Ruth Family Foundation
Ruth Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Woodstock, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, most of them in Illinois.
Key facts about Ruth Family Foundation
In short: Ruth Family Foundation gave $51K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 99-4914225
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $51,486
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- Average grant
- $1,839
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $65,079
- Primary geography
- Illinois (95% 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. 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
$65K
+72.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$51K
+2290.3% YoY
Grant Count
28
+833.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2K
+156.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ruth Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Ruth Family Foundation gives
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission is stated. Its grants include support for organizations whose own missions span community services, education, agriculture, history, health, youth athletics, and other activities. For example, the McHenry County Farm Bureau describes its work as advocating for agriculture and family farmers, while the McHenry County Historical Society describes itself as the history museum of McHenry County. GiGi’s Playhouse says it provides free educational, therapeutic, and career-development programs for individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and the community. Woodstock Food Pantry says it provides food and personal care and hygiene products to people in need.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 28 grants totaling $51,486. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $13,000, with a median of $1,000. Its largest reported grants included $13,000 to First Congregational Church, $5,500 to the University of Illinois Foundation, $5,000 to 100 Club of Illinois, and $2,500 each to McHenry County Farm Bureau and Pioneer Center for Human Resources. Each was listed as being in support of the recipient organization’s mission.
Other 2025 grants included $2,250 to McHenry County Fair Foundation, $2,200 to McHenry County Historical Society, $2,000 each to GiGi’s Playhouse, Northwestern Medicine, and Rotary of Marco Island, and $1,200 to Veteran’s Path to Hope. Woodstock Food Pantry received $1,000. The foundation’s filing lists the grants’ purpose as support for the recipient organization’s mission.
How to Apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Ruth Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Woodstock, Illinois. In 2025, 95% of its grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 4% to recipients in Florida, and 1% to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2024 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2K (2024) to $51K (2025). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $51K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was First Congregational Church ($13K). Together the top 10 received $39K.
Grant Size Distribution
31 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 31 grants of 31 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First Congregational Church Huntley, IL | In Support of Organization's Mission | $13,000 |
| University of Illinois Foundation Chicago, IL | In Support of Organization's Mission | $5,500 |
| 100 Club of Illinois Chicago, IL | In Support of Organization's Mission | $5,000 |
| McHenry County Farm Bureau Woodstock, IL | In Support of Organization's Mission | $2,500 |
| Pioneer Center for Human Resources McHenry, IL | In Support of Organization's Mission | $2,500 |
| McHenry County Fair Foundation Woodstock, IL | In Support of Organization's Mission | $2,250 |
| McHenry County Historical Society Union, IL | In Support of Organization's Mission | $2,200 |
| Gigi's Playhouse McHenry, IL | In Support of Organization's Mission | $2,000 |
| Northwestern Medicine Chicago, IL | In Support of Organization's Mission | $2,000 |
| Rotary of Marco Island Marco Island, FL | In Support of Organization's Mission | $2,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Reported grantmaking totals:
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $51,486 | 28 |
| 2024 | $2,154 | 3 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $65,079 | $37,630 |
| Revenue | $80,000 | $40,000 |
| Expenses | $52,551 | $2,370 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $51,601 | $2,154 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,494 | $285 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal year 2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Emily Ruth Smith as president, Scott Ruth as treasurer, and Eric Ruth as secretary.
Ruth Family Foundation is led by Emily Ruth Smith, President on every filing since 2024; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Emily Ruth Smith
President
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Ruth
Secretary
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Scott Ruth
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2024–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 1166 Lake Avenue, Woodstock, IL 60098-7412
Phone: (815) 338-5900
Frequently asked questions about Ruth Family Foundation
How much does Ruth Family Foundation give each year?
Ruth Family Foundation gave $51K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2K across 3 grants.
What is Ruth Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Ruth Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,839, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Ruth Family Foundation give grants?
Ruth Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Woodstock, IL (7 grants), Huntley, IL (5 grants), Chicago, IL (3 grants) and Crystal Lake, IL (3 grants).
Does Ruth Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on Ruth Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "In Support of Organization's Mission" (28 grants).
Who are Ruth Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Ruth Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include First Congregational Church ($13,000), University of Illinois Foundation ($5,500) and 100 Club of Illinois ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 46% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ruth Family Foundation?
Ruth Family Foundation reported $65K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $52K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ruth Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission is stated. Its grants include support for organizations whose own missions span community services, education, agriculture, history, health, youth athletics, and other activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ruth 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 Ruth Family Foundation's EIN?
Ruth Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 99-4914225. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2024–2025.
Does Ruth 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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