The Rock Foundation
The Rock Foundation is a private foundation based in Midlothian, Virginia. It makes grants to qualifying charitable organizations and, according to its 2025 filing, does not carry on direct charitable activities.
The Rock Foundation at a glance
In short: The Rock Foundation gave $106K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Virginia. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $106,000
- +9.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +6.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,625
- +2.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $853,993
- -7.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (8 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (100% 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 The Rock 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: 2530 Salisbury Road, Midlothian, VA 23113
Phone: (804) 794-8230
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Rock Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was VCU Foundation ($18K). Together the top 10 received $79K.
Grant Size Distribution
83 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 83 grants of 83 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Rock Foundation open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 16 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 25% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 126% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $97K (2024) to $106K (2025). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $106K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| VCU Foundation Richmond, VA | $10,000 Fashion Design & Merchandising Program; $7,500 Cross-Disciplinary Materials Research Displays | $17,500 |
| John Marshall Center at VA Museum History & Culture Richmond, VA | Civics Connect Portfolio | $15,000 |
| Culture Works Richmond, VA | Grant for online calendar updates | $7,500 |
| World Pediatrics Richmond, VA | Delivery by VA based medical volunteers and hospital partners | $7,500 |
| Elijah House Academy Richmond, VA | Scholarships | $6,000 |
| Maymont Foundation Richmond, VA | Restoration of the Glass Transom in the Swan Bedroom and Alabaster Urn in the Dining Room | $5,000 |
| CancerLinc Richmond, VA | Mission Support | $5,000 |
| Hanover Tavern Foundation Hanover, VA | Grounds Enhancement Project | $5,000 |
| Captial Trees Richmond, VA | Project support | $5,000 |
| Free Clinic of Powhatan Powhatan, VA | Grant for operating costs of medical, dental & mental health services | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Rock 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 | $853,993 | $59,575 | $126,555 | $106,000 | 16 | $111,877 | $47,325 | $88,750 |
| 2024 | $918,626 | $122,450 | $117,454 | $97,000 | 15 | $106,860 | $111,866 | $84,343 |
| 2023 | $913,569 | $60,259 | $120,437 | $100,000 | 16 | $111,104 | $50,926 | $76,882 |
| 2022 | $974,176 | $42,869 | $124,182 | $100,685 | 15 | $111,964 | $32,981 | $80,172 |
| 2021 | $1,055,692 | $144,360 | $127,578 | $100,500 | 21 | $116,967 | $133,874 | $85,510 |
| 2020 | $1,038,819 | $96,573 | $121,333 | $100,500 | 20 | — | $87,716 | $74,019 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Rock Foundation reported a distributable amount of $89K 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 grants supported organizations working in areas including education, healthcare, arts and culture, historic preservation, and community services. For example, World Pediatrics describes its mission as healing children and advancing pediatric healthcare worldwide, while Elijah House Academy describes its mission as providing a Christ-centered, accessible education for children in Richmond. Maymont Foundation says it creates experiences that delight, educate, and inspire; Hanover Tavern Foundation says it preserves and interprets Hanover Tavern as an historic, educational, community, and cultural resource. These are the grantees’ own descriptions, not stated priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $106,000. Grant sizes ranged from $2,500 to $17,500, with a median of $5,000.
The largest grant was $17,500 to VCU Foundation for its Fashion Design & Merchandising Program and Cross-Disciplinary Materials Research Displays. Other notable grants included $15,000 to the John Marshall Center at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture for its Civics Connect Portfolio; $7,500 each to Culture Works for online calendar updates and World Pediatrics for delivery by Virginia-based medical volunteers and hospital partners; and $6,000 to Elijah House Academy for scholarships. The foundation also gave $5,000 each to Maymont Foundation, CancerLinc, Hanover Tavern Foundation, Capital Trees, Free Clinic of Powhatan, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library Foundation, and Richmond Symphony League.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Rita M. Smith as President, Treasurer, and Director, and Hilary M. Smith as Vice President, Secretary, and Director.
The Rock Foundation is led by Rita M Smith, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Rita M Smith
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
$6K (2020) → $4K (2025)
Hilary M Smith
Vice President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2023
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Maureen J Denlea (2021–2023) — Vice President, Secretary & Director · Filing note: Resigned 82023
- Former: John B O'Grady (2020) — Secretary & Director · Filing note: Retired 112320
- Former: Maureen J Denlea Appted (2020) — Vice President, Secretary & Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $4K, to Rita M Smith (President/Treasurer/Direct).
Frequently asked questions about The Rock Foundation
How much does The Rock Foundation give each year?
The Rock Foundation gave $106K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $97K across 15 grants.
What is The Rock Foundation's typical grant size?
The Rock Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $6,625, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Rock Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does The Rock Foundation give grants?
The Rock Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Richmond, VA (13 grants).
Does The Rock Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 6% of The Rock Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 16) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Rock Foundation's largest grantees?
The Rock Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include VCU Foundation ($17,500), John Marshall Center at VA Museum History & Culture ($15,000) and Culture Works ($7,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Rock Foundation?
The Rock Foundation reported $854K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $112K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $89K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Rock Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including education, healthcare, arts and culture, historic preservation, and community services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Rock 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 The Rock Foundation's EIN?
The Rock Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8164535. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Rock Foundation 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Rock Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-rock-foundation-morg_b543d1313d5a41e0b4d53806e87cdd96
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_208164535_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Rock Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-rock-foundation-morg_b543d1313d5a41e0b4d53806e87cdd96},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Rock 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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