The Carol J Adragna logo

The Carol J Adragna

Private foundation · Grantmaker Depew, NY EIN: 27-6968082 Website

The Carol J Adragna is a private foundation based in Depew, New York. It supports scholarships for high school seniors pursuing college studies toward a music career, and its 2025 filing also reports grants to charitable organizations.

The Carol J Adragna at a glance

In short: The Carol J Adragna gave $389K across 73 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in New York. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$388,500
+14.7% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
73
+2.8% vs 2024
Average grant
$5,322
+11.5% vs 2024
Median grant
$5,000
Total assets
$8,649,675
+6.0% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
13% first-time grantees (9 of 72, 2025)
Primary geography
New York (56% 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 The Carol J Adragna

How to Apply

Scholarship candidates are recommended to the foundation and audition for the scholarship committee; the filing does not describe a formal application process.

Review Cycle
None stated in the 2025 filing.
Deadline
None stated in the 2025 filing.
Contact

Application contact: The Carol L Adragna Family Foundat
Mailing address: PO Box 46, Depew, NY 14043
Phone: (716) 601-7793
Website: https://caroljadragnafamilyfoundation.org

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Carol J Adragna funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

American Red Cross: $20KAmerican Red Cross$20KSt Jude Childrens Research Hospital: $17KSt Jude Childrens ResearchHospital$17KWorld Wildlife Fund: $14KWorld Wildlife Fund$14KRoswell Park: $12KRoswell Park$12KAmerican Lung Association: $10KAmerican Lung Association$10KBuffalo City Mission: $10KBuffalo City Mission$10KEnvironmental Defense Fund: $10KEnvironmental Defense Fund$10KFeedmore WNY Foundation: $10KFeedmore WNY Foundation$10KSalvation Army of Buffalo: $10KSalvation Army of Buffalo$10KWounded Warrior Project: $10KWounded Warrior Project$10K

The largest 2025 recipient was American Red Cross ($20K). Together the top 10 received $123K.

Grant Size Distribution

411 grants across all recorded years

411<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 411 grants of 411 (100%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation’s website describes its scholarship auditions as serving students from across Western New York. In 2025, 56% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York; other leading recipient states were the District of Columbia (11%), Texas (6%), Virginia (4%), and California (4%).

Grant Distribution by State

28states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 73 itemized grants.

Cities

BuffaloNew YorkWashingtonArlingtonLancasterAtlantaChicagoDallasBooneJacksonvilleBoys TownEast AuroraLindaleMemphisOaklandPenngroveSchenectadyTampaTriangleWest Seneca

Is The Carol J Adragna open to new grantees?

13%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 9 of 72 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $5K. How we count

Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.

  • 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 98% 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 (2020–2025). 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

$0$200K$400K$600K64 grants2020 85 grants2021 99 grants2022 83 grants2023 71 grants2024 73 grants2025

From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $130K (2020) to $412K (2023). In 2025 it made 73 grants totaling $389K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
American Red Cross Buffalo, NYGeneral - Unrestricted$20,000
St Jude Childrens Research Hospital Memphis, TNGeneral - Unrestricted$17,000
World Wildlife Fund Washington, DCGeneral - Unrestricted$14,000
Roswell Park Buffalo, NYGeneral - Unrestricted$12,000
American Lung Association Buffalo, NYGeneral - Unrestricted$10,000
Buffalo City Mission Buffalo, NYGeneral - Unrestricted$10,000
Environmental Defense Fund Washington, DCGeneral - Unrestricted$10,000
Feedmore WNY Foundation Buffalo, NYGeneral - Unrestricted$10,000
Salvation Army of Buffalo Buffalo, NYGeneral - Unrestricted$10,000
Wounded Warrior Project Jacksonville, FLGeneral - Unrestricted$10,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$8,649,675$1,236,209$488,014$388,50073$406,084$157,555$414,217
2024$8,161,093$179,928$432,351$338,74571$354,729$112,411$401,011
2023$7,451,332$118,633$485,913$412,01083$422,344$121,212$352,119
2022$6,788,151$134,982$458,989$369,70099$382,004$92,014$357,568
2021$8,174,615$379,821$419,049$328,70085$345,360$122,889$385,340
2020$7,084,672$4,823,416$170,438$129,50064—$55,057$166,994

