In the nearly 40 years since the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation became active in 1982, it has furthered the philanthropic interests of its namesakes through statewide charitable grants to improve the quality of life enjoyed by the people of Utah. The Foundation's legacy of support—now totaling more than $775 million—represents a significant investment in the economic vitality and future strength of the state of Utah and the Intermountain West.

The Foundation's grants are awarded in five focus areas, including Arts & Culture, Community (social services), Education, Health & Wellness, and Preservation & Conservation.

A son of pioneering Utah entrepreneur and industrialist David Eccles, George S. Eccles was a leading figure for more than half a century in the banking industry in Utah and nationally. He played a key role in founding and guiding First Security Corporation and served as its Chairman & CEO for nearly 40 years (1945-1982). George and his wife, Dolores, were active civic volunteers whose generous involvement and support—especially in education, health care, and the arts—made an important difference in Salt Lake City and throughout Utah. Today, the foundation they created furthers their remarkable generosity, with grant-making programs throughout the state continuing to enrich the lives of all Utahns under the leadership of its Board of Directors, including Spencer F. Eccles, Chairman & CEO; Lisa E. Eccles, President & COO; and Robert M. Graham, Vice President, Treasurer & General Counsel.

Since it became active in 1978, the Nora Eccles Treadwell Foundation has been a generous and consistent supporter of medical research in Utah and California, awarding more than $150 million to further basic research in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arthritis. When Nora Eccles established the foundation, she became aware of the importance of basic medical research to advance our understanding of the science of the human heart. This led to her support of research that has contributed significantly to the world's understanding of cardiovascular diseases, leading to improved treatments and therapies.

The Foundation has been particularly supportive of University of Utah Health, which has benefitted from more than $82 million in grants, including more than $56 million to the Cardiovascular Research and Training Institute (CVRTI). Over its 52-year history, CVRTI investigators have contributed seminal findings in electrocardiography, the mechanisms and treatments of cardiac arrhythmias, and heart failure. In 1976, the University of Utah named the CVRTI in honor of Nora Eccles.

A daughter of pioneering Utah entrepreneur and industrialist David Eccles, Nora took an active interest not only in medical research but also the fine arts, and she was an accomplished ceramicist in her own right. As chair of her Foundation, she remained closely involved with the CVRTI's work until her passing in 1978. She is succeeded in that role today by a 30-year foundation veteran—her nephew, Spencer F. Eccles—who is joined on the Foundation's board by Katie A. Eccles, Lawrence M. Harrison, Kathryn C. Econome, Robert M. Graham, and Kenneth W. Spitzer.

More than 50 years ago, the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library was the first significant capital project at the University of Utah to be funded by the Eccles family. It is named for the father of Spencer Fox Eccles, who has dramatically expanded his family's philanthropic vision over the past five decades, providing generous support for nonprofits statewide, including numerous significant grants for the University of Utah and University Health. The Eccles family and associated charitable foundations have supported the School of Medicine and health sciences in areas spanning cardiovascular and genetics research, nursing, ophthalmology, orthopedics, pharmacology, critical care, and more.

The University of Utah has long been a special place for Mr. Eccles. An Ogden, Utah native, he arrived on campus in the early 1950s and quickly adapted to campus life. His success as a four-year letterman and All American on the U's ski team and his active participation in the Beta Theta Pi fraternity set an early precedent for his later renown as a Utah Man. It was also at the U where he met Cleone Peterson of Fairview, Utah, who would become his wife of more than 54 years before her passing in 2013. Sharing Cleone's unwavering spirit of community and generosity and valuing her rural Utah roots, these tenets have become the cornerstones of Mr. Eccles' philanthropy.

Hailing from a long tradition of generosity, he once wrote, "I was fortunate to be born into a family that believes in the importance of giving back and doing our best to leave things better than we found them. I was also taught that we can make an even greater impact by joining together with others."

For nearly two decades, Mr. Eccles led the Eccles family's banking empire at First Security Bank until its historic merger with Wells Fargo in 2000. Throughout his career, Mr. Eccles and his businesses have become recognized for focusing on going above and beyond in delivering exceptional quality and service.

"Since 'Giving 110%' has been a legacy theme during my leadership of First Security Bank, our foundations’ combined $110 million grant takes on special meaning for all of us," Mr. Eccles said. "It's an investment in the future of our fellow citizens—particularly in the medical students today and those to follow—who will have opportunities to practice medicine in innovative ways never before imagined, committing themselves '110%' to improving and saving lives!"

Founded in 1922 by Soren Jacobsen in Salt Lake City, Jacobsen is a 100% employee-owned, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) company. With more than 800 employee-owners, Jacobsen is consistently ranked as one of the top contractors in the country, and as one of the nation’s Top 100 Green Contractors.

University of Utah Health is the state’s only academic health care system, providing leading-edge and compassionate care for a referral area that encompasses 10% of the U.S., including Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and much of Nevada. A hub for health sciences research and education in the region, U of U Health has a research enterprise exceeding $500 million annually, trains the majority of Utah’s physicians and more than 1500 health care providers each year at its Colleges of Health, Nursing and Pharmacy and Schools of Dentistry and Medicine. With more than 20,000 employees, the system includes 12 community clinics and five hospitals: University Hospital, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Huntsman Cancer Hospital, University Orthopaedic Center and the Craig H. Neilsen Rehabilitation Hospital. For 14 consecutive years, U of U Health has ranked among the top 10 U.S. academic medical centers in the rigorous Vizient Quality and Accountability Ranking.