The Ruffin Family Foundation
The Ruffin Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Its 2025 filing reports 14 grants totaling $230,577, including grants to organizations in Virginia, Ohio, and Illinois.
The Ruffin Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Ruffin Family Foundation gave $231K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $16K), mostly in Virginia. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $230,577
- -1.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- -26.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $16,470
- +33.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,750
- Total assets
- $376,011
- -36.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (3 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (55% 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 Ruffin Family Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing names Edmund Ruffin as the contact. It specifies no application form or materials, deadline, or restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Edmund Ruffin
Mailing address: 300 32Nd Street Suite 301, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Phone: (757) 452-6577
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ruffin Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Norfolk Academy ($100K). Together the top 10 received $226K.
Grant Size Distribution
99 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 91 grants of 99 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that recipients in Virginia received 55% of grant dollars, those in Ohio received 43%, and those in Illinois received 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Ruffin Family Foundation open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 14 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 57% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 64% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 845% of 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 $140K (2022) to $338K (2023). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $231K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Norfolk Academy Norfolk, VA | General Support | $100,000 |
| Cleveland Clinic Cleveland, OH | General Support | $100,000 |
| VB Court Appointed Special Advocates Virginia Beach, VA | recruits, trains and supervises competent volunteers dedicated to advocating for the needs of abused and neglected children currently in court proceedings. | $5,000 |
| VA Beach Police Foundation Virginia Beach, VA | General Support | $4,800 |
| American Heart Association Virginia Beach, VA | To Build Healthier Lives Free of Cardiovascular Diseases and Strokes | $4,027 |
| Fact Chicago, IL | To Promote Humane Farming and Food Safety | $3,000 |
| An Acheivable Dream Newport News, VA | General Support | $3,000 |
| Charles Barker's Champions for Kids Virginia Beach, VA | General Support | $2,500 |
| Fight CF Foundation Virginia Beach, VA | General Support | $2,000 |
| riseVB Virginia Beach, VA | General Support | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ruffin Family 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 | $376,011 | $20,253 | $238,774 | $230,577 | 14 | $236,990 | $19,543 | $28,043 |
| 2024 | $594,532 | $35,828 | $234,487 | $234,463 | 19 | $234,487 | $35,828 | $38,515 |
| 2023 | $793,191 | $1,037,188 | $340,183 | $338,008 | 21 | $339,083 | $36,113 | $39,160 |
| 2022 | $96,186 | $176 | $142,482 | $140,250 | 20 | $140,250 | — | $10,731 |
| 2021 | $240,492 | $265 | $155,854 | $153,658 | 25 | $153,658 | — | $17,556 |
| 2020 | $394,081 | $668 | $236,501 | $234,476 | 19 | — | — | $26,921 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ruffin Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $28K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $230,577. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $100,000, with a median grant of $2,750. The largest reported grants were $100,000 each to Norfolk Academy in Norfolk, Virginia, and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, both for general support.
Other listed 2025 grants include $5,000 to VB Court Appointed Special Advocates, for recruiting, training, and supervising volunteers who advocate for abused and neglected children in court proceedings; $4,800 to VA Beach Police Foundation for general support; $4,027 to the American Heart Association, for its stated purpose of building healthier lives free of cardiovascular diseases and strokes; and $3,000 to FACT, for promoting humane farming and food safety. The filing also lists grants of $3,000 to An Acheivable Dream; $2,500 to Charles Barker's Champions for Kids; $2,000 each to Fight CF Foundation, riseVB, and Kaizxen Adaptive Athletics; and $1,000 to Virginia Aquarium Foundation, for inspiring conservation of the marine environment through education, research, and sustainable practices.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
The Ruffin Family Foundation is led by Edmund C Ruffin, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Edmund C Ruffin
President
Director & President → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alice F Ruffin
Vice President
Director & Vice President → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dare Marie Ruffin
Secretary
Director & Secretary → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Ruffin Family Foundation
How much does The Ruffin Family Foundation give each year?
The Ruffin Family Foundation gave $231K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $234K across 19 grants.
What is The Ruffin Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Ruffin Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,750, and its average grant was $16,470, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ruffin Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Ruffin Family Foundation give grants?
The Ruffin Family Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Ohio (43%). The most frequent recipient cities were Virginia Beach, VA (9 grants).
Does The Ruffin Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 64% of The Ruffin Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Ruffin Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Ruffin Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Norfolk Academy ($100,000), Cleveland Clinic ($100,000) and VB Court Appointed Special Advocates ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 89% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Ruffin Family Foundation?
The Ruffin Family Foundation reported $376K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $237K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $28K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
How do I apply for a grant from The Ruffin Family Foundation?
The filing names Edmund Ruffin as the contact. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Ruffin Family Foundation's EIN?
The Ruffin Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 47-4359594. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 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 October 24, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
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Figures come from The Ruffin Family 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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