Norma Pace Foundation

The Norma Pace Foundation is a deeply faith-anchored private trust operating through a relationship-driven, preselected grantmaking model. Founded in 2017 to honor Norma T. Pace — a pioneering economist who rose from East Harlem classrooms to corporate leadership — the foundation channels resources through three interlocking Latin pillars: Fidem (Faith), Doctrina (Education), and Ethica (Character). In practice, this framework produces an almost exclusively Catholic grantee portfolio, with Catholic schools, parishes, and ministries accounting for approximately 78% of documented grant dollars.

This foundation does not operate as an open-competition grantmaker. Its database profile carries two critical signals: preselected_only: true and no published application instructions. Every one of the foundation's 22 documented grantee organizations has received multiple consecutive awards — typically four grants spanning the 2019-2023 Form 990 record — indicating a stable, closed portfolio managed by Co-Trustees Richard E. Lepore II and Alexander Lepore rather than a competitive annual cycle. New grantees rarely enter this portfolio.

The path in for a first-time applicant is almost certainly through direct relationship with the Lepore trustees, ideally via a shared Catholic institutional connection or an introduction from an existing grantee. The Inner City Scholarship Fund and Catholic Community Schools Fund — each receiving $950,000 over four grant cycles — anchor the portfolio and represent the foundation's flagship commitments to expanding Catholic K-12 access for underserved students in New York City.

Notably, not all grantees are religiously affiliated. Conservative policy institutions including the American Enterprise Institute, The Heritage Foundation, the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, and the Ethics Resource Center each receive approximately $22,250 per year — suggesting the Lepore trustees fund based on shared values (traditionalist, character-based, civic-minded) alongside Catholic identity. Organizations whose missions bridge faith, civic virtue, and rigorous education are the ideal fit.

For new entrants, patience is essential. A realistic timeline involves 12-24 months of relationship cultivation before any formal ask. An initial exploratory email to info@normapacefoundation.org or a call to 561-419-4700 should lead with mission alignment and a personal connection to the legacy of Norma T. Pace — not a grant request. The foundation rewards demonstrated loyalty and reporting discipline; all documented grantees show consecutive multi-year funding.

The Norma Pace Foundation's grantmaking has grown steadily from $492,000 in FY2019 to $1,067,791 in FY2025 — a 117% increase over six years. Total assets peaked at $17.75M in FY2021 (boosted by $5.88M in contributions that year, following a $2M infusion in FY2020) and have since declined to $14.32M as annual expenses consistently exceed investment income of $280,000-$415,000 per year. The foundation is operating as a payout trust, drawing down principal to sustain growing grant commitments.

From 78 documented grants totaling $3,618,500, the average grant is $46,391 but the median is $16,500 — a distribution heavily skewed by two anchor commitments. The Inner City Scholarship Fund and Catholic Community Schools Fund each average $237,500 per annual cycle (four grants, $950,000 total each over the record period). Strip out these two flagships and the median annual award to remaining grantees falls to approximately $22,000.

Sector breakdown of documented giving: - Catholic K-12 education (Inner City Scholarship Fund, Catholic Community Schools Fund, Cathedral High School, Rosarian Academy, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Cyril & Methodius, Mt. Carmel-Holy Rosary, Ascent School for special education): approximately 67% of giving - Catholic parishes and ministries (Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, St. Ann Place, St. Nicholas, Mary Immaculate, No One Buried Alone Catholic Ministry): approximately 11% - Conservative policy and ethics (American Enterprise Institute, Heritage Foundation, Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, Ethics Resource Center): approximately 10% - Health and medical research (Lustgarten Foundation for pancreatic cancer, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute): approximately 7% - Human services (New York Foundling, Ascent School): approximately 5%

Geographically, New York receives 55% of all documented grants (43 of 78), Florida 27% (21 grants), Washington DC 10% (8 grants), Virginia 5% (4 grants), and Massachusetts 3% (2 grants). The DC concentration consists almost entirely of national policy organizations. Annual grant counts grew from approximately 13 in FY2019 to 22 in FY2024. All grants are designated for general (unrestricted) support — no project-specific or capital grants appear in the record. The foundation's typical grant range is $10,000 minimum to $200,000 maximum per its database listing.

The Norma Pace Foundation sits among a cohort of similarly-sized private philanthropies in the $14-17M asset range. All five identified peers share the NTEE designation T22 (Private Independent Foundations, Philanthropy & Grantmaking) and operate without public-facing application portals.

