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Call To Action Foundation

Annual Giving
$38.0M
Grant Range
$5K - $38.0M

Call To Action Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Total Assets: $546+ million
  • Annual Investment: $38 million (2024, affordable housing focus)
  • Cumulative Investment Since 2007: $100+ million
  • Average Grant Size: $15,200 (historical)
  • Geographic Focus: West and Midwest regions (Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Nevada)
  • Foundation Type: Private Operating Foundation (Call to Action Foundation) and Private Foundation (The Call Foundation)

Contact Details

Address: 185 South State Street, Suite 1200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84111

Website: calltoactionphilanthropies.org

Structure: Operates as Call to Action Philanthropies, encompassing two entities:

  • The Call Foundation (private foundation) - grants to nonprofits
  • Call to Action Foundation (private operating foundation) - direct operations and scholarships

Overview

Call to Action Philanthropies was established through two distinct phases. In 2007, founder Crystal Maggelet created The Call Foundation to support Utah students needing access to higher education and technical training, believing that "education is the key to success." By 2022, when Flying J's remaining assets faced liquidation, the family expanded their philanthropic commitment by creating the Call to Action Foundation—a significantly larger private operating foundation designed for long-term community investment.

Funded by FJ Management's subsidiary companies including Maverik and Big West Oil, the foundations have invested over $100 million since 2007 to strengthen underserved communities throughout the West and Midwest. Their mission centers on strengthening children and families through strategic investments in early childhood, affordable housing, scholarships, and food security. In 2024 alone, the foundation committed $38 million toward securing and preserving affordable housing for working families. The Call Foundation has awarded more than $6.6 million in scholarships to students throughout Utah.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundations operate through multiple funding streams:

The Call Foundation (Private Foundation)

  • Makes grants to nonprofit organizations serving underserved children and working families
  • Supports early childhood education, family mental health, and food security initiatives
  • Backs initiatives identified by FJM's subsidiaries and employees

Call to Action Foundation (Private Operating Foundation)

  • Focuses on direct affordable housing investments and operations (invested over $80 million in two years)
  • Administers scholarship programs including CTA Scholarship and Next Chapter Scholarship
  • Average grant: $15,200 (historical average)

Scholarship Programs

  • CTA Scholarship & Next Chapter Scholarship: Full cost of attendance for four years ($25,000 maximum annually) at non-profit public universities and colleges in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, and Utah
  • Eligibility: Graduating high school seniors who are residents of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Nevada, and Utah meeting in-state residency requirements
  • Note: Scholarship applications are cyclical; next application cycle begins January 2026

Priority Areas

  1. Affordable Housing: Preservation and expansion of affordable housing properties for seniors and working families
  2. Early Childhood: Early childhood education and development programs
  3. Food Security: Emergency food assistance and hunger relief programs
  4. Scholarships: Access to higher education and technical training

Recent 2024 Grantees Include:

Food Security: Utah Food Bank, Feeding America, Bountiful Community Food Pantry

Housing: Habitat for Humanity (Salt Lake Valley and Greater Des Moines chapters)

Education: University of Utah, Utah State University, Weber State University, technical colleges

Health/Social Services: American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, Children's Service Society, IRC

Emergency Services: Ogden Rescue Mission, Holy Cross Ministries

Veteran Support: Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center, Hope for the Warriors

Child Welfare: Friends of the Children - Utah, Prevent Child Abuse - Utah

Community Organizations: United Way of Salt Lake, YWCA Utah, Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but the foundation maintains a clear focus on their four priority areas within their defined geographic regions.

Governance and Leadership

Crystal Maggelet - Founder, CEO and Chairwoman of FJ Management

  • MBA from Harvard Business School
  • Bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University
  • Established The Call Foundation in 2007
  • Quote: "Forty years from now, when someone looks back on how I chose to live my life, will they see that I balanced … family, career, community? That I left a legacy by making an impact in those ways? That I left a mark?"

Whitney Call - Chair

Drew Maggelet - Vice Chair

Lauren Call - Treasurer

Monet Maggelet - Secretary

Lexi Maggelet - Board Member

The board consists primarily of family members, reflecting the foundation's family office structure. The foundation is funded by FJ Management's subsidiary companies, creating a sustainable long-term funding model.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Call to Action Foundation does not have a public application process. Grants are made through:

  1. Trustee/Board Discretion: The foundation's board identifies and selects organizations aligned with their mission
  2. Subsidiary and Employee Connections: Initiatives are often identified through FJ Management's subsidiaries (including Maverik and Big West Oil) and their employees
  3. Strategic Partnerships: The foundation pursues targeted partnerships with organizations working in their priority areas, such as the collaboration with Ivory Innovations on affordable housing projects

The foundation operates through a combination of:

  • Mission-focused organizational grants
  • Subsidiary giving programs (through Maverik and Big West Oil)
  • Employee giving programs coordinated through FJ Management

Decision Timeline

Not publicly documented. Decisions are made by the board based on strategic priorities and organizational relationships.

