Staples Free School Trust
Staples Free School Trust is a private foundation based in Easton, Connecticut. It provides scholarships and interest-free loans to qualified Easton students attending accredited colleges and universities.
Staples Free School Trust at a glance
In short: Staples Free School Trust gave $39K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Connecticut. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $39,000
- +8.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +22.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,545
- -11.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,000
- Total assets
- $624,901
- +4.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Staples Free School Trust
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing says the trust does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It describes a standard scholarship application that includes meeting financial criteria, with awards restricted to students from Easton, Connecticut, attending accredited universities.
- Review Cycle
- The filing lists May 1 each year. The May 1, 2026 deadline is past.
- Deadline
- The filing lists May 1 each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Carolann Vassalo
Mailing address: PO Box 425, Easton, CT 06612
Phone: (203) 414-8334
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Staples Free School Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
36 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 36 grants of 36 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars listed for 2025 went to recipients in Connecticut. The trust’s 2024 filing restricts awards to students from Easton, Connecticut, attending accredited universities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Staples Free School Trust gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−3%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 123% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $32K (2021) to $40K (2022). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $39K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 11 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $39,000 |
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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 | $624,901 | $73,177 | $45,930 | $39,000 | 11 | $39,000 | $43,176 | $31,661 |
| 2024 | $597,654 | $39,417 | $40,449 | $36,000 | 9 | $36,000 | $20,541 | $28,960 |
| 2023 | $598,686 | $22,601 | $44,510 | $40,000 | 6 | $40,000 | $14,650 | $27,860 |
| 2022 | $624,752 | $53,563 | $43,177 | $40,050 | 5 | — | $73,138 | $30,856 |
| 2021 | $580,569 | $43,423 | $34,712 | $31,500 | 5 | — | $36,747 | $30,271 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Staples Free School Trust reported a distributable amount of $32K 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 trust’s 2024 filing states that it provides scholarships and interest-free loans to qualified Easton students attending accredited colleges and universities. The filing does not state a separate mission.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust reported 11 grants totaling $39,000. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $4,000, with a median of $4,000. The listed grants were to individual recipients in Connecticut for tuition.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Seth Cooper as chair, Andrew Kachele as vice chair, Ed Roche as secretary, and Gregg Saunders as treasurer. It also lists Suzanne Dow, Todd Johnston, Elizabeth Boyce, Tara Sanft, and Dori Wollen as not officers, and Carolann Vassallo as foundation manager.
Staples Free School Trust is led by Seth Cooper, Chair since 2023 (on filings since 2021); none of the 10 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Seth Cooper
Chair
Director → Chairperson, 2022
Chairperson → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2021
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carolann Vassallo
Foundation Manager
Treasurer → Foundation Manager, 2022
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$3K (2022) → $0 (2025)
Andrew Kachele
Vice Chair
Vice Chairperson → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dori Wollen
Not An Officer
Director → Not An Officer, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ed Roche
Secretary
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Todd Johnston
Not An Officer
Director → Not An Officer, 2024
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gregg Saunders
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Suzanne Dow
Not An Officer
Director → Not An Officer, 2024
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tara Sanft
Not An Officer
Director → Not An Officer, 2024
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Boyce
Not An Officer
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Monica Ogrinz (2022–2024) — Not An Officer
- Former: Allison Taylor (2021) — Director
- Former: John Harriss (2021) — Chairperson
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2022 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2022 filing was $3K, to Carolann Vassallo (Foundation Manager).
Frequently asked questions about Staples Free School Trust
How much does Staples Free School Trust give each year?
Staples Free School Trust gave $39K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $36K across 9 grants.
What is Staples Free School Trust's typical grant size?
Staples Free School Trust's median grant in 2025 was $4,000, and its average grant was $3,545, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Staples Free School Trust give grants?
Staples Free School Trust gives mostly in Connecticut: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does Staples Free School Trust give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Staples Free School Trust's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Tuition" (11 grants).
How large is Staples Free School Trust?
Staples Free School Trust reported $625K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $39K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $32K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Staples Free School Trust fund?
The trust’s 2024 filing states that it provides scholarships and interest-free loans to qualified Easton students attending accredited colleges and universities. The filing does not state a separate mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Staples Free School Trust?
The 2024 filing says the trust does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Staples Free School Trust's EIN?
Staples Free School Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-6038707. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
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 2021–2025
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