The Mestre Charitable Trust concentrates on community resilience and opportunity for vulnerable, often Latinx or border-region populations through legal and educational services for children, rural/agricultural economic development, and civic/economic empowerment. They fund both direct-service providers (immigrant youth legal/afterschool support) and place-based development initiatives along the U.S.–Mexico border and in Latin American farming communities, with occasional support for community safety work (gun violence prevention).
Mestre Charitable Trust has a repeated pattern of backing the same service providers across multiple years, especially in two lanes: legal and afterschool support for immigrant or at-risk children, and land restoration with farmer microfinance. The trust gave $70,000 to Floresta USA (Plants With a Purpose) in 2025 and $70,000 to Kind Inc (Kids in Need of Defense) in 2025, matching prior awards to both organizations in 2024 and 2023. Those grants point to a grantmaker that favors continuity over one-off project funding. The portfolio also includes cross-border and civic work tied to the U.S.-Mexico region. Mestre Charitable Trust supported the U.S. Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership in 2024 and 2025, and funded Formando Emprende Dores in 2023 for citizen education, a culture of peace, and community participation. A separate grant to Everytown for Gun Safety Support shows attention to gun violence prevention, victim services, and gun safety. Taken together, the trust funds direct-service organizations and place-based initiatives that connect children, families, farmers, and border communities.
Two core themes define the trust’s recent giving. In children’s legal and educational support, Mestre Charitable Trust awarded $70,000 in 2025 to Kind Inc (Kids in Need of Defense) for afterschool activities, educational support, and family events for disadvantaged rural children and youth. The same organization also received $65,000 in 2024 and $60,000 in 2023, indicating a steady relationship. On the agricultural side, the trust gave $70,000 in 2025 to Floresta USA (Plants With a Purpose) for helping farmers restore land and start new economic activity. That support was mirrored by $65,000 in 2024 and $60,000 in 2023. Beyond those anchors, Mestre Charitable Trust has also funded U.S.-Mexico border prosperity through the U.S. Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership and civic education through Formando Emprende Dores.
The typical grant size is $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $60,000 at the median, and $65,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same organizations across 2023, 2024, and 2025, especially for two core grantees. That points to a renewal-oriented pattern rather than isolated one-time support. The trust is a private charitable trust, not an individual funder, and it does not make program-related investments. No application process is shown in the data.
$160K
$2.5M
$193K
$173K
Most grants fall between $25K and $65K, with a median of $60K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$60K
75th Percentile
$65K
About 6% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Concentrated but targeted: a small number of larger, repeat grants dominate total giving (two organizations received the bulk of funds via multiple grants), supplemented by modest one‑time grants to regional and issue-specific partners. Emphasis is place‑based and programmatic rather than broad institutional endowments.
Notable grantees: KIND, Inc. (Kids in Need of Defense), Floresta USA (Plants With A Purpose), U.S.–Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership, Everytown for Gun Safety Support, Formando Emprendedores
Grantmaking is regional and heavily concentrated in California, which accounts for the largest share of grants by count. San Diego appears repeatedly through Floresta USA, the U.S. Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership, and Formando Emprende Dores. Other recipient locations include Washington, DC; New York, NY; and Winchester, VA. All recent grants in the file go to U.S. recipients, with 9% of grants going to organizations in the trust’s headquarters state of New York.
Recent grants show a focus on legal and afterschool support for disadvantaged rural children and youth, farmer land restoration and microfinance, U.S.-Mexico border prosperity, civic education, and gun violence prevention. The largest repeated awards go to Kind Inc (Kids in Need of Defense) and Floresta USA (Plants With a Purpose).
Yes. Kind Inc received grants of $60,000 in 2023, $65,000 in 2024, and $70,000 in 2025. Floresta USA also received $60,000 in 2023, $65,000 in 2024, and $70,000 in 2025. The U.S. Mexico Border Philanthropy Partnership was funded in both 2024 and 2025 as well.
The 25th percentile grant size is $25,000, the median is $60,000, and the 75th percentile is $65,000. Recent awards cluster around those amounts, with several $60,000 to $70,000 grants and smaller $25,000 awards for border-related work.
California is the top state by grant count. Recent California recipients include organizations in San Diego, which appears multiple times in the grant list. The file also shows recipients in Washington, DC; New York, NY; and Winchester, VA.
