Samaritan Project Inc.

Samaritan Project Inc. is a family-controlled private foundation founded in June 2000 by the Lascano family, registered at 730 Park Avenue in New York City but deeply focused on faith-based ministries and social services primarily in California. The foundation operates with a relationship-first philosophy: virtually all documented grantees have received four or five grants over multiple years, indicating that Samaritan Project does not entertain cold solicitations. Virtually every grant description in IRS filings names a specific ministry leader or founder — 'Nick Vujicic's evangelical ministry,' 'Charla Pereau's orphanage and outreach program,' 'Mike Brazeal's work with Native Americans,' 'Jeff Wood's work to spread God's love' — making clear that the Lascanos fund trusted individuals, not just institutions.

The foundation is led by Pauline Lascano as President and Treasurer, with Diana M. Lascano as VP/Director and Christopher Lascano on the board. All officers serve without compensation, reflecting a personal, values-driven philanthropic approach. Public databases list application instructions as 'none,' confirming that unsolicited grant applications are not accepted through any formal channel.

For organizations seeking to engage Samaritan Project, the only viable pathway is through an existing grantee network. Current and past recipients — including Modesto Gospel Mission, Teen Challenge, Turlock Gospel Mission, American Leprosy Missions, Joni and Friends, and the Semper Fi Fund — represent natural introduction points. A warm referral from a ministry leader known to the Lascanos is essential.

Organizations that align most strongly share three traits: explicit evangelical Christian faith integration in all programming, direct service delivery to people in acute need (homeless individuals, those in addiction recovery, crisis pregnancies, leprosy patients, wounded veterans), and a named leader with a personal mission story. Policy advocacy, capacity-building, or secular human services organizations have no documented presence in the grantee portfolio and are not a fit for this funder. Geographic presence in California's Central Valley — particularly Turlock and Modesto — or in international mission fields (Mexico, Kenya, Cambodia) strengthens alignment considerably.

Samaritan Project Inc. has maintained a remarkably stable annual grantmaking footprint over more than a decade. Grants paid ranged from $895,000 (2023) to a peak of $1,430,000 (2019), with a recent trend toward $850,000–$1,005,000 annually. Total assets stood at $19.2M as of fiscal year 2024, with revenue of $465,749 — primarily investment dividends and income. The foundation's single largest asset event occurred in FY2021, when net investment income of $8.93M pushed total assets from $13.4M to $21.4M, likely reflecting a major realized gain or trust distribution; assets have since stabilized at $19.0–19.3M.

From IRS filings covering 129 documented grants totaling $4.865M, the average grant size is $37,713. The foundation's own self-reported typical grant parameters set the range at $10,000 to $85,000, with a median of $25,000 and an average of $39,348. In practice, top recurring grantees receive substantially more through multi-year consistency: Katina Missions and Foundation for His Ministry each accumulated $430,000 over five grants; First Love International received $380,000 over five grants; Camano Chapel and Life Without Limbs each reached $329,000.

Thematically, the portfolio breaks down approximately as: Christian evangelism and international missions (40–45% of total giving), domestic faith-based social services including homeless feeding and shelter (25–30%), addiction recovery programs (10–15%), pregnancy and family support (5–8%), military and veteran support (approximately 5%), and disability or medical services such as leprosy care and wheelchair distribution (3–5%).

Geographically, California dominates with 58 of 129 documented grants (45%), followed by New York (11 grants), New Jersey (10), New Mexico (9), Tennessee (9), Oklahoma (6), Illinois (5), Minnesota (5), Missouri (5), and South Carolina (5). Several grantees operate internationally. The California concentration — particularly around Turlock and Modesto — is strikingly high for a New York-based foundation and suggests strong personal connections to Central Valley faith communities. Annual giving declined from the 2019 peak and has not recovered, suggesting that applicants should target the $10,000–$50,000 range for initial asks.

