The Ross Foundation
The Ross Foundation is a private foundation based in Lynchburg, Virginia. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including a large grant to THE ROSS FAMILY CHARITABLE FUND and smaller grants to educational, environmental, maritime, and veteran-support organizations.
The Ross Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ross Foundation gave $885K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $74K), mostly in Rhode Island. 25% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $885,183
- +1509.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- -50.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $73,765
- +3118.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (3 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Rhode Island (97% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Ross Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 501 V E S Road Ste B616, Lynchburg, VA 24503
Phone: (713) 240-2852
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ross Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Ross Family Charitable Fund ($858K). Together the top 10 received $884K.
Grant Size Distribution
102 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 101 grants of 102 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s reported 2025 grant dollars were distributed as follows by recipient state: Rhode Island 97%, Maryland 1%, Colorado 1%, New York 0%, and Pennsylvania 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Ross Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 12 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $289K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 1328% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $51K (2021) to $885K (2025). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $885K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Ross Family Charitable Fund Warwick, RI | Charitable | $858,183 |
| Driven to Care Silver Spring, MD | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| High Mountain Institute Leadville, CO | Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Trustees of Boston University New York, NY | Earth & Environmental Dept | $2,500 |
| Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA | Tepper School of Business | $2,500 |
| Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Saint Michaels, MD | Unrestricted | $2,500 |
| Hun School of Princeton Princeton, NJ | Unrestricted | $2,500 |
| US Naval Academy Foundation Annapolis, MD | Unrestriced | $2,500 |
| Taft School Fund Watertown, CT | Unrestricted | $2,000 |
| Montgomery Special Hockey Bethesda, MD | Cheetah Program | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ross 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | $336,544 | $896,512 | $885,183 | 12 | $885,183 | $327,835 | $18,773 |
| 2024 | $625,390 | $273,628 | $57,457 | $55,000 | 24 | $55,000 | $271,528 | $35,633 |
| 2023 | $291,794 | $27,695 | $59,268 | $57,000 | 20 | $57,000 | $25,695 | $33,501 |
| 2022 | $308,319 | $21,911 | $64,980 | $62,000 | 24 | $62,000 | $19,286 | $35,232 |
| 2021 | $369,537 | $73,144 | $60,121 | $50,825 | 22 | $50,825 | $25,508 | $38,261 |
| 2020 | $386,253 | $453,517 | $106,465 | $104,000 | 15 | — | $258,524 | $21,931 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ross Foundation reported a distributable amount of $19K for 2025 — 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 for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied purposes. High Mountain Institute describes its mission as engaging students with the natural world through intellectual inquiry, experiential learning, wilderness expeditions, and shared responsibility. Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum says it preserves and explores the history, environment, and people of the Chesapeake Bay. Warrior Canine Connection says it supports recovering combat veterans and their families through service-dog training and placement.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $885,183. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $858,183, with a median of $2,500. The largest grant was $858,183 to THE ROSS FAMILY CHARITABLE FUND in Warwick, Rhode Island, for a charitable purpose. Other notable grants included $5,000 each to Driven to Care and High Mountain Institute; $2,500 each to Carnegie Mellon University and Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum; and $500 to Warrior Canine Connection.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Francesca Ross and Isabelle Ross as trustees, and Krista Ross, David Ross IV, David Ross, and Ellen Ross as directors.
The Ross Foundation's 2025 filing lists 6 officers; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
David Ross IV
Director
Director 1hr → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ellen G. Ross
Director
Director 1hr → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Krista Ross
Director
Director 1hr → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Ross
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Francesca R. Ross
Trustee
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Isabelle Ross
Trustee
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: David Ross III (2020–2023) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Ross Foundation
How much does The Ross Foundation give each year?
The Ross Foundation gave $885K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $55K across 24 grants.
What is The Ross Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ross Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $73,765, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ross Foundation that year got $289K on average.
Where does The Ross Foundation give grants?
The Ross Foundation gives mostly in Rhode Island: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does The Ross Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 50% of The Ross Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (6 of 12) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Ross Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ross Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Ross Family Charitable Fund ($858,183), Driven to Care ($5,000) and High Mountain Institute ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 98% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
What does The Ross Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ross Foundation?
The foundation states on its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
How much is The Ross Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The Ross Foundation reported a distributable amount of $19K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Ross Foundation's EIN?
The Ross Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 76-0286746. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Ross 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 13, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 20, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Ross Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ross Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ross-foundation-morg_5f399bcfde164d60b80ae3efb7141335
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_760286746_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ross Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ross-foundation-morg_5f399bcfde164d60b80ae3efb7141335},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Ross 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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