Arbella Insurance Foundation
The Arbella Insurance Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. It supports charitable organizations, including organizations working on social justice, housing, immigration reform, health, human services, and the arts.
Arbella Insurance Foundation at a glance
In short: Arbella Insurance Foundation gave $2.2M across 201 grants in 2024 (avg $11K), mostly in Massachusetts. 37% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,233,101
- -21.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 201
- -65.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $11,110
- +124.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $22,151,071
- +45.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (74 of 201, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (77% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Arbella Insurance Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing states that the Foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists contact information, application materials, and award restrictions as “SEE ATTACHED.”
- Contact
Application contact: See Attached
Mailing address: 101 Arch Street, Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 951-4600
Website: https://arbella.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Arbella Insurance Foundation
Who Arbella Insurance Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Charities Aid Foundation America ($152K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($100,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
2,835 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 2,767 grants of 2,835 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s website describes its charitable partners and Social Justice Initiative as supporting communities in New England. In 2024, 77% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 7% each to Connecticut and Virginia, 5% to Ohio, and 2% to New Hampshire.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 201 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Arbella Insurance Foundation open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 74 of 201 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 46% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 33% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 307% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2.2M (2020) to $3.3M (2021). In 2024 it made 201 grants totaling $2.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Charities Aid Foundation America Alexandra, VA | Unrestricted Operating Funds | $152,319 |
| Greater Lawrence Family Heath Center Methuen, MA | Social Justice Initiative | $150,000 |
| Live Nation Marketing Inc Cambridge, MA | Safe Driver Program | $133,222 |
| Dana Farber Brookline, MA | Health Charity | $126,857 |
| Audacy Operations Cleveland, OH | Unrestricted Operating Funds | $114,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $100,000 |
| Mabel Center for Immigrant Justice Boston, MA | Social Justice Initiative | $100,000 |
| Boston Symphony Orchestra Boston, MA | Unrestricted Operating Funds | $89,750 |
| Cybergrants LLC Andover, MA | Unrestricted Operating Funds | $79,160 |
| Hopewell Inc Dedham, MA | Social Justice Initiative | $75,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $22,151,071 | $10,039,526 | $2,536,939 | $2,233,101 | 201 | $2,256,199 | $2,039,526 | $734,472 |
| 2023 | $15,246,058 | $2,230,206 | $3,156,756 | $2,838,883 | 574 | $3,096,783 | $2,230,206 | $752,312 |
| 2022 | $16,540,731 | $920,653 | $3,717,829 | $3,245,959 | 737 | $3,312,590 | $920,653 | $931,308 |
| 2021 | $24,058,916 | $7,386,813 | $4,998,698 | $3,315,671 | 648 | $3,448,026 | $2,381,944 | $1,193,839 |
| 2020 | $19,673,988 | $2,647,469 | $2,922,218 | $2,226,355 | 675 | — | $642,325 | $899,827 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Arbella Insurance Foundation reported a distributable amount of $734K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s website describes its commitment to supporting communities and to helping make them “more open, fair, and supportive of all people.” Its Social Justice Initiative addresses issues including income inequality, educational gaps, joblessness, homelessness, and hunger.
Its 2024 grants illustrate support for organizations with varied missions. Mabel Center for Immigrant Justice says it provides pro bono legal services to asylum-seeking families. Father Bill’s & MainSpring says it works to end homelessness, while Interfaith Social Services says it provides resources related to hunger, mental health, homelessness prevention, and children’s programs. Other recipients include the Boston Symphony Orchestra, whose stated mission includes performances and educational programs, and Hopewell, which supports children, adults, and families.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 201 grants totaling $2,233,101. Grant amounts ranged from $28 to $152,319, with a median of $2,000. Selected awards included $152,319 to Charities Aid Foundation America for unrestricted operating funds; $150,000 to Greater Lawrence Family Health Center for a social justice initiative; $133,222 to Live Nation Marketing for a safe driver program; and $126,857 to Dana Farber for health charity. Other awards included $100,000 each to Mabel Center for Immigrant Justice and an individual recipient for social justice initiatives, and $51,000 to Father Bill’s & MainSpring for human services.
The BSO/Arbella School Bus Grant Program is active and offers eligible schools up to $300 toward transportation costs for Boston Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerts. Grants are limited to two per district per school year and awarded first come, first served.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists John F. Donohue as CEO and chairman and Robin Jones as executive director. It also lists Andrea Gargiulo, Anne M. DeFrancesco, Brian J. O’Dwyer, Elizabeth Kim, Jeannette M. Orsino, and Joseph G. Murphy as directors; Christopher E. Hall as treasurer; and Gail Eagan as general counsel secretary.
Arbella Insurance Foundation is led by John F. Donohue, CEO & Chairman on every filing since 2020; none of the 13 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
John F. Donohue
CEO & Chairman
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Robin Jones
Executive Director
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Gargiulo
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anne M. Defrancesco
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Brian J. O'Dwyer
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jeannette M. Orsino
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joseph G. Murphy
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas R. Kiley
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas S. Carpenter
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
William H. Dumouchel
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Kim
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Christopher E. Hall
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gail Eagan
General Counsel Secretary
Senior Vice President & General Counsel → General Counsel Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Beverly J. Tangvik (2020–2023) — President
- Former: David W. Hattman (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Francis X. Bellotti (2020–2023) — Vice Chairman
- Former: J. Robert Dowling (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Patricia P. Bailey (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Arbella Insurance Foundation
How much does Arbella Insurance Foundation give each year?
Arbella Insurance Foundation gave $2.2M across 201 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.8M across 574 grants.
What is Arbella Insurance Foundation's typical grant size?
Arbella Insurance Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $11,110, across 201 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Arbella Insurance Foundation that year got $10K on average.
Where does Arbella Insurance Foundation give grants?
Arbella Insurance Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (7%) and Virginia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (21 grants), Dorchester, MA (6 grants), Hartford, CT (5 grants) and Quincy, MA (4 grants).
Does Arbella Insurance Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 18% of Arbella Insurance Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (36 of 201) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Human Services" (46 grants), "Children / Families / Youth" (30 grants) and "Food Pantry" (27 grants).
Who are Arbella Insurance Foundation's largest grantees?
Arbella Insurance Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Charities Aid Foundation America ($152,319), Greater Lawrence Family Heath Center ($150,000) and Live Nation Marketing Inc ($133,222), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($100,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Arbella Insurance Foundation?
Arbella Insurance Foundation reported $22.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $734K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Arbella Insurance Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s website describes its commitment to supporting communities and to helping make them “more open, fair, and supportive of all people.” Its Social Justice Initiative addresses issues including income inequality, educational gaps, joblessness, homelessness, and hunger. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Arbella Insurance Foundation?
The 2024 filing states that the Foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Arbella Insurance Foundation's EIN?
Arbella Insurance Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 05-0613355. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Arbella Insurance Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/arbella-insurance-foundation-morg_febb9f32020c4b6d83a5ace71f36a2cc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_050613355_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Arbella Insurance Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/arbella-insurance-foundation-morg_febb9f32020c4b6d83a5ace71f36a2cc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Arbella Insurance Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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