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← ERIE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

Form 990 for tax year 2023

Filed by ERIE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.

Totals

Total revenue
$33,733,321
Total expenses
$26,936,616
Contributions and grants received
$23,150,061
Grants paid
$21,990,410
Program service revenue
$361,843
Investment income
$10,143,640
Other revenue
$77,777
Total assets, end of year
$364,098,561
Total liabilities, end of year
$4,571,605
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$359,526,956
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$23,382,689
Management and general expenses
$2,987,336
Fundraising expenses
$566,591
Program service expenses (Part III)
$23,382,689

Program services were 86.8% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $23,150,061

  • 1g · Noncash contributions included above

    $8,010,114

  • 2a · Program service revenue: ADMINISTRATIVE FEES

    total $361,843 · related or exempt $361,843

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $3,579,064 · unrelated business -$176,621 · excluded $3,755,685

  • 7a · Gross sales of assets other than inventory

    securities $67,672,930

  • 7b · Less cost or other basis and sales expenses

    securities $61,108,354

  • 7c · Gain or loss

    securities $6,564,576

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $6,564,576 · unrelated business $82,002 · excluded $6,482,574

  • 11a · Other revenue: MISCELLANEOUS INCOME

    total $77,777 · related or exempt $77,777

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $77,777

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $21,231,848 · program services $21,231,848

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $758,562 · program services $758,562

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $475,822 · program services $216,944 · management and general $192,196 · fundraising $66,682

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $1,025,931 · program services $422,889 · management and general $374,875 · fundraising $228,167

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $66,337 · program services $27,344 · management and general $24,240 · fundraising $14,753

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $197,603 · program services $81,452 · management and general $72,204 · fundraising $43,947

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $101,611 · program services $41,884 · management and general $37,129 · fundraising $22,598

  • 11a · Fees: management

    total $125,980 · program services $51,929 · management and general $46,033 · fundraising $28,018

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $237 · program services $97 · management and general $87 · fundraising $53

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $107,184 · program services $41,310 · management and general $43,586 · fundraising $22,288

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $1,897,485 · management and general $1,897,485

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $93,391 · program services $38,496 · management and general $34,125 · fundraising $20,770

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $45,976 · program services $19,125 · management and general $16,692 · fundraising $10,159

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $83,845 · program services $34,561 · management and general $30,637 · fundraising $18,647

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $95,372 · program services $39,212 · management and general $35,004 · fundraising $21,156

  • 17 · Travel

    total $2,252 · program services $928 · management and general $823 · fundraising $501

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $116,643 · program services $56,219 · management and general $37,562 · fundraising $22,862

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $295,719 · program services $160,309 · management and general $121,425 · fundraising $13,985

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $27,984 · program services $11,535 · management and general $10,225 · fundraising $6,224

  • 24a · Other expenses: DIRECT FUND EXPENSES

    total $172,638 · program services $144,334 · management and general $4,526 · fundraising $23,778

  • 24b · Other expenses: DUES & MEMBERSHIP

    total $9,004 · program services $3,711 · management and general $3,290 · fundraising $2,003

  • 24c · Other expenses: LOSS ON IMPAIRMENT

    total $5,192 · management and general $5,192

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $1,925,328 · end of year $1,564,774

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $69,485 · end of year $0

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $73,017 · end of year $117,133

  • 10a · Land, buildings and equipment: cost or other basis

    $7,777,302

  • 10b · Land, buildings and equipment: accumulated depreciation

    $2,455,910

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $4,485,911 · end of year $5,321,392

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $151,429,620 · end of year $166,814,804

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    beginning of year $146,147,151 · end of year $176,659,208

  • 13 · Investments: program-related

    beginning of year $6,781,442 · end of year $6,690,687

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $21,743,238 · end of year $6,930,563

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $212,424 · end of year $429,921

  • 18 · Grants payable

    beginning of year $3,529,643 · end of year $2,671,054

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $1,565,284 · end of year $1,470,630

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $323,470,277 · end of year $355,239,893

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $3,877,564 · end of year $4,287,063

Mission and programs · 2023

Mission

THE ERIE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION WORKS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL IN OUR REGION BY EVALUATING AND ADDRESSING COMMUNITY ISSUES, BUILDING PERMANENT CHARITABLE ENDOWMENTS, AND BY PROMOTING PHILANTHROPIC AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP.

