The Clein-Lemann Esperanza Foundation concentrates its giving in a small number of large, targeted grants, primarily to higher-education institutions and one national civil-rights organization. Its support skews toward arts and cultural programming at universities, health equity scholarship/fellowship funding in academic medicine, and efforts to combat extremism and protect targeted communities. Grants are sizable and often repeat awards to the same institutions, indicating multi-year or program-focused commitments rather than many small donations.
A defining feature of the Clein-Lemann Esperanza Foundation is its use of large, repeated grants to a small set of institutions. Across the recent grants list, Brown University appears three times for its Health Equity Scholars Program, with awards of $250,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025. That same pattern shows up elsewhere: the foundation has also supported the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Arts and the Trustees of Columbia University in multiple years, suggesting multi-year commitments rather than one-time gifts. The foundation’s giving reaches higher-education programs, academic medicine, arts and cultural work, and civil-rights protection. UNC Chapel Hill received two of the largest recent awards for graduate studies and research in history, while Brown’s support is tied to health equity scholarships. The Anti-Defamation League also received a substantial grant for its Center on Extremism and general operating funds. The overall pattern points to targeted institutional support, often directed to named funds, departments, or centers rather than broad unrestricted grantmaking alone.
At the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, the foundation supported arts and cultural programming through the UNC Arts unit with a $460,000 grant in 2025, then made a $400,000 award in 2024 for the History Department. That history grant covered graduate studies and research, including travel, conference attendance, and PhD salary supplementation. Health equity is another clear thread. Brown University received $250,000 in 2024 for the Clein-Lemann Esperanza Foundation Health Equity Scholars Program Fund, following similar awards in 2025 and 2023. The foundation also supports writing and college-access programming. Columbia University received annual $80,000 grants for the Esperanza HBC Fund for Writing Students at the School of the Arts, and Bard College received $33,333 in 2025 for Bard Early College New Orleans to support college-level classes for inner-city public school students in New Orleans.
Typical grant size sits at $47,500 at the 25th percentile, $80,000 at the median, and $250,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record is shaped by a few larger institutional awards and several smaller project grants, rather than a broad spray of many small gifts. Repeat awards are common: Brown University, Columbia University, Bard College, the Preservation Alliance of New Orleans Incorporated, and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Arts all appear across multiple years. The foundation makes grants nationally and funds individuals, with no program-related investments reported. Grants are often tied to specific programs, scholarships, fellowships, or operating support for centers and departments.
$1.2M
$12.4M
$493K
$1.2M
Most grants fall between $48K and $250K, with a median of $80K.
25th Percentile
$48K
Median
$80K
75th Percentile
$250K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Concentrated, high-dollar giving to a very small set of grantees with multiple repeat grants; grants appear program-focused (scholarship/fellowship and general/unrestricted support) rather than broadly distributed across many organizations.
Notable grantees: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Arts and (programs), Brown University (Health Equity Scholars Program), Anti-Defamation League
The foundation gives nationally, and every recent grant in the sample went to U.S. recipients. California is the top state by grant count, with one recent award to the University of Southern California School of Pharma in Los Angeles. Other frequent recipient locations include Chapel Hill, Providence, New York, New Orleans, and Raleigh. The recent list also shows concentrated support for New Orleans-based organizations and programs, including Loyola University, 826 New Orleans, and the Preservation Alliance of New Orleans Incorporated.
Recent grants center on higher education, academic medicine, arts and cultural programming, civil-rights protection, and New Orleans-related education or preservation work. Examples include graduate studies support at UNC Chapel Hill, health equity scholarships at Brown University, and operating support for the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism.
Yes. Brown University appears in three consecutive years for the Health Equity Scholars Program, Columbia University appears in three years for writing-student support, and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Arts unit appears in both 2024 and 2025. Several New Orleans and preservation grants also recur across years.
The grant-size distribution centers on larger awards: p25 is $47,500, median grant size is $80,000, and p75 is $250,000. The recent sample includes both six-figure institutional support and smaller grants such as $25,000 and $30,000.
It gives nationally, but California is the top state by grant count in the recent data. Recipient locations in the sample also include North Carolina, Rhode Island, New York, Louisiana, and Washington, D.C.-area institutions are not shown in the supplied grants list.
