# George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation is a Foundation based in Salt Lake City, United States. ## Overview - **Organization type:** Foundation - **Headquarters:** Salt Lake City, United States - **Region:** North America - **Address:** 79 S. Main Street, 14th Floor, Salt Lake City, UT 84111, United States - **Founded:** 1960 - **Assets under management:** Undisclosed - **Website:** gsecclesfoundation.org - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/george-eccles-foundation ## Regulatory record - **Reports private funds:** No ## About The George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation was established in 1960 by First Security Corporation architect George S. Eccles and his wife Dolores. The endowment's corpus traces directly to the Eccles family's dominant banking franchise, a multi-state institution that ultimately merged into Wells Fargo in 2000. Today the foundation is run day-to-day by the founder's nephew, Chairman and CEO Spencer F. Eccles, and his daughter, President and COO Lisa E. Eccles, from a Salt Lake City office on Main Street. The foundation channels its resources through a focused grantmaking strategy rather than traditional fund commitments, targeting five program areas across Utah: arts and culture, community development, education, health and wellness, and preservation. Its real asset exposure is visible through direct property holdings, including the Goldener Hirsch Inn at Deer Valley, the Brigham Street Inn in Salt Lake City, and two large agricultural parcels—Eccles Flying Hat Ranch in Idaho and Fox Ranch in Wyoming. The grantmaking footprint remains overwhelmingly concentrated within the state of Utah. Operational leadership sits with the third generation of the Eccles family. Lisa E. Eccles, honored as a 'Giant In Our City' by the Salt Lake Chamber in 2024, manages foundation operations and the grantmaking pipeline. Spencer P. Eccles, a fourth-generation family member and Co-Founder of Salt Lake City-based investment firm The Cynosure Group, serves on the advisory board alongside legal oversight from Robert M. Graham, a former Deloitte tax partner. The foundation operates within a broader ecosystem of family entities, including the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation and the Marriner S. Eccles Foundation. The foundation's structural distinction lies in its identity as a pure grantmaker with direct, self-managed real estate. Unlike endowed foundations that outsource asset management entirely, the Eccles Foundation holds operating hospitality assets and working ranchland on its own balance sheet, managed in tandem with a community-focused grant cycle. This hybrid model—combining operating real estate, a single-family governance structure entering its seventh decade, and a geographic mandate laser-focused on a single state—sets it apart from the diversified, multi-asset-class norm among large US foundations. ## Sectors - Real Estate - Healthcare Services - Education ## People - Spencer F. Eccles — Chairman & CEO - Lisa E. Eccles — President & COO - Spencer P. Eccles — Advisory Board Member - Robert M. Graham — Secretary, Treasurer, and General Counsel ## Questions ### Who runs investment and grantmaking decisions at the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation? Spencer F. Eccles, the nephew of founders George and Dolores Eccles and former Chairman and CEO of First Security Corporation, serves as Chairman and CEO. His daughter, Lisa E. Eccles, is President and COO and oversees day-to-day operations and grantmaking. Robert M. Graham, a former tax partner at Deloitte, serves as Secretary, Treasurer, and General Counsel. ### Does the foundation make fund commitments or only direct grants? The foundation operates as a pure grantmaker. It deploys capital directly to Utah-based projects and programs across five focus areas: arts and culture, community, education, health and wellness, and preservation and conservation. There is no public record of the foundation participating in third-party fund commitments or co-investment vehicles. ### What real assets does the foundation hold outside of its grantmaking portfolio? The foundation holds direct ownership in several commercial and agricultural properties. These include the Goldener Hirsch Inn in Deer Valley, Utah, the Brigham Street Inn in Salt Lake City, and two large ranches: Eccles Flying Hat Ranch in Blaine County, Idaho, and Fox Ranch in LaBarge, Wyoming. ### Is the foundation related to the Cynosure Group or other Eccles family investment vehicles? Spencer P. Eccles, the son of Chairman and CEO Spencer F. Eccles, is an Advisory Board Member of the foundation and a Co-Founder of The Cynosure Group, a Salt Lake City-based investment firm. The foundation and The Cynosure Group operate as separate entities. The foundation also sits within a broader network of family philanthropic vehicles, including the Emma Eccles Jones Foundation and the Marriner S. Eccles Foundation. ### What is the foundation's geographic focus? Grantmaking is concentrated entirely within the state of Utah. The foundation's stated mission is to improve communities and enrich the quality of life for citizens of Utah. Its real estate holdings extend slightly beyond state lines, with ranches in neighboring Idaho and Wyoming. ### Is the foundation's AUM publicly disclosed? No. The George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation is a private foundation and does not publicly disclose its assets under management or total endowment value. ## Related profiles - [George M. Hiller Companies](https://altss.com/profile/george-m-hiller-companies) - [Georgia-Pacific Pension Fund](https://altss.com/profile/georgia-pacific-pension-fund) --- Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/george-s-and-dolores-dore-eccles-foundation Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology