The EMSS Foundation Inc
The EMSS Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. In 2024, it made 78 grants totaling $208,410 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in areas such as medical research, health care, humanitarian response, and anti-hate efforts.
The EMSS Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The EMSS Foundation Inc gave $208K across 78 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), top state New York. 42% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $208,410
- +7.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 78
- +4.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $2,672
- +3.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $1,822,792
- +9.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 42% first-time grantees (33 of 78, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (34% 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 The EMSS Foundation Inc
- 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: 92 Fairview Avenue, Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677
Phone: (201) 476-1878
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The EMSS Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Cure Duchenne ($10K). Together the top 10 received $66K.
Grant Size Distribution
382 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 382 grants of 382 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (34%), Pennsylvania (18%), the District of Columbia (12%), Massachusetts (10%), and California (9%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 78 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The EMSS Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
42%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 33 of 78 grantees (42%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 58% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 25% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% 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 $141K (2020) to $208K (2024). In 2024 it made 78 grants totaling $208K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cure Duchenne Newport Beach, CA | General purposes | $10,000 |
| Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy Washington, DC | General purposes | $10,000 |
| Everytown for Gun Safety New York, NY | General purposes | $7,500 |
| Combined Jewish Philanthropies Boston, MA | General purposes | $7,200 |
| Old York Temple-Beth Am Abington, PA | General purposes | $6,100 |
| HIAS Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | General purposes | $5,360 |
| Anti-Defamation League New York, NY | General purposes | $5,000 |
| Children First New York, NY | General purposes | $5,000 |
| Doylestown Health Foundation Doylestown, PA | General purposes | $5,000 |
| Foundation to Combat Antisemitism Foxborough, MA | General purposes | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The EMSS Foundation Inc?
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 | $1,822,792 | $89,159 | $213,536 | $208,410 | 78 | $208,410 | $79,194 | $220,420 |
| 2023 | $1,664,509 | $77,282 | $194,500 | $194,500 | 75 | $194,500 | $77,282 | $194,871 |
| 2022 | $1,868,677 | $70,637 | $170,053 | $165,450 | 80 | $165,450 | $100,090 | $195,459 |
| 2021 | $1,870,476 | $52,198 | $186,726 | $167,250 | 85 | $167,250 | $47,909 | $212,023 |
| 2020 | $1,952,815 | $1,327,220 | $145,044 | $141,250 | 64 | — | $589,075 | $147,183 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The EMSS Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $220K 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 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, CURE DUCHENNE describes its work as funding research toward a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and improving care and quality of life for people with the condition. The Anti-Defamation League describes its mission as combating antisemitism and other forms of hate. World Central Kitchen describes its work as providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 78 grants totaling $208,410. Grants ranged from $250 to $10,000, with a median grant of $2,000. Among the largest awards were $10,000 each to CURE DUCHENNE and Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy; $7,500 to Everytown for Gun Safety; and $7,200 to Combined Jewish Philanthropies. Other notable awards included $6,100 to Old York Temple-Beth Am and $5,360 to HIAS Pennsylvania. The listed grants were for general purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ellen C Sperber as President and Director; Steven J Sperber as Vice President and Director; and Curt Parnes as Treasurer, Secretary, and Director.
The EMSS Foundation Inc is led by Ellen C Sperber, President & Director since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ellen C Sperber
President & Director
Vice President & Director → President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Steven J Sperber
Vice President & Director
Treasurer & Director → Vice President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Curt Parnes
Treasurer, Secretary & Director
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Martin Sperber (2020–2023) — President & Director
- Former: Susan B Parnes (2020–2023) — Secretary & Director
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 The EMSS Foundation Inc
How much does The EMSS Foundation Inc give each year?
The EMSS Foundation Inc gave $208K across 78 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $195K across 75 grants.
What is The EMSS Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The EMSS Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,672, across 78 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The EMSS Foundation Inc that year got $3K on average.
Where does The EMSS Foundation Inc give grants?
The EMSS Foundation Inc's top state is New York, with 34% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (18%) and District of Columbia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (15 grants), Washington, DC (8 grants), Philadelphia, PA (6 grants) and Boston, MA (4 grants).
Does The EMSS Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The EMSS Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (78 of 78) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The EMSS Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The EMSS Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Cure Duchenne ($10,000), Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy ($10,000) and Everytown for Gun Safety ($7,500), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The EMSS Foundation Inc?
The EMSS Foundation Inc reported $1.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $208K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $220K (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 The EMSS Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, CURE DUCHENNE describes its work as funding research toward a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and improving care and quality of life for people with the condition. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The EMSS Foundation Inc?
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 The EMSS Foundation Inc's EIN?
The EMSS Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3748810. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The EMSS Foundation Inc 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). The EMSS Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-emss-foundation-inc-morg_e1b1ecbaef194770a7a9ddbaa54db09b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223748810_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The EMSS Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-emss-foundation-inc-morg_e1b1ecbaef194770a7a9ddbaa54db09b},
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 The EMSS Foundation Inc'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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