Van Essen Family Foundation
The Van Essen Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Pennington, New Jersey. In its 2025 filing, it reported giving $121,000 through 23 grants to charitable organizations, including recipients in New Mexico, Arizona, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas.
Van Essen Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Van Essen Family Foundation gave $121K across 23 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in New Mexico. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $121,000
- +22.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 23
- +4.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,261
- +16.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,460,287
- +34.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (4 of 23, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New Mexico (70% 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 Van Essen Family 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: PO Box 1532 Aft, Pennington, NJ 08534
Phone: (888) 866-3275
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Van Essen Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was First Presbyterian Church ($18K). Together the top 10 received $73K.
Grant Size Distribution
134 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 134 grants of 134 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, New Mexico recipients received 70% of the foundation’s grant dollars. The other reported shares were Arizona, 8%; Virginia, 4%; North Carolina, 4%; and Tennessee, 4%. The listed grants also included a recipient in Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 23 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Van Essen Family Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 23 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. With only 23 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−12%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $99K (2024) to $138K (2022). In 2025 it made 23 grants totaling $121K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First Presbyterian Church Albuquerque, NM | Unrestricted General | $18,000 |
| Santa Fe Preparatory School Santa Fe, NM | Unrestricted General | $15,000 |
| American Cancer Association Albuquerque, NM | Unrestricted General | $5,000 |
| Arizona Foundation for Cancer Tucson, AZ | Unrestricted General | $5,000 |
| Think New Mexico Santa Fe, NM | Unrestricted General | $5,000 |
| International Folk Art Alliance Santa Fe, NM | Unrestricted General | $5,000 |
| The Nature Conservancy Arlington, VA | Unrestricted General | $5,000 |
| Duke Fuqua Business School Durham, NC | Unrestricted General | $5,000 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital Memphis, TN | Unrestricted General | $5,000 |
| Trinity University San Antonio, TX | Unrestricted General | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Van Essen Family 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 | $2,460,287 | $1,236,942 | $148,970 | $121,000 | 23 | $138,098 | $727,217 | $133,367 |
| 2024 | $1,826,784 | $87,804 | $122,416 | $99,000 | 22 | $112,657 | $79,400 | $119,729 |
| 2023 | $1,861,739 | $85,806 | $137,215 | $116,500 | 24 | $129,817 | $76,357 | $107,604 |
| 2022 | $1,913,708 | $11,528 | $168,816 | $137,500 | 32 | $156,518 | $33,334 | $113,710 |
| 2021 | $2,072,384 | $200,706 | $155,234 | $132,000 | 33 | $146,644 | $190,093 | $127,130 |
| 2020 | $2,028,782 | $-34,380 | $132,628 | $115,000 | 31 | — | $37,135 | $109,514 |
| 2019 | $2,199,756 | $96,889 | $131,628 | $110,000 | 29 | — | $80,015 | $107,955 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Van Essen Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $133K for 2025 — 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 2025 grants went to organizations including schools and universities, cancer-support organizations, cultural organizations, a children’s museum, and conservation organizations.
Grantees describe their own work in varied terms. Santa Fe Preparatory School describes its mission as educational excellence for students in grades 7–12. The Santa Fe Children’s Museum says it cultivates children’s inquiry in the arts, sciences, and humanities through learning, play, and community. The International Folk Art Alliance says it creates economic opportunities for folk artists and works to preserve folk-art traditions. The Santa Fe Conservation Trust says it partners with its community to protect culturally and environmentally significant landscapes and support Northern New Mexico’s living lands and people.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 23 grants totaling $121,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $18,000, with a median grant of $5,000. Among the largest reported grants were $18,000 to First Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque and $15,000 to Santa Fe Preparatory School. Other listed grants included $5,000 each to the American Cancer Association in Albuquerque, Arizona Foundation for Cancer, Think New Mexico, International Folk Art Alliance, The Nature Conservancy, Duke Fuqua Business School, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Trinity University, Santa Fe Children’s Museum, and St. Michael’s High School Foundation. The filing lists these grants as unrestricted general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Owen Van Essen as president; Katherine Van Essen as secretary/treasurer; and Daniel R. Van Essen, Joel B. Van Essen, and Trevor T. Van Essen as directors.
Van Essen Family Foundation is led by Owen Van Essen, President on every filing since 2019; 3 of 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Owen Van Essen
President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Daniel R. Van Essen
Director
On filings since 2019
$1K (2020) → $3K (2025)
Joel B. Van Essen
Director
On filings since 2019
$1K (2020) → $3K (2025)
Trevor T. Van Essen
Director
On filings since 2019
$1K (2020) → $3K (2025)
Katherine Van Essen
Secretary & Treasurer
Secretary → Secretary & Treasurer, 2020
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $3K, to Daniel R Van Essen (Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Van Essen Family Foundation
How much does Van Essen Family Foundation give each year?
Van Essen Family Foundation gave $121K across 23 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $99K across 22 grants.
What is Van Essen Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Van Essen Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,261, across 23 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Van Essen Family Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Van Essen Family Foundation give grants?
Van Essen Family Foundation gives mostly in New Mexico: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Arizona (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Santa Fe, NM (11 grants), Albuquerque, NM (2 grants) and Tucson, AZ (2 grants).
Does Van Essen Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Van Essen Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (23 of 23) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Van Essen Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Van Essen Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include First Presbyterian Church ($18,000), Santa Fe Preparatory School ($15,000) and American Cancer Association ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 31% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Van Essen Family Foundation?
Van Essen Family Foundation reported $2.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $138K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $133K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Van Essen Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including schools and universities, cancer-support organizations, cultural organizations, a children’s museum, and conservation organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Van Essen Family 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 Van Essen Family Foundation's EIN?
Van Essen Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3529558. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Van Essen Family 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 26, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Van Essen Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Van Essen Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/van-essen-family-foundation-morg_c508fdd6e409430fb8b2c6241945c67e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_823529558_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Van Essen Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/van-essen-family-foundation-morg_c508fdd6e409430fb8b2c6241945c67e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Van Essen Family 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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