Samaritan Project Inc. sits among a cohort of similarly-sized private family foundations in the $19.2M asset range, all classified under NTEE code T22 (Private Grantmaking Foundations). None of the five closest asset-peer foundations identified in foundation databases maintain public websites, reinforcing how common it is for small family foundations to operate without public grant portals or open application processes.

Note: Peer foundation annual giving figures are estimates based on the standard 5% minimum distribution requirement for private foundations at their asset level; actual figures may differ.

What distinguishes Samaritan Project from these peer foundations is the exceptional clarity of its faith-based evangelical giving philosophy and the strong geographic concentration on California (45% of grants) despite being headquartered in Manhattan. Samaritan Project's decade-plus track record of multi-year, relationship-driven grants to the same organizations provides unusually good signal for prospective grantees — the Lascanos are predictable partners once a relationship is established. Unlike peer foundations whose priorities are opaque, Samaritan Project's 990-PF grant descriptions make its theological and social values explicit in every line item.

No external press coverage, press releases, or public announcements were found for Samaritan Project Inc. in 2025 or 2026. The foundation maintains a minimal public presence consistent with its family-operated, invite-only structure. A website exists at samaritan-project.org but as of mid-2026 contains only placeholder content with no grant information, contact details, or program descriptions.

The most notable recent development is a leadership transition documented in the FY2024 IRS 990-PF, filed November 2025: long-tenured board members Daniel Lascano (who had served as both Secretary and Investment Advisor) and Jeffrey Lascano both departed in April 2024, while Julie Lascano joined the board effective June 10, 2024. Pauline Lascano continues as President and Treasurer; Diana M. Lascano remains as VP/Director; Christopher Lascano remains on the board. This generational shift introduces a new voice to the family council, though no corresponding change in funding priorities has been publicly announced.

Financially, FY2024 shows total assets of $19.2M and approximately $850,000 in charitable disbursements — a slight dip from the $895,000 paid in FY2023 and well below the $1.43M peak year of 2019. The foundation's most recent 990-PF was filed in November 2025, with prior filings in December 2024 and November 2023. No new program initiatives, emergency grant rounds, or strategic pivots were identified through web research or 990 review.

Because Samaritan Project Inc. operates as a strictly invite-only family foundation with no public application portal or stated deadlines, grant-seeking strategy must begin with relationship development rather than proposal writing. The following tips are specific to this funder's documented behavior:

Lead with the person, not the organization. The Lascanos consistently fund named ministry leaders they trust personally. Your executive director or founder's story — their calling, their track record, the communities they serve — must be the centerpiece of any introduction. Institutional credentials (board size, years in operation) matter less than the credibility and vision of the person leading the work.

Faith integration must be explicit and authentic. Every top grantee describes its work in explicitly Christian terms. A statement of faith or Christ-centered mission should appear in your first paragraph, not buried in an appendix. Avoid ecumenical or interfaith framing — the portfolio is uniformly evangelical Christian.

Target your geography carefully. Despite the Manhattan address, 45% of Samaritan Project's documented grants go to California organizations, with a visible cluster in Turlock, Modesto, and the Central Valley. If your organization operates there, lead with it. New York City-based social service organizations (Urban Life Source Connections, Every Nation NYC Church, St. John's Church in Newark) also appear, suggesting the family's home region matters as well.

Size your initial ask at $10,000–$25,000. The median documented grant is $25,000 and the minimum typical grant is $10,000. A modest first grant is the norm; organizations that now receive $100,000+ annually built up to that through four or five years of consistent smaller grants.

Demonstrate direct service with quantified outcomes. Every grantee delivers direct services: meals served, individuals housed, patients treated, people completing recovery programs. Quantify your impact in specific numbers for the most recent 12 months. Policy, advocacy, or systems-change work is not represented anywhere in the portfolio.

Do not submit a cold proposal. There is no form, portal, or deadline. A cold written proposal mailed to 730 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021 (Attn: Pauline Lascano) is unlikely to succeed. A warm introduction via a current grantee — Teen Challenge, Joni and Friends, American Leprosy Missions, the Semper Fi Fund — dramatically improves your odds.