Jon And Karen Huntsman Foundation

The Jon and Karen Huntsman Foundation is a family philanthropy that operates entirely by preselection — it does not accept unsolicited grant applications. This distinction is foundational: grant seekers cannot submit a proposal to be reviewed because no such submission pipeline exists. The foundation's application instructions on record with the IRS explicitly state 'none,' and its preselected-only status is confirmed in multiple foundation databases. Organizations wishing to enter this circle of giving must understand that the path is relational, not transactional.

The foundation's giving philosophy flows directly from the Huntsman family's personal biography. Jon M. Huntsman Sr., who built Huntsman Corporation into one of the world's largest privately held chemical companies, survived multiple cancer diagnoses and watched family members struggle with mental illness — and gave accordingly. That personal authenticity is reflected in a portfolio dominated by two flagship institutions bearing the Huntsman name at the University of Utah: the Huntsman Cancer Foundation ($31.4M in four grants) and the Huntsman Mental Health Institute ($31.7M in three grants). Together these entities represent over half of all documented grant dollars.

Below those flagship institutions, the foundation supports a broader Utah ecosystem: human services organizations (Catholic Community Services, Utah Food Bank, Volunteers of America Utah), higher education (Utah State University's Jon M. Huntsman Business School, Southern Utah University, Idaho State University), arts (Hale Centre Theatre, Carnegie Hall), and community infrastructure (The Road Home, Neighborhood House Association). What unifies these grantees is their connection to places and communities the Huntsman family has lived, worked, and built relationships in over decades.

For organizations seeking to enter this circle, indirect cultivation is the only viable path. Build genuine presence in Salt Lake City's philanthropic ecosystem. Demonstrate alignment with cancer care, mental health services, higher education, or direct social services. Develop relationships with University of Utah leadership and administrators of the Huntsman-named institutes. The foundation's board includes Karen Huntsman (Chair), Peter Huntsman (CEO), Paul Huntsman, James Huntsman, Jennifer Huntsman Parkin, and Christena Durham as EVPs — family connections through business, alumni, or civic channels are the most effective long-term approach.

The Jon and Karen Huntsman Foundation's documented giving database reveals $122.1 million in grants across 262 grant records, with a striking bimodal distribution. The median grant stands at $45,000, but the average reaches $455,464 — a dramatic divergence driven by mega-grants to flagship institutions. The full range runs from $2,226 at the floor to $12.9 million at the ceiling.

At the top of the ledger, two grantees together absorbed more than half of documented giving: the Huntsman Mental Health Institute received $31.7 million across three grants, and the Huntsman Cancer Foundation received $31.4 million across four grants. The next largest single disbursement was $10 million to The Advertising Council for the national mental health stigma campaign, followed by $6.6 million to the National Philanthropic Trust (likely a donor-advised fund transfer) and $5 million to Utah State University's Jon M. Huntsman Business School.

By geography, 203 of 262 grant records (77%) went to Utah-based organizations. The remaining grants concentrated in New York (17 grants, primarily Carnegie Hall and Wharton School Fund), Pennsylvania (8 grants, Wharton-related), Washington DC (4 grants), Florida (4), and Texas (4). This Utah-centrism is foundational to the giving identity.

Annual giving has ranged from approximately $6.9 million (2012) to $42.9 million (2022), with $28 million in total giving in 2023 and $22 million in grants paid that year. The 2022 spike reflects an extraordinary capital-giving year coinciding with the HMHI buildout. Assets have grown from $363M (2012) to $557M (2024), demonstrating strong endowment returns over the decade.

By program area, cancer research and care accounts for approximately 45% of documented grant dollars; mental health, 35%; higher education, 10%; human services (food, shelter, homeless services), 6%; and arts and culture, 4%. All grants are classified as general operating support — the foundation does not fund restricted-purpose or project-specific grants.

Comparing the Jon and Karen Huntsman Foundation to its Utah-based philanthropic peers reveals how it occupies a distinctive niche: a large endowment concentrated almost entirely on a small geographic market, with giving driven by family legacy rather than competitive grant cycles.

*Peer asset and giving figures are approximate, drawn from publicly available 990 data and foundation profiles; consult each foundation's current filings for exact figures.*

The Huntsman Foundation's invitation-only structure sharply distinguishes it from peers like the Eccles Foundation, which maintains a more accessible LOI process. Organizations that are unable to secure Huntsman consideration should evaluate the Eccles Foundation and Miller Family Foundation as accessible alternatives with overlapping priorities in education and Utah community development. The Sorenson Legacy Foundation offers the closest overlap for organizations bridging social innovation, technology, and human services in Utah.

The foundation's most significant recent announcement was the November 2024 Spirit of Giving Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals Utah Chapter — the year's highest regional honor for philanthropic impact, signaling continued community leadership under Karen Huntsman's chairmanship.

On the capital investment front, the $75 million matching pledge announced in June 2023 to build a comprehensive cancer campus in Vineyard, Utah represents a geographic expansion for the Huntsman Cancer Institute beyond its Salt Lake City base. This pledge is designed to catalyze additional community and institutional donors toward a full campaign goal. Separately, the Utah Mental Health Translational Research Building — funded in part by the foundation's continuing HMHI contributions — broke ground in October 2023 and is expected to open in 2026.

The $65 million multi-year partnership with the Ad Council, launched around 2022, continues to generate national media on mental health stigma. The 'Be OTW 4 Mental Health' campaign produced public service content distributed via national broadcast partnerships.

Jon M. Huntsman Sr., the foundation's founder, passed away in February 2018. The foundation continues under the leadership of his widow, Karen H. Huntsman (Chair), and their children — Peter Huntsman (CEO, also leads Huntsman Corporation), David Huntsman (President/COO, compensated $640,000 in the most recent filing), and several other family members serving as EVP directors at $0 compensation. This family-led governance structure shows no signs of transition to non-family leadership.

Because the Jon and Karen Huntsman Foundation operates exclusively by preselection, the following tips address how to position your organization for eventual consideration — not how to submit a formal application.

Understand what 'invitation-only' means in practice. There is no grant portal, no RFP calendar, no LOI process, and no email submission address. Organizations that have successfully received Huntsman funding did so through prior relationships with Huntsman family members, Huntsman Corporation executives, University of Utah leadership, or peer organizations already in the foundation's orbit.

Map your institutional connections. The highest-value relationships run through the University of Utah (particularly Huntsman Cancer Institute and Huntsman Mental Health Institute), Utah State University's Jon M. Huntsman School of Business, and civic organizations like the Community Foundation of Utah, which has received $250,000 in giving from the foundation. Board members at these institutions regularly interact with Huntsman family leadership.

Use alignment language carefully. If you secure an introduction or are asked to share materials, frame your work around the family's personal priorities: reducing stigma and expanding access to mental health care; advancing cancer treatment research and survivorship; strengthening higher education in Utah; and providing direct services to vulnerable Utahns (homeless, food-insecure, elderly). Avoid generic 'community benefit' framing — specificity to Huntsman priorities signals genuine homework.

Timing matters less than relationships. There is no known grant cycle or annual deadline. The foundation disburses funds throughout the year based on board decisions, not a public calendar. However, the 3am ET October–March window historically sees more large institutional grants, likely tied to fiscal year planning.

Contact the foundation directly as a last resort. The foundation phone number — (801) 584-5700 — and the huntsmanfamilyfoundation.org website are the only public-facing contact points. A brief, professional inquiry about whether any community grant programs exist is appropriate; a pitch is not.