  • THE ERIE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (FOUNDATION) IS A PUBLIC CHARITY PRIMARILY SERVING DONORS AND THE NONPROFIT SECTOR IN ERIE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA. THE FOUNDATION ENCOURAGES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW CHARITABLE ENDOWMENT FUNDS AND PROVIDES COMPETITIVE, DONOR-ADVISED DESIGNATED AND SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS TO ARTS AND CULTURE, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION, HEALTH, NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION AND HUMAN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. THE FOUNDATION ALSO PROVIDES A DONOR EDUCATION PROGRAM. SUBSTANTIALLY ALL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED ARE FROM INDIVIDUALS WITH TIES TO ERIE COUNTY.

    Expenses $23,382,689 · Grants $21,990,410 · Revenue $439,620

As filed on the 2023 return.

Listed in Part VII

  • Anne L Lewis

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Marcus Atkinson

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Charles Knight CPA

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Dr Donald Baxter

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Robin Scheppner

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • William Hilbert Jr

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Sarah Hagen McWilliams

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • David Tullio

    VICE CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5
  • Deborah Murphy

    CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5
  • James Walczak

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    5
  • Tom Tupitza

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Karinna Vernaza PhD

    TRUSTEE

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Karen Bilowith

    PRESIDENT

    Total calculated
    $315,668
    From this org
    $284,500
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $31,168
    Hours/week
    50

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $257,500
    Bonus
    $20,000
    Other
    $7,000
    Deferred
    $19,425
    Nontaxable benefits
    $11,743
    Filer's total
    $315,668
  • Barbara Sambroak

    TREASURER, CFO

    Total calculated
    $160,155
    From this org
    $148,812
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $11,343
    Hours/week
    50

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $148,812
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $10,167
    Nontaxable benefits
    $1,176
    Filer's total
    $160,155
  • Susannah Weis Frigon CFP

    VP OF PHILANTHROPIC SERVIC

    Total calculated
    $160,235
    From this org
    $124,205
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $36,030
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $124,205
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $8,448
    Nontaxable benefits
    $27,582
    Filer's total
    $160,235
  • Erin D Fessler

    VP OF MARKETING & COMMUNIT

    Total calculated
    $146,339
    From this org
    $112,728
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $33,611
    Hours/week
    40
  • Patrick Herr MSW

    VP OF COMMUNITY IMPACT

    Total calculated
    $124,337
    From this org
    $106,385
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $17,952
    Hours/week
    40

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 1a · Health or social club dues or initiation fees
  • 1b · Written policy on the line-1a expenses
  • 2 · Substantiation required before reimbursing expenses
  • 3 · Compensation committee
  • 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

The filer's explanations (Part III)

PART I, LINE 1A
IT IS THE POLICY OF THE FOUNDATION TO CONSIDER MEMBERSHIP IN ORGANIZATIONS THAT WOULD PROMOTE THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE FOUNDATION, ENHANCE THE PROFESSIONAL STANDING OF ITS SENIOR PERSONNEL, AND FACILITATE FAVORABLE COMMUNITY RELATIONS. COSTS IN RELATION TO BENEFITS SHALL BE CONSIDERED. MEMBERSHIP IN AN ORGANIZATION MUST BE USED PRIMARILY FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES. KAREN BILOWITH AND SUSANNAH WEIS FRIGON ARE THE ONLY EMPLOYEES WHO RECEIVE THE SOCIAL CLUB BENEFIT. THIS BENEFIT IS INCLUDED IN COMPENSATION AS A TAXABLE FRINGE BENEFIT.

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Related organizations on this return

Schedule R Part II: tax-exempt organizations related to the filer by control. It does not record shared board members or money.

Taxable family on this return

Schedule R Parts I, III and IV, as filed. These record ownership and control, not shared board members or money moved.

Related corporations and trusts

Part IV: related organizations taxable as a corporation or trust.

  • CHARITABLE REMAINDER TRUST (5)

    CHARITABLE GIVING · PA

    Directly controlled by ECF

  • PERPETUAL TRUSTS (3)

    CHARITABLE GIVING · PA

    Directly controlled by ECF

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2023
Filed
13 November 2024
IRS schema version
2023v5.1
Source object
202413209349305881

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

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