In 2025, the Utah Foundation showed that Utah had the highest Social Capital Index score in the nation. This was partially driven by factors related to “community life.” This high level of community life – such as how much Utahns give to charities – is highlighted in the latest report from the Utah Foundation on the state’s nonprofits.
Nonprofits often fill gaps when the free market and governments fall short. A vast majority of Utah’s nonprofits are charities – over 10,000 in all.
From a quantitative perspective, Utah’s charities add a relatively large value to the state. In terms of income and assets per capita, Utah outperforms the nation by about 75%. This is not equal across the counties. In fact, little Kane County ranks near the top of the list, largely due to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.
Charities range from education organizations to those focusing on arts and humanities. From human services to health. And from recreation to religion. Some are philanthropies. And some support youth while others support animals.
Most charities, at least 56%, are small, with annual incomes under $50,000. Religious income and assets are not reported to the IRS. But there are some very large non-religious charities. In fact, all 17 charities with over $500 million in assets collectively hold $40 billion in assets, representing over 70% of all charities’ assets in Utah. The largest charities are hospitals, philanthropic organizations, or educational institutions.