The Fidelio Foundation
The Fidelio Foundation is a private foundation based in Glenside, Pennsylvania. In its 2025 filing, it reported grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in education, health, and youth programs.
Key facts about The Fidelio Foundation
In short: The Fidelio Foundation gave $236K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 36% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 03-6074145
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $235,500
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- Average grant
- $16,821
- Median grant
- $7,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (5 of 14, 2025)
- Total assets
- $2,173,511
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (74% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states on its 2025 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$2.2M
+12.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$236K
+41.2% YoY
Grant Count
14
+27.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$17K
+11.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Fidelio Foundation reported a distributable amount of $207K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Fidelio Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 14 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 64% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 39% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 114% 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included education support for La Salle University and Villanova University. Those universities describe themselves, respectively, as a Lasallian Catholic university committed to educating the whole person, and a Catholic Augustinian community of higher education.
Other 2025 grantees describe work in family assistance and youth opportunity: Michael’s Way says it helps families of children with cancer cope with extraordinary expenses, while Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education says it creates opportunities for under-resourced youth in the Greater Philadelphia region to prosper in life. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not statements of the foundation’s mission.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $235,500. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $50,000, with a median of $7,500. Among the listed grants, the largest were $50,000 to Cahill Property Foundation for a building fund, $44,500 to Young Life for an operating fund, $35,000 to Michael’s Way for an operating fund, $30,000 to La Salle University for education, and $25,000 to Villanova University for education.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing’s grant-dollar distribution was 74% to Pennsylvania, 19% to Iowa, 4% to Arizona, 2% to Maryland, and less than 1% to Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $129K (2023) to $236K (2025). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $236K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Cahill Property Foundation ($50K). Together the top 10 received $227K.
Grant Size Distribution
56 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 56 (96%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cahill Property Foundation Philadelphia, PA | Building Fund | $50,000 |
| Young Life Harlan, IA | Operating Fund | $44,500 |
| Michaels Way Fort Washington, PA | Operating Fund | $35,000 |
| La Salle University Philadelphia, PA | Education | $30,000 |
| Villanova University Villanova, PA | Education | $25,000 |
| Holy Redeemer Hospital Meadowbrook, PA | Operating Fund | $20,000 |
| The Legacy Foundation Tempe, AZ | Education | $10,000 |
| Companions of St Anthony Ellicott City, MD | Operating Fund | $5,000 |
| Roman Catholic High School Philadelphia, PA | Education | $5,000 |
| St Rita of Cascia Philadelphia, PA | Operating Funds | $2,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,173,511 | $539,604 | $295,963 | $235,500 |
| 2024 | $1,929,870 | $255,802 | $226,979 | $166,750 |
| 2023 | $1,901,047 | $55,812 | $179,052 | $128,750 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,173,511 | $1,929,870 | $1,901,047 |
| Revenue | $539,604 | $255,802 | $55,812 |
| Expenses | $295,963 | $226,979 | $179,052 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $235,500 | $166,750 | $128,750 |
| Net Investment Income | $494,201 | $210,906 | $273,666 |
| Distributable Amount | $207,332 | $177,224 | $136,373 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David Mele as trustee.
The Fidelio Foundation is led by David Mele, Trustee on every filing since 2023 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David Mele
Trustee
On filings since 2023
$10K (2023) → $15K (2025)
Former officers (2)
- Former: Michael Mele (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Mario V. Mele (2020) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $15K, to David Mele (Trustee).
Contact
Mailing address: 2826 Mt Carmel Ave, Glenside, PA 19038
Phone: (215) 460-3268
Frequently asked questions about The Fidelio Foundation
How much does The Fidelio Foundation give each year?
The Fidelio Foundation gave $236K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $167K across 11 grants.
What is The Fidelio Foundation's typical grant size?
The Fidelio Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $7,500, and its average grant was $16,821, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Fidelio Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does The Fidelio Foundation give grants?
The Fidelio Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 74% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Iowa (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (6 grants).
Does The Fidelio Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 64% of The Fidelio Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Education" (4 grants).
Who are The Fidelio Foundation's largest grantees?
The Fidelio Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Cahill Property Foundation ($50,000), Young Life ($44,500) and Michaels Way ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 55% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Fidelio Foundation?
The Fidelio Foundation reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $236K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $207K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Fidelio Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included education support for La Salle University and Villanova University. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Fidelio Foundation?
The foundation states on its 2025 filing that it 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 Fidelio Foundation's EIN?
The Fidelio Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 03-6074145. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Fidelio Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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