Ruth Lee Charitable Trust
The Ruth Lee Charitable Trust is a private foundation based in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2025, it reported 17 grants totaling $111,557 to charitable organizations in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Ruth Lee Charitable Trust at a glance
In short: Ruth Lee Charitable Trust gave $112K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Alabama. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $111,557
- +10.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,562
- +10.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,000
- Total assets
- $2,443,329
- -2.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (2 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Alabama (55% 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 Ruth Lee Charitable Trust
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The trust makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2885 Alpine Road Ne, Atlanta, GA 30305-3403
Phone: (334) 233-5409
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ruth Lee Charitable Trust funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wesleyan Fund ($33K). Together the top 10 received $97K.
Grant Size Distribution
81 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 81 grants of 81 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in Alabama (55%), Georgia (38%), and South Carolina (8%). These reported shares total 101%, reflecting rounding.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Ruth Lee Charitable Trust open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 17 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 82% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $93K (2023) to $117K (2022). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $112K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wesleyan Fund Peachtree Corners, GA | General Operating | $32,500 |
| Alabama Shakespeare Festival Montgomery, AL | General Operating | $15,000 |
| Heart of Alabama Food Bank Montgomery, AL | General Operating | $10,000 |
| College of Charleston Foundation Charleston, SC | Scholarships | $8,500 |
| Faulkner University Montgomery, AL | General Operating | $6,557 |
| Lunches for Learning Inc Roswell, GA | General Operating | $6,000 |
| Montgomery Area Council on Aging Montgomery, AL | General Operating | $5,000 |
| Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Montgomery, AL | General Operating | $5,000 |
| Elba Church of Christ Elba, AL | General Operating | $4,000 |
| OPP Church of Christ OPP, AL | General Operating | $4,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Ruth Lee Charitable Trust?
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 | $2,443,329 | $113,710 | $166,270 | $111,557 | 17 | $143,686 | $90,616 | $151,242 |
| 2024 | $2,495,889 | $80,589 | $157,919 | $100,734 | 17 | $134,546 | $49,037 | $146,369 |
| 2023 | $2,573,219 | $30,088 | $154,494 | $93,186 | 17 | $122,073 | $36,924 | $128,621 |
| 2022 | $2,693,217 | $615,220 | $177,929 | $117,327 | 17 | $149,799 | $592,125 | $125,658 |
| 2021 | $2,255,414 | $298,522 | $153,748 | $105,035 | 13 | $131,644 | $279,392 | $143,936 |
| 2020 | $2,113,425 | $190,643 | $134,515 | $100,212 | 14 | — | $174,417 | $123,724 |
| 2019 | $2,058,874 | $171,882 | $129,883 | $96,283 | 11 | — | $157,499 | $117,319 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ruth Lee Charitable Trust reported a distributable amount of $151K 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 trust is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with a range of activities. The Alabama Shakespeare Festival describes its work as building community through theatrical productions and educational and outreach programs. The Heart of Alabama Food Bank says it collects and distributes food through qualified agencies to Alabama residents facing food insecurity. The College of Charleston Foundation says it promotes education, research, student development, and faculty development for the benefit of the college.
Other 2025 recipients describe work in education, nutrition, arts, and services for older adults. For example, Lunches for Learning says it provides nutritional supplements and other assistance to children in rural schools in Central America; the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts says it provides experiences centered on human creativity; and the Montgomery Area Council on Aging says it supports older adults’ independent living and quality of life.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the trust reported 17 grants totaling $111,557. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $32,500, with a median grant of $4,000. The largest reported awards included:
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Katherine R. Hill and Susan L. Runkle as co-trustees.
Ruth Lee Charitable Trust's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Katherine R. Hill
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2023
$6K (2024) → $15K (2025)
Susan L. Runkle
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: First State Trust Company (2021–2024) — Trustee
- Former: Bank Of America NA (2021) — Trustee
- Former: Bank Of America N A (2019–2020) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $15K, to Katherine R Hill (Co-Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Ruth Lee Charitable Trust
How much does Ruth Lee Charitable Trust give each year?
Ruth Lee Charitable Trust gave $112K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $101K across 17 grants.
What is Ruth Lee Charitable Trust's typical grant size?
Ruth Lee Charitable Trust's median grant in 2025 was $4,000, and its average grant was $6,562, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ruth Lee Charitable Trust that year got $6K on average.
Where does Ruth Lee Charitable Trust give grants?
Ruth Lee Charitable Trust gives mostly in Alabama: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Georgia (38%) and South Carolina (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Montgomery, AL (8 grants) and Troy, AL (2 grants).
Does Ruth Lee Charitable Trust give general operating support?
Yes: 82% of Ruth Lee Charitable Trust's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Ruth Lee Charitable Trust's largest grantees?
Ruth Lee Charitable Trust's largest 2025 grantees include Wesleyan Fund ($32,500), Alabama Shakespeare Festival ($15,000) and Heart of Alabama Food Bank ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ruth Lee Charitable Trust?
Ruth Lee Charitable Trust reported $2.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $144K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $151K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Ruth Lee Charitable Trust fund?
No mission statement for the trust is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations with a range of activities. The Alabama Shakespeare Festival describes its work as building community through theatrical productions and educational and outreach programs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ruth Lee Charitable Trust?
The trust 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 Lee Charitable Trust's EIN?
Ruth Lee Charitable Trust's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-7301897. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Ruth Lee Charitable Trust 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 8, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 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 June 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 18, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Ruth Lee Charitable Trust's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ruth Lee Charitable Trust funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ruth-lee-charitable-trust-morg_4f73c3a3a4e7407c8c05223e5eb143e0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_467301897_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ruth Lee Charitable Trust funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ruth-lee-charitable-trust-morg_4f73c3a3a4e7407c8c05223e5eb143e0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Lee Charitable Trust'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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