Rouse-Bottom Foundation
Rouse-Bottom Foundation is a private foundation based in Newport News, Virginia. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including arts, educational, health and human-services organizations.
Rouse-Bottom Foundation at a glance
In short: Rouse-Bottom Foundation gave $225K across 35 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in Virginia. 17% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $225,200
- +28.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 35
- +16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,434
- +10.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $3,538,449
- +4.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (6 of 35, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (81% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Rouse-Bottom Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 701 Town Center Drive 800, Newport News, VA 23606
Phone: (408) 998-8400
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Rouse-Bottom Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia ($18K). Together the top 10 received $112K.
Grant Size Distribution
177 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 177 grants of 177 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia, 6% to recipients in Maryland and 4% to recipients in Kansas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 35 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Rouse-Bottom Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 35 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 66% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 113% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $121K (2019) to $225K (2025). In 2025 it made 35 grants totaling $225K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia Tasley, VA | General Support | $17,500 |
| Virginia Peninsula Foodbank Hampton, VA | General Support | $17,500 |
| Chesapeake Bay Foundation Annapolis, MD | General Support | $15,000 |
| Edmarc Hospice for Children Portsmouth, VA | General Support | $12,000 |
| Virginia Living Museum Newport News, VA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Nature Conservancy-Brownsville Brownsville, TX | General Support | $9,000 |
| Hospice House of Hampton Roads Virginia Beach, VA | General Support | $8,000 |
| Office of W&M University Advancement Williamsburg, VA | General Support | $8,000 |
| Virginia Arts Festival Norfolk, VA | General Support | $7,500 |
| Nature Conservancy Va Chapter Charlottesville, VA | General Support | $7,000 |
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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 | $3,538,449 | $428,227 | $266,914 | $225,200 | 35 | $232,000 | $397,613 | $205,965 |
| 2024 | $3,377,136 | $507,009 | $220,727 | $175,500 | 30 | $184,300 | $477,466 | $194,574 |
| 2023 | $3,090,854 | $75,952 | $169,439 | $135,000 | 36 | $143,625 | $59,747 | $175,606 |
| 2022 | $3,184,341 | $161,072 | $190,100 | $136,000 | 38 | $145,205 | $134,749 | $175,846 |
| 2021 | $3,213,369 | $436,427 | $188,899 | $146,500 | 38 | $160,086 | $407,852 | $205,237 |
| 2020 | $2,965,841 | $145,370 | $180,070 | $142,500 | 45 | — | $44,444 | $176,423 |
| 2019 | $3,000,541 | $206,311 | $156,080 | $121,000 | 40 | — | $62,345 | $166,913 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Rouse-Bottom Foundation reported a distributable amount of $206K 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
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. For example, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra describes its mission as creating symphonic performances, music education and community engagement in southeastern Virginia. The Virginia Living Museum says it connects people to nature through educational programs, exhibits and learning opportunities. Hospice House of Hampton Roads describes its mission as providing hospice care with compassion, dignity and respect.
Other 2024 recipients included the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, which says it leads efforts to eliminate hunger in its community, and the Fort Monroe Foundation, which says it promotes and sustains Fort Monroe and its programs and partners.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 30 grants totaling $175,500. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $12,000, with a median of $5,000. The largest awards included $12,000 to the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, $10,500 to William & Mary University Advancement, $10,000 each to Chesapeake Bay Foundation, Edmarc Hospice for Children and USO of Hampton Roads, and $9,000 to the Nature Conservancy Virginia Chapter. The grants listed in the filing were for general support. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 35 grants totaling $225,200.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists M Whitney Gilkey as president, F Sommers as secretary and Matthew W Forst as treasurer.
Rouse-Bottom Foundation is led by M. Whitney Gilkey, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
M. Whitney Gilkey
President
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
F. Sommers
Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew W. Forst
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Rouse-Bottom Foundation
How much does Rouse-Bottom Foundation give each year?
Rouse-Bottom Foundation gave $225K across 35 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $176K across 30 grants.
What is Rouse-Bottom Foundation's typical grant size?
Rouse-Bottom Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,434, across 35 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Rouse-Bottom Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does Rouse-Bottom Foundation give grants?
Rouse-Bottom Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Maryland (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Williamsburg, VA (5 grants), Hampton, VA (4 grants), Norfolk, VA (4 grants) and Newport News, VA (3 grants).
Does Rouse-Bottom Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Rouse-Bottom Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (35 of 35) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Rouse-Bottom Foundation's largest grantees?
Rouse-Bottom Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia ($17,500), Virginia Peninsula Foodbank ($17,500) and Chesapeake Bay Foundation ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Rouse-Bottom Foundation?
Rouse-Bottom Foundation reported $3.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $232K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $206K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Rouse-Bottom Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Rouse-Bottom 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 Rouse-Bottom Foundation's EIN?
Rouse-Bottom Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-1521527. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Rouse-Bottom Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(4)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 2, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 15, 2021)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Rouse-Bottom Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/rouse-bottom-foundation-morg_7b00a1d929f54de8bf7774289ca2dfc9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_541521527_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Rouse-Bottom Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/rouse-bottom-foundation-morg_7b00a1d929f54de8bf7774289ca2dfc9},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-04. 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 Rouse-Bottom 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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