Essa Bank & Trust Foundation
ESSA Bank & Trust Foundation is a private foundation based in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Its 2025 filing is marked as the foundation’s final return and states that it made a final distribution of its assets on December 29, 2025; it therefore appears to have wound down and stopped grantmaking.
Essa Bank & Trust Foundation at a glance
In short: Essa Bank & Trust Foundation gave $5.6M across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $505K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 73% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,559,429
- +1637.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- -31.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $505,403
- +2427.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 73% first-time grantees (8 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (100% 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 Essa Bank & Trust Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The final filing lists John E. Burrus as the contact for grant requests and describes the application materials above; the foundation appears to have wound down, so the filing’s instructions are not current.
- Review Cycle
- The filing stated that there was no specific deadline.
- Deadline
- The filing stated that there was no specific deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: John E Burrus
Mailing address: 200 Palmer Street, Stroudsburg, PA 18360
Phone: (570) 422-0182
Website: https://essabank.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Essa Bank & Trust Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Scranton Area Community Foundation ($5.5M). Together the top 10 received $5.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
110 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 91 grants of 110 (83%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing says funds should serve Monroe County and its contiguous service areas: the Lehigh Valley, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Philadelphia regions. All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Essa Bank & Trust Foundation open to new grantees?
73%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 11 grantees (73%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $691K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 18% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 250% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $320K (2024) to $5.6M (2025). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $5.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Scranton Area Community Foundation Scranton, PA | Capital Campaign | $5,487,792 |
| East Stroudburg University Foundation East Stroudsburg, PA | Capital Campaign | $16,000 |
| Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health Newfoundland, PA | Capital Campaign | $10,000 |
| Garden of Giving Saylorsburg, PA | Capital Improvements | $10,000 |
| Nepa Educational Television Association (Wvia) Pittston, PA | Capital Campaign | $10,000 |
| Northampton Community College Foundation Bethlehem, PA | Capital Campaign | $8,000 |
| Kettle Creek Enviromental Stroudsburg, PA | Capital Campaign | $6,500 |
| Fusia Community Arts Stroudsburg, PA | Capital Campaign | $5,000 |
| Lehigh Valley Monthly Meeting (LV Quakers) Lehigh Valley, PA | Capital Campaign | $2,637 |
| Pocono Township Tannersville, PA | Capital Improvements | $2,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Essa Bank & Trust Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2025 filing identifies the reported distributions as the final distribution of the foundation’s assets.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | $160,781 | $5,620,585 | $5,559,429 | 11 | $5,577,288 | $132,642 | $216,276 |
| 2024 | $4,515,675 | $242,040 | $363,738 | $320,000 | 16 | $334,346 | $213,289 | $212,129 |
| 2023 | $4,869,977 | $299,880 | $826,181 | $767,474 | 24 | $782,158 | $270,786 | $221,445 |
| 2022 | $5,906,988 | $604,097 | $1,639,305 | $1,587,704 | 26 | $1,602,062 | $568,790 | $295,319 |
| 2021 | $6,451,903 | $198,542 | $1,841,059 | $1,781,533 | 33 | $1,796,165 | $160,841 | $342,012 |
| 2020 | $7,364,657 | $294,794 | $1,303,382 | $1,231,441 | 13 | — | $251,198 | $362,485 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Essa Bank & Trust Foundation reported a distributable amount of $216K 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
No separate mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its filing says grant funds should be used to provide or improve services within Monroe County and its contiguous service areas: the Lehigh Valley, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Philadelphia regions.
The grants included support for capital campaigns and improvements. One 2025 recipient, Camp Papillon Animal Shelter Inc., describes its own mission as providing shelter, care, and adoption services for stray and abandoned pets in the Pocono Mountains.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $5,559,429. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $5,487,792, with a median of $8,000. The largest grant was $5,487,792 to Scranton Area Community Foundation for a capital campaign. Other grants included $16,000 to East Stroudsburg University Foundation for a capital campaign; $10,000 each to Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health for a capital campaign, Garden of Giving for capital improvements, and NEPA Educational Television Association (WVIA) for a capital campaign; and $8,000 to Northampton Community College Foundation for a capital campaign.
The 2025 filing says the foundation did not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It required recipients to be 501(c)(3) organizations or agencies, requests of at least $1,000, and limited awards to one grant per agency within four years. The filing lists an application form and required attachments: the organization’s budget, IRS verification of exempt status or a 501(c)(3) letter, and a recent annual report. Because the filing is marked final and states that the foundation made its final distribution in 2025, these application instructions should not be treated as current.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John E. Burrus as president/director; Stephanie A. Lefferson as vice president/treasurer/director; and Gary Solson, Elizabeth B. Weekes, Lois B. Heckman, and William P. Douglass as directors.
Essa Bank & Trust Foundation is led by John E. Burrus, President & Director on every filing since 2020; 4 of 6 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John E. Burrus
President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
$600 (2020) → $600 (2025)
Lois B. Heckman
Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
$600 (2020) → $600 (2025)
Stephanie A. Lefferson
Vice President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
7 hrs/week
$15K (2020) → $15K (2025)
William P. Douglass
Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
$600 (2020) → $200 (2025)
Elizabeth B. Weekes
Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gary Solson
Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Amanda M. Haab Non-Voting (2020–2021) — Recording Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $15K, to Stephanie a Lefferson (VP/Treasurer/Director). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Essa Bank & Trust Foundation
How much does Essa Bank & Trust Foundation give each year?
Essa Bank & Trust Foundation gave $5.6M across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $320K across 16 grants.
What is Essa Bank & Trust Foundation's typical grant size?
Essa Bank & Trust Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,000, and its average grant was $505,403, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Essa Bank & Trust Foundation that year got $691K on average.
Where does Essa Bank & Trust Foundation give grants?
Essa Bank & Trust Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Stroudsburg, PA (3 grants).
Does Essa Bank & Trust Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Essa Bank & Trust Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Capital Campaign" (8 grants).
Who are Essa Bank & Trust Foundation's largest grantees?
Essa Bank & Trust Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Scranton Area Community Foundation ($5,487,792), East Stroudburg University Foundation ($16,000) and Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 99% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
What does Essa Bank & Trust Foundation fund?
No separate mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its filing says grant funds should be used to provide or improve services within Monroe County and its contiguous service areas: the Lehigh Valley, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Philadelphia regions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Essa Bank & Trust Foundation?
The final filing lists John E. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is Essa Bank & Trust Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, Essa Bank & Trust Foundation reported a distributable amount of $216K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Essa Bank & Trust Foundation's EIN?
Essa Bank & Trust Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8227643. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Essa Bank & Trust Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Essa Bank & Trust Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Essa Bank & Trust Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 22, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/essa-bank-and-trust-foundation-morg_4894ec02153a47088d8f2ffd1fddcbfd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_208227643_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Essa Bank \& Trust Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/essa-bank-and-trust-foundation-morg_4894ec02153a47088d8f2ffd1fddcbfd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-22. 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 Essa Bank & Trust 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.
Essa Bank & Trust Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?