The ROS Foundation
The ROS Foundation is a private foundation based in Greenfield, Wisconsin. Its 2024 filing reports 123 grants totaling $3,090,000 to charitable organizations, including food banks, youth organizations, animal-welfare groups, and human-services providers.
The ROS Foundation at a glance
In short: The ROS Foundation gave $3.1M across 123 grants in 2024 (avg $25K), mostly in Wisconsin. 17% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,090,000
- +16.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 123
- +11.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $25,122
- +3.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $61,469,401
- -0.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 17% first-time grantees (21 of 123, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (69% 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 ROS Foundation
- How to Apply
-
Contact The ROS Foundation. No specific form is required; brochures and letters stating the charitable purpose are preferred. Include a copy of the IRS determination letter. The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations and that there are no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: The Ros Foundation
Mailing address: 4811 S 76Th Street Ste 211, Greenfield, WI 53220
Phone: (414) 281-6000
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The ROS Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Feeding America Eastern WI ($200K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
513 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 422 grants of 513 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Wisconsin recipients received 69% of grant dollars and Florida recipients received 21%. Virginia and Illinois each accounted for 2%, and California accounted for 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 123 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The ROS Foundation open to new grantees?
17%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 21 of 123 grantees (17%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $28K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 81% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 43% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 89% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $2.2M (2021) to $3.1M (2024). In 2024 it made 123 grants totaling $3.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Feeding America Eastern WI Milwaukee, WI | General Operating Purposes | $200,000 |
| Harry Chapin Food Bank - Naples Naples, FL | General Operating Purposes | $200,000 |
| Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | General Operating Purposes | $200,000 |
| Impact Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse Services Inc Milwaukee, WI | General Operating Purposes | $75,000 |
| Vision Forward Milwaukee, WI | General Operating Purposes | $75,000 |
| Abuse Counseling and Treatment Inc Fort Myers, FL | General Operating Purposes | $50,000 |
| American Red Cross Wisc Chapter Milwaukee, WI | General Operating Purposes | $50,000 |
| Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee Inc Milwaukee, WI | General Operating Purposes | $50,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Collier County Naples, FL | General Operating Purposes | $50,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI | General Operating Purposes | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The ROS 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 | $61,469,401 | $2,873,712 | $3,461,438 | $3,090,000 | 123 | $3,099,439 | $2,553,503 | $3,480,808 |
| 2023 | $61,473,722 | $34,274,765 | $2,946,033 | $2,660,000 | 110 | $2,699,813 | $3,653,042 | $3,307,130 |
| 2022 | $30,148,498 | $2,217,092 | $2,265,512 | $2,165,000 | 97 | $2,169,647 | $793,930 | $1,882,605 |
| 2021 | $30,196,896 | $3,469,836 | $2,302,966 | $2,165,000 | 88 | $2,166,912 | $1,228,495 | $1,913,967 |
| 2020 | $29,032,206 | $3,907,135 | $2,848,776 | $2,685,000 | 95 | — | $718,397 | $1,692,697 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The ROS Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.5M 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 mission statement is provided. The grants show support for organizations working in areas including hunger relief, youth services, domestic-violence support, housing repairs, and animal welfare. For example, Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee each received $200,000 for general operating purposes. The Wisconsin Humane Society, which says its mission is to make a difference for animals and the people who love them, received $50,000. Pathfinders Milwaukee, which says it brings safety, hope, and healing to youth in crisis, also received $50,000.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 123 grants totaling $3,090,000. Awards ranged from $5,000 to $200,000, with a median grant of $20,000. The two largest grants listed were $200,000 each to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin and Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee in Wisconsin, and Harry Chapin Food Bank in Florida; all were for general operating purposes. Other listed grants included $75,000 each to Impact Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse Services and Vision Forward, and $50,000 each to organizations including Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee, Boys & Girls Club of Collier County, and Abuse Counseling and Treatment.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Brian Riordan and Susan L. Riordan as trustees.
The ROS Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Brian Riordan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan L. Riordan
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 ROS Foundation
How much does The ROS Foundation give each year?
The ROS Foundation gave $3.1M across 123 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $2.7M across 110 grants.
What is The ROS Foundation's typical grant size?
The ROS Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $20,000, and its average grant was $25,122, across 123 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The ROS Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does The ROS Foundation give grants?
The ROS Foundation gives mostly in Wisconsin: 69% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Florida (21%). The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (64 grants), Naples, FL (11 grants), West Allis, WI (4 grants) and Fort Myers, FL (3 grants).
Does The ROS Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The ROS Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (123 of 123) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The ROS Foundation's largest grantees?
The ROS Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Feeding America Eastern WI ($200,000), Harry Chapin Food Bank - Naples ($200,000) and Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee ($200,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The ROS Foundation?
The ROS Foundation reported $61.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The ROS Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The grants show support for organizations working in areas including hunger relief, youth services, domestic-violence support, housing repairs, and animal welfare. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The ROS Foundation?
Contact The ROS Foundation. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The ROS Foundation's EIN?
The ROS Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1948463. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 November 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The ROS Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The ROS Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ros-foundation-morg_ecbaa2ba351a461b93005f02cba4a61d
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_391948463_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The ROS Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ros-foundation-morg_ecbaa2ba351a461b93005f02cba4a61d},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 ROS 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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