The Franks Family Foundation
The Franks Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Utah.
The Franks Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Franks Family Foundation gave $290K across 34 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in Utah. 29% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $290,350
- +8.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 34
- -12.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $8,540
- +24.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $562,685
- -7.9% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (10 of 34, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Utah (75% 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 The Franks Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2024 filing says to contact Lauri Franks with a written request describing how the funds will be used. The request must include the charity’s full name, address, and tax ID number.
- Review Cycle
- The filing states that applications must be submitted by December 15 to be considered for payment by December 31. That stated deadline has passed.
- Deadline
- The filing states that applications must be submitted by December 15 to be considered for payment by December 31.
- Contact
Application contact: Lauri Franks
Mailing address: 3905 Prospector Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84121
Phone: (801) 557-4876
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Franks Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was YMCA Northern Utah ($91K). Together the top 10 received $210K.
Grant Size Distribution
172 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 169 grants of 172 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Utah recipients received 75% of grant dollars, followed by California at 9%, New York at 3%, and Washington, DC, and Indiana at 2% each. The filing’s grant list also includes recipients outside these states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 34 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Franks Family Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 34 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 102% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 364% 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 $144K (2021) to $290K (2024). In 2024 it made 34 grants totaling $290K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| YMCA Northern Utah Salt Lake City, UT | Charitable Donation | $91,000 |
| Best Friends Animal Society Salt Lake City, UT | Charitable Donation | $35,000 |
| Fistula Foundation San Jose, CA | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Shriners Hospital Salt Lake City, UT | Charitable Donation | $15,000 |
| Spy Hop Salt Lake City, UT | Charitable | $12,000 |
| Humane Society of Utah Murray, UT | Charitable Donation | $11,000 |
| Neighborhood House Salt Lake City, UT | Charitable Donation | $10,000 |
| Cache Humane Society Logan, UT | Charitable Donation | $7,000 |
| Covenant House Los Angeles, CA | Charitable Donation | $7,000 |
| Judge Memorial High School Salt Lake City, UT | Charitable Donation | $7,000 |
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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 | $562,685 | $244,626 | $293,186 | $290,350 | 34 | $290,350 | $30,755 | $79,671 |
| 2023 | $611,245 | $248,597 | $269,384 | $268,410 | 39 | $268,410 | $39,199 | $83,069 |
| 2022 | $632,032 | $141,519 | $190,050 | $190,050 | 32 | $190,050 | $42,124 | $95,463 |
| 2021 | $680,563 | $146,214 | $147,144 | $143,850 | 34 | $143,850 | $35,852 | $100,049 |
| 2020 | $681,493 | $165,976 | $223,823 | $222,750 | 33 | — | $36,499 | $85,610 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Franks Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $80K 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
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grantees included organizations with a range of missions. Best Friends Animal Society describes its work as saving dogs and cats in shelters and advancing a no-kill goal nationwide. The Humane Society of Utah says it works to eliminate animal pain, fear, and suffering; Cache Humane Society describes its work as rescuing and rehoming animals and reducing pet homelessness.
Other examples include Neighborhood House, which received a grant for charitable purposes, and the Fistula Foundation, which also received a charitable grant. The African Wildlife Foundation, a 2024 grantee, says its mission is to help wildlife and wild lands thrive in modern Africa. These grantee descriptions do not state the foundation’s own mission or priorities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 34 grants totaling $290,350. Awards ranged from $100 to $91,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Among its largest grants were $91,000 to YMCA Northern Utah, $35,000 to Best Friends Animal Society, $15,000 each to the Fistula Foundation and Shriners Hospital, and $12,000 to Spy Hop. Other grants included $11,000 to the Humane Society of Utah, $10,000 to Neighborhood House, and $7,000 each to Cache Humane Society, Covenant House, Judge Memorial High School, PreBorn, and Salt Lake City Mission.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Herman L. Franks and Lauri T. Franks as trustees, and Janie E. Franks and Michael L. Franks as administrative committee members.
The Franks Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Herman L. Franks
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lauri T. Franks
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Janie E. Franks
Administrator Committee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael L. Franks
Administrator Committee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
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 The Franks Family Foundation
How much does The Franks Family Foundation give each year?
The Franks Family Foundation gave $290K across 34 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $268K across 39 grants.
What is The Franks Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Franks Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $8,540, across 34 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Franks Family Foundation that year got $11K on average.
Where does The Franks Family Foundation give grants?
The Franks Family Foundation gives mostly in Utah: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Salt Lake City, UT (16 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does The Franks Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 34 grants with a stated purpose on The Franks Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Donation" (30 grants) and "Charitable" (4 grants).
Who are The Franks Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Franks Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include YMCA Northern Utah ($91,000), Best Friends Animal Society ($35,000) and Fistula Foundation ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Franks Family Foundation?
The Franks Family Foundation reported $563K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $290K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $80K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Franks Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2024 grantees included organizations with a range of missions. Best Friends Animal Society describes its work as saving dogs and cats in shelters and advancing a no-kill goal nationwide. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Franks Family Foundation?
The foundation’s 2024 filing says to contact Lauri Franks with a written request describing how the funds will be used. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Franks Family Foundation's EIN?
The Franks Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8118710. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Franks Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-franks-family-foundation-morg_015afba21f37457a8640d6809a477642
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_208118710_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Franks Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-franks-family-foundation-morg_015afba21f37457a8640d6809a477642},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-06. 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 The Franks 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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