The Arena Energy Foundation

THE WOODLANDS, TX EIN: 26-1636123

The Arena Energy Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) corporate foundation based in The Woodlands, Texas. Established in January 2010, the foundation operates as a grantmaking organization that distributes funds to other tax-exempt organizations in support of their charitable purposes rather than conducting direct charitable activities.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$156K

+121.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$298K

+23.2% YoY

Grant Count

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$10K

+23.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Arena Energy Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3K 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's primary funding priorities include:

Child advocacy
Education
Teaching business skills to inmates
Cultural arts
Special education for children with language and learning delays
Human services
Philanthropy and voluntarism

Grantmaking

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Texas, Louisiana, and Tennessee.

Grant Distribution by State

Texas $927K (73%)

California $200K (16%)

Louisiana $113K (9%)

New York $25K (2%)

Tennessee $5K (0%)

Oklahoma $1K (0%)

Mississippi $750 (0%)

Illinois $500 (0%)

+1 more states

States

California Illinois Louisiana Massachusetts Mississippi New York Oklahoma Tennessee Texas

Cities

AmaAustinBellaireBourgChicagoConroeContoeCovintonCut OffCypressCypress TxDallasFranklinGallianoGibsonGiddingsGiddings TxGrayHoumaHouston

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

2024 Financial Summary:

Total Assets: $155,689
Total Revenue: $388,211
Total Expenses: $302,787
Net Income: $85,424
Total Liabilities: $0

The foundation maintains minimal staff (0 employees listed) and operates with a lean administrative structure.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$155,689	$70,265	$145,081
Revenue	$388,211	$169,726	$318,030
Expenses	$302,787	$244,542	$327,730
Qualifying Distributions	$297,854	$241,458	$319,435
Net Investment Income	$260,795	$148,238	$261,777
Distributable Amount	$3,270	$2,319	$2,705

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

146 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include University of Southern California ($50,000), Big Brother Big Sisters of Houston ($30,000), Combined Arms ($30,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ALL EARS LISTENING AND LANGUAGE CENTER THE WOODLANDS, TX	HELPING HEARNING IMPARED CHILDREN LEARN TO SPEAK AND BE READY TO MAINSTREAM INTO SCHOOL	$15,000
ANGEL REACH CONTOE, TX	HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES	$10,000
BARTLETT ELEMENTARY CONROE, TX	EDUCATION	$10,000
BIG BROTHER BIG SISTERS OF HOUSTON HOUSTON, TX	CHILD ADVOCACY	$30,000
CARE NET PREGNANCY CENTER OF NW HOUSTON HOUSTON, TX	COUNSELING AND SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDIUALS WITH UNWANTED PREGNANCIES	$1,400
COMBINED ARMS HOUSTON, TX	TO GROW THE USEFULNESS AND REACH OF THE SIV PROGRAM	$30,000
COMPASSION UNITED CONROE, TX	FRESH START MINISTRY	$15,000
CONDIT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PTO BELLAIRE, TX	EDUCATION	$500
COVENANT HOUSE HOUSTON, TX	HOMELESS SHELTER	$20,000
DREAMS COME TRUE OF LOUISIANA YOUNGSVILLE, LA	CHILD ADVOCACY - SPONSORING A DREAM	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Key personnel identified in filings:

Ben Pigati - President
Don Metz - Director
Jane C. Minarovic - Director
Lauren Peschier - Director
Shannon Coffel - Director
Michele Scahill - Director
Vickie L. Grove - Listed in organizational records

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
DON METZ	DIRECTOR	1	—
JANE MINAROVIC	DIRECTOR	1	—
BEN PIGATI	DIRECTOR	1	—
MICHELE SCAHILL	CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD	1	—
SHANNON COFFEL	DIRECTOR	1	—
LAUREN PESCHIER	DIRECTOR	1	—
WADE BROUSSARD	DIRECTOR	1	—

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Arena Energy Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary funding priorities include: • Child advocacy • Education • Teaching business skills to inmates • Cultural arts • Special education for children with language and learning delays • Human services • Philanthropy and voluntarism

How do I apply for a grant from The Arena Energy Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Made 27 grants in 2024 • Typical grant awards range from $110 to $50,000 • Total giving: $297,591 (2024) **Recent Grantees (2024):** • Combined Arms: $30,000 (to grow the usefulness and reach of the SIV Program) • Inspiration Ranch: $25,000 (general operations) • Covenant House Texas: $20,000 (homeless shelter) • Panther Creek Inspiration Ranch

Where does The Arena Energy Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Texas, Louisiana, and Tennessee.

What size grants does The Arena Energy Foundation award?

In 2024, The Arena Energy Foundation awarded 29 grants totaling $298K — an average of about $10K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Arena Energy Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Arena Energy Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.