenson Impact Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Realize Impact ($1,000,000), University of Utah ($638,000) and Lafayettte Square Foundation ($375,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sorenson Impact Foundation?
Sorenson Impact Foundation reported $140.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $7.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $7.3M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sorenson Impact Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to advance the flow of capital into innovative, scalable solutions to the world’s most pressing needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sorenson Impact Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Sorenson Impact Foundation's EIN?
Sorenson Impact Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-3203840. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Sorenson Impact 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 16, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Sorenson Impact Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Sorenson Impact Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sorenson Impact Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sorenson-impact-foundation-morg_d826c6dba60446afa02f3ef2e585c975
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_453203840_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sorenson Impact Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sorenson-impact-foundation-morg_d826c6dba60446afa02f3ef2e585c975},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Sorenson Impact 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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