Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation
Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation is a private foundation based in Asheville, North Carolina. In its 2025 filing, it reported 37 grants totaling $1,182,385. The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation at a glance
In short: Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation gave $1.2M across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $32K), top state North Carolina. 43% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,182,385
- +5.9% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- -11.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $31,956
- +20.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $13,661,728
- +3.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (13 of 30, 2025)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (48% 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 Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. No further application process or materials are provided.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1854 Hendersonville Rd Ste A Box 24, Asheville, NC 28803
Phone: (305) 663-8343
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Touching Miami with Love ($130K). Together the top 10 received $843K.
Grant Size Distribution
113 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 83 grants of 113 (73%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 48% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina and 42% to recipients in Florida. New York and California each received 4%, and Washington, DC, received 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 13 of 30 grantees (43%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $55K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $55K repeat.
- 37% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 116% of 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 $525K (2019) to $1.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Touching Miami with Love Miami, FL | Charitable Purpose | $130,000 |
| Care Elementary Miami, FL | Charitable Purpose | $100,000 |
| True Ridge Foundation Hendersonville, NC | Charitable Purpose | $100,000 |
| Jack & Jill Fort Lauderdale, FL | Charitable Purpose | $100,000 |
| French Broad River Academy Asheville, NC | Charitable Purpose | $86,000 |
| Conserving Carolina Handersonville, NC | Charitable Purpose | $80,000 |
| University of Miami Miami, FL | Charitable Purpose | $56,500 |
| Southern Appalachian Highlands Cons Asheville, NC | Charitable Purpose | $50,000 |
| Biscayne Nature Center Key Biscayne, FL | Charitable Purpose | $50,000 |
| Institute for Nonprofit News New York, NY | Charitable Purpose | $47,080 |
Ready to take the next step with Fernandez Pave the Way 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 | $13,661,728 | $1,769,368 | $1,365,451 | $1,182,385 | 37 | $1,288,327 | $1,692,244 | $1,106,395 |
| 2024 | $13,257,811 | $841,220 | $1,375,723 | $1,116,689 | 42 | $1,212,464 | $677,962 | $1,035,338 |
| 2021 | $14,821,585 | $1,560,307 | $1,100,075 | $827,500 | 19 | — | $1,386,511 | $1,006,731 |
| 2019 | $14,765,693 | $3,818,632 | $750,035 | $524,500 | 15 | — | $675,696 | $860,267 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.1M 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grantees describe a range of missions: French Broad River Academy says it builds character and integrity for a lifetime of learning, service, and leadership; Conserving Carolina says it works to protect, restore, and inspire appreciation of the natural world; and Restorative Partners says it transforms lives impacted by crime through healing services and relationships, with the aim of reducing violence and recidivism. Final Run Rescue describes its work as rescuing and rehabilitating animals and providing them with a permanent home.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 37 grants totaling $1,182,385. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $130,000, with a median of $15,000. Its largest reported awards included $130,000 to Touching Miami with Love, $100,000 each to Care Elementary, True Ridge Foundation, and Jack & Jill, and $86,000 to French Broad River Academy. The listed grant purposes were “charitable purpose.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jose L Fernandez as president, Kathleen Fernandez as vice president, Ana F Buraglia as secretary, and Joseph Michael Fernandez as treasurer.
Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation is led by Jose L. Fernandez, President on every filing since 2019; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jose L. Fernandez
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ana F. Buraglia
Secretary
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$87K (2019) → $109K (2025)
Joseph Michael Fernandez
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen Fernandez
Vice President
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $109K, to Ana F Buraglia (Secretary).
Frequently asked questions about Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation
How much does Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation give each year?
Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation gave $1.2M across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 42 grants.
What is Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation's typical grant size?
Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $31,956, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation that year got $19K on average.
Where does Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation give grants?
Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation's top state is North Carolina, with 48% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest state was Florida (42%). The most frequent recipient cities were Asheville, NC (9 grants), Miami, FL (5 grants), Hendersonville, NC (3 grants) and Key Biscayne, FL (3 grants).
Who are Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation's largest grantees?
Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Touching Miami with Love ($130,000), French Broad River Academy ($101,000 across 2 grants) and Care Elementary ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 28% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation?
Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation reported $13.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation's EIN?
Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5875641. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Fernandez Pave the Way 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 16, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Live grants for the work Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/fernandez-pave-the-way-foundation-morg_ee67bb07ffe1439fbb340b8c18dd1682
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205875641_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Fernandez Pave the Way Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/fernandez-pave-the-way-foundation-morg_ee67bb07ffe1439fbb340b8c18dd1682},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-25. 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 Fernandez Pave the Way 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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