Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc
Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including arts organizations, a public school, and a school and social service agency serving families experiencing homelessness.
Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc gave $88K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), mostly in Oklahoma. 24% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $87,850
- +48.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- +88.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $5,168
- -21.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,344,659
- -2.1% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (4 of 17, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Oklahoma (86% 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 Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc
- 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: 210 Park Avenue Ste 2150, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Phone: (405) 239-7036
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center ($23K). Together the top 10 received $77K.
Grant Size Distribution
79 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 79 grants of 79 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in Oklahoma, 11% to recipients in the District of Columbia, and 3% to recipients in Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 17 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 47% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−14%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 624% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $30K (2022) to $122K (2019). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $88K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center Oklahoma City, OK | Financial Support. | $22,500 |
| Wewoka Public Schools Wewoka, OK | Scholarship | $10,500 |
| American Red Cross - Tiffany Circle Washington, DC | Financial Support | $10,000 |
| OKC Museum of Art Oklahoma City, OK | Financial Support | $8,000 |
| Painted Sky Opera Edmond, OK | Financial Support | $7,500 |
| Positive Tomorrows Oklahoma City, OK | Financial Support | $5,000 |
| Allied Arts Oklahoma City, OK | Financial Support. | $5,000 |
| Oklahoma City Ballet Oklahoma City, OK | Financial Support | $3,000 |
| Oklahoma City Philharmonic Oklahoma City, OH | Financial Support | $2,500 |
| Arts Council Oklahoma City Oklahoma City, OK | Financial Support | $2,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,344,659 | $55,325 | $96,651 | $87,850 | 17 | $88,775 | $48,530 | $14,232 |
| 2023 | $1,373,490 | $48,390 | $64,674 | $59,000 | 9 | $59,888 | $43,604 | $13,423 |
| 2022 | $1,389,779 | $71,021 | $36,667 | $29,750 | 8 | $29,750 | $65,499 | $15,829 |
| 2021 | $1,355,348 | $69,743 | $105,955 | $101,600 | 23 | $101,600 | $65,814 | $12,002 |
| 2020 | $1,391,643 | $33,733 | $99,640 | $96,020 | 22 | — | $30,622 | $13,160 |
| 2019 | $1,457,550 | $66,768 | $129,183 | $121,875 | 28 | — | $60,245 | $17,962 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $14K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its reported 2024 grants show support for arts and cultural organizations, education, and other charitable organizations. Among its grantees, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center says it encourages artistic expression through education, exhibitions, and performance; Painted Sky Opera says it presents opera through performance and education in Central Oklahoma; and Positive Tomorrows describes itself as a school and social service agency for families experiencing homelessness.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $87,850 across 17 grants. Grants ranged from $600 to $22,500, with a median grant of $2,500. The largest awards included $22,500 to Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, $10,500 to Wewoka Public Schools for scholarships, $10,000 to American Red Cross - Tiffany Circle, and $8,000 to OKC Museum of Art. Other notable grants included $7,500 to Painted Sky Opera and $5,000 each to Positive Tomorrows and Allied Arts.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lance Ruffel as director and president and Cindy Ruffel as director and vice president.
Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc is led by Lance Ruffel, Director & President on every filing since 2019; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lance Ruffel
Director & President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cindy Ruffel
Director & Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc
How much does Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc give each year?
Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc gave $88K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $59K across 9 grants.
What is Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $5,168, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc that year got $2K on average.
Where does Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc give grants?
Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc gives mostly in Oklahoma: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Oklahoma City, OK (13 grants).
Does Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Financial Support" (16 grants).
Who are Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center ($22,500), Wewoka Public Schools ($10,500) and American Red Cross - Tiffany Circle ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc?
Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $89K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $14K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its reported 2024 grants show support for arts and cultural organizations, education, and other charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc?
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 Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-1441687. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Does Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 5, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 20, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 30, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 18, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 23, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/lance-and-cindy-ruffel-family-foundation-inc-morg_e5683620f6c14ca684ffce76b39491b4
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_471441687_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Lance \& Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/lance-and-cindy-ruffel-family-foundation-inc-morg_e5683620f6c14ca684ffce76b39491b4},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Lance & Cindy Ruffel Family Foundation Inc'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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