Among this cohort, the Norma Pace Foundation stands apart for its operational transparency — a maintained website, a stated three-pillar mission, a published contact email, and documented annual disbursements of $900,000-$1.07M representing a 5.5-6.5% payout rate on assets. Its peers maintain essentially no public-facing presence and disclose no comparable giving data.

The foundation's Catholic educational focus is a sharp differentiator. Grant seekers should note that asset comparisons mask giving behavior: Norma Pace's relative transparency and higher documented payout make it the most navigable foundation in this peer group, even though access remains relationship-dependent. For funders serving Catholic education in NY, FL, or DC, no closer peer analog exists in the $14-17M asset tier.

No press releases, media coverage, or formal announcements from the Norma Pace Foundation were identified in searches covering 2025-2026. The foundation does not maintain active social media accounts and does not appear in philanthropic news publications or foundation watchdog feeds — consistent with its quiet, family-trust operating style.

The most recent available financial filings show FY2025 charitable disbursements of $1,067,791, a 9.7% increase over FY2024's $972,950, and a 16.9% increase over FY2023's $913,500. This acceleration occurs against a backdrop of declining total assets — from $17.75M in FY2021 to $14.32M in FY2025 — as annual expenses of approximately $1.5M consistently outpace investment income of $300,000-$415,000. Revenue is nearly 100% investment-derived (dividends: 99.8% in FY2025), with no new outside contributions received since FY2022.

Grant count has grown from 20 awards in FY2023 to 22 in FY2024. No new programs, geographic pivots, or leadership changes were identified. Co-Trustees Richard E. Lepore II and Alexander Lepore maintained consistent FY2023 compensation of $95,280 each; Ameriprise Bank FSB serves as corporate co-trustee at $49,355; Geraldine Feola serves as an additional co-trustee at $7,000. The foundation website (normapacefoundation.org) appears current and lists info@normapacefoundation.org and 561-419-4700 as active contact channels. Absent new public signals, FY2026 giving is expected to continue the same pattern: approximately 22 repeat grantees renewed at $15,000-$250,000 each, with aggregate disbursements near $1.1M.

1. Accept that this is a relationship-first, closed-portfolio foundation. The database profile explicitly marks the Norma Pace Foundation as preselected_only with no application form or portal. Unlike open-cycle foundations, success begins not with a proposal but with a personal connection. Plan for an 18-24 month cultivation horizon, not a 90-day grant cycle.

2. Lead with Catholic identity and legacy alignment. The three pillars — Fidem (Faith), Doctrina (Education), Ethica (Character) — are not branding; they define the decision framework. Organizations should articulate how their work reflects all three, not just one. Reference Norma T. Pace's biography explicitly: her roots in East Harlem Catholic education, her career as a pioneering economist, and her conviction that discipline, integrity, and service form the basis of meaningful living.

3. Target New York City first. New York receives 55% of all documented grants (43 of 78). Organizations serving Catholic schools or underserved urban communities in NYC — especially those with ties to East Harlem or the broader Archdiocese — are the strongest natural fit. Florida (West Palm Beach area) and Washington DC are viable secondary geographies. Organizations outside these three markets face a steeper path.

4. Pursue a warm introduction from existing grantees. The most reliable access point is a board-level or leadership introduction from Inner City Scholarship Fund, Catholic Community Schools Fund, New York Foundling, Cathedral High School, or Rosarian Academy. These organizations have four-plus-year relationships with Co-Trustees Richard E. Lepore II and Alexander Lepore.

5. Size your initial ask modestly. The median documented grant is $16,500. First-time requests in the $10,000-$25,000 range are far more likely to succeed than six-figure proposals. Even national policy organizations (AEI, Heritage Foundation) receive approximately $22,000 per year.

6. Submit a concise letter of inquiry — two pages maximum. Email to info@normapacefoundation.org or call 561-419-4700. Include: your 501(c)(3) status; Catholic or values alignment by pillar name; specific program and amount requested; geography served; two outcome metrics. Avoid glossy materials and generic fundraising language.

7. Time outreach for September-October. Private family trusts typically conduct board reviews in Q4 for the following fiscal year. Fall outreach maximizes your likelihood of consideration in an active grant cycle.

8. Demonstrate outcomes, not need. The Ethics Resource Center, Heritage Foundation, and AEI — secular organizations — receive consistent grants because they produce credible, values-aligned work. Distress narratives and budget deficit appeals are not the language of this funder.