ESL Charitable Foundation

• If your work is in Greater Rochester, the foundation gives that area priority, and its ESL Community Impact areas cover education, employment, affordable housing, connected neighbourhoods and stronger organisations and systems.
• Apply online with a request that matches those areas; applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so there is no deadline to plan around.
• Half of its 632 grants to organisations were $35,000 or less, and about 8 in 10 fall between $10,000 and $260,000, so a modest request near that typical range suits it best, though its largest grant was about $2,800,000.
• In its most recent filing, 83% of grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had funded in earlier filings, so it gives heavily to existing grantees, but a new organisation can still apply.
• The filing specifies 501(c)(3) status, so organisations without that status should check before they apply.

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

• WealthForward ROC · To support housing
  $2,815,6622025 tax year
• RochesterWorks · To support employment
  $886,3002025 tax year
• Monroe Community College Foundation · To support education
  $849,8682025 tax year
• Wayne County Action Program · To support employment
  $675,0002025 tax year
• Center for Employment Opportunities · To support employment
  $672,0002025 tax year
• University of Rochester · To support education
  $615,0002025 tax year
• Finger Lakes Performing Provider System · To support employment
  $526,0002025 tax year
• Center for Youth Services · To support employment
  $511,8882025 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.