Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation
The Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation is a private foundation based in Columbus, Indiana. It makes grants to organizations, with its 2025 grant dollars reported entirely in Indiana.
Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation at a glance
In short: Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation gave $530K across 41 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Indiana. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $530,000
- +36.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 41
- +28.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,927
- +6.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,000
- Total assets
- $8,587,864
- +1.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (11 of 41, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Indiana (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applications should be submitted in letter form, stating the organization’s purpose and the nature of the request. The filing lists no restrictions on awards and directs applicants to contact Lynda Garber, Trust Officer.
- Review Cycle
- Prior to the annual meeting.
- Deadline
- Prior to the annual meeting.
- Contact
Application contact: Lynda Garber Trust Officer
Mailing address: First Financial Bank 125 3Rd St, Columbus, IN 47201
Phone: (812) 376-1981
Email: lynda.garber@bankatfirst.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Bridge to Dove Recovery House ($78K). Together the top 10 received $332K.
Grant Size Distribution
196 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 188 grants of 196 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars in 2025 went to recipients in Indiana. Many listed recipients are based in Columbus, including Bridge to Dove Recovery House, Our Hospice of South Central Indiana, and Family Service of Bartholomew County.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 41 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 11 of 41 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 56% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+9%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 108% 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 $362K (2020) to $530K (2025). In 2025 it made 41 grants totaling $530K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Bridge to Dove Recovery House Columbus, IN | Unrestricted | $78,000 |
| Our Hospice of South Central Indiana Columbus, IN | Unrestricted | $51,000 |
| Indiana University Columbus Columbus, IN | Unrestricted | $45,000 |
| American Red Cross Columbus, IN | Unrestricted | $34,500 |
| Family Service of Bartholomew County Columbus, IN | Unrestricted | $30,000 |
| Chain Breaker Ministries Columbus, IN | Unrestricted | $25,000 |
| Lincoln Central Neighborhood Columbus, IN | Unrestricted | $20,000 |
| CASA Columbus, IN | Unrestricted | $18,000 |
| Love Chapel Foundation Columbus, IN | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| Just Friends Inc Columbus, IN | Unrestricted | $15,000 |
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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 | $8,587,864 | $703,817 | $614,409 | $530,000 | 41 | $533,579 | $633,815 | $495,305 |
| 2024 | $8,498,461 | $606,470 | $463,010 | $388,000 | 32 | $390,274 | $537,048 | $474,154 |
| 2023 | $8,356,588 | $397,021 | $587,539 | $518,000 | 40 | $522,779 | $332,261 | $451,640 |
| 2022 | $8,546,784 | $-112,793 | $561,697 | $486,000 | 45 | $489,684 | $166,603 | $481,571 |
| 2021 | $9,221,679 | $627,028 | $537,363 | $435,500 | 38 | $440,490 | $556,206 | $532,743 |
| 2020 | $9,132,618 | $1,260,780 | $427,730 | $361,690 | 42 | — | $1,183,540 | $441,922 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation reported a distributable amount of $495K 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 grants went to a range of organizations. For example, Family Service of Bartholomew County describes its mission as strengthening the wellbeing of families and individuals and advocating for a community environment that nurtures family life. Just Friends says it supports independence through socialization, exercise, creative activities, nursing supervision, and community engagement. Lincoln Central Neighborhood says it provides programs for residents in the Lincoln/Central school area.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 41 grants totaling $530,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $78,000, with a median of $8,000. Its largest listed grants included Bridge to Dove Recovery House ($78,000), Our Hospice of South Central Indiana ($51,000), Indiana University Columbus ($45,000), and the American Red Cross ($34,500). Other recipients included Family Service of Bartholomew County ($30,000), Chain Breaker Ministries ($25,000), and Lincoln Central Neighborhood ($20,000). The listed grants were designated unrestricted.
The foundation awarded 32 grants totaling $388,000 in 2024 and 40 grants totaling $518,000 in 2023.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Richard H. Weaver, Director; A. Samuel Pentzer, Vice President; Diane Bradley, Director; Steve Carothers, Director; James W. Holland, Secretary; and Seth Keele, Director.
Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation's 2025 filing lists 6 officers; all 6 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Diane Bradley
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$550 (2020) → $550 (2025)
Richard H. Weaver
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$550 (2020) → $550 (2025)
Steve Carothers
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$550 (2020) → $550 (2025)
Seth Keele
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
$550 (2022) → $550 (2025)
A. Samuel Pentzer
Vice President
President → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$550 (2020) → $550 (2025)
James W. Holland
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$550 (2020) → $550 (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: William A. Helmbrecht (2020–2022) — President & Treasurer
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
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $550, to Richard H Weaver (Director). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation
How much does Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation give each year?
Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation gave $530K across 41 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $388K across 32 grants.
What is Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation's typical grant size?
Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,000, and its average grant was $12,927, across 41 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation that year got $21K on average.
Where does Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation give grants?
Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation gives mostly in Indiana: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Columbus, IN (34 grants) and Indianapolis, IN (5 grants).
Does Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (41 of 41) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation's largest grantees?
Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Bridge to Dove Recovery House ($78,000), Our Hospice of South Central Indiana ($51,000) and Indiana University Columbus ($45,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation?
Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation reported $8.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $534K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $495K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its grants went to a range of organizations. For example, Family Service of Bartholomew County describes its mission as strengthening the wellbeing of families and individuals and advocating for a community environment that nurtures family life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation's EIN?
Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-6049600. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 25, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 29, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 22, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/elizabeth-ruddick-nugent-foundation-morg_b43c648a4256447084b373c5e91433ae
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_356049600_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/elizabeth-ruddick-nugent-foundation-morg_b43c648a4256447084b373c5e91433ae},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Elizabeth Ruddick Nugent 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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