Association for the Relief of Aged Women
The Association for the Relief of Aged Women of New Bedford (ARAW) is a private foundation based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Established in 1866, it provides financial assistance and friendship to low-income elderly women and supports community organizations whose work aligns with its mission. ARAW says it serves more than 275 women in Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, New Bedford, and Westport.
Association for the Relief of Aged Women at a glance
In short: Association for the Relief of Aged Women gave $715K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $36K), mostly in Massachusetts. 37% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $715,368
- +13.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- +100.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $35,768
- -43.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $21,387,163
- -0.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (7 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Association for the Relief of Aged Women
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
ARAW states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Its website describes a Community Partner Grant cycle for organizations committed to low-income elderly women in the Greater New Bedford community. For direct individual assistance, formal applications are completed in the home by ARAW Beneficiary Advocates after eligibility is established.
- Review Cycle
- No deadline is stated in the available information.
- Deadline
- No deadline is stated in the available information.
- Contact
Mailing address: 174 Union Street Unt 4W, New Bedford, MA 02740
Phone: (508) 717-0400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Association for the Relief of Aged Women funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Private Assistance - Available Upon Request ($463K). Together the top 10 received $628K.
Grant Size Distribution
64 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 59 grants of 64 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
ARAW identifies Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, New Bedford, and Westport as the communities it serves. Its reported 2025 grant dollars went entirely to recipients in Massachusetts. Its website says direct support eligibility includes age 65 or older, more than five years’ residency in the service area, and specified income and liquid-asset limits; it gives preference to women living alone.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Association for the Relief of Aged Women open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 19 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $15K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 47% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 33% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2022 it paid out 98% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $516K (2021) to $715K (2025). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $715K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Private Assistance - Available Upon Request New Bedford, MA | Elder Services | $463,368 |
| Town of Westport Westport, MA | Elder Services | $30,000 |
| South Coastal Counties Legal Services Fall River, MA | Edler Serviceselder Services | $25,000 |
| Pace New Bedford, MA | Elder Services | $25,000 |
| New Bedford Art Museum New Bedford, MA | Elder Services | $15,000 |
| New Bedford Fishing Heritage New Bedford, MA | Elder Services | $15,000 |
| South Coast LGBTQ Network New Bedford, MA | Elder Services | $15,000 |
| Zeiterion New Bedford, MA | Elder Services | $15,000 |
| Fairhaven Council on Aging Fairhaven, MA | Elder Services | $15,000 |
| Cape Verdean Association New Bedford, MA | Elder Serviceselder Services | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $21,387,163 | $1,446,918 | $1,303,495 | $715,368 | 20 | $1,275,176 | $1,241,511 | — |
| 2024 | $21,431,989 | $1,027,198 | $1,181,174 | $632,445 | 10 | $1,153,340 | $990,520 | — |
| 2023 | $19,351,380 | $2,974,429 | $1,186,227 | $640,978 | 11 | $1,153,750 | $2,911,318 | — |
| 2022 | $21,657,616 | $2,022,067 | $1,049,178 | $538,887 | 10 | $996,388 | $1,995,491 | $1,019,236 |
| 2021 | $21,380,938 | $1,341,333 | $958,043 | $516,110 | 13 | — | $1,312,073 | $861,236 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
ARAW’s mission is to furnish financial assistance, provide friendship, and promote the welfare and relief of low-income elderly women. It says it meets beneficiaries’ needs through one-time, intermittent, or ongoing financial support and social visits, and collaborates with community partners to identify and address unmet needs.
The organization’s website describes its Community Partner Grants as supporting organizations committed to low-income elderly women in the Greater New Bedford community. For the 2026–2027 cycle, it says funding decisions will prioritize organizations addressing fundamental needs such as food, shelter, physical health, mental health, accessibility, and other social determinants of health.
Some 2025 grantees describe their own work as follows: South Coast LGBTQ Network builds and maintains a support network for LGBTQ+ individuals and families; Women’s Fund SouthCoast advances gender, racial, and economic justice through research, grantmaking, and advocacy; New Bedford Symphony Orchestra provides arts education and low-cost concerts; and Coastal Foodshed works to make healthy local food more available, accessible, and familiar.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, ARAW reported 20 grants totaling $715,368. The grants ranged from $5,000 to $463,368, with a median of $10,000. The largest reported grant was $463,368 for “Private Assistance – Available Upon Request” for elder services. Other notable grants included $30,000 to the Town of Westport and $25,000 each to South Coastal Counties Legal Services and PACE, all for elder services. The filing lists $15,000 grants to New Bedford Art Museum, New Bedford Fishing Heritage, South Coast LGBTQ Network, Zeiterion, and Fairhaven Council on Aging, among others.
