Melissa and John V Ceriale Family
The Melissa and John V Ceriale Family Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Boca Raton, Florida. Established in 2010, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to philanthropic giving across multiple sectors.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$13.8M
-1.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.8M
-3.5% YoY
Grant Count
21
+16.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$86K
-17.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation has not publicly provided a formal mission statement. However, their grantmaking demonstrates focus on:
- Education
- Science and STEM education
- Human services
- Philanthropy and voluntarism
Primary geographic areas of giving include Florida, New York, and Colorado.
Grantmaking
The foundation distributes grants to nonprofits working in education, science, human services, and related fields.
Grant Range
$113,300
Average Grant
$113,300
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking extends across:
- Florida
- New York
- Colorado
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Giving (2023):
- Total assets: $14 million
- Total liabilities: $0
- Revenue: $267,000
- Expenses: $2.24 million
Historical Assets:
- 2023: $14 million
- Prior reporting: $15.9 million (assets)
- Prior reporting: $13.77 million (assets)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $13,774,090 | $14,021,654 | $15,856,392 |
| Revenue | $340,785 | $266,640 | $923,303 |
| Expenses | $2,058,023 | $2,244,514 | $2,125,271 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,867,348 | $1,989,802 | $1,953,823 |
| Net Investment Income | $232,214 | $166,650 | $741,867 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,076,114 | $1,716,940 | $1,905,901 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
72 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key Personnel:
- John Ceriale — Director/President
- Melissa Ceriale — Director/Vice President/Secretary
- Robert Tomasello — Director/Treasurer
John Ceriale serves as a member of the Cornell Board of Trustees. The Ceriales have four children who are Cornell University alumni.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN CERIALE | DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT | 10 | — |
| MELISSA CERIALE | DIRECTOR/VP/SECRETARY | 10 | — |
| ROBERT TOMASELLO | DIRECTOR/TREASURER | 10 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In October 2024, the Melissa and John V Ceriale Family Foundation announced a $20 million gift to Cornell University to support student mental health initiatives. The gift will fund:
Ceriale family foundation $20M gift will support student mental health -Placement of embedded therapists in Cornell's Ithaca campus schools and colleges
Expansion of a well-being coaching program for all students
In recognition of this transformational gift, the building housing Cornell Health will be named The Ceriale Center for Cornell Health, as approved by Cornell's Board of Trustees executive committee.
Ceriale family foundation $20M gift will support student mental health -Melissa Ceriale stated that the foundation hopes the gift will "enhance the culture of acceptance and availability around mental health services at Cornell, providing students and faculty with the tools to recognize and address the needs of those in distress in a caring and compassionate manner."
Ceriale family foundation $20M gift will support student mental health -Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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