What Granite Education Foundation does

Granite Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1988, operating as Utah's oldest and largest school foundation. It is headquartered at 2500 South State Street, D-108, Salt Lake City, Utah, with a donation and distribution center in Murray, Utah. The foundation's sole institutional customer is the Granite School District, where it serves approximately 55,000 students across 80 schools — including a beneficiary base in which 47% qualify for free or reduced lunch, more than 1,500 students experience homelessness, and over 100 languages and dialects are spoken. Its mission is to reduce barriers to learning by addressing students' basic needs and supporting educators.

The foundation operates a diversified program portfolio organized around two pillars. Student support programs include food assistance (Student Weekend Kits, Snack Kits, Emergency Food Boxes via United Way's 211 Last Mile Delivery), back-to-school backpacks and supplies (17,000+ backpacks delivered in 2024), hygiene kits, hair kits, clothing through Deseret Industries vouchers, vision care via EyeCare4Kids, reduced-fare UTA transportation cards, the Shop-A-Thon back-to-school event, Santa Sacks holiday gifts (5,500+ students annually), and needs-based scholarships ($500-$5,000). Educator support programs include the 36-year-old Excel Awards (10 educators annually at $1,500 each), the Apple Fund classroom grants ($250 per teacher), Thank You Thursday weekly recognition, and the Teacher Appreciation Fair. Large-scale volunteer events include the 9/11 Day of Service (16,267 kits built in 2025, 20,000 kit goal for 2026) and the Souper Bowl of Caring food drive.

The revenue model is entirely philanthropic, with no commercial product or service revenue. Funding streams include individual donations, corporate and foundation partnerships, payroll deduction via the Granite Gives program for Granite School District employees, planned giving and bequests, and in-kind contributions of physical goods. Distribution is direct-to-student through Granite School District social workers, counselors, and administrators, supported by physical donation centers and event-driven volunteer mobilization. The foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors (with Board Chair Carrie Johnson, SVP People & Culture at CompHealth) and operates with a lean staff of approximately 7 full-time employees. Core technology partners include a Qgiv online donation platform and Firespring for website hosting; no proprietary technology or AI capabilities are part of the operating model.

Name

Granite Education Foundation

Legal name

Granite Education Foundation

Website

https://granitekids.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Granite Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1988 serving approximately 55,000 students across 80 schools in Utah's Granite School District through basic-needs programs (food, clothing, school supplies, scholarships) and educator recognition and grant programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Education nonprofit
• Student support services
• Food assistance programs
• Educator recognition awards
• School foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting students and educators in Granite School District. Donors contribute one-time or ongoing financial donations, toy drives, service projects.
2. Corporate and Foundation Partnerships: Support from foundations, corporations, churches, and service groups that contribute to program funding.
3. Granite Gives Payroll Deduction: Granite School District employees can donate through one-time or ongoing payroll deduction, bundled with other donations.
4. Planned Giving and Bequests: Bequests and planned gifts to create lasting legacy of support for vulnerable children in the community.
5. In-Kind Donations: Physical items donated including clothing, food, school supplies, hygiene kits, and other goods for students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Granite Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that reduces barriers to learning for students and educators in the Granite School District by providing basic-needs programs (food kits, hygiene kits, clothing, backpacks, school supplies, transportation assistance, vision services), needs-based scholarships ($500-$5,000) for post-secondary education, and educator support programs including recognition awards, classroom grants, and appreciation events. Programs are funded through individual donations, corporate and foundation partnerships, in-kind contributions, and planned giving, and are delivered through partnerships with schools, social workers, and community organizations.

