Fontel Foundation
Fontel Foundation is a private foundation based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations in Hawaii and several other states, for purposes such as worship services, scholarships, medical care, children’s aid, and animal cruelty prevention.
Fontel Foundation at a glance
In short: Fontel Foundation gave $59K across 19 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in Hawaii. 32% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $59,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 19
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,105
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $335,946
- -9.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (6 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Hawaii (58% 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 Fontel Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 796, Honolulu, HI 96808
Phone: (808) 599-5444
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Fontel Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Unity Church of Hawaii ($5K). Together the top 10 received $43K.
Grant Size Distribution
90 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 90 grants of 90 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 58% of grant dollars went to recipients in Hawaii, 15% to New York, 8% each to Arkansas and an individual recipient, and 5% to California. The 2025 filing also lists grants to organizations in Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Fontel Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 19 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 63% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 105% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $47K (2021) to $59K (2025). In 2025 it made 19 grants totaling $59K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Unity Church of Hawaii Honolulu, HI | Prayer and Worship Services | $5,000 |
| University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR | Student Scholarships | $5,000 |
| Straub Foundation Honolulu, HI | Medical Care | $5,000 |
| UNICEF New York, NY | Global Childrens Aid | $5,000 |
| Hawaii Humane Society Honolulu, HI | Animal Cruelty Prevention | $5,000 |
| Navian Honolulu, HI | Hospice Services | $5,000 |
| NJ Institute of Technology Newark, NJ | Education Scholarships | $5,000 |
| Hopestart San Diego, CA | Feeding Children in Haiti | $3,000 |
| AARP Washington, DC | Programs for Seniors | $3,000 |
| Habilitat Kaneohe, HI | Addition Treatment | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Fontel 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 | $335,946 | $30,036 | $63,631 | $59,000 | 19 | $59,000 | $29,708 | $56,019 |
| 2024 | $369,541 | $28,315 | $60,058 | $59,000 | 19 | $59,000 | $27,506 | $58,961 |
| 2023 | $401,284 | $50,617 | $59,750 | $59,000 | 19 | $59,000 | $49,867 | $58,398 |
| 2022 | $410,417 | $28,060 | $55,953 | $55,250 | 18 | $55,250 | $27,357 | $59,430 |
| 2021 | $438,310 | $23,411 | $47,041 | $46,500 | 15 | — | $23,411 | $54,550 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Fontel Foundation reported a distributable amount of $56K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants supported organizations whose stated missions include creating a healthier Hawai‘i (Straub Foundation) and guiding and empowering individuals to make positive choices in their lives (Habilitat Inc.). The foundation also supported AARP, which describes itself as a nonpartisan advocacy organization representing people age 50 and older and working on issues including Social Security, Medicare, caregiving, and fraud prevention.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 19 grants totaling $59,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $5,000, with a median of $2,000. Notable grants included $5,000 each to Unity Church of Hawaii for prayer and worship services, the University of Arkansas for student scholarships, Straub Foundation for medical care, UNICEF for global children’s aid, Hawaii Humane Society for animal cruelty prevention, Navian for hospice services, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology for education scholarships. It also awarded $3,000 to HopeStart for feeding children in Haiti and $3,000 to AARP for programs for seniors.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jerome Berlinger as chief executive officer, Miriam Slate as chief financial officer, and Joyce Birkland as director.
Fontel Foundation is led by Jerome Berlinger, Chief Executive Officer on every filing since 2021; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jerome Berlinger
Chief Executive Officer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joyce Birkland
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Miriam Slate
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Fontel Foundation
How much does Fontel Foundation give each year?
Fontel Foundation gave $59K across 19 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $59K across 19 grants.
What is Fontel Foundation's typical grant size?
Fontel Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $3,105, across 19 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fontel Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Fontel Foundation give grants?
Fontel Foundation gives mostly in Hawaii: 58% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (15%) and Arkansas (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Honolulu, HI (9 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does Fontel Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Fontel Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Fontel Foundation's largest grantees?
Fontel Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Unity Church of Hawaii ($5,000), University of Arkansas ($5,000) and Straub Foundation ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Fontel Foundation?
Fontel Foundation reported $336K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $59K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $56K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Fontel Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants supported organizations whose stated missions include creating a healthier Hawai‘i (Straub Foundation) and guiding and empowering individuals to make positive choices in their lives (Habilitat Inc.). See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Fontel Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Fontel Foundation's EIN?
Fontel Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3348242. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Fontel 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Fontel Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Ernest H Hui Family Foundation
Kaneohe, HI
The Ernest H Hui Family Foundation supports charitable organizations in areas including community services, conservation, family support, education, housing, and public media. Its 2025 grants ranged from $100 to $10,000, with a median of $1,000; nearly half of grant dollars went to Hawaii, with others going to organizations in several states. It accepts unsolicited requests from eligible organizations, with no formal application or established deadline.
Assets
$1.4M
Grants
25
Total Given
$55K
RJM Stein Family Foundation
Belfast, ME
Assets
$101K
Grants
40
Total Given
$8K
Price Foundation
Sarasota, FL
Assets
$16K
Grants
5
Total Given
$3K
The Stable Foundation Inc
Los Angeles, CA
The Stable Foundation supports a varied range of charitable organizations, including schools, cultural institutions, public media, and community groups, with most funding going to California and some to New York and other states. Its 2025 grants ranged from $75 to $25,939, with a typical award of about $500. It contributes only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$565K
Grants
46
Total Given
$80K
The Kenneth and Diane Matsuura
Honolulu, HI
Assets
$2.2M
Grants
52
Total Given
$198K
The Cades Foundation
Honolulu, HI
The Cades Foundation supports Hawaii organizations in areas including food assistance, legal services, arts and culture, youth programs, and education. Its 2024 grants ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median of $7,500; it does not limit giving to preselected organizations, and no application format or deadline is specified.
Assets
$14.1M
Grants
61
Total Given
$711K
More similar funders
More Funders in Hawaii
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Fontel Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/fontel-foundation-morg_0a45ba0fb8e84785a46f2d97cec17119
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943348242_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Fontel Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/fontel-foundation-morg_0a45ba0fb8e84785a46f2d97cec17119},
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 Fontel 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.
Fontel Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?