Robert & Patricia Colby Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker BUFFALO, NY EIN: 16-1315877

The Robert & Patricia Colby Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1989 and based in Buffalo, New York. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and maintains a modest asset base while directing significant resources toward philanthropic activities across multiple states.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

-100.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$129K

-85.3% YoY

Grant Count

-78.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$26K

-32.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert & Patricia Colby Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation supports a diverse range of subject areas including:

Arts and Culture: Performing arts, music, and orchestral music
Education: Elementary and secondary education
Health: Focus on diseases and conditions, particularly cancers
Religion
Sports and Recreation

Grantmaking

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis.

Grant Range

$6,000

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation provides funding to organizations across multiple states, including:

New York
Pennsylvania
Massachusetts
Illinois
Kentucky
Michigan
Florida
South Carolina

Grant Distribution by State

New York $1.4M (84%)

Michigan $96K (6%)

Florida $77K (5%)

South Carolina $25K (2%)

Pennsylvania $22K (1%)

Massachusetts $20K (1%)

Illinois $17K (1%)

Kentucky $5K (0%)

+1 more states

States

California Florida Illinois Kentucky Massachusetts Michigan New York Pennsylvania South Carolina

Cities

Allison ParkBenzoniaBloomingtonBostonBrum MawrBuffaloCharlestonChicagoFort CambellFrankfortInterlochenOld BrookvilleSarasotaSpringvilleStanfordTraverse CityTroy

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2023:

Total Assets: $127,181
Total Revenue: $164,198
Total Expenses: $894,756
Total Liabilities: $0

The foundation's annual expenses significantly exceed its asset base, indicating it distributes capital from reserves or other sources to support its grantmaking activities.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	—	$127,181	$841,310
Revenue	$1,419	$164,198	$48,354
Expenses	$128,600	$894,756	$178,168
Qualifying Distributions	$128,571	$883,385	$161,834
Net Investment Income	$1,390	$152,826	$36,554
Distributable Amount	$1,330	$45,806	$49,699

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 5 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

81 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Emma Willard School ($83,296), Lakeside Shakespeare Theater ($25,000), Sarasota Opera ($14,500).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL TROY, NY	GENERAL	$83,296
LAKESIDE SHAKESPEARE THEATER FRANKFORT, MI	GENERAL	$25,000
LYRIC OPERA CHICAGO CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL	$4,500
MULROY FAMILY FOUNDATION BUFFALO, NY	GENERAL	$1,246
SARASOTA OPERA SARASOTA, FL	GENERAL	$14,500

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The foundation is managed by two co-trustees who serve without compensation:

James M. Wadsworth – Co-Trustee
Michal Wadsworth – Co-Trustee

Contact Information:

Address: 140 Pearl Street, Suite 100, Buffalo, NY 14202
Telephone: 716-848-1230

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JAMES M WADSWORTH	CO-TRUSTEE	1	—
MICHAL WADSWORTH	CO-TRUSTEE	1	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Robert & Patricia Colby Foundation fund?

The foundation supports a diverse range of subject areas including: • **Arts and Culture**: Performing arts, music, and orchestral music • **Education**: Elementary and secondary education • **Health**: Focus on diseases and conditions, particularly cancers • **Religion** • **Sports and Recreation**

How do I apply for a grant from Robert & Patricia Colby Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Annual giving: Approximately $876,000–$895,000 • Number of grants: 21 grants annually (as of 2023) • Median grant size: $6,000 • Grant range: $1,000–$383,000 • Giving rate exceeds 100% of assets annually **Application Process:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis.

Where does Robert & Patricia Colby Foundation make grants?

The foundation provides funding to organizations across multiple states, including: • New York • Pennsylvania • Massachusetts • Illinois • Kentucky • Michigan • Florida • South Carolina

What size grants does Robert & Patricia Colby Foundation award?

In 2024, Robert & Patricia Colby Foundation awarded 5 grants totaling $129K — an average of about $26K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Robert & Patricia Colby Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Robert & Patricia Colby Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is Robert & Patricia Colby Foundation's EIN?

Robert & Patricia Colby Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 16-1315877. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.