Speramus Foundation
Speramus Foundation is a private foundation based in Hillsborough, California. In 2024, it made 31 grants totaling $145,715, with listed grants designated for general support.
Speramus Foundation at a glance
In short: Speramus Foundation gave $146K across 31 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), top state Massachusetts. 45% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $145,715
- +12.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 31
- +24.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,700
- -9.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $698,626
- -6.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (14 of 31, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (27% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Speramus Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 275 Sierra Drive, Hillsborough, CA 94010-6934
Phone: (650) 579-0489
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Speramus Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Boston College ($21K). Together the top 10 received $114K.
Grant Size Distribution
158 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 158 grants of 158 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Massachusetts (27%), California (24%), Texas (21%), Nevada (10%), and Iowa (8%). Other listed recipients were located in New Hampshire and Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Speramus Foundation open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 14 of 31 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 52% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−19%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 117% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $107K (2020) to $179K (2021). In 2024 it made 31 grants totaling $146K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA | General Support | $21,131 |
| Call Primrose Burlingame, CA | General Support | $19,973 |
| Glenbrook Underground Inc Carson City, NV | General Support | $14,000 |
| Holy Cross Worcester, MA | General Support | $11,873 |
| University of Virginia Boone, IA | General Support | $11,002 |
| Bold Idea Inc Dallas, TX | General Support | $10,000 |
| United Way Austin, TX | General Support | $10,000 |
| Ursuline Academy Dallas, TX | General Support | $6,007 |
| Brewster Academy Wolfeboro, NH | General Support | $4,987 |
| Peace Players International Washington, DC | General Support | $4,810 |
Ready to take the next step with Speramus 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $698,626 | $45,983 | $154,253 | $145,715 | 31 | $145,715 | $44,317 | $124,368 |
| 2023 | $748,485 | $84,275 | $140,071 | $129,976 | 25 | $129,976 | $83,011 | $111,879 |
| 2022 | $751,375 | $153,016 | $136,150 | $131,100 | 25 | $131,100 | $136,401 | $115,378 |
| 2021 | $752,443 | $40,335 | $183,567 | $178,863 | 45 | $178,863 | $37,944 | $121,432 |
| 2020 | $877,741 | $38,543 | $108,023 | $106,500 | 32 | — | $38,349 | $101,227 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Speramus Foundation reported a distributable amount of $124K for 2024 — 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 2024 grant list shows support for organizations with varied activities. For example, Call Primrose says it provides free, healthy groceries to people experiencing hunger and food insecurity; Bold Idea says it expands access to computer science in under-resourced communities; and Bridge Over Troubled Waters says it serves homeless, at-risk, and runaway youth. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated focus areas of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 31 grants totaling $145,715. Grants ranged from $200 to $21,131, with a median grant of $2,000. Listed grants were for general support. Among the largest were Boston College ($21,131), Call Primrose ($19,973), Glenbrook Underground Inc ($14,000), Holy Cross ($11,873), University of Virginia ($11,002), and Bold Idea Inc ($10,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Sheila Burns McWilliams as president, Sean R Burns as vice-president, and Roderick O Burns as secretary.
Speramus Foundation is led by Sheila Burns McWilliams, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Sheila Burns McWilliams
President
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roderick O. Burns
Secretary
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sean R. Burns
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Speramus Foundation
How much does Speramus Foundation give each year?
Speramus Foundation gave $146K across 31 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $130K across 25 grants.
What is Speramus Foundation's typical grant size?
Speramus Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $4,700, across 31 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Speramus Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Speramus Foundation give grants?
Speramus Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 27% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (24%) and Texas (21%). The most frequent recipient cities were Dallas, TX (4 grants), San Francisco, CA (4 grants), Worcester, MA (2 grants) and Atherton, CA (2 grants).
Does Speramus Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Speramus Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (31 of 31) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Speramus Foundation's largest grantees?
Speramus Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Boston College ($21,131), Call Primrose ($19,973) and Glenbrook Underground Inc ($14,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Speramus Foundation?
Speramus Foundation reported $699K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $146K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $124K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Speramus Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grant list shows support for organizations with varied activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Speramus Foundation?
The foundation 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 Speramus Foundation's EIN?
Speramus Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3181132. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Speramus 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 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Speramus Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/speramus-foundation-morg_f815e89dcecf41b7a0d4c870a76cb503
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_943181132_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Speramus Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/speramus-foundation-morg_f815e89dcecf41b7a0d4c870a76cb503},
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 Speramus 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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