The E J Scharpf Foundation
The E J Scharpf Foundation is a private foundation based in Old Bridge, New Jersey. Its 2025 filing reports grants to organizations including universities, schools, social-service organizations, and hospitals.
The E J Scharpf Foundation at a glance
In short: The E J Scharpf Foundation gave $390K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $26K), top state Indiana. 20% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $390,250
- -32.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +36.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $26,017
- -50.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $19,994,117
- +50.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (3 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Indiana (41% 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 The E J Scharpf Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. No application process or materials are specified.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3590 Us Highway 9, Old Bridge, NJ 08857-2765
Phone: (732) 591-8700
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The E J Scharpf Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Notre Dame ($160K). Together the top 10 received $350K.
Grant Size Distribution
69 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 53 grants of 69 (77%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in several states. The largest shares went to Indiana (41%), New York (18%), New Jersey (16%), Pennsylvania (10%), and Kansas (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The E J Scharpf Foundation open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 15 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $29K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 38% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2023 it paid out 240% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $390K (2025) to $645K (2021). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $390K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN | General Purpose Support | $160,000 |
| Lasalle Academy New York, NY | General Purpose Support | $50,000 |
| Rutgers University New Brunswick, NJ | General Purpose Support | $25,000 |
| The Haverford School Haverford, PA | General Purpose Support | $22,500 |
| Collins Youth Services Wickatunk, NJ | General Purpose Support | $17,750 |
| Covenant House Topeka, KS | General Purpose Support | $15,000 |
| Dorothy Day Outreach Center Loretto, PA | General Purpose Support | $15,000 |
| Salvation Army New Brunswick, NJ | General Purpose Support | $15,000 |
| Paralyzed Veterans of America Topeka, KS | General Purpose Support | $15,000 |
| Guiding Eye for the Blind Yorktown Heights, NY | General Purpose Support | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The E J Scharpf 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $19,994,117 | $1,374,448 | $440,250 | $390,250 | 15 | — | $1,374,448 | $294,424 |
| 2024 | $13,245,920 | $2,007,805 | $580,000 | $580,000 | 11 | — | $2,007,805 | $238,008 |
| 2023 | $15,260,670 | $1,116,179 | $571,000 | $571,000 | 15 | $571,000 | $1,116,179 | $238,261 |
| 2022 | $14,832,524 | $1,022,093 | $626,000 | $626,000 | 17 | $626,000 | $1,022,093 | $722,525 |
| 2021 | $18,005,872 | $2,951,620 | $648,020 | $645,000 | 11 | $648,020 | $1,718,997 | $626,699 |
| 2020 | $15,919,277 | $746,817 | $607,563 | $393,520 | 11 | — | $744,317 | $329,265 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The E J Scharpf Foundation reported a distributable amount of $294K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its reported grants show support for organizations working in areas including education, social services, health, and veterans’ services. For example, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, which received $10,000 in 2025, describes its mission as improving the lives of people affected by pancreatic cancer through research, community-building, knowledge-sharing, and patient advocacy. That mission is the grantee’s, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 15 grants totaling $390,250. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $160,000, with a median of $15,000. Notable grants included $160,000 to the University of Notre Dame, $50,000 to LaSalle Academy, $25,000 to Rutgers University, $22,500 to The Haverford School, and $17,750 to Collins Youth Services. Each was listed for general purpose support.
Other reported grants included $15,000 each to Covenant House, Dorothy Day Outreach Center, the Salvation Army in New Brunswick, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Guiding Eye for the Blind; and $10,000 each to Shriners Hospital for Children and St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Marguerite DiSepio as president, Peggy Dembowski as secretary, and Eric Scharpf as treasurer.
The E J Scharpf Foundation is led by Marguerite Disepio, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Marguerite Disepio
President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Scharpf
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peggy Dembowski
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The E J Scharpf Foundation
How much does The E J Scharpf Foundation give each year?
The E J Scharpf Foundation gave $390K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $580K across 11 grants.
What is The E J Scharpf Foundation's typical grant size?
The E J Scharpf Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $26,017, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The E J Scharpf Foundation that year got $14K on average.
