The Speranza Foundation concentrates funding on faith-based institutions and conservative religious advocacy, with its largest share going to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In addition to substantial institutional support for the LDS Church, the foundation backs legal and policy organizations that defend religious liberty and challenge sexual exploitation, and it provides smaller local grants to faith‑based social services and community needs in the Mesa/Arizona area. Most grants are general fiscal support rather than project‑restricted.
The Speranza Foundation’s largest recent grants go to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, including $1,372,849 in 2023, $1,255,099 in 2024, and $975,787 in 2025. That level of support signals a funder built around sustained institutional backing rather than one-off awards. The pattern continues across other faith-centered and policy-focused organizations, with repeated gifts to Becket Fund, the International Center for Law and Religion Studies, and The Witherspoon Institute. The foundation also supports organizations tied to religious liberty and conservative advocacy, while keeping a visible local presence in Arizona. In Mesa, it has backed House of Refuge, Arizona Brainfood, Care for Life Inc, The Coalition, and Moutain View High School - Mesa Unified School District. Most of the grants in the recent record are labeled “to assist organization fiscally,” which points to general support as a recurring mode of giving. Across the list, the foundation’s work is concentrated in nonprofit operating support for religious institutions, advocacy groups, and selected community-serving charities.
Faith-based institutional support is central to The Speranza Foundation’s giving. The most visible example is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which received seven-figure grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for fiscal assistance. Religious liberty is another clear theme. The foundation gave $175,000 to Becket Fund in 2023 and followed with $75,000 grants in both 2024 and 2025, all described as organizational fiscal support. It also supported the International Center for Law and Religion Studies with $25,000 grants in 2024 and 2025. A third strand is anti-exploitation advocacy. National Center on Sexual Exploitation received $100,000 in 2023 and $16,667 in both 2024 and 2025. The foundation also makes room for faith-based and community services, including House of Refuge and Care for Life Inc.
Typical grant size sits at $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $54,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows repeated support to the same organizations across multiple years, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Becket Fund, House of Refuge, National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Arizona Brainfood, Care for Life Inc, and More Good Foundation. That suggests a multi-year relationship model rather than isolated awards. The foundation is not listed as funding individuals, and it also makes program-related investments. Most grants are framed as assistance to the organization fiscally, pointing to operating or unrestricted support rather than narrowly project-based funding.
$1.2M
$3.8M
$3.2M
$1.2M
Most grants fall between $15K and $54K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$54K
About 42% of grants go to recipients in DC.
BROC C HIATT
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Highly concentrated giving: a large majority of funds go to a single institutional beneficiary (LDS Church) via repeated, sizable grants, supplemented by a handful of mid‑size grants to religious legal/policy organizations and smaller, repeat grants to local faith‑based service providers; most awards are unrestricted fiscal support.
Notable grantees: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints, Becket Fund, National Center on Sexual Exploitation, House of Refuge, Arizona Brainfood
The foundation’s giving is regional and reaches the US exclusively in the recent grant list. Washington, DC appears often through support for Becket Fund and National Center on Sexual Exploitation. Arizona is a major destination as well, with Mesa recipients including House of Refuge, Arizona Brainfood, Care for Life Inc, The Coalition, and Moutain View High School - Mesa Unified School District. Other recurring grant locations include Salt Lake City, UT; Provo, UT; Princeton, NJ; and Orem, UT. Although the headquarters are in Mesa, the grant map extends beyond Arizona.
The recent record centers on faith-based institutions and conservative religious advocacy. It also includes anti-exploitation advocacy and selected community-serving charities in Mesa, such as House of Refuge, Arizona Brainfood, Care for Life Inc, and Moutain View High School - Mesa Unified School District.
Yes. The grant descriptions in the recent list are overwhelmingly phrased as “to assist organization fiscally,” including large awards to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Becket Fund, and House of Refuge. That points to ongoing organizational support rather than only project-specific grants.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $15,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $54,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes several much larger awards, especially to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Its top giving state by grant count is DC. Arizona is also prominent, with 42% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state, but the recent list shows multiple grants to Washington, DC-based organizations and several Arizona-based recipients in Mesa.
No non-US recipients appear in the recent grant list. All 27 grants in the country distribution are in the US.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $975,787 | 2025 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| BECKET FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $75,000 | 2025 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| HOUSE OF REFUGE | MESA, AZ | $33,000 | 2025 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| THE WITHERSPOON INSTITUTE | PRINCETON, NJ | $25,000 | 2025 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR LAW AND RELIGION STUDIES | PROVO, UT | $25,000 | 2025 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| NATIONAL CENTER ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $16,667 | 2025 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| MORE GOOD FOUNDATION | OREM, UT | $10,000 | 2025 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| CARE FOR LIFE INC | MESA, AZ | $10,000 | 2025 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $1,255,099 | 2024 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| BECKET FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $75,000 | 2024 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| HOUSE OF REFUGE | MESA, AZ | $33,000 | 2024 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR LAW AND RELIGION STUDIES | PROVO, UT | $25,000 | 2024 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| THE WITHERSPOON INSTITUTE | PRINCETON, NJ | $25,000 | 2024 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| NATIONAL CENTER ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $16,667 | 2024 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| ARIZONA BRAINFOOD | MESA, AZ | $15,000 | 2024 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| CARE FOR LIFE INC | MESA, AZ | $10,000 | 2024 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| MORE GOOD FOUNDATION | OREM, UT | $10,000 | 2024 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS | SALT LAKE CITY, UT | $1,372,849 | 2023 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| BECKET FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $175,000 | 2023 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| NATIONAL CENTER ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2023 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| HOUSE OF REFUGE | MESA, AZ | $33,000 | 2023 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| THE WITHERSPOON INSTITUTE | PRINCETON, NJ | $25,000 | 2023 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| MOUTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL - MESA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT | MESA, AZ | $20,000 | 2023 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| THE COALITION | MESA, AZ | $15,000 | 2023 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| ARIZONA BRAINFOOD | MESA, AZ | $15,000 | 2023 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| MORE GOOD FOUNDATION | OREM, UT | $10,000 | 2023 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
| CARE FOR LIFE INC | MESA, AZ | $10,000 | 2023 | TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY |
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
$975,787TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
BECKET FUND
$75,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
HOUSE OF REFUGE
$33,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
THE WITHERSPOON INSTITUTE
$25,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR LAW AND RELIGION STUDIES
$25,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
NATIONAL CENTER ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
$16,667TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
MORE GOOD FOUNDATION
$10,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
CARE FOR LIFE INC
$10,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
$1,255,099TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
BECKET FUND
$75,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
HOUSE OF REFUGE
$33,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR LAW AND RELIGION STUDIES
$25,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
THE WITHERSPOON INSTITUTE
$25,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
NATIONAL CENTER ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
$16,667TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
ARIZONA BRAINFOOD
$15,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
CARE FOR LIFE INC
$10,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
MORE GOOD FOUNDATION
$10,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
$1,372,849TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
BECKET FUND
$175,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
NATIONAL CENTER ON SEXUAL EXPLOITATION
$100,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
HOUSE OF REFUGE
$33,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
THE WITHERSPOON INSTITUTE
$25,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
MOUTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL - MESA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
$20,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
THE COALITION
$15,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
ARIZONA BRAINFOOD
$15,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
MORE GOOD FOUNDATION
$10,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY
CARE FOR LIFE INC
$10,000TO ASSIST ORGANIZATION FISCALLY