Arrl Foundation Inc
ARRL Foundation Inc. is a public charity based in Newington, Connecticut, that supports the Amateur Radio community through grants and scholarships for charitable, educational, and scientific efforts. Established in 1973 by the American Radio Relay League, Inc. as an independent and separate organization, it is funded by contributions from radio amateurs and friends.
Arrl Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Arrl Foundation Inc reported $561K in grants paid in 2025 (a total; its filing lists no individual grants). Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Grants paid (2025)
- $560,729 — reported as a total on the IRS filing, without an itemized list
- +2314.9% vs 2024
- Total assets
- $12,465,817
- +25.9% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $3,192,262
- +67.9% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $362,467
- +61.2% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $1,345,103
- +93.1% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Arrl Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
Organizations may submit proposals during the Foundation’s grant cycles. The Grant Committee reviews proposals after each cycle closes and sends recommendations to the full Board for a formal vote.
- Review Cycle
- The website lists proposal periods of February 1–28, June 1–30, and October 1–31. The October 1–31, 2026 cycle is the current cycle as of October 2, 2026.
- Deadline
- The website lists proposal periods of February 1–28, June 1–30, and October 1–31.
- Next open deadline
- October 31, 2026 (Grants to Amateur Radio Organizations)
- Contact
Mailing address: 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111
Phone: (860) 594-0200
Website: https://arrl.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Arrl Foundation Inc
Who Arrl Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
33 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 32 grants of 33 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Eligible projects must be conducted within the United States.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $23K (2024) to $561K (2025). In 2025 it reported $561K in grants paid, as a total without an itemized list.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ariss-USA Towson, MD | Support the Ariss *Star* Keith Pugh Memorial Project | $36,000 |
| All Things Amateur Radio Association Carroll, OH | STEM Learning and Youth Outreach Program | $25,000 |
| Anchorage Amateur Radio Club Inc Anchorage, AK | Operation of the Radio Science and Operation Center | $25,000 |
| Barnstable Amateur Radio Club (Barc) Brewster, MA | Camp Greenough Boy Scout Ham Station & Licensing | $25,000 |
| Belleview R-3 Amateur Radio Club Belleview, MO | STEM / Radio Lab | $25,000 |
| Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association Gloucester, MA | Build a STEM Classroom and Demonstration Room | $25,000 |
| Geta - Laguna Creek High School Green Energy Tech Academy Elk Grove, CA | Geta Satellite Club Radio Equipment and Repeater Installation | $25,000 |
| Gloucester County Amateur Radio Club - W2MMD Pitman, NJ | VHF Tower and Antenna Replacement | $25,000 |
| West Chester Amateur Radio Association West Chester, OH | Wcara Master Station Upgrade | $24,910 |
| Orange County Amateur Radio Club Cornwall, NY | Two Educational Go Boxes | $22,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $12,465,817 | $3,192,262 | $1,345,103 | $560,729 | Total only | $362,467 |
| 2024 | $9,901,512 | $1,901,119 | $696,539 | $23,220 | Total only | $224,845 |
| 2023 | $7,982,253 | $1,065,923 | $1,555,104 | $502,669 | 31 | $197,252 |
| 2022 | $7,970,671 | $1,644,806 | $682,690 | $47,533 | 1 | $118,645 |
| 2021 | $7,908,611 | $1,210,769 | $432,699 | $110,425 | 1 | $345,647 |
| 2020 | $6,343,520 | $1,039,174 | $152,639 | — | — | $216,264 |
| 2019 | $5,468,775 | $538,881 | $165,245 | — | — | $117,799 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to advance the art, science, and societal benefits of the amateur radio service through financial grants and scholarships. Its programs include higher-education scholarships, grants for Amateur Radio projects, and special programs including the Victor C. Clark Youth Incentive Program and the Jesse A. Bieberman Meritorious Membership Program.
Its grant program supports organizations with Amateur Radio projects, particularly those focused on educating, licensing, and supporting Amateur Radio activities; youth-based projects are especially encouraged. One 2023 grantee, Amateur Radio on the International Space Station, describes its mission as operating Amateur Radio systems on the International Space Station and elsewhere to inspire, educate, and engage youth and communities in STEAM, while supporting ISS backup communications.
