Ruth Brown Foundation
The Ruth Brown Foundation is a private foundation based in Moab, Utah. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations working on environmental issues and governmental matters, as well as organizations whose stated missions address social justice, clean energy, climate action, and equal justice.
Ruth Brown Foundation at a glance
In short: Ruth Brown Foundation gave $723K across 32 grants in 2025 (avg $23K), mostly in California. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $722,500
- +79.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 32
- -52.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $22,578
- +275.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $4,119,506
- +14.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (8 of 32, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (51% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Ruth Brown 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: 2931 E Bench Road, Moab, UT 84532
Phone: (435) 259-6118
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ruth Brown Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Tides Foundation ($250K). Together the top 10 received $589K.
Grant Size Distribution
262 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 259 grants of 262 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were California, 51%; Colorado, 19%; New York, 10%; Washington, DC, 9%; and Vermont, 6%. The listed 2025 grants also included recipients in Oregon.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ruth Brown Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 32 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $20K; repeat grants $23K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 152% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 182% 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 $257K (2021) to $723K (2025). In 2025 it made 32 grants totaling $723K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Tides Foundation Los Angles, CA | Environmental | $250,000 |
| Earth Justice San Francisco, CA | Environmental | $75,000 |
| Natural Resource Defense Council New York, NY | Environmental | $65,000 |
| Lawyers for Good Government Washington, DC | Governmental | $44,000 |
| Community Office - Resource Effic Basalt, CO | Environmental | $35,000 |
| Our Children's Trust Eugene, OR | Environmental | $30,000 |
| Vermont Public Interest Research Ed Montpelier, VT | Environmental | $30,000 |
| RFV Habitat for Humanity Glenwood Springs, CO | Environmental | $25,000 |
| Psephos Inc San Marcos, CA | Environmental | $20,000 |
| Signal Tec Coalition Denver, CO | Environmental | $15,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Ruth Brown 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 | $4,119,506 | $1,264,875 | $728,177 | $722,500 | 32 | $722,500 | $188,211 | $397,429 |
| 2024 | $3,585,110 | $617,979 | $406,898 | $403,200 | 67 | $403,200 | $140,197 | $407,406 |
| 2023 | $3,363,664 | $237,285 | $393,320 | $389,200 | 62 | $389,200 | $134,957 | $363,003 |
| 2022 | $3,618,668 | $66,620 | $290,892 | $286,500 | 52 | $286,500 | $70,437 | $358,986 |
| 2021 | $3,838,469 | $386,567 | $261,560 | $257,000 | 49 | $257,000 | $382,007 | $380,904 |
| 2020 | $3,817,061 | $683,642 | $396,597 | $392,000 | 69 | — | $679,045 | $324,034 |
| 2019 | $3,512,900 | $339,356 | $408,482 | $402,500 | 53 | — | $333,374 | $308,593 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ruth Brown Foundation reported a distributable amount of $397K 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 grant records show support for environmental and governmental purposes. Among its grantees, Tides Foundation describes its work as advancing equity by partnering with funders and changemakers to shift resources and power to communities historically denied both. Our Children’s Trust says it empowers youth to secure their rights to life and a livable climate through the courts. Vote Solar describes its work as promoting a 100% clean energy transition centered on people’s interests, health, and well-being. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work, not stated missions of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 32 grants totaling $722,500. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $250,000, with a median of $10,000. Its 2024 filing reported 67 grants totaling $403,200; its 2023 filing reported 62 grants totaling $389,200.
Notable 2025 grants included $250,000 to Tides Foundation, $75,000 to Earth Justice, $65,000 to the Natural Resource Defense Council, $44,000 to Lawyers for Good Government, and $35,000 to Community Office – Resource Efficiency. Other grants included $30,000 each to Our Children’s Trust and Vermont Public Interest Research Education, and $25,000 to RFV Habitat for Humanity.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Laurene Cochran as president, Darcey Brown as treasurer, Albert Brown as secretary, and Charla Brown as trustee.
Ruth Brown Foundation is led by Laurene Cochran, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Laurene Cochran
President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Charla Brown
Trustee
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Albert Brown
Secretary
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Darcey Brown
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
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 Ruth Brown Foundation
How much does Ruth Brown Foundation give each year?
Ruth Brown Foundation gave $723K across 32 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $403K across 67 grants.
What is Ruth Brown Foundation's typical grant size?
Ruth Brown Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $22,578, across 32 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ruth Brown Foundation that year got $20K on average.
Where does Ruth Brown Foundation give grants?
Ruth Brown Foundation gives mostly in California: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (19%) and New York (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Montpelier, VT (4 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants), Durango, CO (3 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does Ruth Brown Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 32 grants with a stated purpose on Ruth Brown Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Environmental" (30 grants).
Who are Ruth Brown Foundation's largest grantees?
Ruth Brown Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Tides Foundation ($250,000), Earth Justice ($75,000) and Natural Resource Defense Council ($65,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ruth Brown Foundation?
Ruth Brown Foundation reported $4.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $723K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $397K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ruth Brown Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grant records show support for environmental and governmental purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ruth Brown 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 Ruth Brown Foundation's EIN?
Ruth Brown Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-6023395. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Ruth Brown 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.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 28, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS October 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 5, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 20, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ruth Brown Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ruth-brown-foundation-morg_8e1e87e68f0f4b44a36719cb1b797978
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_846023395_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ruth Brown Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ruth-brown-foundation-morg_8e1e87e68f0f4b44a36719cb1b797978},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Ruth Brown 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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