The Span Foundation
The Span Foundation is a private foundation based in Bountiful, Utah. Its 2024 filing reports 37 grants totaling $285,315 to charitable organizations, including organizations involved in education, poverty reduction, humanitarian work, and prevention and healing related to sexual exploitation.
The Span Foundation at a glance
In short: The Span Foundation gave $285K across 37 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in Utah. 27% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $285,315
- -8.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 37
- +2.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,711
- -10.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $7,599,354
- +13.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (10 of 37, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Utah (60% 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 Span 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. The filing lists Lynn G Robbins as the contact, says no specific form is required, and lists no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- None listed on the filing.
- Deadline
- None listed on the filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Lynn G Robbins
Mailing address: 559 W 500 S, Bountiful, UT 84010
Phone: (801) 296-0200
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Span Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Meso American Research ($41K). Together the top 10 received $206K.
Grant Size Distribution
171 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 167 grants of 171 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Utah organizations received 60% of grant dollars. Other leading recipient-state shares were California at 14%, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia at 6% each, and Arizona at 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Span Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 37 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 68% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−1%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 94% 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 (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 $269K (2022) to $310K (2023). In 2024 it made 37 grants totaling $285K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Meso American Research Santa Barbara, CA | Various | $41,100 |
| LDS Church Salt Lake City, UT | Various | $34,039 |
| American Heritage American Fork, UT | Various | $25,000 |
| Primary Childrens - Festival of Trees Salt Lake City, UT | Various | $21,400 |
| Mentors International Draper, UT | Various | $20,000 |
| Live Your Dream Foundation Philadelphia, PA | Various | $17,000 |
| MRF Washington, DC | Various | $16,500 |
| University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT | Various | $10,800 |
| United Families International Gilbert, AZ | Various | $10,000 |
| Southern Virginia University Buena Vista, VA | Various | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Span 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 | $7,599,354 | $1,216,339 | $331,420 | $285,315 | 37 | $285,315 | $1,203,356 | $303,034 |
| 2023 | $6,714,435 | $276,892 | $362,804 | $310,243 | 36 | $310,243 | $325,391 | $289,864 |
| 2022 | $6,800,347 | $260,780 | $339,682 | $268,506 | 38 | $268,506 | $54,465 | $244,086 |
| 2021 | $6,879,249 | $569,454 | $393,678 | $289,113 | 29 | $289,113 | $151,435 | $289,032 |
| 2020 | $6,703,474 | $462,465 | $359,645 | $298,455 | 31 | — | $192,434 | $193,712 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Span Foundation reported a distributable amount of $303K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees describe a range of activities: Mentors International says it works to help families and entrepreneurs move from poverty toward self-reliance and economic prosperity through mentoring. Southern Virginia University describes its mission as educating and supporting students in intellect, character, and spirituality. PHASE Alliance says it addresses sexual exploitation through prevention and healing programs, while the Davis Education Foundation works to remove barriers to learning and provide educational opportunities. The Cato Institute describes its mission as advancing individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation reported 37 grants totaling $285,315. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $41,100, with a median of $5,000. Among its largest grants were $41,100 to Meso American Research, $34,039 to LDS Church, $25,000 to American Heritage, $21,400 to Primary Childrens - Festival of Trees, and $20,000 to Mentors International. The filing lists the purposes of these grants as “various.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lynn G Robbins as trustee and Jan E Robbins as director.
The Span Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jan E. Robbins
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Lynn G. Robbins
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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 Span Foundation
How much does The Span Foundation give each year?
The Span Foundation gave $285K across 37 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $310K across 36 grants.
What is The Span Foundation's typical grant size?
The Span Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,711, across 37 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Span Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Span Foundation give grants?
The Span Foundation gives mostly in Utah: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (14%) and Pennsylvania (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Salt Lake City, UT (13 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Logan, UT (2 grants).
Does The Span Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 37 grants with a stated purpose on The Span Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Various" (37 grants).
Who are The Span Foundation's largest grantees?
The Span Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Meso American Research ($41,100), LDS Church ($34,039) and American Heritage ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Span Foundation?
The Span Foundation reported $7.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $285K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $303K (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 The Span Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees describe a range of activities: Mentors International says it works to help families and entrepreneurs move from poverty toward self-reliance and economic prosperity through mentoring. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Span 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 The Span Foundation's EIN?
The Span Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-6220698. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Span 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 October 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 Span Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-span-foundation-morg_915e94ad0e944ac7aefdffef19972a73
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_876220698_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Span Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-span-foundation-morg_915e94ad0e944ac7aefdffef19972a73},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Span 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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