Ponce De Leon Foundation
Ponce De Leon Foundation is a private foundation based in the Bronx, New York. It provides grants to charitable organizations serving communities connected to Ponce Bank, with a service area described by the foundation as extending from the Bronx to Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and parts of New Jersey.
Ponce De Leon Foundation at a glance
In short: Ponce De Leon Foundation gave $635K across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $20K), mostly in New York. 68% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $635,000
- +4.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- +29.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $20,484
- -19.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $20,750,216
- +26.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 68% first-time grantees (21 of 31, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (83% 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 Ponce De Leon Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing says to contact Madeline Marquez and submit a completed grant application endorsed by an authorized signer. The application should describe the organization’s mission, history, accomplishments, incorporation date, proposed project, requested capital items, community need, population and geography served, service gaps, project timetable, operating budgets and financial statements for the prior and current years, the organization’s IRS determination letter, and other funding sources with contribution amounts. The filing states that there are no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- None is listed on the 2025 filing.
- Deadline
- None is listed on the 2025 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Madeline Marquez
Mailing address: 2244 Westchester Avenue, Bronx, NY 10462
Phone: (718) 931-9000
Email: grants@poncedeleonfoundation.org
Website: https://poncedeleonfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Ponce De Leon Foundation
Who Ponce De Leon Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Center for Supportive Schools ($30K). Together the top 10 received $240K.
Grant Size Distribution
122 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 122 grants of 122 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says its service area extends from the Bronx to Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and parts of New Jersey, and that it considers organizations in counties where Ponce Bank has a branch office. In filing year 2025, 83% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 17% to recipients in New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ponce De Leon Foundation open to new grantees?
68%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 21 of 31 grantees (68%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 23% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 46% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 76% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 (2021) to $635K (2025). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $635K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Center for Supportive Schools Princeton, NJ | Advancing student leadership through when students lead and ai literacy | $30,000 |
| Jersey City Theater Center Inc Jersey City, NJ | The JCTC Global Arts Education Program | $30,000 |
| Palisades Emergency Residence Corp Union City, NJ | Case Management | $30,000 |
| Bridge Street Development Corporation Brooklyn, NY | BSDC Older Adult Services | $25,000 |
| Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow Inc Brooklyn, NY | Clearing the path to employment: wraparound support for economic advancement | $25,000 |
| Aid for AIDS International Inc New York, NY | Trauma-Informed Pychoeducational Groups | $20,000 |
| Andromeda Community Initiative Inc Long Island City, NY | Construction Career Pathways | $20,000 |
| Astoriaqueens Share-Ing and Care-Ing Inc Astoria, NY | Pathways to prevention: inclusive cancer education and services for queens communities | $20,000 |
| Braata Productions Inc Queens, NY | After-School and Senior Center Programming | $20,000 |
| Bronx Arts Ensemble Inc Bronx, NY | Support for bae professional musicians wages - bae 2025-2026 concert series | $20,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $20,750,216 | $191 | $664,304 | $635,000 | 31 | $654,548 | $856,601 |
| 2024 | $16,428,209 | $785 | $631,603 | $610,000 | 24 | $621,986 | $663,323 |
| 2023 | $13,010,362 | $4,437 | $645,178 | $622,000 | 27 | $632,741 | $588,972 |
| 2022 | $13,101,284 | $5,014,948 | $465,510 | $436,000 | 22 | $444,608 | $680,753 |
| 2021 | $9,735,737 | $12,697 | $310,020 | $320,000 | 18 | $325,778 | $415,710 |
| 2020 | $6,601,762 | $146 | $397,521 | $375,000 | 19 | — | $318,482 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ponce De Leon Foundation reported a distributable amount of $857K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation says it supports charitable causes and organizations in counties where Ponce Bank has a branch office. Its stated focus areas are affordable housing, healthcare, economic development, education, social services, cultural events, and targeted programming for youth and seniors.
Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working in education, arts and culture, housing and shelter, employment, older adult services, and healthcare. For example, Center for Supportive Schools says it helps schools become places where students want to be by developing student leadership, supporting teacher collaboration, and engaging school communities. Palisades Emergency Residence Corp says it provides temporary housing and meals for homeless people, along with outreach and literacy programs. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 31 grants totaling $635,000. Grant amounts ranged from $15,000 to $30,000, with a median award of $20,000. The foundation’s website reports that it has provided over $3.6 million in grants since its inception.
Among the 2025 grants were $30,000 to Center for Supportive Schools for student leadership and AI literacy, $30,000 to Jersey City Theater Center for its global arts education program, and $30,000 to Palisades Emergency Residence Corp for case management. Other grants included $25,000 to Bridge Street Development Corporation for older adult services and $25,000 to Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow for employment and economic advancement supports.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Steven Tsavaris as chairman of the board, Carlos Naudon as president, Madeline Marquez as executive director, Sergio Vaccaro as treasurer, and Lisette Rivera as secretary. It also lists Valerie Camejo as grants coordinator and Maria A. Alvarez, James Demetriou, Evelyn R. Laureano, and Nick Lugo Jr. as directors.
Ponce De Leon Foundation is led by Carlos P Naudon, President on every filing since 2020; 2 of 14 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Carlos P Naudon
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Madeline Marquez
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven A Tsavaris
Chairman of the Board
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Evelyn R. Laureano
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$7K (2023) → $6K (2025)
Raymond Rivera
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$4K (2023) → $1K (2025)
James Demetriou
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maria A. Alvarez
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nick Lugo Jr.
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Perez
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julio Gurman
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lisette Rivera
Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sergio Vaccaro
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Valerie Camejo
Grants Coordinator
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Catalina Pavlick
Grants Specialist
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: William Feldman (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Frank Perez (2020–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Kim Ramon Esq. (2022) — External Affairs Vice President
- Former: Ramon Cabral (2022) — Grants Coordinator
- Former: Samantha Souvatzis (2021) — Grants Administrator
- Former: Lissette Martinez (2020) — Secretary
- Former: Ruben Nick Lugo Jr. (2020) — Director
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 $6K, to Evelyn R Laureano (Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Ponce De Leon Foundation
How much does Ponce De Leon Foundation give each year?
Ponce De Leon Foundation gave $635K across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $610K across 24 grants.
What is Ponce De Leon Foundation's typical grant size?
Ponce De Leon Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $20,484, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ponce De Leon Foundation that year got $20K on average.
Where does Ponce De Leon Foundation give grants?
Ponce De Leon Foundation gives mostly in New York: 83% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Jersey (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Bronx, NY (7 grants), New York, NY (7 grants), Brooklyn, NY (6 grants) and Long Island City, NY (2 grants).
Does Ponce De Leon Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 31 grants with a stated purpose on Ponce De Leon Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Ponce De Leon Foundation's largest grantees?
Ponce De Leon Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Center for Supportive Schools ($30,000), Jersey City Theater Center Inc ($30,000) and Palisades Emergency Residence Corp ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ponce De Leon Foundation?
Ponce De Leon Foundation reported $20.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $655K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $857K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Ponce De Leon Foundation fund?
The foundation says it supports charitable causes and organizations in counties where Ponce Bank has a branch office. Its stated focus areas are affordable housing, healthcare, economic development, education, social services, cultural events, and targeted programming for youth and seniors. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ponce De Leon Foundation?
The 2025 filing says to contact Madeline Marquez and submit a completed grant application endorsed by an authorized signer. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ponce De Leon Foundation's EIN?
Ponce De Leon Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-1738716. 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 October 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 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Ponce De Leon Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ponce De Leon Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ponce-de-leon-foundation-morg_45963c37285b4c1ea2b68ec71f3c06e1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_821738716_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ponce De Leon Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ponce-de-leon-foundation-morg_45963c37285b4c1ea2b68ec71f3c06e1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Ponce De Leon 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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