Fred & Christine Armstrong Foundation
The Fred & Christine Armstrong Foundation is a private foundation based in Tucson, Arizona. Established in 1994, it operates as a family foundation with a focus on philanthropic giving across multiple sectors including education, human services, and the arts.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.2M
+4.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$450K
+0.0% YoY
Grant Count
44
+10.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$10K
-9.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Fred & Christine Armstrong Foundation reported a distributable amount of $409K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary funding interests include:
- Education
- Human Services (particularly services for homeless families and low-income populations)
- Arts and Culture (music appreciation and arts appreciation programs)
- Health and Medical Research (arthritis research and cognitive neuroscience research)
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Youth Services (youth mentoring programs and school dropout prevention)
- Food Assistance (support for food banks and meal delivery services)
- Senior Services (senior housing for low-income elderly)
Grantmaking
Historical grants (2008) demonstrate consistent support for organizations addressing homelessness, food security, medical research, and cultural programming.
Grant Range
s:** Typical awards range from $2,000 to $30,000.
How to Apply
** The foundation does not currently accept unsolicited applications. Grant requests for individuals are not accepted. Interested organizations should contact the foundation directly for more information.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Arizona and Texas, with particular emphasis on the Tucson area and surrounding regions.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Total Assets (2024) | $4,157,010 |
| Total Giving (2024) | $450,000 |
| Total Revenues (2024) | $712,852 |
| Total Expenses (2024) | $535,125 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,157,010 | $3,979,283 | $4,443,435 |
| Revenue | $712,852 | $59,464 | $673,205 |
| Expenses | $535,125 | $523,616 | $494,202 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $470,863 | $463,575 | $411,863 |
| Net Investment Income | $648,590 | $116,340 | $610,198 |
| Distributable Amount | $408,756 | $404,618 | $466,752 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
193 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include University of Az Foundationarthritis Research Program ($22,800), St Luke's in the Desert Inc ($22,000), Community Food Bank Inc ($20,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS SOUTHERN ARIZONA CHAPTER TUCSON, AZ | LOCAL DISASTER SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES | $13,800 |
| ANGEL HEART PAJAMA PROJECT TUCSON, AZ | PROVIDE NEEDY CHILDREN WITH PAJAMAS AND BOOKS TO FOSTER LITERACY | $3,000 |
| ARIZONA OPERA COMPANY PHOENIX, AZ | PROVIDE MUSIC APPRECIATION TO THE COMMUNITY | $6,800 |
| ARIZONA'S CHILDREN ASSOCIATION TUCSON, AZ | ASSIST NEEDY CHILDREN AND FAMILIES | $14,800 |
| ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM TUCSON, AZ | EDUCATION OF SONORAN DESERT WILDLIFE, FLORA, AND SEALIFE | $9,000 |
| BALLET ARTS FOUNDATION TUCSON, AZ | EDUCATE, SUPPORT, AND ADVANCE THE ART OF DANCE | $7,000 |
| BEADS OF COURAGE TUCSON, AZ | PROVIDE PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN COPING WITH SERIOUS ILLNESS | $10,000 |
| BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF TUCSON TUCSON, AZ | YOUTH MENTORING PROGRAM | $9,000 |
| BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF TUCSON TUCSON, AZ | CLUB HOUSE MUSIC PROGRAM | $6,000 |
| CAMP FERN LEGACY FOUNDATION MARSHALL, TX | PROMOTE YOUTH HEALTH AND WELLNESS | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| FRED E ARMSTRONG JR | DIRECTOR/VICE-PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
| KAREN K FREY | DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT/TREASURER | 5 | — |
| ZACHARY ARMSTRONG | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CORY M ARMSTRONG | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TRACI A HOLLIS | DIRECTOR/SECRETARY | 1 | — |
Contact Information
Address: 5255 E Williams Circle, Suite 500, Tucson, AZ 85711
Telephone: 520-790-3500
EIN: 86-0779817
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Fred & Christine Armstrong Foundation fund?
The foundation's primary funding interests include: • **Education** • **Human Services** (particularly services for homeless families and low-income populations) • **Arts and Culture** (music appreciation and arts appreciation programs) • **Health and Medical Research** (arthritis research and cognitive neuroscience research) • **Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking** • **Youth Services** (youth mentoring programs and school dropout prevention) • **Food Assistance** (support for food banks a…
How do I apply for a grant from Fred & Christine Armstrong Foundation?
**Grant Sizes:** Typical awards range from $2,000 to $30,000. **Recent Grant Activity:** The foundation made 39 grants in 2024, with recent recipients including: • St. Luke's in the Desert ($22,000) - Senior housing for low-income elderly • Mobile Meals of Southern Arizona ($20,000) - Delivery of special diet meals to homebound individuals • Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona ($20,000) - Food assistance for the hungry in Pima County Historical grants (2008) demonstrate consistent support f…
Where does Fred & Christine Armstrong Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in **Arizona** and **Texas**, with particular emphasis on the Tucson area and surrounding regions.
What size grants does Fred & Christine Armstrong Foundation award?
In 2024, Fred & Christine Armstrong Foundation awarded 44 grants totaling $450K — an average of about $10K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Fred & Christine Armstrong Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Fred & Christine Armstrong Foundation reported a distributable amount of $409K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Fred & Christine Armstrong Foundation's EIN?
Fred & Christine Armstrong Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-0779817. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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