James a Ruppe Foundation
The James A Ruppe Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. Its 2024 filing lists grants to charitable organizations in several states, including organizations whose stated work involves health care, education, religious activities, hospice care, and food assistance.
James a Ruppe Foundation at a glance
In short: James a Ruppe Foundation gave $626K across 63 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in Michigan. 5% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $625,563
- -8.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 63
- -3.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,930
- -5.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,500
- Total assets
- $7,576,655
- +11.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (3 of 63, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (54% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to James a Ruppe Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 227 W Monroe Street Suite 4400, Chicago, IL 60606-5096
Phone: (906) 337-1182
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who James a Ruppe Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Mayo Clinic ($180K). Together the top 10 received $361K.
Grant Size Distribution
282 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 273 grants of 282 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars were distributed to recipients in Michigan (54%), Minnesota (35%), Florida (8%), Tennessee (2%), and Wisconsin (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 63 itemized grants.
Cities
Is James a Ruppe Foundation open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 63 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 95% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 43% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 99% 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 (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $400K (2020) to $680K (2023). In 2024 it made 63 grants totaling $626K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | General Medical Use | $180,184 |
| Bay Cliff Health Camp Big Bay, MI | Educational Purposes | $60,379 |
| The Co-Cathedral of St John Rochester, MN | Religious | $25,000 |
| Michigan Tech Fund Houghton, MI | Educational Purposes | $17,500 |
| Omega House Houghton, MI | Hospice Care | $16,000 |
| Calumet High School Calumet, MI | Educational Purposes | $13,000 |
| St Albert the Great University Houghton, MI | Religious | $13,000 |
| CLK Foundation Calumet, MI | Educational Purposes | $12,000 |
| St Jude Childrens Research Hospital Memphis, TN | General Medical Use | $12,000 |
| Ronald McDonald House Rochester, MN | General Medical Use | $11,500 |
Ready to take the next step with James a Ruppe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7,576,655 | $1,309,099 | $642,170 | $625,563 | 63 | $625,563 | $374,133 | $632,955 |
| 2023 | $6,775,535 | $935,912 | $693,781 | $680,354 | 65 | $680,354 | $288,909 | $629,899 |
| 2022 | $6,508,931 | $761,870 | $581,489 | $567,533 | 56 | $567,533 | $243,374 | $669,309 |
| 2021 | $6,346,098 | $743,592 | $450,576 | $436,052 | 50 | $436,052 | $245,982 | $582,632 |
| 2020 | $6,052,998 | $592,234 | $411,296 | $400,065 | 48 | — | $246,390 | $450,071 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James a Ruppe Foundation reported a distributable amount of $633K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants include support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Mayo Clinic describes its mission as providing patient care, education, and research to advance health and well-being. Bay Cliff Health Camp says it promotes the health, welfare, happiness, and development of children and adults. Omega House says it provides a caring, homelike environment for terminally ill residents.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 63 grants totaling $625,563. Individual grants ranged from $500 to $180,184, with a median grant of $5,500.
The largest 2024 grants included $180,184 to Mayo Clinic for general medical use; $60,379 to Bay Cliff Health Camp for educational purposes; $25,000 to the Co-Cathedral of St John the for religious purposes; $17,500 to Michigan Tech Fund for educational purposes; and $16,000 to Omega House for hospice care. Other grants included $13,000 to Calumet High School for educational purposes and $12,000 to CLK Council of Churches for a food pantry.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
James A Ruppe is listed as trustee on the 2024 filing.
James a Ruppe Foundation is led by James A. Ruppe, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James A. Ruppe
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 James a Ruppe Foundation
How much does James a Ruppe Foundation give each year?
James a Ruppe Foundation gave $626K across 63 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $680K across 65 grants.
What is James a Ruppe Foundation's typical grant size?
James a Ruppe Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,500, and its average grant was $9,930, across 63 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from James a Ruppe Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does James a Ruppe Foundation give grants?
James a Ruppe Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Minnesota (35%) and Florida (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houghton, MI (12 grants), Calumet, MI (12 grants), Hancock, MI (9 grants) and Fort Lauderdale, FL (6 grants).
Does James a Ruppe Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of James a Ruppe Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 63) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Educational Purposes" (11 grants), "Religious" (9 grants) and "Community Care Fund" (5 grants).
Who are James a Ruppe Foundation's largest grantees?
James a Ruppe Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Mayo Clinic ($180,184), Bay Cliff Health Camp ($60,379) and The Co-Cathedral of St John ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is James a Ruppe Foundation?
James a Ruppe Foundation reported $7.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $626K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $633K (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 James a Ruppe Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Mayo Clinic describes its mission as providing patient care, education, and research to advance health and well-being. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James a Ruppe Foundation?
The foundation 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 James a Ruppe Foundation's EIN?
James a Ruppe Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-7243982. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does James a Ruppe 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). James a Ruppe Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/james-a-ruppe-foundation-morg_49969fea7e4646d2bf92ecb3348cdf40
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_527243982_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{James a Ruppe Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/james-a-ruppe-foundation-morg_49969fea7e4646d2bf92ecb3348cdf40},
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 James a Ruppe 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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