Product overview

Granite Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving as Utah's oldest and largest school foundation, established in 1988. The organization operates a portfolio of basic need programs and educator support services for the Granite School District. Its core student support programs include Food Assistance (Student Weekend Kits, Snack Kits, Emergency Food Boxes, and School Snack Pickups), Student Aid (clothing, hygiene kits, hair kits, UTA Fare Pay Cards, vision assistance, Deseret Industries vouchers, and Shop-A-Thon), and Backpacks & School Supplies. The Foundation administers scholarship programs ranging from $500-$5,000 for students entering post-secondary education. On the educator support side, the organization runs the Excel Awards (36-year-old teacher recognition program honoring 10 educators annually with $1,500), Teacher Appreciation Fair (with annual Teacher Sweep), The Apple Fund ($250 classroom grants), and Thank You Thursday (weekly teacher recognition with $150 gift cards). The Foundation also organizes large-scale volunteer events including the 9/11 Day of Service (20,000 kit goal for 2026) and the Souper Bowl of Caring food drive, plus the Santa Sacks holiday gift program serving over 5,500 students annually. These programs work together to reduce barriers to learning and increase educational access for approximately 55,000 students in the Granite School District.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Weekend Kits Food kits designed for students facing food insecurity during weekends or school breaks, containing microwaveable meals, fruit cups, juice boxes, and granola bars packaged in gallon Ziploc bags. Distributed to students in need within Granite School District.
• Snack Kits Snack packages provided to teachers, administrators, and social workers for distribution to students in need, containing granola bars, juice boxes, fruit snacks, and optional extras like goldfish or jerky.
• Hygiene Kits Personal hygiene supply kits distributed by social workers to students without ready access to basic hygiene items, including shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, and optional hand towel and comb.
• Hair Kits Hair care supply kits providing brushes, combs, hair elastics, headbands, nail polish, and lip balm for students without access to hair care, assembled in cellophane bags with decorative ribbons.
• Elementary Backpack/School Kit New elementary-sized backpacks filled with school supplies including safety scissors, erasers, glue sticks, dry-erase markers, highlighters, spiral notebooks, pocket folders, pencils, and 24-count crayons.
• Secondary Backpack/School Kit New adult-size backpacks for secondary students containing college-ruled notebooks, pocket folders, highlighters, pencils, pens, and colored pencils.
• Scholarship Program Needs-based scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 awarded annually to Granite School District students to support transition from high school graduation into accredited colleges, universities, or technical colleges.
• Santa Sacks Holiday assistance programs providing students from preschool to high school with gifts including hats, blankets, hygiene kits, books, toys, and gift cards, serving over 5,500 students annually.
• The Apple Fund (Apple Grants) $250 grants for Granite School District educators to offset classroom expenses, currently supporting elementary teachers with expansion planned to serve all teachers as funding allows.
• Excel Awards Annual educator recognition program celebrating 10 outstanding educators (9 classroom teachers and 1 administrator) with a $1,500 check, gifts from community sponsors, dinner, and videos of accomplishments. Now in its 36th year, the oldest and longest-running teacher recognition award in Utah.
• Shop-A-Thon Back-to-school shopping event partnering with DISCOVER and Kohl's to provide over 400 students with Kohl's gift cards, featuring 200 volunteers and additional services including haircuts, dental checkups, vision screenings, and food.
• Emergency Food Boxes Emergency food assistance provided to Granite families in partnership with United Way of Utah's 211 Last Mile Delivery Program, delivered to families' homes or schools.
• UTA Fare Pay Cards Monthly bus passes provided to students through UTA's Reduced Fare FAREPAY Card program, enabling transportation to and from school and afterschool activities for students living far from District bus lines.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17,000 backpacks delivered to students in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Boy Scouts of UtahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Souper Bowl of Caring food drive, collecting food at Smith's Food Stores across Utah. Scouts participate annually in food collection efforts.
• Utah National GuardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Souper Bowl of Caring and food assistance programs, supporting food security initiatives for students.
• Tackle HungercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational campaign partner for Souper Bowl of Caring, supporting annual food drive to combat student hunger.
• Smith's Food StorescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollection site host for Souper Bowl of Caring food drive, with hundreds of scouts setting up at locations across Utah.
• DISCOVERcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of Shop-A-Thon back-to-school event. Provided 200 volunteers and Kohl's gift cards for over 400 students.
• Kohl'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner in Shop-A-Thon, providing gift cards for students to shop for back-to-school supplies.
• Deseret Industries (LDS Church)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides vouchers through LDS Humanitarian Service donations, allowing social workers to submit requests for families to shop at Deseret Industries stores.
• Mark Miller SubaruminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate donor and supporter of Granite Education Foundation programs.
• United Way of UtahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through 211 Last Mile Delivery Program for Emergency Food Boxes serving Granite families.
• UTA (Utah Transit Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides reduced fare Fare Pay cards with 50% discount to qualifying students for bus, TRAX, FrontRunner transportation to and from school.
• EyeCare4KidsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides vision services including exams and eyeglasses for students and families unable to cover costs.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AdoptAClassroom.org: National nonprofit that funds K-12 teachers' classroom supply needs via direct donations, closely mirroring Granite's $250 Apple Grants and educator support mission.
• DonorsChoose: Crowdfunding platform that channels individual donations to K-12 teachers and classrooms for supplies — analogous to Granite's Apple Fund classroom grants and direct-to-teacher donation programs.
• Operation Warm: National nonprofit providing coats, shoes, and basic-need items to children in underserved communities — directly analogous to Granite's coat distribution (1,303 in 2024) and clothing-voucher programs.
• Pencils of Promise: Nonprofit focused on increasing access to quality education for underserved communities, including school infrastructure, teacher training, and student programs — comparable in K-12 education-access mission.
• Kids In Need Foundation: National 501(c)(3) that provides school supplies and basic-need kits to K-12 students in low-income communities — directly comparable to Granite Education Foundation's backpack, kit, and school-supply distribution model.
• Scholarship America: National nonprofit administering need-based scholarships for K-12 graduates transitioning to post-secondary education, directly comparable to Granite's $500–$5,000 scholarship program.

Broad incumbents

• National PTA: Largest K-12 parent volunteer and advocacy organization in the U.S., with affiliated local PTAs raising funds for school supplies, educator support, and student programs.
• Feeding America (and regional food banks): National hunger-relief organization that partners with food banks serving school districts and families — comparable to Granite's Student Weekend Kits, Snack Kits, and Emergency Food Boxes programs.

Regional players

• The Community Foundation of Utah: Statewide community foundation that administers donor-advised funds and grants for community needs including education — comparable as a regional grantmaking and giving-services organization.
• United Way of Salt Lake: Regional United Way affiliate that already partners with Granite Education Foundation on the 211 Last Mile Delivery food-box program; a direct regional peer in community fundraising and emergency basic-needs support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/granitekids
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCwizH5IDP-g4XHNYGkpulYg
• Facebookfacebook.com/granitekids.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/granite-education-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/granitekids

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Granite Education Foundation