Grantmaking
The 2023 filing reports $502,669 in grants and a grant count of 31. The Foundation’s 2023 filing narrative separately reports grants to 18 Amateur Radio organizations and says initial organizational awards generally ranged from $500 to $36,000. In 2024 and 2025, the filing data reports a grant count of zero. A notable 2023 award was $36,000 to Amateur Radio on the International Space Station.
The Foundation’s website says proposals are reviewed by a Grant Committee, which recommends proposals to the full Foundation Board for a vote. Its 2023 filing narrative describes an 8-to-10-week review, with a majority vote of the full Board required for approval; the committee may request written clarifications. The example application asks for a project summary, impact, community support, project vision, other project funding, project budget, and budget narrative.
The website excludes requests for emergency communications equipment, facilities, or projects; ongoing operations or expenses; and projects conducted outside the United States. Grants are awarded to organizations, not individuals. The website says awards generally do not exceed $3,000, with awards up to $5,000 permitted in 2026 in support of ARRL’s Year of the Club. It also says the Foundation rarely extends previously issued grants and prefers proposals with sustainability potential, local Amateur Radio community support, and evidence of other fundraising.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David Norris as president and David Minster as vice president. Directors listed are Kermit Carlson, Tom Frenaye, Carl Leutzelschwab (outgoing director), Bill Lippert, Ed Snyder, Mark J Tharp, Craig Thompson, and Art Zygielbaum.
Arrl Foundation Inc is led by David Norris, President since 2022 (on filings since 2019); none of the 12 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David Norris
President
Director → President, 2022
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carl Leutzelschwab
Outgoing Director
Director → Outgoing Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kermit Carlson
Director
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Art Zygielbaum
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bill Lippert
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Craig Thompson
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ed Snyder
Director
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark J. Tharp
Director
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tom Frenaye
Director
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rick Niswander
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Minster
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2022
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Christina Lessard
Secretary
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (17)
- Former: Mike Ritz (2019–2024) — Outgoing Vice President
- Former: Diane Middleton (2023–2024) — Outgoing Secretary
- Former: Jim Fenstermaker (2019–2023) — Outgoing Director
- Former: Tim Duffy (2019–2023) — Outgoing Director
- Former: Tom Abernethy (2019–2023) — Outgoing Director
- Former: Melissa Stemmer (2020–2023) — Outgoing Secretary
- Former: Ria Jairam (2020–2023) — Outgoing Director
- Former: Brian Mileshosky (2019–2022) — Outgoing Vice President
- Former: David Woolweaver (2019–2022) — Outgoing President
- Former: Richard Norton (2019–2022) — Outgoing Director
- Former: Jim Tiemstra (2019–2020) — Outgoing Director
- Former: Andrea Wayward (2019) — Outgoing Director
- Former: Dale Williams (2019) — Outgoing Director
- Former: Daniel David (2019) — Outgoing Director
- Former: Jim Pace (2019) — Outgoing Vice President
- Former: Lauren Clarke (2019) — Outgoing Secretary
- Former: Thomas Frenaye (2019) — Outgoing Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Arrl Foundation Inc
How much does Arrl Foundation Inc give each year?
Arrl Foundation Inc reported $561K in grants paid in 2025 on its 2025 IRS Form 990, as a total without an itemized list of grants. In 2024 it reported $23K in grants paid.
How large is Arrl Foundation Inc?
Arrl Foundation Inc reported $12.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.2M.
What does Arrl Foundation Inc fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to advance the art, science, and societal benefits of the amateur radio service through financial grants and scholarships. Its programs include higher-education scholarships, grants for Amateur Radio projects, and special programs including the Victor C. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Arrl Foundation Inc?
Organizations may submit proposals during the Foundation’s grant cycles. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Arrl Foundation Inc make grants?
Eligible projects must be conducted within the United States.
What is Arrl Foundation Inc's EIN?
Arrl Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7325472. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 31, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 28, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Arrl Foundation Inc down — hundreds of funders to go?