Esperanza Fund Inc
Esperanza Fund Inc is a private foundation based in Neptune, New Jersey. It provides educational scholarships to low-income students who reside in Monmouth County, including students attending schools and accredited education or training programs in and outside New Jersey.
Esperanza Fund Inc at a glance
In short: Esperanza Fund Inc gave $68K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in New Jersey. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $67,796
- +167.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +257.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,712
- -25.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,252
- Total assets
- $31,720
- -52.5% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New Jersey (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Esperanza Fund Inc
- How to Apply
-
Applicants need to provide a letter of application and academic transcripts. Awards are based on financial need, vary according to the recipient’s need, and are made after other available federal and state resources have been applied. The fund states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Esperanza Fund Inc - Attn Deborah L
Mailing address: 3600 Route 66 Suite 150, Neptune, NJ 07753
Phone: (732) 508-5034
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Esperanza Fund Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top recipient in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Pennco Tech for Iris Jose Zuniga ($11K).
Organizations only. It also paid 24 individual scholarships ($57,031), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
60 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 60 grants of 60 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund’s 2025 grant dollars went entirely to recipients in New Jersey. Its scholarship eligibility is limited to students who reside in Monmouth County, New Jersey, though eligible students may attend qualifying schools or programs in or outside the state.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
Cities
How Esperanza Fund Inc gives
- Giving grew 139% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $5K (2021) to $68K (2025). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $68K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pennco Tech for Iris Jose Zuniga Blackwood, NJ | Scholarship granted. Note that in order to protect the privacy of the student, personal information is not provided. Individual can be contacted through the fund. All disbursements are made directly to the educational institution. | $10,765 |
| 24 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $57,031 |
Ready to take the next step with Esperanza Fund Inc?
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 | $31,720 | $36,758 | $71,865 | $67,796 | 25 | $71,821 | $36,714 | $4,600 |
| 2024 | $66,827 | $16,568 | $27,439 | $25,365 | 7 | $27,115 | $16,320 | $5,052 |
| 2023 | $77,698 | $11,853 | $47,529 | $44,985 | 14 | $47,376 | $11,700 | $5,480 |
| 2022 | $113,374 | $-3,021 | $30,656 | $28,418 | 12 | $30,413 | $1,377 | $5,540 |
| 2021 | $147,051 | $-2,912 | $9,508 | $5,220 | 2 | $9,227 | $1,716 | $6,843 |
| 2020 | $159,471 | $51,803 | $8,499 | $6,613 | 3 | — | $1,731 | $5,509 |
| 2019 | $116,167 | $7,845 | $36,715 | $35,877 | 7 | — | $2,307 | $6,084 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Esperanza Fund Inc reported a distributable amount of $5K 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
The fund’s stated scholarship program is based on financial need. Eligible students may attend primary or secondary private and parochial schools, colleges and universities, trade or certificate programs, and other accredited schools as defined by the U.S. Department of Education. The fund says prior academic success is not considered and specifically includes students with average academic performance, English or Spanish learners, and students who require special services or other supports.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund awarded 25 grants totaling $67,796. Grants ranged from $250 to $10,765, with a median of $2,252. Its annual giving was $25,365 across 7 grants in 2024 and $44,985 across 14 grants in 2023.
Examples of 2025 awards include $10,765 to Pennco Tech, $8,925 to an individual recipient Catholic High School, $3,250 to an individual recipient High School, and $3,000 each to several students through an individual recipient School. Awards are made directly to educational institutions on behalf of individual students; the filing states that student personal information is not provided to protect privacy.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michel Marks as president, Steven Treson as secretary, Deborah L Lodato as treasurer, and Amie Taylor as director.
Esperanza Fund Inc is led by Michel Marks, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michel Marks
President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Amie Taylor
Director
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Deborah L. Lodato
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Steven Treson
Secretary
On filings since 2019
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 Fund Inc
How much does Esperanza Fund Inc give each year?
Esperanza Fund Inc gave $68K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $25K across 7 grants.
What is Esperanza Fund Inc's typical grant size?
Esperanza Fund Inc's median grant in 2025 was $2,252, and its average grant was $2,712, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Esperanza Fund Inc give grants?
Esperanza Fund Inc gives mostly in New Jersey: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does Esperanza Fund Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on Esperanza Fund Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
How large is Esperanza Fund Inc?
Esperanza Fund Inc reported $32K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $72K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Esperanza Fund Inc fund?
The fund’s stated scholarship program is based on financial need. Eligible students may attend primary or secondary private and parochial schools, colleges and universities, trade or certificate programs, and other accredited schools as defined by the U.S. Department of Education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Esperanza Fund Inc?
Applicants need to provide a letter of application and academic transcripts. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Esperanza Fund Inc's EIN?
Esperanza Fund Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-4806608. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 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
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 30, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 17, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 27, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
Live grants for the work Esperanza Fund Inc funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Esperanza Fund Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common
Richard Tarzian Charitable
Asbury Park, NJ
Assets
$223K
Grants
1
Total Given
$20K
Prosource Foundation Inc
Manasquan, NJ
Assets
$758K
Grants
5
Total Given
$33K
Ta Marcella Green-Scholarship
Pittsburgh, PA
Assets
$279K
Grants
7
Total Given
$14K
Patricia a O'Callaghan Catholic Char Fdn
Philadelphia, PA
Assets
$6.5M
Grants
8
Total Given
$335K
Visceglia-Summit Associates Foundation
Edison, NJ
The foundation supports community and welfare programs, wildlife and conservation, education and cultural activities, youth services, and scholarships, primarily in New Jersey, with some funding in Hawaii. In 2025, it awarded 10 grants totaling $34,850, ranging from $400 to $11,000 (median $1,225); it gives only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$566K
Grants
10
Total Given
$35K
Flaherty Foundation
Manasquan, NJ
The Flaherty Foundation supports charitable organizations, including education, medical and health services, animal welfare, cancer research, and disability-related rehabilitation and employment. In 2025, it made 16 grants ranging from $58 to $5,000, with a median grant of $1,000; most grant dollars went to New Jersey, followed by New York and North Carolina. It does not accept unsolicited requests and gives only to preselected organizations.
Assets
$102K
Grants
16
Total Given
$19K
More similar funders
More Funders in New Jersey
The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Esperanza Fund 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.
Esperanza Fund Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?