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S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation

Annual Giving
$3.2M
Grant Range
$5K - $0.5M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $3,234,122 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $68.73 million (2024)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $500,000
  • Number of Awards: 49 grants (2023)
  • Geographic Focus: Utah

Contact Details

Address: PO Box 45385, Salt Lake City, UT 84145-0385

Note: The foundation does not have a public website, email, or phone number for grant applications. They share a mailing address with the Ray Quinney & Nebeker law firm.

Overview

Established in 1982, the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation honors the legacy of S.J. "Joe" Quinney (1893-1983) and his wife Jessie Eccles Quinney (1896-unknown). Joe Quinney was a founding partner of the distinguished Salt Lake City law firm Ray, Quinney & Nebeker, a ski industry pioneer who helped establish Alta Ski Area, and a 1975 inductee into the National Ski Hall of Fame. Both Joe and Jessie were alumni of Utah State University (then the Agricultural College of Utah), graduating in 1916 and 1917 respectively. With total assets of $68.73 million, the foundation distributed $3.2 million in grants in 2023 across 49 awards. The foundation focuses exclusively on Utah-based organizations and causes, continuing the Quinneys' lifelong commitment to education, environmental conservation, arts and culture, and community development.

Funding Priorities

Priority Areas

Higher Education: The foundation's strongest area of support, including:

  • Named colleges and programs at Utah State University and University of Utah
  • Scholarships and fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students
  • Named professorships in natural resources and environmental law

General Education: Support for K-12 and other educational initiatives across Utah

Environment and Natural Resources: Conservation projects, wetlands preservation, and environmental education programs

Arts and Culture: Support for performing arts organizations and cultural programs

Human Services: Social services and community development programs

Past Grant Recipients

Documented recipients include:

  • Utah State University (S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources)
  • University of Utah College of Law (S.J. Quinney College of Law and Wallace Stegner Center)
  • Moab Music Festival
  • Nature Conservancy of Utah
  • Neighborhood House

Major Historical Grants

  • $26 million to University of Utah College of Law (2001), leading to naming of the S.J. Quinney College of Law
  • $10 million to Utah State University (2012), leading to naming of the S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources
  • $1 million to establish the Stegner Center at University of Utah (1997)
  • $1.5 million additional support to Stegner Center (2001)
  • Quinney Scholars and Fellows program at Utah State University established in 1989, supporting nearly 300 undergraduate scholarships and 71 graduate fellowships

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees/Directors (2024)

Each trustee/director receives $5,000 annual compensation:

  • Frederick Q Lawson - Director
  • David E Quinney Jr - Trustee/Director
  • Peter Q Lawson - Director
  • Ellen E Rossi - Director
  • David E Quinney III - Director
  • Charles H Livsey - Trustee/Director
  • Ira B Rubinfeld - Director
  • Gary Longmore - Director
  • Jason Tholen - Director
  • Sally B Mc Minimee - Director

The board includes family members (descendants through the Quinney name) and trusted advisors, reflecting the foundation's family foundation structure.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney Foundation does not have a public application process. According to public records and philanthropic databases, the foundation "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Grants are awarded through trustee discretion based on the foundation's strategic priorities and established relationships with Utah-based organizations. The foundation does not maintain a public website, published grant guidelines, or application forms.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation is described by Inside Philanthropy as "not particularly accessible to first-time grantseekers" and "known to give big local gifts to well-established organizations." Based on their documented giving patterns:

Established Relationship Pathways: The foundation has decades-long relationships with major Utah institutions, particularly Utah State University and University of Utah. Organizations with connections to these institutions or similar well-established Utah nonprofits may have better prospects.

Board Connections: With trustees including family members and advisors with deep Utah business and legal community ties, organizations already known within these networks are most likely to be considered.

Focus Area Alignment: Organizations working in the foundation's historical priority areas—particularly higher education, environmental conservation, and programs that connect education with natural resources—appear to align best with the foundation's mission.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As a private foundation making grants through trustee discretion, decision timelines are not published.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. Given that the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional success rate metrics are not applicable.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable, as the foundation does not accept public applications.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, their documented giving patterns reveal strategic preferences:

Long-term Institutional Relationships: The foundation has supported Utah State University and University of Utah for over 40 years, often providing multi-year or multi-decade support to the same institutions.

Transformational vs. Operational Support: Major gifts have focused on naming opportunities and endowment support that create lasting impact, such as named colleges, professorships, and scholarship programs that support hundreds of students over time.

Alumni Connection: Both founders were Utah State University alumni, and the foundation's largest gifts have gone to their alma maters, suggesting that personal connections to institutions matter significantly.

Environmental and Education Nexus: The foundation's giving shows particular interest in programs that combine environmental conservation with education, as demonstrated by support for natural resources colleges, environmental law programs, and conservation scholarships.

Utah-Focused Impact: The foundation is exclusively focused on Utah-based organizations and Utah impact. Organizations must be rooted in and serving Utah communities.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process: This foundation operates through trustee discretion and pre-existing relationships, not competitive grant applications
  • Well-established organizations favored: The foundation's documented giving pattern shows preference for major, established Utah institutions rather than emerging nonprofits
  • Alumni and personal connections matter: The Quinneys' personal connections, particularly to Utah State University, influenced decades of major giving
  • Large, strategic gifts: Grant range of $5,000-$500,000 suggests the foundation makes both modest and substantial investments, with major gifts focused on transformational, name-bearing opportunities
  • Environmental education sweet spot: Programs connecting environmental conservation with education appear to align strongly with the foundation's values
  • Long-term partnerships: Rather than one-time grants, the foundation has maintained multi-decade relationships with key institutions
  • Utah-only focus: Organizations must be based in Utah and serve Utah communities to be considered

References

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