Spero Charitable Foundation
Spero Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Lynnfield, Massachusetts. Its 2024 filing describes its direct charitable activity as donations to various organizations.
Spero Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Spero Charitable Foundation gave $163K across 33 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), top state Virginia. 64% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $163,081
- +45.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 33
- +37.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,942
- +5.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $3,050,968
- +36.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 64% first-time grantees (21 of 33, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (41% 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 Spero Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: J Kouroubacalis 200 Broadway 307, Lynnfield, MA 01940
Phone: (781) 890-3150
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Spero Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Toys for Tots ($66K). Together the top 10 received $132K.
Grant Size Distribution
137 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 135 grants of 137 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia (41%), Massachusetts (21%), New York (14%), California (13%), and Maine (7%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Spero Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
64%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 21 of 33 grantees (64%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 24% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 185% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 100% 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 (2020–2024). 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 $57K (2021) to $163K (2024). In 2024 it made 33 grants totaling $163K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Toys for Tots Triangle, VA | Support for the Organization | $66,121 |
| The Woodstock Museum Saugerties, NY | Support for the Organization | $16,000 |
| Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME | Support for the Organization | $11,000 |
| Dana Farber Cancer Institute Boston, MA | Support for the Organization | $10,000 |
| The Geanco Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Support for the Organization | $5,250 |
| Mass General Hospital Boston, MA | Support for the Organization | $5,000 |
| Rise up Oakland, CA | Support for the Organization | $5,000 |
| Helping Hand for Relief and Development Southfield, MI | Support for the Organization | $5,000 |
| Playing for a Foundation (Frances) W Hollywood, CA | Support for the Organization | $4,500 |
| Salsa for the Schools Salem, MA | Support for the Organizationsupport for the Organization | $4,200 |
Ready to take the next step with Spero Charitable 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 | $3,050,968 | $989,402 | $168,276 | $163,081 | 33 | $163,081 | $989,402 | $163,577 |
| 2023 | $2,229,842 | $96,949 | $125,775 | $112,411 | 24 | $112,411 | $96,949 | $1,514,561 |
| 2022 | $2,258,668 | $837,368 | $79,401 | $70,872 | 26 | $70,872 | $837,368 | $133,430 |
| 2021 | $1,500,701 | $618,587 | $58,707 | $57,225 | 26 | $57,225 | $617,713 | $128,796 |
| 2020 | $940,821 | $106,762 | $61,724 | $59,490 | 28 | — | $106,762 | $126,562 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Spero Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $164K for 2024 — 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’s filing does not state a separate mission. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Bowdoin College describes its mission as educating students in the liberal arts, while The GEANCO Foundation says it works to save and improve lives in Africa through medical, maternal and infant health, and school programs. Helping Hand for Relief and Development describes work that includes emergency relief, education, health facilities, and livelihood programs.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $163,081 through 33 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $150 to $66,121, with a median grant of $2,000.
The largest 2024 grants included $66,121 to Toys for Tots, $16,000 to The Woodstock Museum, $11,000 to Bowdoin College, and $10,000 to Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Other recipients included The GEANCO Foundation ($5,250), Mass General Hospital ($5,000), Rise Up ($5,000), and Helping Hand for Relief and Development ($5,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Janet Kouroubacalis as trustee.
Spero Charitable Foundation is led by Janet Kouroubacalis, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Janet Kouroubacalis
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Shirley Spero (2020–2021) — Trustee
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 Spero Charitable Foundation
How much does Spero Charitable Foundation give each year?
Spero Charitable Foundation gave $163K across 33 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $112K across 24 grants.
What is Spero Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Spero Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $4,942, across 33 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Spero Charitable Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Spero Charitable Foundation give grants?
Spero Charitable Foundation's top state is Virginia, with 41% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (21%) and New York (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (4 grants), Los Angeles, CA (4 grants) and Triangle, VA (2 grants).
Does Spero Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 33 grants with a stated purpose on Spero Charitable Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support for the Organization" (31 grants).
Who are Spero Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Spero Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Toys for Tots ($66,121), The Woodstock Museum ($16,000) and Bowdoin College ($11,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Spero Charitable Foundation?
Spero Charitable Foundation reported $3.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $163K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $164K (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 Spero Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing does not state a separate mission. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Spero Charitable Foundation?
The foundation 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 Spero Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Spero Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6183682. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Spero Charitable 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 October 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). Spero Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/spero-charitable-foundation-morg_ae999fbb5e684728a109b8d740d98dab
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046183682_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Spero Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/spero-charitable-foundation-morg_ae999fbb5e684728a109b8d740d98dab},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Spero Charitable 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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