The Brian Ratner Foundation
The Brian Ratner Foundation is a private foundation based in Shaker Heights, Ohio. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including music and the arts, humanitarian response, health care, higher education, and community services.
The Brian Ratner Foundation at a glance
In short: The Brian Ratner Foundation gave $307K across 45 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), top state New York. 5% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $307,250
- -15.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 45
- -18.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,828
- +2.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,250
- Total assets
- $836,692
- -24.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (2 of 44, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (30% 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 The Brian Ratner Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3401 Tuttle Road 350, Shaker Heights, OH 44122
Phone: (440) 345-3687
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Brian Ratner Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was International Rescue Committee ($60K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $247K.
Grant Size Distribution
295 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 287 grants of 295 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (30%), Colorado (26%), Texas (18%), and Ohio (16%). Minnesota received 3% of grant dollars.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 45 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Brian Ratner Foundation open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 44 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 89% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 761% 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 (2020) to $443K (2019). In 2025 it made 45 grants totaling $307K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Symphony Association Dallas, TX | Annual Fund | $50,000 |
| International Rescue Committee New York, NY | Annual Fund | $50,000 |
| University of Colorado Foundation Denver, CO | Cu-anschutz fund for excellence and uc health greatest needs fund | $41,000 |
| Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum Inc Cleveland, OH | Annual Fund | $30,000 |
| Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation New York, NY | 2025 Rock Hall Induction Ceremony | $26,000 |
| Boulder Community Health Foundation Boulder, CO | Annual Fund | $10,000 |
| Bravo Colorado at Vail-Beaver Creek Vail, CO | Annual Fund | $10,000 |
| International Rescue Committee Inc Albert Lea, MN | Annual Fund | $10,000 |
| Mile High United Way Denver, CO | Annual Fund | $10,000 |
| American Symphony Orchestra League New York, NY | Annual Fund | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Brian Ratner 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 | $836,692 | $31,939 | $308,128 | $307,250 | 45 | $307,428 | $31,939 | $40,384 |
| 2024 | $1,112,881 | $57,672 | $366,875 | $364,988 | 55 | $365,222 | $57,672 | $58,281 |
| 2023 | $1,422,084 | $70,858 | $435,539 | $435,250 | 67 | $435,434 | $70,788 | $75,250 |
| 2022 | $1,786,765 | $20,176 | $368,394 | $368,250 | 64 | $368,394 | $20,176 | $90,561 |
| 2021 | $2,134,983 | $500,942 | $383,469 | $383,325 | 64 | $383,469 | $176 | $87,807 |
| 2020 | $2,017,510 | $44,808 | $257,834 | $256,900 | 18 | — | $4,808 | $100,673 |
| 2019 | $2,230,536 | $32,387 | $491,076 | $442,500 | 17 | — | $32,387 | $116,473 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Brian Ratner Foundation reported a distributable amount of $40K 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 grantees include organizations with varied missions: the International Rescue Committee says it responds to humanitarian crises and helps people affected by conflict and disaster; the Dallas Symphony Association says it aims to inspire and change lives through musical excellence; and the Boulder Community Health Foundation says it supports efforts to enhance the quality and availability of health care in its community.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 45 grants totaling $307,250. Individual grants ranged from $500 to $50,000, with a median of $1,250. Among the largest were $50,000 to the Dallas Symphony Association for its annual fund and $50,000 to the International Rescue Committee in New York for its annual fund; $41,000 to the University of Colorado Foundation for the CU-Anschutz Fund for Excellence and UC Health Greatest Needs Fund; and $30,000 to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum for its annual fund. Other grants included $26,000 to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation for the 2025 induction ceremony and $10,000 each to Boulder Community Health Foundation, Bravo Colorado at Vail-Beaver Creek, and Mile High United Way.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Brian Ratner as president and David Ratner and Emily Ratner as vice presidents.
The Brian Ratner Foundation is led by Brian Ratner, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Brian Ratner
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Ratner
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Emily Ratner
Vice President
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 The Brian Ratner Foundation
How much does The Brian Ratner Foundation give each year?
The Brian Ratner Foundation gave $307K across 45 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $365K across 55 grants.
What is The Brian Ratner Foundation's typical grant size?
The Brian Ratner Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,250, and its average grant was $6,828, across 45 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Brian Ratner Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Brian Ratner Foundation give grants?
The Brian Ratner Foundation's top state is New York, with 30% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Colorado (26%) and Texas (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boulder, CO (6 grants), New York, NY (5 grants), Dallas, TX (5 grants) and Cleveland, OH (5 grants).
Does The Brian Ratner Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 93% of The Brian Ratner Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (42 of 45) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Brian Ratner Foundation's largest grantees?
The Brian Ratner Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include International Rescue Committee ($60,000 across 2 grants), Dallas Symphony Association ($50,000) and University of Colorado Foundation ($41,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Brian Ratner Foundation?
The Brian Ratner Foundation reported $837K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $307K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $40K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Brian Ratner Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Brian Ratner Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 The Brian Ratner Foundation's EIN?
The Brian Ratner Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5983302. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Brian Ratner 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 June 17, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 5, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 9, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 24, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Brian Ratner Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-brian-ratner-foundation-morg_6e391409d8504352a9e628a46ab1d204
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205983302_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Brian Ratner Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-brian-ratner-foundation-morg_6e391409d8504352a9e628a46ab1d204},
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 The Brian Ratner 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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