Willard L Eccles Charitable Foundation
The Willard L Eccles Charitable Foundation is a private foundation established in 1981 and based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The foundation is dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of the land and people of Utah and the Intermountain West through grants to nonprofit organizations addressing needs and opportunities in basic science, education, the environment, social causes, and healthcare.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$26.6M
+46.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.5M
+19.9% YoY
Grant Count
80
+27.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$19K
-5.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission centers on charitable giving that benefits Utah and the Intermountain West. Primary funding areas include:
- Basic Science: Physics, astronomy, professorships, and research initiatives
- Education: Higher education and educational programs
- Environment: Land acquisition and retirement of grazing rights in critical habitats
- Social Services: Community-based social causes and human services
- Healthcare: Medical research and healthcare access, with particular emphasis on affordable healthcare and access for the underserved
Grantmaking
The foundation makes grants primarily to preselected charitable organizations, though it accepts applications from nonprofits. In 2024, the foundation made 61 grants totaling approximately $1.5 million. Historical grantmaking data shows:
Grant Range
**: Individual grants have ranged from $250 to $200,000
Average Grant
**: Approximately $20,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Utah, with particular emphasis on northern Utah. Selected grants are also provided to organizations in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $26,560,614
- Total Revenue: $845,527
- Total Expenses: $2,167,808
- Annual Giving: $1,516,071
The foundation has no employees and operates as a trust structure. Annual giving has grown from $1 million in 2020 to $1.3 million in 2023, with peak grantmaking activity in 2022 when $3.5 million was distributed across 170 grants.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $26,560,614 | $18,139,470 | $18,716,359 |
| Revenue | $845,527 | $964,877 | $1,607,051 |
| Expenses | $2,167,808 | $1,907,275 | $1,723,149 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,728,311 | $1,483,346 | $1,381,000 |
| Net Investment Income | $498,510 | $715,078 | $1,273,919 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,010,914 | $731,390 | $961,938 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Willard L Eccles Charitable Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Stephen E Denkers serves as Executive Director of the foundation. Denkers was a founding member of the Willard L. Eccles Foundation and the Stephen G. and Susan E. Denkers Family Foundation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stephen E Denkers | Executive Dir. | 40 | $165,000 |
| Stephen G Denkers | Trustee | 1 | $5,000 |
| Julie Denkers-Bishop | Trustee | 1 | $5,000 |
| Matthew Bishop | Trustee | 1 | $5,000 |
| Michael Denkers | Trustee | 1 | $5,000 |
| Kelly Sue Denkers | Trustee | 1 | $5,000 |
| Ashley Nicole Bishop | Trustee | 1 | $5,000 |
| Madison Denkers | Trustee | 1 | $5,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has made several transformational gifts in recent years:
U of U Announces Transformational $75 Million Gift from the Eccles FoundationA $75 million gift to the University of Utah for a new hospital and health campus in West Valley (2025)
University of Utah Announces \u2018Landmark\u2019 $110 Million Gift from\A $110 million commitment from Eccles foundations to the University of Utah School of Medicine (2021)
U of U Announces Transformational $75 Million Gift from the Eccles FoundationA $5 million grant to Utah Olympic Park (2022)
Eccles Foundation awards $5 million grant to Utah Olympic ParkRelated Funders
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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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