Our ImpactBeneficiaries

Supporting
Utah Schools, Hospitals, & Institutions

Strategic and evolving land management by Trust Lands continues to generate revenue and opportunities for Utah.

Land for a Brighter Future

Trust Lands fund public and higher education, health and human services, and state reservoirs as mandated by law, and provide local communities with unique economic development opportunities. Since 1994, Trust Lands has generated more than $1.6 billion for Utah’s public schools and has worked to grow Utah’s permanent funds from $88 million to approximately $3.2 billion.

$1.96B

generated for beneficiaries since 1994

Getting the Funds

At Statehood in 1896, Congress granted land to Utah with the provision that revenue earned from the sale or lease of the land be placed into permanent endowments for specific institutions. Trust land parcels were allocated by dividing the state into 36-square-mile townships. Utah was given four sections in each township for public schools, resulting in a checkerboard of land ownership. 

Using the Funds

Fund uses vary by institution. Schools use funds to support greatest academic needs. Hospitals use funds to provide excellent patient care, justice services for offender’s rehabilitation programming while assuring public safety, and the Utah Division of Water Resources uses funds to improve water efficiency across the state. Visit From Trust Lands to Your School to see how schools use trust land funds and learn more about all the beneficiaries here.

Meet Our Beneficiaries

From Trust Lands to Your School

Public education receives 96% of the revenue generated from trust lands and that money goes to the Permanent Fund and through School Community Councils.

Growing the Trust

The School and Institutional Trust Fund Office (SITFO) is responsible for investing and managing the $3.2 billion Permanent School Fund, which is the revenue generated from school trust lands.

How Schools Have Used Funds

The Kauri Sue Hamilton School

The Kauri Sue Hamilton school in Jordan School District is a school for students with severe disabilities. They used most of their funds for Mandt Training.

Cedar City South Elementary

Cedar City South Elementary used Trust Land funds for five reading aides, a take-home library, and ongoing professional development.  

Wasatch High School

During the 2020-2021 school year, the School Community Council at Wasatch High School decided to use a portion of their funds to hire a Bilingual Parent Liaison.

Delta North & South Elementaries

Both Delta North and South Elementaries used Trust Land funds to enhance learning. The funds even helped repair school damage after a flood!

Explore how other schools have used their funds.

See how else we have made an impact.

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