Espere Foundation
Espere Foundation is a private foundation based in Sanford, North Carolina. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, with most grant dollars going to recipients in North Carolina.
Key facts about Espere Foundation
In short: Espere Foundation gave $68K across 20 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), mostly in North Carolina. 55% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 86-2480905
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $68,438
- Grants made (2024)
- 20
- Average grant
- $3,422
- Median grant
- $1,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 55% first-time grantees (11 of 20, 2024)
- Total assets
- $140,200
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (90% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that contributions are made only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$140K
-18.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$68K
+109.8% YoY
Grant Count
20
-39.4% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$3K
+246.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Espere Foundation reported a distributable amount of $7K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Espere Foundation open to new grantees?
55%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 11 of 20 grantees (55%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 45% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 371% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The available information does not state the foundation’s own mission. Its 2024 grants included support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Global Service Network describes its mission as “empowering servants of Christ to take the gospel to the world,” and Helping Hand Clinic describes its mission as providing free medicine and drug assistance. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $68,438 through 20 grants. Grants ranged from $100 to $30,000, with a median grant of $1,000. Notable grants included $30,000 to Funky Frogz Indoor Playground, $10,000 to Central Carolina Community College Foundation for the Sharpe/Jordan Scholarship, and $6,667 to St Francis Anglican Parish. Other recipients included Global Service Network ($4,200), Helping Hand Clinic ($3,010), and Anglican Frontier Missions ($2,041).
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina. The remaining reported shares went to Virginia (3%), Pennsylvania (3%), Iowa (3%), and Tennessee (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $15K (2021) to $68K (2024). In 2024 it made 20 grants totaling $68K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Funky Frogz Indoor Playground ($30K). Together the top 10 received $62K.
Grant Size Distribution
101 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 101 grants of 101 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Funky Frogz Indoor Playground Sanford, NC | Grant | $30,000 |
| Central Carolina Community College Foundation Inc Sanford, NC | Sharpe/Jordan Scholarship | $10,000 |
| St Francis Anglican Parish Sanford, NC | Charity | $6,667 |
| Global Service Network Apex, NC | Charity | $4,200 |
| Helping Hand Clinic Sanford, NC | Charity | $3,010 |
| Anglican Frontier Missions Richmond, VA | Charity | $2,041 |
| Younglife Harlan, IA | Charity | $1,800 |
| Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Winston-Salem, NC | Charity | $1,553 |
| NC State University Raleigh, NC | Charity | $1,500 |
| Family Promise of Lee County Sanford, NC | Charity | $1,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $140,200 | $16,736 | $72,645 | $68,438 |
| 2023 | $171,149 | -$4,747 | $36,573 | $32,613 |
| 2022 | $177,593 | $713 | $52,144 | $40,800 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $140,200 | $171,149 | $177,593 |
| Revenue | $16,736 | $-4,747 | $713 |
| Expenses | $72,645 | $36,573 | $52,144 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $68,438 | $32,613 | $40,800 |
| Net Investment Income | $12,529 | $1,447 | $3,177 |
| Distributable Amount | $6,712 | $8,409 | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dr Marion Butler Pate III as President and Director; Linda Ruth Pate as Secretary-Treasurer; Theresa Leigh Jordan as Vice President; and Major Matthew T Pate and Tyler Ryan Jordan as Directors.
Espere Foundation is led by Marion Butler Pate III, President & Director since 2023 (on filings since 2021); none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Marion Butler Pate III
President & Director
President → President & Director, 2023
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Major Matthew T Pate
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Tyler Ryan Jordan
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Linda Ruth Pate
Secretary-Treasurer
Secretary-Tr → Secretary-Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Theresa Leigh Jordan
Vice President
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 1719 Phillips Drive, Sanford, NC 27330-8995
Phone: (919) 271-1118
Frequently asked questions about Espere Foundation
How much does Espere Foundation give each year?
Espere Foundation gave $68K across 20 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $33K across 33 grants.
What is Espere Foundation's typical grant size?
Espere Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $3,422, across 20 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Espere Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Espere Foundation give grants?
Espere Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Sanford, NC (9 grants) and Ambridge, PA (2 grants).
Does Espere Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on Espere Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charity" (18 grants).
Who are Espere Foundation's largest grantees?
Espere Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Funky Frogz Indoor Playground ($30,000), Central Carolina Community College Foundation Inc ($10,000) and St Francis Anglican Parish ($6,667), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 68% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Espere Foundation?
Espere Foundation reported $140K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $68K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $7K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Espere Foundation fund?
The available information does not state the foundation’s own mission. Its 2024 grants included support for a range of charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Espere Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it states that contributions are made only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Espere Foundation's EIN?
Espere Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-2480905. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Does Espere Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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