Fall River Women's Union
Fall River Women’s Union is a private foundation based in Fall River, Massachusetts. Founded in 1873, it funds educational grants to organizations that aid women and children in the greater Fall River area.
Fall River Women's Union at a glance
In short: Fall River Women's Union gave $87K across 40 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Massachusetts. 8% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $87,060
- -5.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 40
- -11.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,177
- +6.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,650
- Total assets
- $2,031,201
- -0.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (3 of 40, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (89% 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 Fall River Women's Union
- Review Cycle
- The website lists August 31 at 5:00 p.m. for fall allocations and April 30 at 5:00 p.m. for summer programs. Both dates in the 2026 cycle have passed as of September 28, 2026.
- Deadline
- The website lists August 31 at 5:00 p.m.
- Contact
Application contact: The President
Mailing address: 101 Rock Street, Fall River, MA 02720
Phone: (508) 674-8861
Website: https://www.frwu.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Fall River Women's Union funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Thomas Chew Memorial BG Club ($9K). Together the top 10 received $50K.
Grant Size Distribution
192 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 192 grants of 192 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing identifies the greater Fall River area as the geographic restriction for awards. In 2025, 89% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts and 11% to recipients in Rhode Island.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 40 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Fall River Women's Union open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 40 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 80% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 85% 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 (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 $81K (2019) to $101K (2022). In 2025 it made 40 grants totaling $87K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Chew Memorial BG Club Fall River, MA | Program Support | $8,750 |
| Family Service Association Fall River, MA | Program Support | $6,000 |
| YMCA Southcoast Inc New Bedford, MA | Program Support | $5,500 |
| Star Kids Scholarship Program Middletown, RI | Program Support | $5,000 |
| COACHING4CHANGE Taunton, MA | Program Support | $4,500 |
| Gnome Inc Fall River, MA | Program Support | $4,500 |
| Fall River Deaconess Home Fall River, MA | Program Support | $4,000 |
| Steppingstone Inc Fall River, MA | Program Support | $4,000 |
| Girl Scouts of Southeastern NE Warwick, RI | Program Support | $3,850 |
| First Baptist Church of FR Fall River, MA | Program Support | $3,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Fall River Women's Union?
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 | $2,031,201 | $126,110 | $136,063 | $87,060 | 40 | $114,974 | $52,713 | $134,550 |
| 2024 | $2,041,126 | $150,950 | $140,598 | $91,760 | 45 | $120,146 | $51,372 | $124,500 |
| 2023 | $2,045,811 | $171,870 | $145,119 | $89,760 | 39 | $124,981 | $48,014 | $113,111 |
| 2022 | $2,171,517 | $123,822 | $150,425 | $101,010 | 39 | $125,766 | $96,586 | $114,163 |
| 2021 | $2,739,947 | $309,497 | $133,082 | $84,930 | 29 | $110,892 | $246,876 | $127,159 |
| 2020 | $2,498,765 | $131,859 | $132,430 | $88,677 | 26 | — | $108,559 | $112,175 |
| 2019 | $2,368,948 | $178,689 | $124,768 | $80,612 | 29 | — | $156,357 | $110,415 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Fall River Women's Union reported a distributable amount of $135K 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
The organization’s stated mission is to fund educational grants to organizations that aid women and children in the greater Fall River area. Its website describes funded activities that include social support, training and professional development, technical, food and daycare assistance, recreation, and formal education.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate a range of services. Gnome Inc. says its mission is to promote inclusion and acceptance for children of all abilities through surf therapy. Fall River Deaconess Home describes work helping youth and families develop social, emotional, academic, and life skills. Ninth Street Day Nursery describes a daycare and educational program for preschool children.
Grantmaking
In 2025, Fall River Women’s Union awarded 40 grants totaling $87,060. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $8,750, with a median of $1,650. Among the largest awards were $8,750 to Thomas Chew Memorial BG Club, $6,000 to Family Service Association, $5,500 to YMCA Southcoast, and $5,000 to Star Kids Scholarship Program. The listed purposes for these awards were program support.