Yes. The foundation is marked as funding individuals, and the grant list shows scholarship and fellowship support routed through institutions, including Brown University’s Health Equity Scholars Program and the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy scholarship fund.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL ARTS AND | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $460,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BROWN UNIVERSITY | PROVIDENCE, RI | $250,000 | 2025 | Clein-Lemann Esperanza Foundation Health Equity Scholars Program |
| ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | The Center on Extremism and General Operating Funds |
| TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $80,000 | 2025 | Esperanza HBC Fund for Writing Students at the School of Arts |
| PRESERVATION ALLIANCE OF NEW ORLEANS INCORPORATED | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $50,000 | 2025 | Preserve historic architecture in New Orleans Fund |
| BARD COLLEGE | ANNANDALEONHUDSON, NY | $33,333 | 2025 | Bard Early College New Orleans to support their program teach college level classes to inner city public school students in New Orleans, enhancing their preparation and opportunities for higher education, and for their futures in life |
| LOYOLA UNIVERSITY | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $33,000 | 2025 | Work of the Center for Editing and Publishing at Loyola, reward faculty excellence with performance-based bonuses, and supplement the salary of the co-directors of the center for editing and publishing and/or and faculty who are administering its activities |
| 826 NEW ORLEANS | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $30,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NORTH CAROLINA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION INC | RALEIGH, NC | $25,000 | 2025 | NC Disaster Relief Fund |
| UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL ARTS AND | CHAPEL HILL, NC | $400,000 | 2024 | to the History Department at UNC to support graduate studies and research including travel expenses, attendance at conferences, etc., as well as to supplement PhD salaries, and also to provide a stipend to recognize excellence among faculty |
| BROWN UNIVERSITY | PROVIDENCE, RI | $250,000 | 2024 | Clein-Lemann Esperanza Foundation Health Equity Scholars Program Fund |
| TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $80,000 | 2024 | Esperanza HBC Fund for Writing Students at the School of the Arts |
| UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF PHARMA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $40,000 | 2024 | Mark P. Clein Family Endowed Health Economics Graduate Student Scholarship Fund for USC School of Pharmacy |
| BARD COLLEGE | ANNANDALEONHUDSON, NY | $33,333 | 2024 | to Bard Early College New Orleans to support their program teaching college level classes to inner city public school students in New Orleans enhancing their preparation and opportunities for higher education and for their futures in life |
| BROWN UNIVERSITY | PROVIDENCE, RI | $250,000 | 2023 | CLEIN-LEMANN ESPERANZA FOUNDATION HEALTH EQUITY SCHOLARS SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
| TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $80,000 | 2023 | Esperanza HBC Fund for Writing Students at the School of the Arts |
| PRESERVATION ALLIANCE OF NEW ORLEANS INCORPORATED | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $50,000 | 2023 | To preserve historic architecture in New Orleans |
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL ARTS AND
$460,000General & Unrestricted
BROWN UNIVERSITY
$250,000Clein-Lemann Esperanza Foundation Health Equity Scholars Program
Esperanza HBC Fund for Writing Students at the School of Arts
Preserve historic architecture in New Orleans Fund
Bard Early College New Orleans to support their program teach college level classes to inner city public school students in New Orleans, enhancing their preparation and opportunities for higher education, and for their futures in life
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY
$33,000Work of the Center for Editing and Publishing at Loyola, reward faculty excellence with performance-based bonuses, and supplement the salary of the co-directors of the center for editing and publishing and/or and faculty who are administering its activities
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL ARTS AND
$400,000to the History Department at UNC to support graduate studies and research including travel expenses, attendance at conferences, etc., as well as to supplement PhD salaries, and also to provide a stipend to recognize excellence among faculty
BROWN UNIVERSITY
$250,000Clein-Lemann Esperanza Foundation Health Equity Scholars Program Fund
Esperanza HBC Fund for Writing Students at the School of the Arts
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SCHOOL OF PHARMA
$40,000Mark P. Clein Family Endowed Health Economics Graduate Student Scholarship Fund for USC School of Pharmacy
to Bard Early College New Orleans to support their program teaching college level classes to inner city public school students in New Orleans enhancing their preparation and opportunities for higher education and for their futures in life
BROWN UNIVERSITY
$250,000CLEIN-LEMANN ESPERANZA FOUNDATION HEALTH EQUITY SCHOLARS SCHOLARSHIP FUND
Esperanza HBC Fund for Writing Students at the School of the Arts
To preserve historic architecture in New Orleans