Roney Family Foundation

Roney Family Foundation was established in 2008 and received tax-exempt status in September 2008. It is based in Concho, Arizona, a small rural community in Apache County in eastern Arizona (White Mountains region). The foundation is directed exclusively by the Roney family: Mary T. Roney serves as President and Secretary, with Chelsea Roney and Mary K. Roney as Directors — all unpaid. The stated mission is to provide grants to charitable organizations for religious, scientific, and/or educational purposes, but in practice the foundation has evolved into a significant funder of animal welfare organizations, particularly those focused on senior, rescued, or sanctuary animals. The foundation also supports medical and enrichment programs, including programs serving Ukraine. With approximately $4.3 million in assets and no paid employees, this is a lean family philanthropy operation making directed grants based on the family's personal values and relationships. The website (roney.org) appears to be a minimal site without grant-application functionality.

Roney Family Foundation derives essentially all of its revenue from dividends on its investment portfolio (approximately $62,000–$87,000 annually, with no outside contributions since inception). This makes it a fully endowed family foundation. Annual charitable disbursements have been remarkably consistent: $170,461 in FY2021, $240,000 in FY2022, $190,000 in FY2023, and $180,000 in FY2024. The foundation consistently spends more than it earns from investments, drawing down net assets over time (assets fell from ~$4.36M in 2021 to ~$4.34M in 2024 after recovering from a trough of ~$3.46M in 2022). In FY2024 the foundation made 28 grants with $180,000 in total charitable disbursements. Notable 2024 grantees include Senior Hearts Rescue and Renewal ($30,000), Dogtree Pines Senior Dog Sanctuary ($14,000), and Lancaster SPCA ($12,000). The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee is also a documented grantee. Prior years showed up to $240,000 in annual grants. Individual grants typically range from $5,000 to $30,000.

Roney Family Foundation is a small family philanthropy with a distinctive animal welfare focus. Here is how it compares to similar foundations:

Roney Family Foundation stands out from typical private foundations by its strong animal welfare giving orientation despite its nominally broad stated mission. Its assets of $4.3M and consistent annual giving of $170K-$240K place it in the upper tier of small family foundations. The rural Arizona address (Concho, Apache County) reflects a family likely with deep western/agricultural roots.

In FY2024, Roney Family Foundation made 28 grants totaling $180,000 in charitable disbursements. Revenue was $87,574 (entirely from dividends), and total expenses were $219,806 (including non-grant administrative expenses). Assets stand at $4,344,006 as of end of FY2024, with minimal liabilities of $5,421. The 2024 990-PF was filed May 6, 2025. Known 2024 grantees: Senior Hearts Rescue and Renewal ($30,000 general program support), Dogtree Pines Senior Dog Sanctuary ($14,000 general program support), Lancaster SPCA ($12,000 general program support), plus 12 additional grants. In FY2023 the foundation disbursed $190,000. The Ukraine-focused medical and behavioral programs were noted as a giving area, suggesting the foundation has responded to humanitarian needs abroad alongside its domestic animal welfare priorities. Mary T. Roney continues as President/Secretary. The website roney.org appears to be a JavaScript-heavy site that loads slowly and does not contain substantive grant application information.

Roney Family Foundation does not have a public grant portal. Successful approaches will require direct outreach to the Roney family. Key guidance: (1) Animal welfare is the primary funding priority — organizations serving senior dogs, animal sanctuaries, or shelters have the strongest alignment based on known grantees. The Elephant Sanctuary in TN, Senior Hearts Rescue, and Dogtree Pines Senior Dog Sanctuary all receive support. (2) Phone outreach may be effective — the foundation has a listed phone number (602) 315-9570, making it accessible for direct inquiries. (3) Religious, scientific, and educational organizations also fit the stated mission and should not be excluded if they have strong programming. (4) Medical programs and Ukraine-focused humanitarian work have also attracted support, suggesting openness to international relief. (5) Individual grant sizes are modest ($5,000–$30,000) — requests should be appropriately scaled. (6) Timing: December fiscal year-end means fall is the best window for outreach, as grant decisions for the year are likely finalized in Q3-Q4. (7) The rural Arizona base suggests the family may have affinity for western/outdoor or rural-serving organizations alongside their documented national giving.