Where does The E J Scharpf Foundation give grants?
The E J Scharpf Foundation's top state is Indiana, with 41% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (18%) and New Jersey (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were New Brunswick, NJ (2 grants) and Topeka, KS (2 grants).
Does The E J Scharpf Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The E J Scharpf Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The E J Scharpf Foundation's largest grantees?
The E J Scharpf Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Notre Dame ($160,000), Lasalle Academy ($50,000) and Rutgers University ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The E J Scharpf Foundation?
The E J Scharpf Foundation reported $20.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $1.4M.
What does The E J Scharpf Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its reported grants show support for organizations working in areas including education, social services, health, and veterans’ services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The E J Scharpf Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is The E J Scharpf Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The E J Scharpf Foundation reported a distributable amount of $294K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The E J Scharpf Foundation's EIN?
The E J Scharpf Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3484078. 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 5, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
Live grants for the work The E J Scharpf Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The E J Scharpf Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders with grantees in common, and similar funders in New Jersey
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
Saint Louis, MO
The Enterprise Holdings Foundation supports charitable and educational nonprofits in communities where Enterprise Mobility operates, focusing on health, education, arts, and disaster relief; applicants must be actively supported by an Enterprise Mobility team member, spouse, or domestic partner. Giving varies widely: it reported 9,499 grants in 2024, but its 2025 filing showed one grant of $101.4 million, so that amount is not a typical award. Applications are accepted at any time through eligible Enterprise-affiliated applicants; the Foundation does not limit giving to preselected organizations.
Assets
$594.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$101.4M
Aetna Foundation Inc
Hartford, CT
Aetna Foundation supported health and wellness, access to health care, and related community needs; its 2021 grants ranged from $5,000 to $1 million, with a median of $40,000, and went to organizations across multiple states, especially in D.C. and Connecticut. Its 2021 filing was marked final, so it appears to have ended or be winding down grantmaking; that filing said there were no restrictions on who could apply and pointed applicants to its website for application materials.
Assets
—
Grants
65
Total Given
$7.2M
Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation Inc
Princeton, NJ
The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation supports health access and stronger health systems, with a focus on adult and pediatric cancers, blood disorders, brain health, and clinical-trial participation in the United States, Brazil, India, and ten Sub-Saharan African countries. In 2024, its median grant was about $134,000, though awards varied widely; it does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests, and advises prospective applicants to contact the Foundation about its process.
Assets
$83.3M
Grants
144
Total Given
$67.7M
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Princeton, NJ
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds efforts to improve health and health equity in the United States, including systems change addressing structural barriers to health. In 2024, its grants ranged from $125 to $12.15 million, with a median of $40,000. It typically funds through targeted programs and partnerships; whether it accepts unsolicited requests is not stated.
Assets
$13.4B
Grants
3,093
Total Given
$622.6M
Community Foundation of New Jersey
Morristown, NJ
The Community Foundation of New Jersey supports a broad range of causes, including arts, education, health, human services, and the environment, through donor-directed and other charitable funds. Its 2024 itemized grants had a median of $19,759, with awards ranging widely; its current health grant opportunity serves Morris and Somerset counties. Eligible New Jersey nonprofits may apply to specific grant opportunities, subject to each opportunity’s guidelines.
Assets
$1.0B
Grants
1,321
Total Given
$93.8M
Crane Fund for Widows and Children
Englewood Cliffs, NJ
The Crane Fund for Widows and Children supports charitable organizations, including those working in healthcare and social services, children’s services, recreation, and basic needs, with grants across multiple states. Its 2024 grants ranged from $2,000 to $45,000, with a median of $4,500; it funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.6M
Grants
985
Total Given
$4.5M
More similar funders
More Funders in New Jersey
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The E J Scharpf Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-e-j-scharpf-foundation-morg_78dd1a23e8184108a65f38fe3ecc607a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223484078_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The E J Scharpf Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-e-j-scharpf-foundation-morg_78dd1a23e8184108a65f38fe3ecc607a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 The E J Scharpf 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.
The E J Scharpf Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?