The Edward H Butler Foundation
The Edward H Butler Foundation is a private foundation based in Buffalo, New York. Its 2025 grants supported organizations and projects including education, arts and community initiatives, food access, and organizational and capital needs.
The Edward H Butler Foundation at a glance
In short: The Edward H Butler Foundation gave $270K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in New York. 19% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $270,000
- +12.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,875
- +40.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $2,804,135
- +23.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 19% first-time grantees (3 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (85% 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 Edward H Butler Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact Edward B Righter. Submit the requested grant amount and a description of how the grant funds will be used.
- Review Cycle
- July 31; trustees review requests annually in the fall.
- Deadline
- July 31; trustees review requests annually in the fall.
- Contact
Application contact: Edward B Righter
Mailing address: 369 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY 14202
Phone: (716) 856-3300
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Edward H Butler Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Elmwood Franklin School ($50K). Together the top 10 received $235K.
Grant Size Distribution
103 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 96 grants of 103 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The trustees state that they focus primarily on requests from organizations in Buffalo and the surrounding areas of Western New York. In 2025, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 11% to Massachusetts, and 4% to the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Edward H Butler Foundation open to new grantees?
19%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 16 grantees (19%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−1%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 94% 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
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $199K (2020) to $272K (2022). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $270K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Elmwood Franklin School Buffalo, NY | Education | $50,000 |
| One Symphony Circle Buffalo, NY | General Fund | $50,000 |
| Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology Buffalo, NY | To Support the Opportunity Within Reach Capital Campaign | $40,000 |
| Water Compass Boston, MA | General Fund | $30,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Buffalo Buffalo, NY | Butler Mitchell House Renovation | $15,000 |
| Assembly House 150 Buffalo, NY | To Support the Modern City Builders Program | $10,000 |
| Grassroots Garden WNY Buffalo, NY | Aid for Food Insecurity | $10,000 |
| The Tool Library Buffalo, NY | Designation - to support capacity-building projects to improve operational efficiency | $10,000 |
| West Side Community Services Buffalo, NY | General Fund | $10,000 |
| Gigi's Playhouse Buffalo, NY | General Fund | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Edward H Butler Foundation?
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 | $2,804,135 | $846,801 | $315,479 | $270,000 | 16 | $274,504 | $819,834 | $290,513 |
| 2024 | $2,272,813 | $541,122 | $272,167 | $240,500 | 20 | $246,000 | $514,955 | $275,141 |
| 2023 | $2,003,858 | $280,047 | $277,111 | $242,000 | 16 | $247,800 | $251,072 | $246,053 |
| 2022 | $2,000,922 | $301,085 | $303,309 | $272,000 | 29 | $276,500 | $277,442 | $247,334 |
| 2021 | $2,003,146 | $198,643 | $248,326 | $216,500 | 22 | $221,145 | $173,790 | $274,934 |
| 2020 | $2,052,829 | $153,872 | $226,212 | $199,000 | 22 | — | $132,710 | $221,690 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Edward H Butler Foundation reported a distributable amount of $291K 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
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grant purposes included education, general operating support, a capital campaign, a renovation, a community program, food-insecurity assistance, and capacity-building. The grants also show support for organizations working in areas such as youth development and arts and culture.
Grantees describe their own work in varied terms. One Symphony Circle says it works to preserve and maintain a registered historic building as a community asset. The Tool Library says it promotes borrowing, resource-sharing, and sustainability. West Side Community Services describes programs in youth development, older adult engagement, food access, and community events. 716 Squash says it provides Buffalo youth with education, mentoring, service, and squash opportunities.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $270,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $50,000, with a median of $10,000. Notable grants included $50,000 to Elmwood Franklin School for education, $50,000 to One Symphony Circle for its general fund, $40,000 to Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology for the Opportunity Within Reach capital campaign, and $30,000 to Water Compass for its general fund. Other grants included $15,000 to Boys & Girls Club of Buffalo for the Butler Mitchell House renovation and $10,000 to Grassroots Garden WNY for aid for food insecurity.
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Requests should include the amount requested and a description of how the funds will be used. The trustees focus primarily on requests from organizations in Buffalo and the surrounding areas of Western New York.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Edward B Righter Jr, Edward B Righter, James Gardner, and Donald R Zammit as trustees.
The Edward H Butler Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Donald R. Zammit
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edward B. Righter
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Edward B. Righter Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Gardner
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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.
Frequently asked questions about The Edward H Butler Foundation
How much does The Edward H Butler Foundation give each year?
The Edward H Butler Foundation gave $270K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $241K across 20 grants.
What is The Edward H Butler Foundation's typical grant size?
The Edward H Butler Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $16,875, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Edward H Butler Foundation that year got $20K on average.
Where does The Edward H Butler Foundation give grants?
The Edward H Butler Foundation gives mostly in New York: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Buffalo, NY (11 grants) and Old Forge, NY (2 grants).
Does The Edward H Butler Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 63% of The Edward H Butler Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Edward H Butler Foundation's largest grantees?
The Edward H Butler Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Elmwood Franklin School ($50,000), One Symphony Circle ($50,000) and Buffalo Center for Arts & Technology ($40,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Edward H Butler Foundation?
The Edward H Butler Foundation reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $275K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $291K (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 Edward H Butler Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2025 grant purposes included education, general operating support, a capital campaign, a renovation, a community program, food-insecurity assistance, and capacity-building. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Edward H Butler Foundation?
Contact Edward B Righter. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Edward H Butler Foundation's EIN?
The Edward H Butler Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 16-6019785. 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
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Edward H Butler Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-edward-h-butler-foundation-morg_a851b29f42fa4b4fb35ebc5f3802124f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_166019785_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Edward H Butler Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-edward-h-butler-foundation-morg_a851b29f42fa4b4fb35ebc5f3802124f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Edward H Butler Foundation'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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