ES3 Foundation
ES3 Foundation is a San Diego, California-based private foundation formed in 2014 as the charitable arm of ES3. It supports education, development, and well-being in aviation and aerospace engineering communities, including engineering students from backgrounds underrepresented in the profession and individuals and families facing specific hardships.
ES3 Foundation at a glance
In short: ES3 Foundation gave $210K across 27 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), top state Utah. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $209,623
- +43.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 27
- +58.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,764
- -10.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,560
- Total assets
- $561,173
- -10.4% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Utah (42% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to ES3 Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing lists Belinda Williamson as the contact, says applicant format is acceptable, and states that awards are subject to funding availability. The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Review Cycle
- Rolling.
- Deadline
- Rolling.
- Contact
Application contact: Belinda Williamson
Mailing address: 600 B Street 19Th Floor, San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (619) 330-6053
Email: belinda.williamson@es3inc.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who ES3 Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 9 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Gail Halverson Aviation Educational ($3K). Together the top 9 received $10K.
Organizations only. It also paid 18 grants to individuals ($199,839), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
75 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 72 grants of 75 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Utah (42%), California (29%), New York (21%), Virginia (4%), and Georgia (4%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
Cities
How ES3 Foundation gives
- Giving grew 48% from 2021 to 2024. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $86K (2020) to $210K (2024). In 2024 it made 27 grants totaling $210K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 18 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $199,839 |
| Gail Halverson Aviation Educational Spanish Fork, UT | Educational | $2,575 |
| Weber Junior Livestock Association Hooper, UT | Educational Support Scholarship | $1,540 |
| Northridge High School Layton, UT | Athletic Activity Support | $1,500 |
| Win Academy Warner Robins, GA | Educational | $1,400 |
| Victorian Roller Derby League | Athletic Activity Sponsorship | $1,005 |
| University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT | Educational Support | $500 |
| Layton High School Baseball Layton, UT | Athletic Activity Support | $500 |
| Temecula Valley High School Temecula, CA | Community Support - Air Force ROTC | $500 |
| Rocky Mountain Junior High West Haven, UT | Athletic Activity Support | $264 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $561,173 | $155,627 | $215,958 | $209,623 | 27 | $209,623 | $40,364 |
| 2023 | $626,110 | $210,466 | $154,766 | $146,613 | 17 | $146,613 | $2,951 |
| 2022 | $533,851 | $268,693 | $152,659 | $143,887 | 16 | $143,887 | $18,512 |
| 2021 | $555,165 | $746,726 | $181,590 | $141,702 | 8 | $178,285 | $244,692 |
| 2020 | $159,825 | $198,319 | $137,914 | $86,180 | 7 | — | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to advance aviation by supporting the education, development, and well-being of people who love, live, work, and participate in aerospace engineering communities.
Its educational grant program provides financial assistance to engineering students from backgrounds the National Science Foundation identifies as underrepresented in science and engineering. Eligible recipients pursue bachelor’s degrees at four-year accredited engineering undergraduate programs; the foundation says recipients receive a cash grant each semester they remain enrolled and in good academic standing. The website also describes hardship grants for individuals and families, with examples including assistance with legal fees, caregiving expenses, rent, transportation, and medical expenses.
The 2024 filing lists grants for medical hardship, education hardship, educational support, youth development training, museum support, and community support. Among the organizations supported was Weber Junior Livestock Association, which describes its mission as developing youth citizenship, leadership, responsibility, and life skills through livestock project opportunities coordinated with local 4-H clubs and FFA chapters.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 27 grants totaling $209,623. Individual grants ranged from $264 to $30,024, with a median of $2,560.
Among the largest listed grants were $30,024 to an individual recipient in Utah for medical hardship, $26,727 to an individual recipient in California for medical hardship, and $25,000 to an individual recipient in California for an education hardship grant. The foundation also awarded $24,000 to Rochester Institute of Technology for educational purposes and $20,000 to Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. Weber Junior Livestock Association received $1,540.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Teri Sgammato as president; Brett Bailey as vice president; Marc Pelessone and Luke Pelessone as directors; and Belinda Williamson as treasurer, secretary, and foundation manager.
ES3 Foundation is led by Teri Sgammato, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Teri Sgammato
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Luke Pelessone
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Marc Pelessone
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Belinda Williamson
Treasurer, Secretary & Foundation Manager
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brett Bailey
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 ES3 Foundation
How much does ES3 Foundation give each year?
ES3 Foundation gave $210K across 27 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $147K across 17 grants.
What is ES3 Foundation's typical grant size?
ES3 Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,560, and its average grant was $7,764, across 27 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does ES3 Foundation give grants?
ES3 Foundation's top state is Utah, with 42% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (29%) and New York (21%). The most frequent recipient cities were Layton, UT (2 grants).
Does ES3 Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 27 grants with a stated purpose on ES3 Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Educational Support" (4 grants), "STEM Scholarship" (4 grants) and "Educational" (3 grants).
Who are ES3 Foundation's largest grantees?
ES3 Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Gail Halverson Aviation Educational ($2,575), Weber Junior Livestock Association ($1,540) and Northridge High School ($1,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 18 grants to individuals ($199,839), which are not listed by name. Together they received 3% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is ES3 Foundation?
ES3 Foundation reported $561K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $156K.
What does ES3 Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to advance aviation by supporting the education, development, and well-being of people who love, live, work, and participate in aerospace engineering communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from ES3 Foundation?
The filing lists Belinda Williamson as the contact, says applicant format is acceptable, and states that awards are subject to funding availability. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is ES3 Foundation's EIN?
ES3 Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-2516489. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in ES3 Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). ES3 Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/es3-foundation-morg_1c57db23fe3d49b288c8ddd958ec3af8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_472516489_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{ES3 Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/es3-foundation-morg_1c57db23fe3d49b288c8ddd958ec3af8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 ES3 Foundation'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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