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Bastian Family Charitable Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.7M
Grant Range
$5K - $2.3M

Bastian Family Charitable Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Total Assets: $91.3 million (2024)
  • Annual Giving: $2.7 million (2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (trustee discretion)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $2,290,000
  • Geographic Focus: Utah (primarily Salt Lake County and statewide)

Contact Details

Address: Centerville, UT

Key Personnel:

  • Mary Bastian, President
  • Emily Markham, Treasurer
  • Jacob D. Anderson, Secretary

Note: This foundation does not have a public website or published contact information for grant inquiries.

Overview

The Bastian Family Charitable Foundation was established in August 2010 as a private independent foundation to honor and preserve the Bastian family's 75-year agricultural legacy in Utah's Salt Lake Valley. With assets of $91.3 million as of 2024, the foundation has made transformative contributions to agricultural education and youth development in Utah. The foundation's landmark achievement is the creation of the Bastian Agricultural Center at Utah State University, supported by over $47 million in donations—representing the largest single gift in USU history. The foundation was recognized with USU Extension's Friend of Extension Award in March 2023 for its exceptional partnership and commitment to preserving agricultural heritage while inspiring future generations through STEM education. Led by sisters Mary Bastian and Emily Markham, along with Jake Anderson, the foundation operates without paid staff and focuses primarily on supporting the agricultural center's mission while making selective grants to education, healthcare, and hunger relief organizations.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs. All funding decisions are made at the discretion of the trustees, with grants awarded to pre-selected charitable organizations.

Primary Focus: Bastian Agricultural Center at Utah State University

  • Multi-year commitment totaling over $47 million
  • $41.25 million gift in 2022 (largest single gift in USU history)
  • $6 million initial gift in 2021
  • Annual operating support of approximately $2.3 million

Secondary Grants: Limited grants to select organizations

  • Jordan Education Foundation: $19,000 (2023) - education support
  • Operation Smile: $5,000 (2023) - corrective oral surgery programs
  • Utah Food Bank: In-kind donations of processed meat from agricultural center livestock program

Priority Areas

Agricultural Education: The foundation's primary mission centers on educating an increasingly urban population about contemporary agriculture through:

  • 4-H youth programs and conferences
  • STEM education focused on farming and natural resources
  • Livestock and equestrian education
  • Plant production education

Youth Development: Supporting programs that provide hands-on agricultural experiences and leadership development for young people across Utah, reaching over 73,000 youth annually through 4-H programming.

Hunger Relief: Contributing to Utah Food Bank through innovative programs that combine agricultural education with community service (purchasing livestock for student education, then processing and donating meat).

Education: Selected support for educational foundations serving Utah communities.

Healthcare: Occasional grants to organizations providing medical services.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation's 990 filings indicate they make contributions "only to preselected charitable organizations" and do not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Based on their giving history, they appear to avoid:

  • Organizations outside of Utah
  • General operating support for organizations unrelated to their agricultural mission
  • Capital campaigns (except for their primary beneficiary, USU)
  • National organizations without clear Utah impact (with rare exceptions like Operation Smile)

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors (All Uncompensated)

Mary Bastian, President: Co-leader of the family foundation, representing the family's multi-generational farming heritage in the Salt Lake Valley. Part of a family that has farmed the region for over 75 years.

Emily Markham, Treasurer: Sister to Mary Bastian and co-representative of the family's philanthropic vision. Works alongside Mary to preserve their agricultural legacy.

Jacob D. Anderson, Secretary: Key family representative who has articulated the foundation's vision. Anderson stated: "Being a successful farmer requires determination, hard work, courage, and a great love of the land," emphasizing the qualities the foundation seeks to pass on to future generations through the agricultural center.

Additional Representatives

Mark Monson: Works alongside Anderson in maintaining ongoing collaboration with USU Extension leadership.

Leadership Philosophy

According to Jake Anderson, the foundation aims to preserve the family's agricultural heritage while passing on "qualities of innovation, entrepreneurship, and scientific thinking to future generations." Ken White, USU Extension Vice President, noted: "In addition to the center, they have donated decades of agricultural knowledge, which is a huge support to the center's mission."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. According to their official tax filings, the Bastian Family Charitable Foundation "makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

All grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees—Mary Bastian, Emily Markham, and Jacob D. Anderson. The vast majority of the foundation's resources are committed to supporting Utah State University's Bastian Agricultural Center, with only occasional grants made to other organizations.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation's giving pattern suggests grants are made to organizations with which the trustees have pre-existing relationships or personal knowledge. Given the limited and specific information available, strategic approaches for organizations seeking support might include:

Utah State University Connections: The foundation's primary relationship is with USU Extension. Organizations working in partnership with USU Extension programs or the Bastian Agricultural Center may have indirect pathways to the foundation's attention through these institutional relationships.

Agricultural and Youth Development Focus: The foundation's mission centers on agricultural education and youth development, particularly through 4-H programming. Organizations operating in these specific sectors in Utah may align with trustee interests.

Note: These are inferences based on giving patterns. The foundation has explicitly stated they do not accept unsolicited requests, and there is no documented process for organizations to proactively seek funding.

Application Success Factors

Given that the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional "success factors" do not apply. However, an analysis of their giving reveals clear trustee priorities:

Demonstrated Priorities

Long-term, Transformational Impact: The foundation has committed over $47 million to a single project—the Bastian Agricultural Center—demonstrating preference for substantial, lasting impact over numerous small grants. This represents a multi-year, deeply engaged philanthropic partnership rather than transactional grant-making.

Agricultural Heritage Preservation: Jake Anderson emphasized the foundation's goal to preserve their family's 75-year farming legacy. Funded initiatives directly connect to agriculture, land stewardship, and farming education.

STEM Education for Youth: The agricultural center's mission explicitly focuses on "inspiring future generations by providing programs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) as they apply to agriculture." Educational programs combining hands-on learning with scientific thinking align with trustee values.

Utah Community Focus: All documented grants benefit Utah-based organizations or programs serving Utah residents, with the overwhelming majority concentrated in the Salt Lake Valley where the family has farmed for generations.

Values Alignment: Anderson's quote about farming requiring "determination, hard work, courage, and a great love of the land" reflects the character qualities the foundation seeks to develop in young people. Programs emphasizing these values may resonate with trustees.

Active Engagement: Ken White noted that the family has "donated decades of agricultural knowledge" in addition to financial resources. The foundation appears to value opportunities for hands-on involvement beyond check-writing.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists: This foundation operates through trustee discretion only and explicitly does not accept unsolicited proposals. Do not submit blind applications.

  • Highly concentrated giving: Over 95% of annual grants support the Bastian Agricultural Center at USU. This is not a broadly accessible funding source for most organizations.

  • Agricultural education is the core mission: The foundation's purpose statement, leadership quotes, and giving history all center on preserving agricultural knowledge and inspiring youth through farming-based STEM education.

  • Multi-million dollar commitment to single beneficiary: The $47+ million to USU represents transformational, legacy-scale philanthropy rather than programmatic grant-making to diverse organizations.

  • Limited capacity for new partnerships: Operating without staff and with three trustees, the foundation has extremely limited bandwidth for considering or managing additional grantee relationships.

  • Utah-centric focus: Geographic restriction to Utah (particularly Salt Lake Valley) is absolute based on all available giving records.

  • Relationship-driven decisions: The small number of grants to organizations other than USU (Jordan Education Foundation, Operation Smile, Utah Food Bank) suggests personal connections or awareness rather than competitive selection.

References

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