Ross Foundation
Ross Foundation is a private foundation based in Kansas City, Missouri. In filing year 2025, it made 38 grants totaling $261,000, with all reported grant dollars going to recipients in Missouri.
Ross Foundation at a glance
In short: Ross Foundation gave $261K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Missouri. 39% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $261,000
- -0.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- +26.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,868
- -21.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $2,330,488
- +1.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 39% first-time grantees (15 of 38, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (100% 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 Ross Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact Bill Sheets. The filing states that there is no prescribed form, no deadlines, and no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Bill Sheets
Mailing address: 4741 Central Street Suite 572, Kansas City, MO 64112
Phone: (913) 486-2752
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ross Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Land Institute ($30K). Together the top 10 received $166K.
Grant Size Distribution
150 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 147 grants of 150 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All reported grant dollars in 2025 went to recipients in Missouri.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ross Foundation open to new grantees?
39%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 38 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 91% 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 (2020–2025). 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 $245K (2020) to $291K (2022). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $261K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Land Institute Kansas City, MO | Operating | $30,000 |
| United Way of the Plains Kansas City, MO | Program Services | $30,000 |
| Unity School of Christianity Kansas City, MO | Operating | $25,000 |
| Givewell Kansas City, MO | Operating | $20,000 |
| PKD Foundation Kansas City, MO | Operating | $18,000 |
| Chix 4 a Cause Kansas City, MO | Operating | $10,000 |
| Kansas Humane Society Kansas City, MO | Operating | $10,000 |
| Smile Train Kansas City, MO | Operating | $10,000 |
| Second Harvest Santa Cruz Kansas City, MO | Operating | $7,000 |
| Independent Unity Kansas City, MO | Operating | $5,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Ross 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,330,488 | $437,417 | $399,380 | $261,000 | 38 | $330,165 | $368,250 | $361,630 |
| 2024 | $2,292,451 | $361,471 | $362,976 | $261,650 | 30 | $312,313 | $310,808 | $320,878 |
| 2023 | $2,293,956 | $301,560 | $357,586 | $259,500 | 26 | $308,543 | $252,517 | $311,778 |
| 2022 | $2,349,982 | $190,516 | $387,260 | $290,600 | 29 | $338,931 | $142,187 | $345,838 |
| 2021 | $2,467,887 | $157,631 | $360,902 | $266,000 | 27 | $311,000 | $121,691 | $336,599 |
| 2020 | $2,803,603 | $151,211 | $343,477 | $244,500 | 26 | — | $124,567 | $310,931 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ross Foundation reported a distributable amount of $362K 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 grantees include the PKD Foundation, which says it funds research, advocates for patients, and builds community for people impacted by PKD; Kansas City CARE Clinic, which says it provides care, access, research, and education to underserved people and others in its community; and Bridging the Gap Inc., which says it works to make the Greater Kansas City region sustainable for the future.
Other 2025 recipients included The Principia Corporation, whose stated purpose is to serve Christian Science through independent education, and organizations such as The Land Institute, United Way of the Plains, and Kansas Humane Society.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 38 grants totaling $261,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $30,000, with a median of $5,000. Notable awards included $30,000 each to The Land Institute and United Way of the Plains, $25,000 to Unity School of Christianity, $20,000 to GiveWell, and $18,000 to the PKD Foundation. Other grants included $10,000 each to Chix 4 A Cause, Kansas Humane Society, and Smile Train, and $5,000 to Kansas City CARE Clinic.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists William M Sheets as secretary-treasurer and foundation manager, Hal Ross as vice president, and Susan R Sheets as president.
Ross Foundation is led by Susan R. Sheets, President on every filing since 2020; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan R. Sheets
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$25K (2020) → $25K (2025)
Hal Ross
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$25K (2020) → $25K (2025)
William M. Sheets
Sec-Treas & Found Manager
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$40K (2020) → $50K (2025)
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 $50K, to William M Sheets (Sec-Treas / Found MGR). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Ross Foundation
How much does Ross Foundation give each year?
Ross Foundation gave $261K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $262K across 30 grants.
What is Ross Foundation's typical grant size?
Ross Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,868, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ross Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does Ross Foundation give grants?
Ross Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Kansas City, MO (38 grants).
Does Ross Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 97% of Ross Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (37 of 38) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Ross Foundation's largest grantees?
Ross Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Land Institute ($30,000), United Way of the Plains ($30,000) and Unity School of Christianity ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ross Foundation?
Ross Foundation reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $330K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $362K (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 Ross Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ross Foundation?
Contact Bill Sheets. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ross Foundation's EIN?
Ross Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 48-6125814. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Ross Foundation funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Ross Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ross Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ross-foundation-morg_0116828f523043b097ed8bd15224921d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_486125814_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ross Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ross-foundation-morg_0116828f523043b097ed8bd15224921d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Ross 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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