The Rachael Ray Foundation
The Rachael Ray Foundation (RRF) is a private foundation based in New York City that was launched in 2016 and received its IRS tax-exempt designation in December 2017. The foundation is fully funded by proceeds from the sale of Rachael Ray Nutrish products. It operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to philanthropic grantmaking across the United States.
Key facts about The Rachael Ray Foundation
- EIN
- 81-3236729
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $13,541,403
- Grants made (2024)
- 88
- Average grant
- $153,880
- Median grant
- $70,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (9 of 88, 2024)
- Total assets
- $7,441,901
- Primary geography
- New York (35% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Rachael Ray Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Rachael Ray Foundation's 88 itemized 2024 grants were New York (35%), Utah (10%) and California (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (16 grants), Chicago, IL (5 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants) and Austin, TX (2 grants). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
Is The Rachael Ray Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 9 of 88 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $27K; repeat grants $168K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $75K repeat.
- 78% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 32% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 254% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$7.4M
-11.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$13.5M
+1.8% YoY
Grant Count
88
+4.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$154K
-2.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Rachael Ray Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.6M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation supports causes aligned with Rachael Ray's personal philanthropic interests, with primary focus areas including:
- Animal welfare and shelter support: Funding organizations that improve the lives of shelter animals and animals in need across the country
- Emergency relief and disaster assistance: Providing funds for urgent animal welfare situations requiring immediate assistance
- Culinary education: Supporting ProStart programs and culinary education initiatives in high schools
- Food security and nutrition programs: Supporting organizations that provide critically needed food programs and support services across the United States
- Yum-o! aligned causes: Funding organizations that support the mission of Yum-o!, Rachael Ray's 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Grantmaking
Grant Range
approximately $146,000
Average Grant
approximately $146,000
Grant Types
How to Apply
**
Ready to take the next step with The Rachael Ray Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds organizations across multiple states, with primary concentration in:
- New York
- California
- Texas
- Utah
- District of Columbia
Grantmaking reaches organizations across 36 states, with 36% of all grants supporting organizations in New York, Utah, and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 88 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Fiscal Year Ending December 2024:
- Total Assets: $7,441,901
- Total Revenue: $13,895,124
- Total Expenses: $15,030,351
- Total Liabilities: $656,000
- Number of Employees: 0
Historical Grantmaking:
- Total grants made (all years): $66.2 million across 454 grants
- Annual distribution has ranged from $10.2 million to $26.9 million (2020-2023)
- Highest grantmaking activity in 2022: $26.9 million distributed across 200 grants
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $7,441,901 | $8,420,412 | $7,719,444 |
| Revenue | $13,895,124 | $15,008,927 | $14,626,499 |
| Expenses | $15,030,351 | $14,457,017 | $14,559,057 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $14,145,261 | $13,799,826 | $14,072,388 |
| Net Investment Income | $13,381,999 | $14,594,629 | $14,354,664 |
| Distributable Amount | $5,578,569 | $5,623,924 | $5,126,796 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
442 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include North Shore Animal League America ($2,100,000), Aspca ($1,300,000), Best Friends Animal Society ($1,300,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE AMERICA PORT WASHINGTON, NY | AN UNRESTRICTED GRANT TO FURTHER THE DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $2,100,000 |
| ASPCA NEW YORK, NY | AN UNRESTRICTED GRANT TO FURTHER THE DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $1,300,000 |
| BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY KANAB, UT | AN UNRESTRICTED GRANT TO FURTHER THE DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $1,300,000 |
| ANIMAL HUMANE SOCIETY GOLDEN VALLEY, MN | AN UNRESTRICTED GRANT TO FURTHER THE DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $400,000 |
| PAWS CHICAGO CHICAGO, IL | AN UNRESTRICTED GRANT TO FURTHER THE DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $375,000 |
| CLEVELAND ANIMAL PROTECTION LEAGUE CLEVELAND, OH | AN UNRESTRICTED GRANT TO FURTHER THE DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $350,000 |
| OREGON HUMANE SOCIETY PORTLAND, OR | AN UNRESTRICTED GRANT TO FURTHER THE DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $350,000 |
| DENVER DUMB FRIENDS LEAGUE DENVER, CO | AN UNRESTRICTED GRANT TO FURTHER THE DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $325,000 |
| FEEDING AMERICA CHICAGO, IL | AN UNRESTRICTED GRANT TO FURTHER THE DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $320,000 |
| EMANCIPET AUSTIN, TX | AN UNRESTRICTED GRANT TO FURTHER THE DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $300,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Rachael Ray: President
- John Cusimano: Vice President/Secretary
- Judith Keane: Treasurer
- Andrew Peskoe: Board member
- Richard Fields: Board member
- Mark Smucker: Board member
All executive leadership serves without compensation. The foundation is governed by 7 officers and trustees.
