Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker Pittsford, NY EIN: 81-1953032

Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Pittsford, New York. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including universities, churches, and other nonprofits.

Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc at a glance

In short: Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc gave $125K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in New York. 43% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$124,594
-55.3% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
14
+16.7% vs 2024
Average grant
$8,900
-61.7% vs 2024
Median grant
$8,500
Total assets
$595,101
+5.8% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
43% first-time grantees (6 of 14, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
New York (83% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

How to apply to Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The 2024 filing says the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. For a written request, it specifies the organization’s name and address, purpose, amount requested, and intended use of the funds; recipients must sign a grant letter agreement and provide an IRS determination letter.

Review Cycle
The 2024 filing lists the deadline as N/A.
Deadline
The 2024 filing lists the deadline as N/A.
Contact

Application contact: Paul S Speranza
Mailing address: 24 Dryden Circle, Pittsford, NY 14534
Phone: (585) 461-4127

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Syracuse University: $20KSyracuse University$20KCatholic Charities Community Services: $20KCatholic Charities CommunityServices$20KNew York University School of Law: $15KNew York University School ofLaw$15KUniversity of San Francisco School of Law: $15KUniversity of San FranciscoSchool of Law$15KSaint Thomas More Catholic Church: $10KSaint Thomas More CatholicChurch$10KWXXI: $10KWXXI$10KHoly Cross Church: $10KHoly Cross Church$10KMother of Sorrows Church: $8KMother of Sorrows Church$8KSandra Eller Mercy Program: $7KSandra Eller Mercy Program$7KEwtn Global Catholic Network: $5KEwtn Global Catholic Network$5K

The largest 2025 recipient was Syracuse University ($20K). Together the top 10 received $119K.

Grant Size Distribution

52 grants across all recorded years

48<$50K1$50–100K3$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 52 (92%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 12% to California, 4% to Alabama, and 1% to Pennsylvania.

Grant Distribution by State

5states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.

Cities

RochesterNew YorkSan FranciscoIrondalePhiladelphiaPittsfordSyracuseBirminghamBuffaloDobbs FerryDunkirkShutesburyWorcester

Is Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc open to new grantees?

43%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 6 of 14 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $10K. How we count

Medians: $8K first-time, $9K repeat.

  • 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 224% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 259% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Giving History

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$100K$200K$300K7 grants2020 8 grants2021 7 grants2022 11 grants2023 12 grants2024 14 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $13K (2020) to $279K (2024). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $125K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Syracuse University Syracuse, NYUnrestriced - General Charitable$20,000
Catholic Charities Community Services Dunkirk, NYUnrestriced - General Charitable$20,000
New York University School of Law New York, NYGrant for Graduate Tax Program$15,000
University of San Francisco School of Law San Francisco, CAGrant for Graduate Tax Program$15,000
Saint Thomas More Catholic Church Rochester, NYUnrestricted - General Charitable$10,000
WXXI Rochester, NYUnrestriced - General Charitable$10,000
Holy Cross Church Rochester, NYUnrestriced - General Charitable$9,500
Mother of Sorrows Church Rochester, NYUnrestriced - General Charitable$7,500
Sandra Eller Mercy Program Dobbs Ferry, NYUnrestriced - General Charitable$7,294
Ewtn Global Catholic Network Irondale, ALUnrestriced - General Charitable$5,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$595,101$99,852$137,437$124,59414$137,017$74,659$52,864
2024$562,576$30,268$312,983$278,87012$312,654$30,206$33,519
2023$720,115$36,972$205,530$132,40011$205,530$23,650$54,591
2022$888,673$5,023$192,870$38,5007$188,870$20$50,060
2021$1,076,520$1,139,368$377,345$244,4708$376,890$263,115$37,571
2020$314,497$1,000$193,853$12,5007——$42,309

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $53K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included general charitable support and grants for graduate tax programs. Recipients included educational institutions, churches, and other charitable organizations.

Syracuse University, which received $20,000 in 2025, describes its mission as supporting student success through, among other things, global study, experiential learning, interdisciplinary scholarship, creativity, and entrepreneurial endeavors. Cloverwood Senior Living Inc, which received $3,000, describes itself as a senior living community that enables residents to enjoy an active and independent lifestyle with companionship and security.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $124,594. Grant amounts ranged from $300 to $20,000, with a median of $8,500. Its largest listed grants included $20,000 each to Syracuse University and Catholic Charities Community Services; $15,000 each to New York University School of Law and the University of San Francisco School of Law; and $10,000 each to Saint Thomas More Catholic Church and WXXI.

The foundation’s 2024 filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. It says a written request must include the organization’s name and address, purpose, amount requested, and a description of how the funds will be used. Recipients are required to sign a grant letter agreement and provide a copy of an IRS determination letter.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Paul S. Speranza as president.

Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc is led by Paul S. Speranza, President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Paul S. Speranza

    President

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Frequently asked questions about Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc

How much does Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc give each year?

Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc gave $125K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $279K across 12 grants.

What is Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $8,500, and its average grant was $8,900, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc that year got $8K on average.

Where does Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc give grants?

Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Rochester, NY (5 grants).

Does Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Yes: 86% of Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Syracuse University ($20,000), Catholic Charities Community Services ($20,000) and New York University School of Law ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc?

Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc reported $595K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $137K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $53K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included general charitable support and grants for graduate tax programs. Recipients included educational institutions, churches, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc?

The 2024 filing says the foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc's EIN?

Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-1953032. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(7)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 1, 2025)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 6, 2026)
  7. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cheryl-and-paul-speranza-foundation-inc-morg_7c599be7e79f4722b19eded7dce27e72

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_811953032_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/cheryl-and-paul-speranza-foundation-inc-morg_7c599be7e79f4722b19eded7dce27e72},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-20. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}

The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.

Figures come from Cheryl and Paul Speranza Foundation Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.

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