The West Foundation Inc
The West Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Its 2025 filing reports two grants totaling $77,879, both to organizations in Arkansas.
The West Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The West Foundation Inc gave $78K across 2 grants in 2025 (avg $39K), mostly in Arkansas. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $77,879
- -99.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 2
- +100.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $38,940
- -99.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $38,940
- Total assets
- $535,914
- -13.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Arkansas (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The West Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: P O Box 7445, Pine Bluff, AR 71611
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The West Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jefferson County Boys Girls Club ($61K). Together the top 2 received $78K.
Grant Size Distribution
32 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 25 grants of 32 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Arkansas. The foundation’s described focus also includes community development in the Global South.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 2 itemized grants.
Cities
How The West Foundation Inc gives
- Giving fell 71% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 272% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $3K (2019) to $12.3M (2024). In 2025 it made 2 grants totaling $78K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County Boys Girls Club Pine Bluff, AR | Renovations | $61,279 |
| CASA Womens Shelter Pine Bluff, AR | Hvac Unit | $16,600 |
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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 | $535,914 | $774 | $80,531 | $77,879 | 2 | $77,879 | — | $28,657 |
| 2024 | $615,671 | $103,735 | $12,285,599 | $12,263,293 | 1 | $12,263,293 | $84,257 | $200,473 |
| 2023 | $11,937,420 | $507,962 | $799,684 | $698,095 | 11 | $698,095 | $410,308 | $608,819 |
| 2022 | $12,422,572 | $312,350 | $324,201 | $268,500 | 10 | $268,500 | $256,649 | $267,262 |
| 2021 | $4,561,153 | $2,393,750 | $229,016 | $196,000 | 8 | $196,000 | $76,998 | $129,331 |
| 2020 | $2,396,419 | $1,284,534 | $18,764 | $6,000 | 5 | — | $41,951 | $70,773 |
| 2019 | $90,180 | $176 | $3,525 | $3,250 | 5 | — | — | $4,509 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The West Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $29K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is described as furthering progress in nations in the Global South and helping eliminate poverty through grassroots community development. Its stated areas of interest include education, livelihoods, community-based healthcare, and environmental management, particularly potable water supply. It prioritizes beneficiary-driven change and community leadership, and gives special consideration to expanding proven programs, efforts that could serve as models, and programs that may have difficulty attracting public support.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported two grants totaling $77,879. The grants ranged from $16,600 to $61,279, with a median of $38,940.
The largest grant was $61,279 to Jefferson County Boys Girls Club in Pine Bluff for renovations. The other was $16,600 to CASA Womens Shelter in Pine Bluff for an HVAC unit.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Dabney Pelton as president, Ted Drake as secretary, Billy Stone as treasurer, and Hailey Easley and Ethel Dunklin as directors.
The West Foundation Inc is led by Dabney Pelton, President since 2021 (on filings since 2019); none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Dabney Pelton
President
Director → President, 2021
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Ethel Dunklin
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Hailey Easley
Director
On filings since 2024
No compensation reported
Billy Stone
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Ted Drake
Secretary
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Tere H. Smart (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Edgar J. Tyler (2019–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Joe Edwards (2019–2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 West Foundation Inc
How much does The West Foundation Inc give each year?
The West Foundation Inc gave $78K across 2 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $12.3M across 1 grant.
How large is The West Foundation Inc?
The West Foundation Inc reported $536K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $78K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $29K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The West Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s mission is described as furthering progress in nations in the Global South and helping eliminate poverty through grassroots community development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The West Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does The West Foundation Inc make grants?
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Arkansas. The foundation’s described focus also includes community development in the Global South.
What is The West Foundation Inc's EIN?
The West Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 71-0743078. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The West Foundation Inc 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 6, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 3, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 22, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 21, 2024)
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