The Vera B Arrison Foundation
The Vera B Arrison Foundation is a private foundation based in North Tonawanda, New York. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations working in education, food assistance, services for people with disabilities, and medical research.
The Vera B Arrison Foundation at a glance
In short: The Vera B Arrison Foundation gave $145K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in New York. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $144,500
- -1.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,881
- -1.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,000
- Total assets
- $2,326,681
- -1.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (2 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (92% 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 Vera B Arrison Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 4958 Tonawanda Creek Road, North Tonawanda, NY 14120
Phone: (716) 870-9697
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Vera B Arrison Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Buffalo Peace House ($10K). Together the top 10 received $100K.
Grant Size Distribution
105 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 105 grants of 105 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 7% to recipients in Missouri, and 1% to recipients in South Dakota. The listed New York recipients include organizations in Buffalo and other Western New York communities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Vera B Arrison Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 21 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−20%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 102% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $110K (2020) to $180K (2022). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $145K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Peace House Hamburg, NY | General Fund | $10,000 |
| Clement and Karen Arrison Legacy Foundation Clarence Center, NY | Support for Rescued Horses | $10,000 |
| Daemen University Amherst, NY | College Transition Program | $10,000 |
| Gliding Stars Inc Buffalo, NY | General Fund | $10,000 |
| Home of My Own - WNY Williamsville, NY | General Fund | $10,000 |
| Opportunities Collaborative for Special Needs Students Tonawanda, NY | General Fund | $10,000 |
| PKD Foundation Kansas City, MO | Research | $10,000 |
| Ride for Roswell Buffalo, NY | General Fund | $10,000 |
| The Teacher's Desk Buffalo, NY | General Fund | $10,000 |
| YMCA Buffalo Niagara Buffalo, NY | General Fund | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Vera B Arrison 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 | $2,326,681 | $190,912 | $221,509 | $144,500 | 21 | $163,968 | $133,371 | $161,483 |
| 2024 | $2,357,278 | $259,626 | $217,310 | $147,000 | 21 | $165,096 | $207,412 | $153,615 |
| 2023 | $2,314,962 | $152,621 | $198,742 | $137,500 | 21 | $152,813 | $107,460 | $143,078 |
| 2022 | $2,361,083 | $138,699 | $249,926 | $180,100 | 23 | $197,877 | $89,490 | $149,430 |
| 2021 | $2,472,310 | $176,404 | $194,778 | $125,500 | 19 | $142,111 | $123,775 | $171,634 |
| 2020 | $2,490,684 | $137,988 | $190,877 | $109,500 | 17 | — | $79,013 | $149,414 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Vera B Arrison Foundation reported a distributable amount of $161K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, the PKD Foundation describes its mission as funding research, advocating for patients, and building community for people impacted by PKD. Buffalo Peace House says it provides safe housing, meals, and necessary services for asylum seekers in Western New York. Daemen University describes itself as a private, independent university providing higher education.
Other 2025 recipients describe their work as providing free school supplies to teachers serving students in need (The Teacher’s Desk), adaptive ice-skating programs for people with disabilities (Gliding Stars), and nutritious food, friendship, and skills training for Western New York neighbors in need (FeedMore WNY Foundation).
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 21 grants totaling $144,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median grant of $8,000. Its largest listed grants were $10,000 each to Buffalo Peace House, the Clement and Karen Arrison Legacy Foundation, Daemen University, Gliding Stars, Home of My Own - WNY, Opportunities Collaborative for Special Needs Students, the PKD Foundation, Ride for Roswell, The Teacher’s Desk, and YMCA Buffalo Niagara. FeedMore WNY Foundation received $8,000. Wings Flights of Hope received $5,000.
The foundation’s filing reports $147,000 in grants across 21 grants in 2024, and $137,500 across 21 grants in 2023.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Vera B Arrison as president, Barbara A Regan as secretary, and Craig Arrison as treasurer.
The Vera B Arrison Foundation is led by Vera B. Arrison, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Vera B. Arrison
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Barbara A. Regan
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Craig Arrison
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
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 Vera B Arrison Foundation
How much does The Vera B Arrison Foundation give each year?
The Vera B Arrison Foundation gave $145K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $147K across 21 grants.
What is The Vera B Arrison Foundation's typical grant size?
The Vera B Arrison Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,000, and its average grant was $6,881, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Vera B Arrison Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Vera B Arrison Foundation give grants?
The Vera B Arrison Foundation gives mostly in New York: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Missouri (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Buffalo, NY (10 grants) and Clarence Center, NY (2 grants).
Does The Vera B Arrison Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 67% of The Vera B Arrison Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Vera B Arrison Foundation's largest grantees?
The Vera B Arrison Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Buffalo Peace House ($10,000), Clement and Karen Arrison Legacy Foundation ($10,000) and Daemen University ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 21% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Vera B Arrison Foundation?
The Vera B Arrison Foundation reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $164K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $161K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Vera B Arrison Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, the PKD Foundation describes its mission as funding research, advocating for patients, and building community for people impacted by PKD. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Vera B Arrison Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Vera B Arrison Foundation's EIN?
The Vera B Arrison Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 16-1592099. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Vera B Arrison Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS September 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Vera B Arrison Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-vera-b-arrison-foundation-morg_ab3d613cc1104792a7dd51c5555c2bc5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_161592099_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Vera B Arrison Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-vera-b-arrison-foundation-morg_ab3d613cc1104792a7dd51c5555c2bc5},
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 Vera B Arrison 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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