Success Rates

Not publicly documented. The foundation funded 49 nonprofit organizations in 2024 in addition to their direct operating programs.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly documented due to invitation-only nature of grants.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, success depends on:

  1. Mission Alignment: Organizations must work in one of the four core areas (early childhood, affordable housing, scholarships, food security) and serve underserved communities in the West and Midwest

  2. Geographic Focus: Strong preference for organizations operating in Utah, with secondary focus on Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, and Nevada

  3. Connection to FJ Management Ecosystem: Organizations in communities where FJ Management, Maverik, or Big West Oil employees live and work have historical advantage

  4. Systemic Impact: The foundation's stated philosophy addresses "systemic challenges in underserved communities," suggesting preference for programs with broad, lasting impact

  5. Working Families Focus: Programs specifically benefiting working families and their children align with the foundation's core mission

  6. Education as Foundation: Crystal Maggelet's belief that "education is the key to success" suggests educational components or pathways strengthen proposals

  7. Partnership Capacity: Organizations that can engage in substantial, multi-year partnerships (as demonstrated by the affordable housing collaborations) may be prioritized

  8. Established Track Record: As a foundation that identifies organizations rather than reviewing unsolicited applications, demonstrated success and reputation in the sector are crucial

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This is an invitation-only funder; traditional grant applications are not accepted. Focus on relationship building and visibility in the sector.

  • Family-Funded, Long-Term Vision: Backed by FJ Management's profitable subsidiaries (Maverik, Big West Oil), the foundation has sustained resources and takes a generational view of impact

  • Strategic Focus Areas: Stay strictly within early childhood, affordable housing, scholarships, or food security—the foundation has demonstrated disciplined focus on these four areas since 2007

  • Geographic Concentration: Utah receives primary focus, with secondary opportunities in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, and Nevada; organizations outside these states are unlikely to be considered

  • Scale Matters: With $38 million invested in affordable housing alone in 2024 and $100+ million total since 2007, the foundation makes substantial investments and may prefer organizations that can absorb and effectively deploy significant funding

  • Employee Connection Pathway: Organizations in communities where Maverik stores or Big West Oil operations exist may have access through employee giving and volunteer programs

  • **Direct quotes from founder Crystal Maggelet emphasize education as "the key to success" and a commitment to "making an impact" that leaves a lasting "legacy"—language about long-term transformation and educational pathways resonates with leadership values

References

  1. Cause IQ - Call To Action Foundation Profile. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/call-to-action-foundation,882726669/. Accessed December 16, 2025.

  2. Call to Action Philanthropies - Official Website. https://calltoactionphilanthropies.org/. Accessed December 16, 2025.

  3. Call to Action Philanthropies - Our Mission. https://calltoactionphilanthropies.org/about/our-mission. Accessed December 16, 2025.

  4. Call to Action Philanthropies - Our Founder and History. https://calltoactionphilanthropies.org/about/our-founder-and-history. Accessed December 16, 2025.

  5. Call to Action Philanthropies - Our Board. https://calltoactionphilanthropies.org/about/our-board. Accessed December 16, 2025.

  6. Call to Action Philanthropies - 2024 Grantees. https://calltoactionphilanthropies.org/grantees. Accessed December 16, 2025.

  7. Call to Action Philanthropies - 2024 Annual Report. https://calltoactionphilanthropies.org/news-media/2024-annual-report. Accessed December 16, 2025.

  8. Call to Action Philanthropies - Scholarships. https://www.calltoactionphilanthropies.org/focus-areas/scholarships. Accessed December 16, 2025.

  9. Utah Business - "How Crystal Maggelet went from hotelier to chief adventure guide." https://www.utahbusiness.com/entrepreneurship/2025/07/24/crystal-maggelet-hotelier-chief-adventure-guide-fj-management/. Accessed December 16, 2025.

  10. Utah Business - "2023 Utah Business Leaders of the Year: Clark Ivory & Crystal Maggelet." https://www.utahbusiness.com/awards-and-rankings/2024/01/24/2023-utah-business-leaders-of-the-year-clark-ivory-crystal-maggelet/. Accessed December 16, 2025.

  11. Charity Navigator - Call to Action Foundation Profile. https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/882726669. Accessed December 16, 2025.

  12. Instrumentl - Call To Action Foundation 990 Report. https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/call-to-action-foundation. Accessed December 16, 2025.

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