The foundation’s website instructs applicants to submit an electronic application and says its application forms include submission guidelines. It also provides a follow-up reporting form, to be completed as soon as possible after the project ends; the website says funds should be used within the year received. The 2024 filing says applicants should contact the president with a formal written request presenting the need and proposed use of funds. It reports no filing deadline and says awards are restricted to the greater Fall River geographical area. The filing also states that giving is not restricted to preselected organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jennifer Bogan as president; Karen Holmes and Betty Prescott as vice presidents; Louise Keane as secretary; Karen Smigel as assistant secretary; Susan Canfield as treasurer; and Sarah Jansen, Katherine Librera, Joan Medeiros, and Suzanne Mills Shaw as members at large.
Fall River Women's Union is led by Jennifer Bogan, President since 2020 (on filings since 2019); none of the 18 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jennifer Bogan
President
Treasurer → President, 2020
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Betty Prescott
Vice President
Member at Large → 2nd Vice President, 2020
2nd Vice President → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Jean Peelor
Member at La
Member at Large → Member at La, 2023
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Karen Wadleigh
Member at La
Member at Large → Member at La, 2023
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Sarah Jansen
Member at La
2nd Vice President → Member at Large, 2021
Member at Large → Member at La, 2023
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Suzanne Mills Shaw
Member at La
Member at Large → Member at La, 2023
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Karen Holmes
Vice President
Assistant Secretary → 1st Vice President, 2022
1st Vice President → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Louise Keane
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Ada Snow
Member at La
Member at Large → Member at La, 2023
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Katherine Librera
Member at La
Member at Large → Member at La, 2023
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Christine Plante
Member at La
Member at Large → Member at La, 2023
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Joan Medeiros
Member at La
Member at Large → Member at La, 2023
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Karin Wood
Member at La
Member at Large → Member at La, 2023
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Martha Sanford
Member at La
Member at Large → Member at La, 2023
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Mary Lee Prescott-Griffin
Member at La
Member at Large → Member at La, 2023
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Karen Smigel
Assistant Se
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Katherine Schelder-Clark
Member at La
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Susan Canfield
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (16)
- Former: Margaret Christ (2019–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Kathleen Schelder-Clark (2022) — Member at Large
- Former: Lisa Snow (2022) — Assistant Treasurer
- Former: Anne Snyder (2019–2021) — Member at Large
- Former: Joanne Leary (2019–2021) — Member at Large
- Former: Kathy Friar (2019–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Linda Schofield (2019–2021) — 1st Vice President
- Former: Marilyn Marvel (2019–2021) — Member at Large
- Former: Sandra Wood (2019–2021) — Member at Large
- Former: Susan Moe-Raposo (2019–2021) — Member at Large
- Former: Carol A. Nagle (2021) — 1st Vice President
- Former: Josie Woollam (2019–2020) — Member at Large
- Former: Laurette Shabshelowitz (2019–2020) — Member at Large
- Former: Pamela Prescott (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Bonnie Stropp (2019) — Secretary
- Former: Susan Sartini (2019) — Member at Large
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 Fall River Women's Union
How much does Fall River Women's Union give each year?
Fall River Women's Union gave $87K across 40 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $92K across 45 grants.
What is Fall River Women's Union's typical grant size?
Fall River Women's Union's median grant in 2025 was $1,650, and its average grant was $2,177, across 40 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Fall River Women's Union that year got $1K on average.
Where does Fall River Women's Union give grants?
Fall River Women's Union gives mostly in Massachusetts: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Rhode Island (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Fall River, MA (26 grants), New Bedford, MA (4 grants) and Dartmouth, MA (2 grants).
Does Fall River Women's Union give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 40 grants with a stated purpose on Fall River Women's Union's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (38 grants).
Who are Fall River Women's Union's largest grantees?
Fall River Women's Union's largest 2025 grantees include Thomas Chew Memorial BG Club ($8,750), Family Service Association ($6,000) and YMCA Southcoast Inc ($5,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Fall River Women's Union?
Fall River Women's Union reported $2.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $115K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $135K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Fall River Women's Union fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to fund educational grants to organizations that aid women and children in the greater Fall River area. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Fall River Women's Union?
Fall River Women's Union has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check frwu.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Fall River Women's Union's EIN?
Fall River Women's Union's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2104051. 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 11, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 9, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 24, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Fall River Women's Union's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Fall River Women's Union funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/fall-river-women-s-union-morg_e084124bcadf43ef9f1d238265039f9e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_042104051_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Fall River Women's Union funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/fall-river-women-s-union-morg_e084124bcadf43ef9f1d238265039f9e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Fall River Women's Union'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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