Separately, ARAW’s website says it awarded 19 Community Partner Grants on April 1, 2025, providing $5,000 to $30,000 in general operating support for the one-year period from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2026. It reports those Program Partner Awards totaled $274,500. The website lists organizations including Buzzards Bay Area Habitat for Humanity, Coastal Neighbors Network, Community Nurse Home Care, New Bedford Whaling Museum, South Coastal Counties Legal Services, and YMCA Southcoast.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Clare Healy Foley as executive director; Diane Laflamme as president; Gail Beaton as vice president; Catherine Mayall as treasurer; Gloria Desa as clerk; and Jane Stankiewicz, Deborah Brooke, Angela Nathо, Pauline Fuenzalida, and Leah Macomber as directors.
Association for the Relief of Aged Women is led by Clare Healy Foley, Executive Director on every filing since 2021; 1 of 13 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Clare Healy Foley
Executive Director
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$123K (2021) → $148K (2025)
Diane Laflamme
President
Director → Vice President, 2023
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Angela Natho
Director
Director → Personnel Chair, 2024
Personnel Chair → Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Brooke
Director
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jane Stankiewicz
Director
Vice President → President, 2023
President → Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rosemary Saber
Director
Director → Grants Chair, 2024
Grants Chair → Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leah Macomber
Director
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Linda Garibaldi
Director
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jenessa Gerard
Director
New on the 2025 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pauline Fuenzalida
Director
New on the 2025 filing
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Catherine Mayall
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gail Beaton
Vice President
Clerk → Goverance Chair, 2024
Goverance Chair → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gloria Desa
Clerk
Director → Clerk, 2024
On filings since 2022
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (11)
- Former: Pamela McKnight (2021–2024) — Bene Chair
- Former: Mary Ellis (2021–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Roseanne O'Connell (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Jeannette Doyle (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Jo-Ann Beaulieu (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Shannon Bachman (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Ann Fox (2021) — Director
- Former: Gretchen Whipple (2021) — Director
- Former: Maria Pinarreta (2021) — Director
- Former: Olivia Melo (2021) — Director
- Former: Susan Rothschild (2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $148K, to Clare Healy Foley (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Association for the Relief of Aged Women
How much does Association for the Relief of Aged Women give each year?
Association for the Relief of Aged Women gave $715K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $632K across 10 grants.
What is Association for the Relief of Aged Women's typical grant size?
Association for the Relief of Aged Women's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $35,768, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Association for the Relief of Aged Women that year got $11K on average.
Where does Association for the Relief of Aged Women give grants?
Association for the Relief of Aged Women gives mostly in Massachusetts: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New Bedford, MA (12 grants) and Fairhaven, MA (2 grants).
Does Association for the Relief of Aged Women give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on Association for the Relief of Aged Women's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Elder Services" (18 grants).
Who are Association for the Relief of Aged Women's largest grantees?
Association for the Relief of Aged Women's largest 2025 grantees include Private Assistance - Available Upon Request ($463,368), Town of Westport ($30,000) and South Coastal Counties Legal Services ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 72% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Association for the Relief of Aged Women?
Association for the Relief of Aged Women reported $21.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $1.4M.
What does Association for the Relief of Aged Women fund?
ARAW’s mission is to furnish financial assistance, provide friendship, and promote the welfare and relief of low-income elderly women. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Association for the Relief of Aged Women?
ARAW states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Association for the Relief of Aged Women's EIN?
Association for the Relief of Aged Women's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6056367. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Association for the Relief of Aged Women accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
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 2021–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Association for the Relief of Aged Women funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/association-for-the-relief-of-aged-women-morg_82284c0f5e3f4447aaa94e3748074b50
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_046056367_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Association for the Relief of Aged Women funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/association-for-the-relief-of-aged-women-morg_82284c0f5e3f4447aaa94e3748074b50},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Association for the Relief of Aged Women'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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