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Foundation Dossiers

Pennsylvania · Private foundation

The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust)

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$4.9M
Granted FY2023
55
Itemized grants FY2023
51
Organizations funded FY2023
90%
First-time grantees FY2023
Read the full brief
Itemized, FY2023
$1.3M
The rest is grants the schedule does not break out
Median grant, FY2023
$1,000
Largest grant, FY2023
$1,000,000
Organizations funded a year
46 to 51
FY2021 to FY2023
States reached, FY2023
8
Total assets, FY2023
$44M
Applications
Takes unsolicited applications
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2023, 90% of the organizations The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust) funded were first-time grantees, receiving 99% of its grant dollars.

The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY202351$1.3M90%
FY202146$811kn/a
95% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2025.

Philanthropy$24MRecreation & Sports$1.0MHealth$153kFood & Nutrition$130kHuman Services$124kScience & Tech$71kPublic Benefit$67kEducation$56kOther$0

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2021 to FY2023, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
The Cobbs Creek Restoration and Community Foundation$1,000,000110%
The Bryn Mawr Hospital Foundation$125,00011%
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society$112,00010%
America250org Inc$67,00011%
The Franklin Institute$50,00010%
Williamson College of the Trades$25,50020%
Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education$25,00011%
Community Volunteers in Medicine$22,50010%
Walnut Street Theatre Corporation$15,00010%
Episcopal Academy$13,00020%
Show all 45 grantees
All grantees of The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust) by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
The Cobbs Creek Restoration and Community Foundation$1,000,000110%
The Bryn Mawr Hospital Foundation$125,00011%
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society$112,00010%
America250org Inc$67,00011%
The Franklin Institute$50,00010%
Williamson College of the Trades$25,50020%
Ed Snider Youth Hockey & Education$25,00011%
Community Volunteers in Medicine$22,50010%
Walnut Street Theatre Corporation$15,00010%
Episcopal Academy$13,00020%
Chester County Historical Society$10,00011%
Veterans Multi-Service Center Inc$10,00010%
Encore Series Inc$10,0001n/a
Philadelphia Dance Theatre$10,00012%
Drexel University$10,00010%
Ludington Library$5,00011%
French and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust Inc$5,00010%
Radnor Historical Society$5,0001n/a
Montgomery County Food Bank Inc$5,00010%
Laurel House$5,00010%
Schuylkill River Greenway Association$5,00010%
Congreso de Latinos Unidos Inc$5,00010%
Bastrop County Emergency Food Pantry$5,00011%
Glenside Youth Athletic Club$3,50012%
Kennett Area Community Service$2,50010%
Philadelphia Youth Basketball Inc$2,50010%
Carlisle Regional Performing Arts Center$2,50011%
Brandywine Red Clay Alliance$2,50010%
Natural Lands Trust Inc$2,50010%
Sisters in Shelter$2,50011%
Rocky Run Fire Company$2,00011%
Youth Mentoring Partnership$1,00010%
King of Prussia Volunteer Fire Company$1,00010%
Central Susquehanna Opportunities Inc$1,00010%
Camp Shaw-waw-nas-see$1,00010%
United Way of Central Jersey Inc$1,00010%
Richland Township Volunteer$50010%
Norristown Islamic Society$5001n/a
The Arc Alliance$50010%
The Fund for Women and Girls$50010%
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Wake County Inc$25010%
Making Strides Foundation Corporation$21510%
Carnegie Institute$13510%
Blood Cancer United Inc$10010%
Monroeville Area Chamber Foundation$551n/a

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 47 recipients with no EIN on record ($517k), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

Each grantee by its size and the share of its budget The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust) supplied at peak.

