The Rodney Fund

Foundation · Grantmaker West Bloomfield, MI EIN: 38-3030437

The Rodney Fund is a private foundation established in 1992 and based in West Bloomfield, Michigan. It operates as a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting public affairs institutes and centers that advance libertarian principles.

Key facts about The Rodney Fund

EIN: 38-3030437
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2023
Annual giving (2023): $1,610,000
Grants made (2023): 21
Average grant: $76,667
Median grant: $40,000
New grantees (estimate): 24% first-time grantees (5 of 21, 2023)
Total assets: $31,549,729
Primary geography: Virginia (29% of itemized 2023 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2023; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Who The Rodney Fund funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Rodney Fund's 21 itemized 2023 grants were Virginia (29%), California (17%) and Illinois (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (5 grants) and Arlington, VA (3 grants). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

Is The Rodney Fund open to new grantees?

24%

first-time grantees, 2023

In 2023, 5 of 21 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $95K. How we count

Medians: $15K first-time, $75K repeat.

76% of 2023 grantees were also funded in 2022. Method
Giving grew 286% from 2020 to 2023. Method
In 2023 it paid out 8% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2023). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Next steps with The Rodney Fund

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Financial Overview

From 2023 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$31.5M

-5.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.6M

+0.6% YoY

Grant Count

+31.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$77K

-23.3% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Rodney Fund reported a distributable amount of $19.1M for 2023 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The fund supports libertarian principles including limited government, private property, free markets, individual liberty, free trade, and rule by law as established by the U.S. Constitution.

Primary funding focus areas include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Public Affairs

Grantmaking

The fund made 32 grants in 2023, including:

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The fund primarily supports organizations in:

District of Columbia
Virginia
Michigan

Grant Distribution by State

Virginia $465K (29%)

California $270K (17%)

Illinois $235K (15%)

Michigan $210K (13%)

District of Columbia $160K (10%)

All other $270K (17%)

Share of all 21 itemized 2023 grant dollars.

States

Alabama Arizona California District of Columbia Delaware Georgia Illinois Massachusetts Michigan North Carolina New York Pennsylvania Virginia

Cities

WashingtonArlingtonAtlantaAuburnChicagoMidlandSanta AnaSpringfieldArlington HtsSaramentoTucsonVassBala CynwydNew YorkPhoenixWillmingtonDetroitErieGrand RapidsGt Barrington

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Fiscal Year 2023:

Total Assets: $31,549,729
Total Giving: $1,610,000
Total Revenue: $156,188
Total Expenses: $1,841,949
Investment Income: $689,545

EIN: 38-3030437

Address: 5618 Putnam Drive, West Bloomfield, MI 48323-3721

Contact: 248-352-8108

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2023	2022	2021
Total Assets	$31,549,729	$33,206,688	$34,879,783
Revenue	$156,188	$-1,065,437	$25,640,631
Expenses	$1,841,949	$1,822,170	$1,481,101
Qualifying Distributions	$1,610,000	$1,600,000	$465,000
Net Investment Income	$738,469	$657,921	$422,303
Distributable Amount	$19,121,415	$1,559,250	$611,682

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 2, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2023

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 2023

Grant Size Distribution

84 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2023 grants, the largest recipients include Institute for Justice ($200,000), Liberty Justice Center ($200,000), Mackinac Center for Public Policy ($200,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE Arlington, VA	GENERAL FUNDING 501(C)3	$200,000
LIBERTY JUSTICE CENTER Chicago, IL	GENERAL FUNDING 501(C)3	$200,000
MACKINAC CENTER FOR PUBLIC POLICY Midland, MI	GENERAL FUNDING 501(C)3	$200,000
PAC LEGAL FOUNDATION Saramento, CA	GENERAL FUNDING 501C(3)	$190,000
YOUNG AMERICANS FOR LIBERTY Arlington, VA	GENERAL FUNDING 501(C)3	$150,000
FOUNDATION FOR ECON EDUCA Atlanta, GA	GENERAL FUNDING 501(C)3	$80,000
NRW LEGAL DEFENSE Springfield, VA	GENERAL FUNDING 501(C)3	$80,000
THE AYN RAND INSTITUTE Santa Ana, CA	GENERAL FUNDING 501(C)3	$80,000
JUDICIAL WATCH Washington, DC	GENERAL FUNDING 501(C)3	$70,000
LUDWIG VON MISES Auburn, AL	GENERAL FUNDING 501(C)3	$70,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Leigh Rodney – Director
James M Rodney – Director, Officer

Compensation Overview

From 2023 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Leigh Rodney	Director	—	—
Steven Thomas	Director	—	$20,000
Steve Rude	Director	—	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Rodney Fund fund?

The fund supports libertarian principles including limited government, private property, free markets, individual liberty, free trade, and rule by law as established by the U.S. Constitution. Primary funding focus areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Public Affairs

How do I apply for a grant from The Rodney Fund?

**Grant Amounts:** Typical awards range from $5,000 to $200,000. **Recent Grant Activity (2023):** The fund made 32 grants in 2023, including: • Mackinac Center for Public Policy: $200,000 • Institute for Justice: $200,000 • Liberty Justice Center: $200,000 **Total Annual Giving:** $1,610,000 (based on most recent data)

Where does The Rodney Fund make grants?

The fund primarily supports organizations in: • District of Columbia • Virginia • Michigan

What size grants does The Rodney Fund award?

In 2023, The Rodney Fund awarded 21 grants totaling $1.6M — an average of about $77K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Rodney Fund required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2023, The Rodney Fund reported a distributable amount of $19.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.