Dry Creek Charity

Dry Creek Charity is a $5.71M private foundation headquartered at 2540 E Haven Lane in Holladay, UT (EIN 20-4351350), tax-exempt since November 2007. It is classified under NTEE code K40 (Nutrition Programs) within the broader Food, Agriculture & Nutrition category — an unusual choice for a small family private foundation and a meaningful strategic signal. Grant Bay cumulative 990-PF analysis confirms the nutrition/food-security lens: 170 grants totaling $2,643,308 over the foundation history, going primarily to organizations in California and Utah plus 4 other states and occasional international recipients. Individual grants in Grant Bay dataset range from $100 to $89,232 with a median of $7,850. The Grantable profile reports 16 grants totaling $241K in 2024, indicating the foundation remains active with a steady, moderate-sized giving pattern. The website drycreekcharity.org is a minimal Squarespace placeholder that confirms 501(c)(3) status and lists a Salt Lake City mailing address (1055 E 2100 Ste. 203) but provides no application guidance. This is a trustee-directed family foundation with a clear food/nutrition thematic focus and a Utah-California geographic footprint.

Dry Creek Charity funding pattern is remarkably consistent across 13 years of 990-PF data. Annual expenses have ranged from $260K (2023) to $668K (2015), with recent years clustering in the $260K–$380K band — the foundation distributes roughly 5% of its corpus annually, which is the IRS-required minimum for private non-operating foundations. ProPublica data for 2024 shows revenue of $354,809 and expenses of $275,847 on $5,708,057 in assets. Granted AI summary (73 grants totaling $950K with a $7K median) and Grant Bay longer-horizon view (170 grants, $2.64M total, $7,850 median) agree that typical awards land in the $5K–$15K range. Known grantees per Cause IQ include Salt Lake Granite Canyon and Davis Schools After School Projects — both Utah-based — plus California-based nutrition/food-security organizations. The foundation is NOT exclusively nutrition-focused in practice despite the K40 NTEE code; grants also support education and human services, consistent with a family foundation whose primary anchor is geographic (Utah/California) rather than purely thematic.

Dry Creek gives less per year than the other established peers in this set but writes fewer grants at a higher median than Zeldin — making it the most accessible mid-sized-grant option (~$7.9K median) for Utah and California applicants. The nutrition/food-security tilt is a strong differentiator: food-access organizations have a materially better fit than arts or healthcare-research asks.

The most recent public filing is fiscal year ending December 2024: revenue $354,809, expenses $275,847, assets $5,708,057 (ProPublica). Grantable 2024 summary of 16 grants totaling $241K matches the expense figure after subtracting administrative costs. Asset growth has been steady since 2020 ($5.05M) through 2024 ($5.71M), suggesting the foundation is designed for perpetuity rather than spend-down. Intellispect profile lists 0 employees, consistent with trustee-only operation. The Squarespace site at drycreekcharity.org has not been meaningfully updated and shows no application portal, no RFP announcements, and no posted strategic priorities as of April 2026. No Philanthropy News Digest coverage or press releases were identified via search. Next 990-PF (FY2025) will likely publish to ProPublica in mid-to-late 2026.

1) Lead with nutrition / food-security framing if your organization plausibly fits NTEE K40; this is the foundation stated category and increases fit by a wide margin versus generic human-services positioning. 2) Geographic fit matters a great deal — Utah and California organizations dominate the historical grantee list, and out-of-region applicants without a strong thematic hook are unlikely to be funded. 3) Anchor your ask in the $5K–$15K band ($7,850 median per Grant Bay 170-grant dataset). Asks above $25K are possible (Grant Bay shows a high of $89K) but rare and usually go to established grantees. 4) Use the Grant Bay grantee list (https://grantbay.org/form-990/204351350) to identify peer organizations for introductions — examples include Salt Lake Granite Canyon and Davis Schools After School Projects. 5) There is no public application portal. Mail a 1–2 page letter of inquiry to the Haven Lane (Holladay) or 1055 E 2100 Ste. 203 (Salt Lake City) address with your 501(c)(3) determination letter, most recent 990, and a crisp articulation of how your work intersects with food access or youth nutrition. 6) The 0-employee structure means all review happens at the trustee level — decisions are slower and more personal than at staffed foundations.