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetThe Cobbs Creek Restoration and Community Foundation: $1,000,000 over 1y, 10% of budgetThe Bryn Mawr Hospital Foundation: $125,000 over 1y, 1.0% of budgetThe Pennsylvania Horticultural Society: $112,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetAmerica250org Inc: $67,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetThe Franklin Institute: $50,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetWilliamson College of the Trades: $25,500 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetEd Snider Youth Hockey & Education: $25,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetCommunity Volunteers in Medicine: $22,500 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetWalnut Street Theatre Corporation: $15,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetEpiscopal Academy: $13,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetChester County Historical Society: $10,000 over 1y, 1.0% of budgetVeterans Multi-Service Center Inc: $10,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetPhiladelphia Dance Theatre: $10,000 over 1y, 2.1% of budgetDrexel University: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLudington Library: $5,000 over 1y, 1.0% of budgetFrench and Pickering Creeks Conservation Trust Inc: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetMontgomery County Food Bank Inc: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLaurel House: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetSchuylkill River Greenway Association: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCongreso de Latinos Unidos Inc: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBastrop County Emergency Food Pantry: $5,000 over 1y, 0.7% of budgetGlenside Youth Athletic Club: $3,500 over 1y, 1.9% of budgetKennett Area Community Service: $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetPhiladelphia Youth Basketball Inc: $2,500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCarlisle Regional Performing Arts Center: $2,500 over 1y, 1.5% of budgetBrandywine Red Clay Alliance: $2,500 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetNatural Lands Trust Inc: $2,500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetSisters in Shelter: $2,500 over 1y, 1.4% of budgetRocky Run Fire Company: $2,000 over 1y, 0.8% of budgetYouth Mentoring Partnership: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetKing of Prussia Volunteer Fire Company: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCentral Susquehanna Opportunities Inc: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCamp Shaw-waw-nas-see: $1,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetUnited Way of Central Jersey Inc: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetRichland Township Volunteer: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetThe Arc Alliance: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetThe Fund for Women and Girls: $500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetSociety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Wake County Inc: $250 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMaking Strides Foundation Corporation: $215 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetCarnegie Institute: $135 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBlood Cancer United Inc: $100 over 1y, 0.0% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 41.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

The William Penn Foun…The Philadelphia Foun…Connelly FoundationChester County Commun…Wsfs Cares FoundationTd Charitable Foundat…The Pfizer Foundation…The Barra Foundation …United Way of Greater…Quaker City FoundationHamilton Family Found…Chubb Charitable Foun…
The William Penn FoundationPA26.6× affinity11 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: The William Penn Foundation · The Philadelphia Foundation · Connelly Foundation · Chester County Community Foundation · Wsfs Cares Foundation · Td Charitable Foundation · The Pfizer Foundation Inc · The Barra Foundation Inc · United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey · Quaker City Foundation · Hamilton Family Foundation · Chubb Charitable Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust) with peer funders

About The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust)

How much does The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust) give?
The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust) reported 55 itemized grants totaling $1,349,355, out of $4,854,730 in total grant expense reported on the return in its FY2023 IRS filing. It funded between 46 and 51 organizations a year over FY2021 to FY2023.
What does The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust) fund?
By grant dollars over FY2021 to FY2023, its largest causes are Philanthropy (88%), Recreation & Sports (4%), Health (1%).
Who are The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust)'s largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2021 to FY2023: The Cobbs Creek Restoration and Community Foundation ($1.0M), The Bryn Mawr Hospital Foundation ($125k), The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society ($112k).
Does The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust) fund new organizations?
In FY2023, 90% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust) accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it accepts unsolicited grant applications.
Which funders back the same organizations as The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust)?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include The William Penn Foundation, The Philadelphia Foundation, Connelly Foundation.
Where is The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust) based?
The Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust) is based in PA.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 93 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2023, released 2023. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Possibly out of date. A more recent filing (FY2025) is on record and reports $6.0M of grant expense with no grantee named in the published copy. A private foundation itemizes every grant it makes, so a return carrying none has filed its list as an attachment that the public copy does not include. The figures above are therefore from FY2023, the most recent year this funder’s grantee list reached the public record.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Essential Foundation (F/K/A Aqua Charitable Trust)’s filings →

More from the funding graph

The unnamed billions
grants reported with no recipient in the public record
The regranting layer
51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
The DAF merry-go-round
$9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
The endowment market
who holds foundation money, and what just moved
The camps
funders cluster by geography, not ideology
By state
where grant money is based, and what stays home