The GFC Foundation

PLEASANT GROVE, UT EIN: 87-0529248

The GFC Foundation is a private foundation established in 1994 and based in Pleasant Grove, Utah. The acronym GFC stands for "God, Family, and Country." The foundation operates as a family foundation with a focus on grantmaking to charitable organizations aligned with its core values.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$14.0M

-4.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.2M

+2.5% YoY

Grant Count

-6.7% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$87K

+9.8% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The GFC Foundation reported a distributable amount of $680K 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's mission centers on freedom, cultural renewal, K-12 education, higher education, and poverty relief. The foundation has deep roots in faith-based philanthropy, with shared religious faith serving as a key factor in transmitting donor intent across generations. The foundation is affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Beyond direct grantmaking, the GFC Foundation has chartered the Sutherland Institute, a public-policy organization, and American Heritage, a local faith-based private school.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation made 12 grants to organizations. Recent notable grants include:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

Utah $7.4M (97%)

Virginia $160K (2%)

District of Columbia $37K (0%)

Pennsylvania $30K (0%)

Georgia $5K (0%)

Michigan $3K (0%)

California $2K (0%)

Idaho $1K (0%)

+2 more states

States

Arizona California District of Columbia Georgia Idaho Michigan New York Pennsylvania Utah Virginia

Cities

AlexandriaAmerican ForkArlingtonAugustaCharlottesvilleFairfax StationGilbertGrand RapidsHighlandLehiMason NeckMcleanMount VernonNampaOremPleasant GroveSalt Lake CitySanta ClaraSaratoga SpringsSouth Jordan

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2024:

Total Assets: $14,028,959
Total Revenues: $295,235
Total Expenses: $1,331,402
Investment Income and Dividends: $407,154
Number of Employees: 0

As of December 2023:

Total Assets: $14.7 million
Total Revenues: $480,291
Total Expenses: $1,282,370
Total Liabilities: $0

The foundation's primary revenue source is investment income and dividends from U.S. Treasury bonds.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$14,028,959	$14,729,172	$15,531,251
Revenue	$295,235	$480,291	$503,942
Expenses	$1,331,402	$1,282,370	$1,806,135
Qualifying Distributions	$1,216,492	$1,186,591	$1,653,766
Net Investment Income	$45,179	$382,627	$258,750
Distributable Amount	$679,572	$757,785	$1,015,214

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

56 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Sutherland Institute ($1,053,230), American Heritage School ($53,698), Institute for Family Studies ($25,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
AMERICAN HERITAGE SCHOOL AMERICAN FORK, UT	GENERAL PURPOSE	$53,698
INSTITUTE FOR FAMILY STUDIES CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA	GENERAL PURPOSE	$25,000
PHILANTHROPY ROUNDTABLE WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL PURPOSE	$2,564
SUTHERLAND INSTITUTE SALT LAKE CITY, UT	GENERAL PURPOSE	$1,053,230
ATLAS NETWORK ARLINGTON, VA	GENERAL PURPOSE	$10,000
BILL OF RIGHTS INSTITUTE ARLINGTON, VA	GENERAL PURPOSE	$10,000
DC FAMILY & YOUTH INSTITUTE WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL PURPOSE	$3,000
ECHO SANTA CLARA, CA	GENERAL PURPOSE	$1,000
ETHICS AND PUCLI POLICY CENTER WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL PURPOSE	$15,000
FEAST SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY	GENERAL PURPOSE	$1,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation has transmitted its mission across three generations of the Swim family:

Dudley Swim founded the original foundation in 1941 and passed away in 1972
Gaylord Swim and his wife Laurie took up the family's philanthropy; Gaylord established the current version of the foundation in 1994
Stan Swim served as the third-generation president of the foundation until July 2018
Current trustees include Lauralyn B Swim, Brent McKinley, and Michael Ware

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
LAURALYN B SWIM	PRESIDENT	2	—
BRENT MCKINLEY	DIRECTOR	2	$16,000
MICHALE WARE	SECRETARY	2	$5,040

Contact Information

Phone: 385-225-9564
Address: PO Box 754, Pleasant Grove, UT 84062-0754
EIN: 87-0529248

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The GFC Foundation fund?

How do I apply for a grant from The GFC Foundation?

In 2024, the foundation made 12 grants to organizations. Recent notable grants include: • Sutherland Institute: $1,053,230 (General Purpose) • The Institute for Family Studies: $25,000 (General Purpose) • The Union League Legacy Foundation: $25,000 (General Purpose) The foundation also supports American Heritage Schools among other charitable organizations.

What size grants does The GFC Foundation award?

In 2024, The GFC Foundation awarded 14 grants totaling $1.2M — an average of about $87K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The GFC Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The GFC Foundation reported a distributable amount of $680K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.