The grantmaking is regional, but every recent grant in the file goes to a U.S. recipient. The recent list includes organizations in California, Washington, DC, New York, and Virginia, with California receiving the largest share by count.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FLORESTA USA (PLANTS WITH A PURPOSE) | SAN DIEGO, CA | $50,000 | 2026 | FOOD ENVIRONMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & MICRO FINANCE ISSUES- FLORESTA AIDS FARMERS TO RESTORE THE LAND & START NEW |
| KIND INC (KIDS IN NEED OF DEFENSE) | WASHINGTON, DC | $40,000 | 2026 | KIND, INC OFFERS AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES,EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND FAMILY EVENTS FOR DISADVANTAGED RURAL CHILDREN AND YOUTH. |
| US MEXICO BORDER PHILANTHROPY PTSHP | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | FOCUS ON BUILDING PROSPERITY ALONG US- MEXICO BORDER REGION |
| FLORESTA USA (PLANTS WITH A PURPOSE) | SAN DIEGO, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | FOOD ENVIRONMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & MICRO FINANCE ISSUES- FLORESTA AIDS FARMERS |
| MERCY CORPS | PORTLAND, OR | $15,000 | 2026 | TO ALLEVIATE SUFFERING & POVERTY BY HELPING PEOPLE BUILD COMMUNITIES |
| RANCH0 DEL REY | MC ALLEN, TX | $5,000 | 2026 | HOME FOR AT RISK BOYS |
| RANCHO DEL REY | MC ALLEN, TX | $5,000 | 2026 | HOME FOR AT RISK BOYS |
| FLORESTA USA (PLANTS WITH A PURPOSE) | SAN DIEGO, CA | $70,000 | 2025 | FOOD ENVIRONMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & MICRO FINANCE ISSUES- FLORESTA AIDS FARMERS TO RESTORE THEIR LAND & START NEW. |
| KIND INC (KIDS IN NEED OF DEFENSE) | WASHINGTON, DC | $70,000 | 2025 | KIND, INC OFFERS AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES,EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND FAMILY EVENTS FOR DISADVANTAGED RURAL CHILDREN AND YOUTH. |
| US MEXICO BORDER PHILANTHROPY PTSHP | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | FOCUS ON BUILDING PROSPERITY ALONG US- MEXICO BORDER REGION |
| KIND INC (KIDS IN NEED OF DEFENSE) | WASHINGTON, DC | $65,000 | 2024 | KIND, INC OFFERS AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES,EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND FAMILY EVENTS FOR DISADVANTAGED RURAL CHILDREN AND YOUTH. |
| FLORESTA USA (PLANTS WITH A PURPOSE) | SAN DIEGO, CA | $65,000 | 2024 | FOOD ENVIRONMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & MICRO FINANCE ISSUES- FLORESTA AIDS FARMERS TO RESTORE THEIR LAND & START NEW. |
| US MEXICO BORDER PHILANTHROPY PTSHP | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | FOCUS ON BUILDING PROSPERITY ALONG US- MEXICO BORDER REGION |
| DEL REY MISSIONS- RANCH DEL REY | WINCHESTER, VA | $7,000 | 2024 | CHILDRENS HOME FOR BOYS |
| KIND INC (KIDS IN NEED OF DEFENSE) | WASHINGTON, DC | $60,000 | 2023 | KIND, INC OFFERS AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES,EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND FAMILY EVENTS FOR DISADVANTAGED RURAL CHILDREN AND YOUTH. |
| FLORESTA USA (PLANTS WITH A PURPOSE) | SAN DIEGO, CA | $60,000 | 2023 | FOOD ENVIRONMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & MICRO FINANCE ISSUES- FLORESTA AIDS FARMERS TO RESTORE THEIR LAND & START NEW. |
| EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY SUPPORT | NEW YORK, NY | $40,000 | 2023 | PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE, VICTIM SERVICES, GUN SAFETY |
| FORMANDO EMPRENDE DORES | SAN DIEGO, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | ENCOURAGE CITIZEN EDUCATION, CULTURE OF PEACE & COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION |
FOOD ENVIRONMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & MICRO FINANCE ISSUES- FLORESTA AIDS FARMERS TO RESTORE THE LAND & START NEW
KIND, INC OFFERS AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES,EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND FAMILY EVENTS FOR DISADVANTAGED RURAL CHILDREN AND YOUTH.
US MEXICO BORDER PHILANTHROPY PTSHP
$25,000FOCUS ON BUILDING PROSPERITY ALONG US- MEXICO BORDER REGION
FOOD ENVIRONMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & MICRO FINANCE ISSUES- FLORESTA AIDS FARMERS
TO ALLEVIATE SUFFERING & POVERTY BY HELPING PEOPLE BUILD COMMUNITIES
RANCH0 DEL REY
$5,000HOME FOR AT RISK BOYS
RANCHO DEL REY
$5,000HOME FOR AT RISK BOYS
FOOD ENVIRONMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & MICRO FINANCE ISSUES- FLORESTA AIDS FARMERS TO RESTORE THEIR LAND & START NEW.
KIND, INC OFFERS AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES,EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND FAMILY EVENTS FOR DISADVANTAGED RURAL CHILDREN AND YOUTH.
US MEXICO BORDER PHILANTHROPY PTSHP
$25,000FOCUS ON BUILDING PROSPERITY ALONG US- MEXICO BORDER REGION
KIND, INC OFFERS AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES,EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND FAMILY EVENTS FOR DISADVANTAGED RURAL CHILDREN AND YOUTH.
FOOD ENVIRONMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & MICRO FINANCE ISSUES- FLORESTA AIDS FARMERS TO RESTORE THEIR LAND & START NEW.
FOCUS ON BUILDING PROSPERITY ALONG US- MEXICO BORDER REGION
DEL REY MISSIONS- RANCH DEL REY
$7,000CHILDRENS HOME FOR BOYS
KIND, INC OFFERS AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES,EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT AND FAMILY EVENTS FOR DISADVANTAGED RURAL CHILDREN AND YOUTH.
FOOD ENVIRONMENT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & MICRO FINANCE ISSUES- FLORESTA AIDS FARMERS TO RESTORE THEIR LAND & START NEW.
PREVENT GUN VIOLENCE, VICTIM SERVICES, GUN SAFETY
FORMANDO EMPRENDE DORES
$25,000ENCOURAGE CITIZEN EDUCATION, CULTURE OF PEACE & COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION