The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Boston, MA EIN: 04-3340591

The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. In filing year 2025, it reported 57 grants totaling $1,712,282 to charitable organizations, with listed awards supporting organizations in areas including health care, education, food access, and community services.

Key facts about The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation

In short: The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation gave $1.7M across 57 grants in 2025 (avg $30K), mostly in Massachusetts. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
04-3340591
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$1,712,282
Grants made (2025)
57
Average grant
$30,040
Median grant
$15,000
New grantees (estimate)
33% first-time grantees (19 of 57, 2025)
Total assets
$27,270,219
Primary geography
Massachusetts (66% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$27.3M

+6.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.7M

+39.8% YoY

Grant Count

57

+9.6% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$30K

+27.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.7M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation open to new grantees?

33%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 19 of 57 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $30K; repeat grants $30K. How we count

Medians: $5K first-time, $20K repeat.

  • 60% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving fell 26% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 103% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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 show support for a range of organizations. For example, Children’s Day School describes its work as balancing students’ academic learning with their development as people; Impact on Education says it provides Boulder Valley students with equitable opportunities and resources; and Gaining Ground says it grows and distributes fresh produce for hunger relief and provides environmental education. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own work.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 57 grants totaling $1,712,282. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $260,789, with a median award of $15,000. The largest listed awards included $260,789 to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, $174,270 to Garden Conservancy, $149,778 to Foundation of the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, and $100,000 to Maranyundo Initiative. Each was listed for general support.

Other listed grants included $75,000 to Island School; $60,000 to Children’s Day School; $50,000 each to Buckner International, Concord-Carlisle Community Chest, Impact on Education, and Reproductive Equity Now Foundation; and $35,000 to Gaining Ground. The grantees describe their work in their own terms: Concord-Carlisle Community Chest raises funds for human-service and other organizations in Concord and Carlisle, while Reproductive Equity Now Foundation focuses on research and public education about equitable access to reproductive health care.

How to Apply

The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, Massachusetts organizations received 66% of grant dollars, followed by organizations in New York (13%), Florida (6%), Colorado (4%), and California (4%).

Grant Distribution by State

16states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 57 itemized grants.

Cities

BostonConcordNew YorkBoulderSeattleBoca GrandeCarlisleLowellGarrisonBrooklynCambridgePortlandWoburnCantonDallasGreenvilleLindenhurstMiamiSan FranciscoSouth Boston

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$3M37 grants2019 37 grants2020 31 grants2021 48 grants2022 59 grants2023 52 grants2024 57 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2024) to $2.3M (2022). In 2025 it made 57 grants totaling $1.7M.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Inc: $261KBeth Israel Deaconess MedicalCenter Inc$261KGarden Conservancy: $174KGarden Conservancy$174KFoundation of the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary Inc: $150KFoundation of theMassachusetts Eye & Ear…$150KMaranyundo Initiative Inc: $100KMaranyundo Initiative Inc$100KMassachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary Inc: $80KMassachusetts Eye & EarInfirmary Inc$80KIsland School: $75KIsland School$75KChildrens Day School: $60KChildrens Day School$60KBuckner International: $50KBuckner International$50KConcord-Carlisle Community Chest: $50KConcord-Carlisle CommunityChest$50KImpact on Education: $50KImpact on Education$50K

The largest 2025 recipient was Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Inc ($261K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.

Grant Size Distribution

247 grants across all recorded years

208<$50K17$50–100K17$100–250K3$250–500K1$500K–1M1$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 208 grants of 247 (84%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Inc Boston, MAGeneral Support$260,789
Garden Conservancy Garrison, NYGeneral Support$174,270
Foundation of the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary Inc Boston, MAGeneral Support$149,778
Maranyundo Initiative Inc South Boston, MAGeneral Support$100,000
Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary Inc Boston, MAGeneral Support$80,445
Island School Woburn, MAGeneral Support$75,000
Childrens Day School San Francisco, CAGeneral Support$60,000
Buckner International Dallas, TXGeneral Support$50,000
Concord-Carlisle Community Chest Concord, MAGeneral Support$50,000
Impact on Education Louisville, COGeneral Support$50,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2025 $27,270,219 $1,628,482 $1,962,680 $1,712,282
2024 $25,659,237 $4,504,606 $1,400,202 $1,224,820
2023 $24,447,476 $748,222 $1,572,934 $1,380,500
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$2M$4M$6M2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$27,270,219$25,659,237$24,447,476
Revenue$1,628,482$4,504,606$748,222
Expenses$1,962,680$1,400,202$1,572,934
Qualifying Distributions$1,718,409$1,227,343$1,431,345
Net Investment Income$1,008,717$1,287,620$542,485
Distributable Amount$1,663,967$1,497,660$1,401,236

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 11, 2020)
  2. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 17, 2026)
  3. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Michael Ruettgers, Maureen Ruettgers, Christopher Ruettgers, Polly Fields, and Abigail Flanagan as trustees.

The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation's 2025 filing lists 5 officers; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Abigail Flanagan

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

  • Christopher Ruettgers

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

  • Maureen Ruettgers

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

  • Michael Ruettgers

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

  • Polly Fields

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Mailing address: 100 Federal Street 37Th Floor, Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (617) 357-9600

Frequently asked questions about The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation

How much does The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation give each year?

The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation gave $1.7M across 57 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.2M across 52 grants.

What is The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation's typical grant size?

The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $30,040, across 57 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation that year got $30K on average.

Where does The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation give grants?

The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (13%) and Florida (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (10 grants), Concord, MA (9 grants), Lowell, MA (3 grants) and Boca Grande, FL (3 grants).

Does The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 96% of The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (55 of 57) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation's largest grantees?

The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Inc ($260,789), Garden Conservancy ($174,270) and Foundation of the Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary Inc ($149,778), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation?

The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation reported $27.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.7M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation?

The foundation states 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 ↑

What is The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation's EIN?

The Ruettgers Family Charit Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3340591. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Does The Ruettgers Family Charit 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.

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