Esperanza Foundation
Esperanza Foundation is a private foundation based in Palos Verdes Estates, California. Its 2025 filing lists grants supporting Catholic and religious education and religious organizations, as well as organizations working in areas including pregnancy support, legal advocacy, media, and public policy.
Esperanza Foundation at a glance
In short: Esperanza Foundation gave $708K across 41 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in California. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $707,850
- +5.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 41
- +5.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,265
- +0.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $564,075
- -56.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (10 of 41, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (72% 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 Esperanza Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 505 Chiswick Road, Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274
Phone: (310) 375-2468
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Esperanza Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Mary Star of the Sea High School ($138K). Together the top 10 received $454K.
Grant Size Distribution
184 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 170 grants of 184 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 72% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 8% to North Dakota, 6% to Virginia, and 4% each to Missouri and Florida.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Esperanza Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 41 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 71% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 35% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $246K (2019) to $741K (2023). In 2025 it made 41 grants totaling $708K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mary Star of the Sea High School San Pedro, CA | Catholic education | $138,150 |
| Archdiocese of San Francisco San Francisco, CA | support religious organizations | $50,000 |
| University of Mary Bismarch, ND | SUPPORT RELIGIOUS education | $50,000 |
| Stella Maris Academy La Jolla, CA | Support religious organization | $45,000 |
| Epiphany School South El Monte, CA | Religious education | $45,000 |
| Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Churc San Pedro, CA | Support Religious Organizations | $31,000 |
| Ave Maria University Ave Maria, FL | Catholic education | $25,000 |
| Notre Dame High School Sherman Oaks, CA | Catholic education | $25,000 |
| Harbor Academy San Pedro, CA | SUPPORT RELIGIOUS education | $25,000 |
| Thomas Aquinas College Santa Paula, CA | Catholic education | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Esperanza Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $564,075 | $13,730 | $726,978 | $707,850 | 41 | $726,978 | $13,730 | $37,075 |
| 2024 | $1,283,687 | $1,215,470 | $672,071 | $669,250 | 39 | $672,071 | $1,210,516 | $13,438 |
| 2023 | $736,043 | $639,231 | $743,390 | $741,100 | 40 | $743,390 | $51,099 | $27,821 |
| 2022 | $852,748 | $353,130 | $529,980 | $525,350 | 34 | $529,980 | $13,680 | $33,222 |
| 2021 | $1,029,598 | $766,698 | $595,868 | $594,050 | 30 | $595,868 | $109,898 | $41,791 |
| 2020 | $821,068 | $421,948 | $320,315 | $318,650 | 29 | — | $6,665 | $33,102 |
| 2019 | $719,435 | $306,278 | $248,571 | $245,820 | 31 | — | $17,994 | $26,273 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Esperanza Foundation reported a distributable amount of $37K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for Catholic education, religious education, and religious organizations. Other recipients describe distinct missions: Casa de los Angelitos says it provides a safe, nurturing environment and prenatal and parenting education for pregnant women and infants; Life Legal Defense Foundation says it provides legal and educational support for unborn children and their advocates; and Leadership Institute says it educates people for participation in government, politics, and media.
Other 2025 grantees also describe work related to media and public policy. Eternal Word Television Network says it operates Catholic media networks, while Media Research Center says it documents and combats what it considers falsehoods and censorship in media and technology. National Pro-Life Alliance describes its work as research and public education concerning the sanctity of human life and the effects of abortion.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 41 grants totaling $707,850. Grants ranged from $500 to $138,150, with a median grant of $10,000. Among the largest were $138,150 to Mary Star of the Sea High School for Catholic education; $50,000 to the Archdiocese of San Francisco to support religious organizations; $50,000 to the University of Mary for religious education; and $45,000 each to Stella Maris Academy and Epiphany School for religious-organization or religious-education purposes.
Other 2025 recipients included Thomas Aquinas College ($20,000), Life Legal Defense Foundation ($10,000), Casa de los Angelitos ($10,000), Leadership Institute ($10,000), Eternal Word Television Network ($10,000), Media Research Center ($5,000), and National Pro-Life Alliance ($5,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Ronald R Mostero and Teri M Mostero as trustees.
Esperanza Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ronald R Mostero
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Teri M Mostero
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Esperanza Foundation
How much does Esperanza Foundation give each year?
Esperanza Foundation gave $708K across 41 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $669K across 39 grants.
What is Esperanza Foundation's typical grant size?
Esperanza Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $17,265, across 41 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Esperanza Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does Esperanza Foundation give grants?
Esperanza Foundation gives mostly in California: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were North Dakota (8%) and Virginia (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Pedro, CA (4 grants), Rancho Palos Verdes, CA (2 grants), Redondo Beach, CA (2 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (2 grants).
Does Esperanza Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 41 grants with a stated purpose on Esperanza Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support Religious Organizations" (8 grants), "Catholic education" (8 grants) and "Support religious organization" (6 grants).
Who are Esperanza Foundation's largest grantees?
Esperanza Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Mary Star of the Sea High School ($138,150), Archdiocese of San Francisco ($50,000) and University of Mary ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Esperanza Foundation?
Esperanza Foundation reported $564K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $727K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $37K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Esperanza Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for Catholic education, religious education, and religious organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Esperanza Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it 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 Esperanza Foundation's EIN?
Esperanza Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-6793432. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Esperanza Foundation 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS February 27, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Esperanza Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Esperanza Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/esperanza-foundation-morg_5ead0e101a544188aa20783137a2237b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_356793432_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Esperanza Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/esperanza-foundation-morg_5ead0e101a544188aa20783137a2237b},
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 Esperanza 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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