Clement and Karen Arrison
Clement and Karen Arrison is a private foundation based in Buffalo, New York. It reported 37 grants totaling $161,500 in 2025, with recipients including arts and music organizations, a service organization, and animal-rescue groups.
Clement and Karen Arrison at a glance
In short: Clement and Karen Arrison gave $162K across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in New York. 54% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $161,500
- -9.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- +105.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,365
- -55.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $3,402,139
- +0.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (20 of 37, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (87% 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 Clement and Karen Arrison
- How to Apply
-
The filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists Karen Arrison as the contact; application form and materials, deadlines, and award restrictions are listed as N/A.
- Contact
Application contact: Karen Arrison
Mailing address: 35 Lincoln Parkway, Buffalo, NY 14222
Phone: (716) 881-0760
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Clement and Karen Arrison funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra ($31K). Together the top 10 received $122K.
Grant Size Distribution
135 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 129 grants of 135 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 87% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York. The remaining shares went to Maryland (4%), Virginia (3%), New Hampshire (2%), and California (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Clement and Karen Arrison open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 20 of 37 grantees (54%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 22% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 25% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $162K (2025) to $222K (2019). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $162K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Buffalo, NY | Charitable | $31,000 |
| Cornell University Ithica, NY | Charitable | $18,000 |
| Suburban Adult Services Inc Orchard Park, NY | Charitable | $16,150 |
| Chautauqua Institution Chautauqua, NY | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Preservation League Albany, NY | Charitable | $12,000 |
| Buffalo Suzuki Strings North Tonawanda, NY | Charitable | $10,000 |
| Clrence Chamber of Commerce Williamsville, NY | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Glen Highland Farms Glouster, VA | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Kleinhans Music Hall Buffalo, NY | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Musicans Emergency Fund New York, NY | Charitable | $5,000 |
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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 | $3,402,139 | $240,143 | $232,142 | $161,500 | 37 | $161,500 | $240,143 | $160,473 |
| 2024 | $3,393,597 | $163,534 | $245,174 | $177,474 | 18 | $177,474 | $179,457 | $163,697 |
| 2023 | $3,475,237 | $76,879 | $238,579 | $189,900 | 17 | $189,900 | $132,179 | $173,300 |
| 2022 | $3,636,937 | $-352,057 | $251,112 | $216,375 | 27 | $216,375 | $96,928 | $183,689 |
| 2021 | $4,240,106 | $189,573 | $257,866 | $219,128 | 36 | $219,128 | $83,348 | $216,390 |
| 2020 | $4,308,399 | $120,850 | $248,856 | $215,929 | 39 | — | $126,931 | $219,313 |
| 2019 | $4,436,405 | $121,907 | $245,436 | $221,840 | 36 | — | $140,491 | $219,440 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Clement and Karen Arrison reported a distributable amount of $160K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra says it produces symphonic music for the cultural benefit of the Buffalo area, including arts education for youth. Suburban Adult Services Inc. describes its work as connecting people with opportunities and providing services such as employment, healthcare, housing, and recreation. Chautauqua Institution says it explores religious, social, and political issues and seeks to enrich life.
Other 2025 recipients include Buffalo Suzuki Strings, whose stated mission is music education for children; Draft Gratitude and Begin Again Horse Rescue, which describe rescue and care for horses; Wings Flights of Hope, which provides free air transportation for people needing medical attention; and Wings of Rescue, which transports at-risk shelter pets.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 37 grants totaling $161,500. Grant amounts ranged from $775 to $31,000, with a median of $1,500.
Among the largest reported grants were $31,000 to the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, $18,000 to Cornell University, $16,150 to Suburban Adult Services Inc., $15,000 to Chautauqua Institution, $12,000 to the Preservation League, and $10,000 to Buffalo Suzuki Strings.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Karen Arrison is listed as president/trustee on the 2025 filing.
Clement and Karen Arrison is led by Karen Arrison, President on every filing since 2019 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Karen Arrison
President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
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 Clement and Karen Arrison
How much does Clement and Karen Arrison give each year?
Clement and Karen Arrison gave $162K across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $177K across 18 grants.
What is Clement and Karen Arrison's typical grant size?
Clement and Karen Arrison's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $4,365, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Clement and Karen Arrison that year got $5K on average.
Where does Clement and Karen Arrison give grants?
Clement and Karen Arrison gives mostly in New York: 87% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Buffalo, NY (11 grants), Orchard Park, NY (2 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Williamsville, NY (2 grants).
Does Clement and Karen Arrison give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 37 grants with a stated purpose on Clement and Karen Arrison's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (36 grants).
Who are Clement and Karen Arrison's largest grantees?
Clement and Karen Arrison's largest 2025 grantees include Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra ($31,000), Cornell University ($18,000) and Suburban Adult Services Inc ($16,150), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Clement and Karen Arrison?
Clement and Karen Arrison reported $3.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $162K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $160K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Clement and Karen Arrison fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra says it produces symphonic music for the cultural benefit of the Buffalo area, including arts education for youth. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Clement and Karen Arrison?
The 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 Clement and Karen Arrison's EIN?
Clement and Karen Arrison's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3116729. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 15, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Clement and Karen Arrison funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in Clement and Karen Arrison's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Clement and Karen Arrison funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/clement-and-karen-arrison-morg_b937eb69e61f4ec7809b6a5b97b199fd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203116729_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Clement and Karen Arrison funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/clement-and-karen-arrison-morg_b937eb69e61f4ec7809b6a5b97b199fd},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Clement and Karen Arrison'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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