Esl Charitable Foundation

ROCHESTER, NY EIN: 82-0548352

The ESL Charitable Foundation Inc is a private, corporate foundation established in 2004 as the philanthropic arm of ESL Federal Credit Union. Based in Rochester, New York, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to creating shared value by investing in nonprofit organizations across New York State.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$106.8M

+40.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$21.7M

-17.6% YoY

Grant Count

197

-24.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$110K

+9.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Esl Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.9M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's mission centers on creating shared value by investing in organizations that:

Expand individual opportunity through quality education and employment
Build strong and affordable neighborhoods
Strengthen organizational capacity

Primary funding focus areas include:

Education
Human services and poverty alleviation
Arts and culture
Health
Community improvement
Nonprofit capacity building
Housing and housing stability
Reproductive health

Grantmaking

Grant Range

$2,000 to $1,700,000

Average Grant

amount: $600–$2,264,007

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily supports:

Greater Rochester, NY and surrounding counties (Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne)
Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse
New York State broadly

Grant Distribution by State

New York $15.4M (100%)

States

Massachusetts New York

Cities

AlbanyAlbionBataviaBergenBostonBrockportBuffaloByronCanandaiguaClydeCornwall On HudsonFairportGeneseoGenevaLeroyLivoniaLyonsMamaroneckMedinaMount Morris

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Most Recent Filing (2024):

Total assets: $106,768,666
Total revenues: $45,087,385
Total expenses: $22,486,192
Total giving: $21,653,512

As of 2023:

Total assets: $76,265,678
Revenue: $28,600,563
Expenses: $21,164,345
Annual giving: $26.3 million

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$106,768,666	$76,265,678	$67,656,615
Revenue	$45,087,385	$28,600,563	$26,562,687
Expenses	$22,486,192	$21,164,345	$25,396,544
Qualifying Distributions	$21,696,553	$26,333,594	$17,314,003
Net Investment Income	$2,859,838	$1,455,219	$1,448,190
Distributable Amount	$4,855,428	$3,280,946	$3,152,940

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Connected Communities ($515,000), Bishop Sheen Ecumenical Housing Foundation Inc ($285,000), Action for a Better Community ($255,500).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
441 MINISTRIES BEECHWOOD INC ROCHESTER, NY	TO SUPPORT CONNECTED NEIGHBORHOODS	$20,000
A HORSES FRIEND INC ROCHESTER, NY	TO SUPPORT EDUCATION	$60,000
ACTION FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY ROCHESTER, NY	TO SUPPORT EDUCATION	$25,000
ACTION FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY ROCHESTER, NY	TO SUPPORT EMPLOYMENT	$22,000
ACTION FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY ROCHESTER, NY	TO SUPPORT HOUSING	$255,500
ADAPTT ROCHESTER INC ROCHESTER, NY	TO SUPPORT OTHER	$10,000
AGAPE HAVEN OF ABUNDANCE INC ROCHESTER, NY	TO SUPPORT EDUCATION	$120,000
AKWABAATHE HERITAGE ASSOCIATES ROCHESTER, NY	TO SUPPORT ARTS AND CULTURE	$5,000
ALEX ELIGH COMMUNITY CENTER INC NEWARK, NY	TO SUPPORT CONNECTED NEIGHBORHOODS	$45,000
ANDREW LANGSTON CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE ROCHESTER, NY	TO SUPPORT EDUCATION	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Board Members:

Maureen Wolfe (Chair)
Faheem Masood (First Vice Chair, ESL Federal Credit Union President and CEO)
Tom Rogers (Vice Chair & Treasurer)
Arline Santiago (Vice Chair & Secretary)
Ajamu Kitwana (Director, VP/Director of Community Impact)

All board members serve without compensation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
TOM ROGERS	VICE CHAIR & TREASURER	1	—
FAHEEM MASOOD	FIRST VICE CHAIR	1	—
ARLINE SANTIAGO	VICE CHAIR & SECRETARY	1	—
MAUREEN WOLFE	CHAIR	8	—
AJAMU KITWANA	DIRECTOR	1	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation has demonstrated significant grant activity in recent years:

ESL Charitable Foundation Grants $4 Million for Basic Needs Programs and

2025

In the first quarter of 2025, ESL provided $8.3 million in grants to nonprofit organizations throughout the Greater Rochester region

ESL Provides 150 Grants in Second Quarter to Nonprofit Organizations in the

2024

In the second quarter of 2024, the foundation provided 150 grants to nonprofit organizations in the Greater Rochester region

ESL Provides 150 Grants in Second Quarter to Nonprofit Organizations in the

The foundation supports projects including the YWCA's acquisition of the Salvation Army Genesis House, YouthBuild expansion, the Youth Workforce Consortium (The Hive), the Youth Tech Academy, and youth drama programming

The foundation emphasizes collaboration, equity, and direct consumer-driven initiatives, with a commitment to sharing data and learning across the nonprofit sector to strengthen community outcomes.

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Esl Charitable Foundation fund?

The foundation's mission centers on creating shared value by investing in organizations that: • Expand individual opportunity through quality education and employment • Build strong and affordable neighborhoods • Strengthen organizational capacity Primary funding focus areas include: • Education • Human services and poverty alleviation • Arts and culture • Health • Community improvement • Nonprofit capacity building • Housing and housing stability • Reproductive health

How do I apply for a grant from Esl Charitable Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Distributes approximately $26.3 million annually • Makes approximately 262 grants per year • Grant range: $2,000 to $1,700,000 • Median grant size: $33,000 • Average grant amount: $600–$2,264,007 **Recent Notable Grants:** • $2,264,007 to United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes (2024) • $1,399,997 to Finger Lakes Community Action for housing support (2024) • $966,000 to Monroe Community College Foundation for education (2024) • $5 million to United Way of Grea…

Where does Esl Charitable Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily supports: • Greater Rochester, NY and surrounding counties (Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, Wayne) • Albany, Buffalo, and Syracuse • New York State broadly

What size grants does Esl Charitable Foundation award?

In 2024, Esl Charitable Foundation awarded 197 grants totaling $21.7M — an average of about $110K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Esl Charitable Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Esl Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.9M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.