The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation
The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation is a private foundation based in Birmingham, Alabama. In 2024, it made 46 grants totaling $364,454 to charitable organizations, including organizations in Alabama, New York, and New Hampshire.
The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation gave $364K across 46 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), top state New York. 16% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $364,454
- -9.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 46
- -9.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,923
- -0.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $929,227
- -16.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (7 of 45, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (44% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 505 20Th St N 1150, Birmingham, AL 35203-4620
Phone: (205) 328-3120
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Breakthrough T1D ($125K). Together the top 10 received $308K.
Grant Size Distribution
247 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 238 grants of 247 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 44% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 39% to Alabama, 12% to New Hampshire, 2% to California, and 2% to the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 46 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 45 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $23K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 80% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 49% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 662% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $127K (2020) to $709K (2021). In 2024 it made 46 grants totaling $364K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Breakthrough T1D New York, NY | Support of Programs | $124,502 |
| Indian Springs School Pelham, AL | Support of Programs | $74,833 |
| American Friends of the Ocean Cleanup Foundation New York, NY | Support of Programs | $20,000 |
| Chabad of Dartmouth Hanover, NH | Support of Programs | $18,210 |
| Birmingham Jewish Federation Birmingham, AL | Support of Programs | $16,005 |
| Women's Foundation of Alabama Birmingham, AL | Support of Programs | $13,222 |
| Union for Reform Judaism New York, NY | Support of Programs | $12,726 |
| UAB Heersink School of Medicine Birmingham, AL | Support of Programs | $10,166 |
| Dartmouth Hitchcock Health Lebanon, NH | Support of Programs | $10,000 |
| Granite United Way Manchester, NH | Support of Programs | $7,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ronne & Donald Hess 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $929,227 | $88,104 | $370,539 | $364,454 | 46 | $365,374 | $20,366 | $55,204 |
| 2023 | $1,109,685 | $77,070 | $412,420 | $404,175 | 51 | $405,579 | $17,741 | $66,302 |
| 2021 | $1,851,255 | $361,057 | $721,407 | $709,323 | 94 | $710,492 | $300,642 | $115,691 |
| 2020 | $1,724,794 | $754,312 | $136,105 | $126,728 | 56 | — | $56,830 | $88,554 |
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 September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supports. Breakthrough T1D describes its work as accelerating breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat type 1 diabetes and its complications. Indian Springs School says it serves as a support organization for the Alabama Educational Foundation. The Birmingham Jewish Federation describes work nurturing Jewish life and helping people in need, while the Women’s Foundation of Alabama says it works to accelerate economic opportunity for women.
Other 2024 recipients include N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, which describes its educational and community role; Granite United Way, which raises and invests local dollars and supports collaborative community solutions; and Project Night Night, which provides packages of nighttime essentials to children experiencing homelessness.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 46 grants totaling $364,454. Grants ranged from $200 to $124,502, and the median grant was $1,000. Its largest grants included $124,502 to Breakthrough T1D, $74,833 to Indian Springs School, $20,000 to American Friends of the Ocean Cleanup Foundation, $18,210 to Chabad of Dartmouth, and $16,005 to the Birmingham Jewish Federation. These grants were listed for support of programs.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ronne Hess as president and director; Donald Hess as vice president and secretary; Emily Hess Levine as vice president and treasurer; and David R Nelson Jr as vice president.
The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation is led by Ronne Hess, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ronne Hess
President & Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David R. Nelson Jr.
Vice President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Donald Hess
Vice President & Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Emily Hess Levine
Vice President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Alan Z. Engel (2020–2023) — Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation
How much does The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation give each year?
The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation gave $364K across 46 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $404K across 51 grants.
What is The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $7,923, across 46 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation that year got $23K on average.
Where does The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation give grants?
The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation's top state is New York, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Alabama (39%) and New Hampshire (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Birmingham, AL (23 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants), New York, NY (4 grants) and Pelham, AL (2 grants).
Does The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 46 grants with a stated purpose on The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support of Programs" (46 grants).
Who are The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Breakthrough T1D ($124,502), Indian Springs School ($74,833) and American Friends of the Ocean Cleanup Foundation ($20,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 60% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation?
The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation reported $929K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $365K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $55K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supports. Breakthrough T1D describes its work as accelerating breakthroughs to cure, prevent, and treat type 1 diabetes and its complications. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
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.
Does The Ronne & Donald Hess 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ronne & Donald Hess Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ronne-and-donald-hess-foundation-morg_402f8aa9b60b4048a20259f3c10fe3b6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_630916545_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ronne \& Donald Hess Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ronne-and-donald-hess-foundation-morg_402f8aa9b60b4048a20259f3c10fe3b6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Ronne & Donald Hess 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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