The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker BIRMINGHAM, AL EIN: 63-0916545

The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation is a private foundation established in 1985 and based in Birmingham, Alabama. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and focuses on charitable giving primarily within the United States.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$929K

-16.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$364K

-9.8% YoY

Grant Count

-9.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$8K

-0.0% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation reported a distributable amount of $55K for 2024 — 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 foundation's grantmaking priorities include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services

The foundation also supports scholarship programs, including the Ronne & Donald Hess Scholarship in Computer Science for incoming freshmen at Birmingham-Southern College, which is renewable annually.

Grantmaking

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis.

Grant Range

$3,000

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking extends to:

Alabama
New Hampshire
District of Columbia

Grant Distribution by State

Alabama $681K (51%)

Massachusetts $256K (19%)

New York $194K (15%)

New Hampshire $102K (8%)

California $36K (3%)

District of Columbia $18K (1%)

Mississippi $12K (1%)

Georgia $9K (1%)

+12 more states

States

Alabama Arizona California Colorado District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Louisiana Massachusetts Maryland Minnesota Mississippi New Hampshire New York Oklahoma Texas Virginia Vermont Wisconsin

Cities

AgawamAtlantaBaytownBellaireBirminghamBostonBrooklineFairleeFt LauderdaleGadsdenHagerstownHanoverHomewoodJacksonLebanonManchesterMiamiMontgomeryMountain BrookNeedham

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total assets: $929,000
Total liabilities: $0
Annual revenue: $88,100
Annual expenses: $371,000

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2021
Total Assets	$929,227	$1,109,685	$1,851,255
Revenue	$88,104	$77,070	$361,057
Expenses	$370,539	$412,420	$721,407
Qualifying Distributions	$365,374	$405,579	$710,492
Net Investment Income	$20,366	$17,741	$300,642
Distributable Amount	$55,204	$66,302	$115,691

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

196 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Breakthrough T1d ($124,502), Indian Springs School ($74,833), American Friends of the Ocean Cleanup Foundation ($20,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ALABAMA GIVING BIRMINGHAM, AL	SUPPORT OF PROGRAMS	$400
ALOHA FOUNDATION WAIMANALO, HI	SUPPORT OF PROGRAMS	$1,000
AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY OKLAHOMA CITY, OK	SUPPORT OF PROGRAMS	$500
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE OCEAN CLEANUP FOUNDATION NEW YORK, NY	SUPPORT OF PROGRAMS	$20,000
BIRMINGHAM JEWISH FEDERATION BIRMINGHAM, AL	SUPPORT OF PROGRAMS	$16,005
CHABAD OF ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM, AL	SUPPORT OF PROGRAMS	$1,800
CHABAD OF DARTMOUTH HANOVER, NH	SUPPORT OF PROGRAMS	$18,210
CHARITY WATER HAGERSTOWN, MD	SUPPORT OF PROGRAMS	$500
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION BIRMINGHAM, AL	SUPPORT OF PROGRAMS	$1,000
CIRCLE OF TAPAWINGO ATLANTA, GA	SUPPORT OF PROGRAMS	$1,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
RONNE HESS	PRESIDENT/ DIRECTOR	1	—
DONALD HESS	VICE PRESIDENT/ SECRETARY	1	—
EMILY HESS LEVINE	VICE PRESIDENT/ TREASURER	1	—
DAVID R NELSON JR	VICE PRESIDENT	—	—

Contact Information

Address: 505 20th Street North, Suite 1150 Birmingham, AL 35203-4620

Telephone: 205-328-3120

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation fund?

The foundation's grantmaking priorities include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services The foundation also supports scholarship programs, including the Ronne & Donald Hess Scholarship in Computer Science for incoming freshmen at Birmingham-Southern College, which is renewable annually.

How do I apply for a grant from The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation?

**Grant Activity (2024):** • Total giving: $359,000–$364,000 • Number of grants: 32 • Median grant size: $3,000 • Grant range: $1,000–$125,000 • Giving rate: 38.6% of assets **Application Policy:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates on an invite-only basis.

Where does The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation make grants?

The foundation's grantmaking extends to: • Alabama • New Hampshire • District of Columbia

What size grants does The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation award?

In 2024, The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation awarded 46 grants totaling $364K — an average of about $8K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation reported a distributable amount of $55K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation's EIN?

The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 63-0916545. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.