The Rodel Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1999 in Arizona and reorganized in 2004. Based in Phoenix, Arizona, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to philanthropic giving across multiple focus areas and geographic regions.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$64.1M
+3.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.0M
+17.3% YoY
Grant Count
17
-19.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$118K
+44.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation has not publicly provided a formal mission statement. However, based on its grantmaking patterns, the foundation supports initiatives in education, environment, community development, and social justice. Recent grant activity indicates particular interest in education-focused organizations and leadership development.
Grantmaking
Notable recent grants include $1,390,000 to the Rodel Institute for education initiatives, $100,000 to The Breakthrough Institute for environmental work, and $100,000 to the Social Good Fund for community concerns.
Grant Range
Individual grants have ranged from $3,000 to $1,600,000
Average Grant
$112,000
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation distributes funding across multiple states, with primary focus on Arizona, California, Colorado, and the District of Columbia. These regions account for approximately 61% of all grants. The foundation has supported organizations in various U.S. cities and states.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue:
- Total assets: $64,056,374 (2024)
- Total revenues: $3,070,214 (2024)
- Total expenses: $3,072,271 (2024)
- Annual income: $28.2M (reported in some filings)
Historical Growth: Total assets have grown from $52.4 million in 2011 to $64.1 million in 2024. Annual giving has fluctuated, with grantmaking activity highest in 2022 at $5.2 million distributed across 38 grants.
Staffing: The foundation operates with 3 employees.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $64,056,374 | $61,707,291 | $57,127,103 |
| Revenue | $3,070,214 | $2,009,247 | $3,894,841 |
| Expenses | $3,072,271 | $2,836,840 | $3,850,054 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,830,494 | $2,608,899 | $3,391,347 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,841,927 | $1,783,389 | $3,628,767 |
| Distributable Amount | $3,067,162 | $2,887,278 | $2,788,661 |
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
106 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key Personnel:
- Donald V. Budinger (Trustee, Principal Officer)
- William D. Budinger (Trustee)
- Susan M. Budinger (Trustee, CEO and Secretary)
- John R. Kroger (President and CEO, Rodel Institute)
The foundation is governed by three officers and trustees.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSAN M BUDINGER | CEO & SECRETARY | 35 | $240,000 |
| DONALD V BUDINGER | CHAIR & TREASURER | 31 | $190,000 |
| WILLIAM D BUDINGER | DIRECTOR | 29 | — |
| WILLIAM M BUDINGER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LISA S BUDINGER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has been active in supporting education and workforce development initiatives. Recent grant announcements include funding for Delaware high school career pathways programs, with a $1.5 million grant boost to support statewide career pathway initiatives. The Rodel Institute, a related organization, has received grants from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and announced its Class of 2025 Rodel Fellows program.
Delaware career pathways get $1.5M grant boost statewideSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Similar funders by location and focus area
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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