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Carol J Adragna reported a distributable amount of $414K 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 foundation’s stated purpose is to provide scholarships to students who are college-bound for a career in music. Its website identifies Music Education, Music Performance, and Music Therapy as eligible fields of study.

Its 2025 grants also supported organizations working in varied areas. For example, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital describes its mission as advancing cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. FeedMore WNY Foundation says it provides food, friendship, and skills training to Western New York neighbors in need. World Wildlife Fund describes its mission as conserving nature and reducing threats to life on Earth.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 73 grants totaling $388,500. Grants ranged from $1,250 to $20,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest grants included $20,000 to the American Red Cross in Buffalo, $17,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and $14,000 to World Wildlife Fund. Other grants included $12,000 to Roswell Park and $10,000 each to the American Lung Association, Buffalo City Mission, Environmental Defense Fund, FeedMore WNY Foundation, Salvation Army of Buffalo, and Wounded Warrior Project.

The foundation’s 2025 filing says it does not use a formal application process for scholarship candidates. Recommended candidates audition before the scholarship committee, which evaluates their performance and high school scholastic achievements. Candidates must be high school graduates accepted at a post-secondary educational institution and interested in pursuing a career in music.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Lori Foster, David E. Gutowski, and Jeffrey Adragna as trustees.

The Carol J Adragna's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • David E. Gutowski

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    $5K (2020) → $11K (2025)

  • Lori Foster

    Trustee

    On filings since 2020

    2 hrs/week

    $5K (2020) → $14K (2025)

  • Jeffrey Adragna

    Trustee

    New on the 2025 filing

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Compensation Overview

From 2025 IRS filing

Lori Foster — Trustee: $14KLori FosterTrustee$14KDavid E Gutowski — Trustee: $11KDavid E GutowskiTrustee$11K

The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $14K, to Lori Foster (Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.

Frequently asked questions about The Carol J Adragna

How much does The Carol J Adragna give each year?

The Carol J Adragna gave $389K across 73 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $339K across 71 grants.

What is The Carol J Adragna's typical grant size?

The Carol J Adragna's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,322, across 73 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Carol J Adragna that year got $4K on average.

Where does The Carol J Adragna give grants?

The Carol J Adragna gives mostly in New York: 56% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (11%) and Texas (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Buffalo, NY (20 grants), Washington, DC (7 grants), New York, NY (7 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).

Does The Carol J Adragna give general operating support?

Yes: 95% of The Carol J Adragna's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (69 of 73) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (4 grants).

Who are The Carol J Adragna's largest grantees?

The Carol J Adragna's largest 2025 grantees include American Red Cross ($20,000), St Jude Childrens Research Hospital ($17,000) and World Wildlife Fund ($14,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Carol J Adragna?

The Carol J Adragna reported $8.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $406K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $414K (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 The Carol J Adragna fund?

The foundation’s stated purpose is to provide scholarships to students who are college-bound for a career in music. Its website identifies Music Education, Music Performance, and Music Therapy as eligible fields of study. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Carol J Adragna?

Scholarship candidates are recommended to the foundation and audition for the scholarship committee; the filing does not describe a formal application process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is The Carol J Adragna's EIN?

The Carol J Adragna's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-6968082. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

Data update history

(2)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). The Carol J Adragna funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-carol-j-adragna-morg_d68df8c2df794946a0c28bea820cb57a

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_276968082_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{The Carol J Adragna funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-carol-j-adragna-morg_d68df8c2df794946a0c28bea820cb57a},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 The Carol J Adragna'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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