Rostan Family Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Valdese, NC EIN: 56-1901626

The Rostan Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Valdese, North Carolina. In 2025, it awarded 33 grants totaling $679,500, primarily to organizations in North Carolina.

Key facts about Rostan Family Foundation

In short: Rostan Family Foundation gave $680K across 33 grants in 2025 (avg $21K), mostly in North Carolina. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
56-1901626
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$679,500
Grants made (2025)
33
Average grant
$20,591
Median grant
$10,000
New grantees (estimate)
33% first-time grantees (11 of 33, 2025)
Total assets
$9,794,993
Primary geography
North Carolina (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$9.8M

+21.5% YoY

Annual Giving

$680K

+9.1% YoY

Grant Count

33

+3.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$21K

+5.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Rostan Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $678K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Rostan Family Foundation open to new grantees?

33%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 11 of 33 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $21K. How we count

Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.

  • 48% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+6%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The available information does not state the foundation’s own mission. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in several areas. For example, Blue Ridge Healthcare Foundation says its mission is to support the Blue Ridge Healthcare System and its charitable affiliates. Burke United Christian Ministries says it works to restore resilience among people living in poverty or experiencing homelessness and help meet essential needs. Old Colony Players describes its mission as preserving Waldensian cultural heritage, promoting quality theatre, and celebrating diverse artistic expression. Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation says it advocates for the health, protection, and enjoyment of the Catawba River watershed.

Other 2025 recipients include an early childhood education organization, a hospice and palliative care provider, and organizations providing victim assistance, counseling, and conflict resolution.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation made 33 grants totaling $679,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $130,000, with a median award of $10,000.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina and 1% to recipients in South Carolina. North Carolina recipients included organizations in Valdese, Morganton, Hildebran, and other communities.

Grant Distribution by State

2states

Share of all 33 itemized 2025 grant dollars.

Cities

MorgantonValdeseHildebranAshevilleHickoryRaleighCharlotteConnelly SpringsMcAdenvilleSpruce PineWinstonsalemNeboRutherford CollegeBooneChapel HillCikkettsvilleColletsvilleDrexelDurhamGlen Alpine

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$200K$400K$600K$800K19 grants202034 grants202136 grants202233 grants202332 grants202433 grants2025

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Blue Ridge Healthcare Foundation Inc: $130KBlue Ridge HealthcareFoundation Inc$130KBurke United Christian Ministries: $123KBurke United ChristianMinistries$123KAppleseed Early Childhood Education Inc: $60KAppleseed Early ChildhoodEducation Inc$60KFriends of the South Mountain State Park Inc: $60KFriends of the South MountainState Park Inc$60KAmorem Burke Hospice and Palliative Care: $35KAmorem Burke Hospice andPalliative Care$35KOld Colony Players Inc: $30KOld Colony Players Inc$30KBurke Council on Alcoholchem Dependency: $25KBurke Council on AlcoholchemDependency$25KEast Burke Christian Ministries: $20KEast Burke ChristianMinistries$20KWaldensian Heritage Museum: $20KWaldensian Heritage Museum$20KCarolina Outdoor Recreation and Education: $15KCarolina Outdoor Recreationand Education$15K

Grant Size Distribution

168 grants across all recorded years

149<$50K11$50–100K8$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
BLUE RIDGE HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION INC Morganton, NCPHILANTHROPIC$130,000
BURKE UNITED CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES Morganton, NCPHILANTHROPIC$122,500
APPLESEED EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION INC Salisbury, NCEDUCATIONAL$60,000
FRIENDS OF THE SOUTH MOUNTAIN STATE PARK INC Connelly Springs, NCPHILANTHROPIC$60,000
AMOREM BURKE HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE Valdese, NCPHILANTHROPIC$35,000
OLD COLONY PLAYERS INC Valdese, NCPHILANTHROPIC$30,000
BURKE COUNCIL ON ALCOHOLCHEM DEPENDENCY Morganton, NCPHILANTHROPIC$25,000
EAST BURKE CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES Hildebran, NCPHILANTHROPIC$20,000
WALDENSIAN HERITAGE MUSEUM Valdese, NCPHILANTHROPIC$20,000
CAROLINA OUTDOOR RECREATION AND EDUCATION Chapel Hill, NCPHILANTHROPIC$15,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2025 $9,794,993 $2,461,310 $728,616 $679,500
2024 $8,062,299 $454,745 $671,640 $623,100
2023 $8,279,194 $443,881 $679,813 $640,600
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$1M$2M$3M202020212022202320242025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$9,794,993$8,062,299$8,279,194
Revenue$2,461,310$454,745$443,881
Expenses$728,616$671,640$679,813
Qualifying Distributions$683,100$628,352$645,220
Net Investment Income$2,421,671$417,074$409,292
Distributable Amount$677,532$686,932$624,440

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 3, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 24, 2025)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 29, 2026)
  7. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 10, 2021)
  8. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
  9. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 3, 2023)
  10. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2024)
  11. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 24, 2025)
  12. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 29, 2026)

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists James H Rostan as director and president, John P Rostan III as vice president and treasurer, and John Mark Rostan as vice president and secretary.

Rostan Family Foundation is led by James H. Rostan, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • James H. Rostan

    Director & President

    On filings since 2020

    10 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • John Mark Rostan

    Vice President & Secretary

    On filings since 2020

    10 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • John P. Rostan III

    Vice President & Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    10 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.

Contact

Mailing address: Post Office Box 970, Valdese, NC 28690-0970
Phone: (828) 874-7000

Frequently asked questions about Rostan Family Foundation

How much does Rostan Family Foundation give each year?

Rostan Family Foundation gave $680K across 33 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $623K across 32 grants.

What is Rostan Family Foundation's typical grant size?

Rostan Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $20,591, across 33 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Rostan Family Foundation that year got $20K on average.

Where does Rostan Family Foundation give grants?

Rostan Family Foundation gives mostly in North Carolina: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Morganton, NC (15 grants), Valdese, NC (6 grants), Hildebran, NC (2 grants) and Hickory, NC (2 grants).

Does Rostan Family Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 33 grants with a stated purpose on Rostan Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Philanthropic" (31 grants).

Who are Rostan Family Foundation's largest grantees?

Rostan Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Blue Ridge Healthcare Foundation Inc ($130,000), Burke United Christian Ministries ($122,500) and Appleseed Early Childhood Education Inc ($60,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Rostan Family Foundation?

Rostan Family Foundation reported $9.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $683K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $678K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Rostan Family Foundation fund?

The available information does not state the foundation’s own mission. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in several areas. For example, Blue Ridge Healthcare Foundation says its mission is to support the Blue Ridge Healthcare System and its charitable affiliates. Burke United Christian Ministries says it works to restore resilience among people living in poverty or experiencing homelessness and help meet essential needs. Old Colony Players describes its mission as preservin…

How do I apply for a grant from Rostan Family 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 Rostan Family Foundation's EIN?

Rostan Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-1901626. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.

Does Rostan Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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