Rugaber Family Fund
Rugaber Family Fund is a private foundation based in Roanoke, Virginia. In 2025, it reported 57 grants totaling $240,500 to charitable organizations, including organizations in Virginia and other states.
Rugaber Family Fund at a glance
In short: Rugaber Family Fund gave $241K across 57 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Virginia. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $240,500
- +41.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 57
- -3.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,219
- +46.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $3,456,204
- -2.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (5 of 56, 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 October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Rugaber Family Fund
- 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: 3804 Brandon Ave Apt 716, Roanoke, VA 24018
Phone: (540) 776-2245
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Rugaber Family Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Virginia Lutheran Homes ($120K). Together the top 10 received $186K.
Grant Size Distribution
291 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 290 grants of 291 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 81% of grant dollars went to Virginia recipients. Massachusetts, Washington, and Pennsylvania each received 5%, and Maryland received 2%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 57 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Rugaber Family Fund open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 56 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $550; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 20% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 117% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $155K (2020) to $241K (2025). In 2025 it made 57 grants totaling $241K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Lutheran Homes Roanoke, VA | To Further Reliagous Outreach | $120,000 |
| Mayberry Presbyterian Church Meadows of Dan, VA | Religious | $15,000 |
| Dickinson College Carlisle, PA | Education | $11,000 |
| Cardinal News Roanoke, VA | Journalism | $10,000 |
| Smith College Northampton, MA | Education | $5,000 |
| Wellesley College Wellesley, MA | Education | $5,000 |
| United Way of RKE Valley Roanoke, VA | General Social Programs | $5,000 |
| Grace Episcopal Church Silver Spring, MD | CHURCH | $5,000 |
| Floyd County Humane Society Floyd, VA | Animal Services | $5,000 |
| Presbyterian Community Center Roanoke, VA | To Increase Religous Outreach | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Rugaber Family Fund?
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 | $3,456,204 | $218,228 | $259,845 | $240,500 | 57 | $240,500 | $122,930 | $206,161 |
| 2024 | $3,539,476 | $259,895 | $188,063 | $170,000 | 59 | $170,000 | $102,414 | $193,856 |
| 2023 | $3,527,218 | $89,346 | $194,436 | $180,000 | 58 | $180,000 | $58,815 | $169,159 |
| 2022 | $3,632,308 | $188,334 | $229,367 | $200,000 | 59 | $200,000 | $32,835 | $172,718 |
| 2021 | $3,673,341 | $766,059 | $182,899 | $160,000 | 58 | $160,000 | $609,960 | $188,706 |
| 2020 | $3,090,181 | $442,867 | $169,097 | $155,000 | 52 | — | $289,352 | $155,378 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Rugaber Family Fund 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
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Virginia Lutheran Homes describes its mission as providing life-enriching services that promote well-being and build community. Dickinson College describes its work as providing an interdisciplinary liberal arts and sciences education. The Floyd County Humane Society says it helps people locate lost pets and foster, spay, neuter, and adopt cats and dogs, and provides pet food for financially needy owners. The Presbyterian Community Center describes itself as an inner-city ministry assisting families and individuals with food, shelter, and health needs.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund reported 57 grants totaling $240,500. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $120,000, with a median of $1,000. The largest grants were $120,000 to Virginia Lutheran Homes for religious outreach, $15,000 to Mayberry Presbyterian Church for religious purposes, $11,000 to Dickinson College for education, and $10,000 to Cardinal News for journalism. Other grants included $5,000 each to Smith College, Wellesley College, United Way of Roanoke Valley, Grace Episcopal Church, Floyd County Humane Society, and Presbyterian Community Center; and $4,500 to Taubman Museum of Art.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Walter F. Rugaber as president, treasurer, and director; Sally S. Rugaber as vice president, secretary, and director; and Leslie A. Rugaber, Christopher S. Rugaber, and Mark T. Rugaber as directors.
Rugaber Family Fund is led by Sally S. Rugaber, V. President, Secretary & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sally S. Rugaber
V. President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Walter F. Rugaber
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Christopher S. Rugaber
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Leslie A. Rugaber
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Mark T. Rugaber
Director
On filings since 2022
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 Rugaber Family Fund
How much does Rugaber Family Fund give each year?
Rugaber Family Fund gave $241K across 57 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $170K across 59 grants.
What is Rugaber Family Fund's typical grant size?
Rugaber Family Fund's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $4,219, across 57 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Rugaber Family Fund that year got $550 on average.
Where does Rugaber Family Fund give grants?
Rugaber Family Fund gives mostly in Virginia: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (5%) and Washington (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Roanoke, VA (12 grants), Seattle, WA (11 grants), Meadows of Dan, VA (3 grants) and Richmond, VA (3 grants).
Does Rugaber Family Fund give general operating support?
Occasionally: 2% of Rugaber Family Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 57) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Education" (9 grants), "Conservation" (4 grants) and "Arts" (4 grants).
Who are Rugaber Family Fund's largest grantees?
Rugaber Family Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Virginia Lutheran Homes ($120,000), Mayberry Presbyterian Church ($15,000) and Dickinson College ($11,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Rugaber Family Fund?
Rugaber Family Fund reported $3.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $241K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $206K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Rugaber Family Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Virginia Lutheran Homes describes its mission as providing life-enriching services that promote well-being and build community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Rugaber Family Fund?
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 Rugaber Family Fund's EIN?
Rugaber Family Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 54-1771747. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Rugaber Family Fund 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 May 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in Rugaber Family Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Rugaber Family Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/rugaber-family-fund-morg_b52a05ba0035400e8d830261425a5492
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_541771747_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Rugaber Family Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/rugaber-family-fund-morg_b52a05ba0035400e8d830261425a5492},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Rugaber Family Fund'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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