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
From 2024 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rachael Ray | President | 5 | — |
| John Cusimano | Vice President / Secretary | 5 | — |
| Andrew Peskoe | Governing Member | 5 | — |
| Richard Fields | Governing Member | 5 | — |
| Tracy Quigley | Governing Member | 5 | — |
| John Hall | Vice President | 10 | — |
| Judith Keane | Treasurer | 10 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has actively supported culinary education through ProStart Grow Grants:
Rachael Ray Foundation Awards $5,000 Grants to Support Culinary Education**2025**: Forty-eight high schools received ProStart Grow Grants of $5,000 each to support culinary education and develop culinary and restaurant management programs
Forty-Eight High Schools Receive The Rachael Ray Foundation ...**Previous years**: The foundation selected 27 and 40 high schools respectively to receive ProStart Grow Grants for developing their culinary and restaurant management programs
Forty-Eight High Schools Receive The Rachael Ray Foundation ...The foundation has supported 156 unique organizations throughout its grantmaking history.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Rachael Ray Foundation fund?
The foundation supports causes aligned with Rachael Ray's personal philanthropic interests, with primary focus areas including: • **Animal welfare and shelter support**: Funding organizations that improve the lives of shelter animals and animals in need across the country • **Emergency relief and disaster assistance**: Providing funds for urgent animal welfare situations requiring immediate assistance • **Culinary education**: Supporting ProStart programs and culinary education initiatives in h…
How do I apply for a grant from The Rachael Ray Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does The Rachael Ray Foundation make grants?
The foundation funds organizations across multiple states, with primary concentration in: • New York • California • Texas • Utah • District of Columbia Grantmaking reaches organizations across 36 states, with 36% of all grants supporting organizations in New York, Utah, and the District of Columbia.
What size grants does The Rachael Ray Foundation award?
In 2024, The Rachael Ray Foundation awarded 88 grants totaling $13.5M — an average of about $154K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Rachael Ray Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Rachael Ray Foundation reported a distributable amount of $5.6M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Rachael Ray Foundation's EIN?
The Rachael Ray Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-3236729. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Rachael Ray Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
The Cigna Group Foundation
PHILADELPHIA, PA
Assets
$127.2M
Grants
4,075
Total Given
$14.1M
Ge Aerospace Foundation
NORWALK, CT
Assets
$22.5M
Grants
2,467
Total Given
$15.3M
The Ford Foundation
NEW YORK, NY
Assets
$17.5B
Grants
4,007
Total Given
$844.7M
The Ojc Fund
BROOKLYN, NY
Assets
$46.1M
Grants
3,410
Total Given
$386.1M
The New York Community Trust
NEW YORK, NY
Assets
$3.5B
Grants
2,748
Total Given
$193.8M
The Simons Foundation Inc
NEW YORK, NY
Assets
$4.5B
Grants
1,727
Total Given
$272.0M
American Express Foundation
NEW YORK, NY
Assets
$48.9M
Grants
1,495
Total Given
$23.2M
Equitable Foundation Inc
NEW YORK, NY
Assets
$112.4M
Grants
1,453
Total Given
$5.5M
The Pfizer Foundation Inc
NEW YORK, NY
Assets
$255.3M
Grants
9,306
Total Given
$23.2M
Jpmorgan Chase Foundation
NEW YORK, NY
Assets
$1.2B
Grants
10,334
Total Given
$202.5M
Verizon Foundation
BASKING RIDGE, NJ
Assets
$23.8M
Grants
5,464
Total Given
$7.0M
Enterprise Holdings Foundation
SAINT LOUIS, MO
Assets
—
Grants
9,499
Total Given
$73.1M
More Funders in New York
Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.