Rast Foundation
Rast Foundation is a private foundation based in Bethesda, Maryland (EIN 81-0723895). Its website describes an education-focused mission centered on improving education in developing countries, especially Pakistan; its 2025 filing also shows grants to organizations in several other fields and locations.
Rast Foundation at a glance
In short: Rast Foundation gave $5.8M across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $264K), mostly in Maryland. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,814,578
- +105.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- +10.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $264,299
- +87.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $107,295,962
- +13.2% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Maryland (61% 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 Rast Foundation
- 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: 6600 Rockledge Drive Ste 150, Bethesda, MD 20817
Phone: (301) 795-1000
Website: https://rastfoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Rast Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church ($2.0M). Together the top 10 received $5.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
97 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 74 grants of 97 (76%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing allocates grant dollars primarily to recipients in Maryland (61%), followed by the District of Columbia (13%), California (11%), New York (9%), and Delaware (4%). The website describes the foundation’s education work as focused on developing countries, especially Pakistan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Rast Foundation gives
- 44% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 76% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 115% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $1.2M (2020) to $5.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $5.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church Potomac, MD | The Campaign for Our Lady of Mercy | $2,012,283 |
| Archdiocese of Washington Catholic Church Hyattsville, MD | General Contribution | $1,507,014 |
| Don Bosco Cristo Rey Washington, DC | Building the Future Campaign | $700,287 |
| Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc San Fransisco, CA | General Contribution | $600,000 |
| GS Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund Albany, NY | General Contribution | $505,016 |
| Padua Academy Wilmington, DE | Cafetorium Project | $205,058 |
| Hoffman Institute Foundation San Rafael, CA | General Contribution | $50,000 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital Memphis, TN | Give to Live Global Gala | $50,000 |
| Williams College Williamstown, MA | Alumni Fund - Mental Health | $50,000 |
| Williams College Williamstown, MA | Dean's Discretionary Fund | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Rast Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The foundation reported 22 grants in 2025, 20 in 2024, and 31 in 2023.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $107,295,962 | $17,120,464 | $6,125,796 | $5,814,578 | 22 | $5,827,884 | $8,114,295 | $5,048,061 |
| 2024 | $94,805,201 | $30,122,263 | $4,162,264 | $2,826,765 | 20 | $2,893,136 | $17,005,869 | $4,207,767 |
| 2023 | $77,515,659 | $-1,867,190 | $5,725,572 | $4,227,443 | 31 | $4,273,598 | — | $3,735,152 |
| 2022 | $65,198,751 | $22,821,254 | $3,859,251 | $3,308,573 | 16 | $3,308,691 | $6,898,163 | $3,581,159 |
| 2021 | $68,514,288 | $40,789,811 | $1,715,029 | $1,423,332 | 8 | — | $2,709,882 | $2,835,203 |
| 2020 | $18,445,019 | $2,123,792 | $1,336,527 | $1,209,124 | 3 | — | $1,993,748 | $1,294,962 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Rast Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.0M 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
RAST Foundation’s website says its vision is to eradicate illiteracy and promote education as a means of developing students’ critical thinking, compassion, and judgment. It describes teacher training as a central approach and identifies the Bureau for Teachers Professional Development, which offers free training to pre-primary and high school teachers, as its first project. The website also describes KAMAAN, a planned effort to facilitate access to foreign scholarships, and IQRA, a planned virtual-library initiative.
The 2025 grants went to a varied set of recipients, including churches, schools, colleges, donor-advised funds, a children’s research hospital, and arts and other organizations. Among the grantees described in their own terms, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital says it advances cures and prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment; The Washington Ballet says it brings dance to the nation’s capital and the world’s stage and provides dance training and education; and the Hoffman Institute Foundation says it supports personal growth and human potential.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $5,814,578. Grant amounts ranged from $2,420 to $2,012,283, with a median of $25,000.
The largest reported grants included $2,012,283 to Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church for “The Campaign for Our Lady of Mercy,” $1,507,014 to the Archdiocese of Washington Catholic Church as a general contribution, and $700,287 to Don Bosco Cristo Rey for its “Building the Future Campaign.” Other large grants included $600,000 to Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc. and $505,016 to GS Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund, both listed as general contributions, and $205,058 to Padua Academy for its “Cafetorium Project.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Robert L. Trone as director, president, and treasurer, and Anna Marie Parisi-Trone as director, vice president, and secretary.
Rast Foundation is led by Robert L. Trone, Director, President & Treasurer since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robert L. Trone
Director, President & Treasurer
Director & President → Director, President & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anna Marie Parisi-Trone
Director, Vice President & Secretary
Director & Vice President → Director, Vice President & Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Rast Foundation
How much does Rast Foundation give each year?
Rast Foundation gave $5.8M across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.8M across 20 grants.
What is Rast Foundation's typical grant size?
Rast Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $25,000, and its average grant was $264,299, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Rast Foundation give grants?
Rast Foundation gives mostly in Maryland: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (13%) and California (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants), Rockville, MD (3 grants) and Williamstown, MA (2 grants).
Does Rast Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 50% of Rast Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 22) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Rast Foundation's largest grantees?
Rast Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church ($2,012,283), Archdiocese of Washington Catholic Church ($1,507,014) and Don Bosco Cristo Rey ($702,707 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 73% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Rast Foundation?
Rast Foundation reported $107.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $5.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Rast Foundation fund?
RAST Foundation’s website says its vision is to eradicate illiteracy and promote education as a means of developing students’ critical thinking, compassion, and judgment. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Rast Foundation?
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 Rast Foundation's EIN?
Rast Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0723895. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Rast 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Rast Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Rast Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/rast-foundation-morg_9da92942b47d43298f8d418fce776471
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_810723895_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Rast Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/rast-foundation-morg_9da92942b47d43298f8d418fce776471},
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 Rast 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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