Rock in the Pond Foundation
Rock in the Pond Foundation is a private foundation based in Charleston, South Carolina. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations working in areas including education, child advocacy, social services, homelessness services, museums and education, and justice initiatives.
Rock in the Pond Foundation at a glance
In short: Rock in the Pond Foundation gave $23K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in South Carolina. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $23,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- Average grant
- $1,643
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $176,301
- -6.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (3 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- South Carolina (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. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Rock in the Pond 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: 10 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Phone: (843) 367-1017
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Rock in the Pond Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Acba (American College of the Building Arts) ($2K). Together the top 10 received $19K.
Grant Size Distribution
34 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 34 grants of 34 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 61% of grant dollars went to recipients in South Carolina. Other reported recipient-state shares were Georgia, Michigan, and Alabama at 9% each, and the District of Columbia at 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Rock in the Pond Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 14 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+18%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 175% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2025). 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 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $20K (2022) to $28K (2023). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $23K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Acba (American College of the Building Arts) Charleston, SC | Educational | $2,000 |
| Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA | Educational | $2,000 |
| Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center Charleston, SC | Child Advocacy Services | $2,000 |
| International African American Museum Charleston, SC | Museum/Educational | $2,000 |
| Lowcountry Orphan Relief North Charleston, SC | Program Services, Social Services | $2,000 |
| One 80PLACE Charleston, SC | Homelessness Services | $2,000 |
| The Academy Fund (Grosse Pointe Academy) Grosse Pointe Farms, MI | Educational | $2,000 |
| Trident United Way North Charleston, SC | Program Services, Social Services | $2,000 |
| Southern Poverty Law Center Montgomery, AL | Support Justice Initiatives | $2,000 |
| Ashley Hall Charleston, SC | Educational | $1,000 |
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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 | $176,301 | $15,295 | $27,937 | $23,000 | 14 | $23,385 | $10,943 | $13,399 |
| 2024 | $188,943 | $10,212 | $6,367 | — | — | $787 | $4,632 | $11,956 |
| 2023 | $215,750 | $-4,995 | $34,362 | $28,000 | 11 | $28,879 | — | $10,613 |
| 2022 | $227,257 | $-1,150 | $25,812 | $19,500 | 9 | $20,364 | — | $10,798 |
| 2021 | $254,219 | $3,409 | $5,195 | — | — | $700 | — | $13,125 |
| 2020 | $253,203 | — | — | — | — | — | — | $14 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Rock in the Pond Foundation reported a distributable amount of $13K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include educational awards and support for organizations with a range of stated missions. For example, Agnes Scott College describes its mission as educating women to think deeply, live honorably, and engage with the intellectual and social challenges of their times. The International African American Museum says it honors African American stories and stewards collections grounded in diasporic, national, and South Carolina history. Lowcountry Orphan Relief says it provides basic necessities to children who have been abused or neglected, while Trident United Way describes its mission as uniting the tri-county area to uplift families out of poverty.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $23,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $2,000, with a median of $2,000.
Among the grants reported for 2025, the foundation gave $2,000 each to the American College of the Building Arts, Agnes Scott College, Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center, International African American Museum, Lowcountry Orphan Relief, One80Place, The Academy Fund (Grosse Pointe Academy), Trident United Way, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. It also gave $1,000 each to Ashley Hall, the College of Charleston, and the National Museum of African American History & Culture. Hollins University Corporation reported receiving $1,000 from the foundation in 2025.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Renee Stewart is listed as chairperson on the 2025 filing.
Rock in the Pond Foundation is led by Renee Stewart, Chairperson on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Renee Stewart
Chairperson
On filings since 2020
0.5 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 Rock in the Pond Foundation
How much does Rock in the Pond Foundation give each year?
Rock in the Pond Foundation gave $23K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
What is Rock in the Pond Foundation's typical grant size?
Rock in the Pond Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $1,643, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Rock in the Pond Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Rock in the Pond Foundation give grants?
Rock in the Pond Foundation gives mostly in South Carolina: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Georgia (9%) and Michigan (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Charleston, SC (6 grants) and North Charleston, SC (2 grants).
Does Rock in the Pond Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Rock in the Pond Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Educational" (5 grants).
Who are Rock in the Pond Foundation's largest grantees?
Rock in the Pond Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Acba (American College of the Building Arts) ($2,000), Agnes Scott College ($2,000) and Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Rock in the Pond Foundation?
Rock in the Pond Foundation reported $176K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $23K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $13K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Rock in the Pond Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include educational awards and support for organizations with a range of stated missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Rock in the Pond 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 Rock in the Pond Foundation's EIN?
Rock in the Pond Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-2941740. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Rock in the Pond 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 2, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 16, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
Live grants for the work Rock in the Pond Foundation funds
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