The Rust Foundation
The Rust Foundation is listed in its 2025 filing as a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its website describes the organization as an independent nonprofit steward of the Rust programming language, supporting Rust communities worldwide and investing in the Rust talent pool.
The Rust Foundation at a glance
In short: The Rust Foundation gave $381K across 109 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state Pennsylvania. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $381,252
- +25.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 109
- +14.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,498
- +8.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $3,394,201
- -0.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (26% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Rust Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation states in its 2025 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. A separate website announcement described a 2022 Project Grants program for individuals or teams seeking $2,500–$15,000 for work benefiting the Rust Project or Rust education and outreach; the stated application deadline, November 7, 2022, was a past cycle.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1305 Parkview Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15217-2589
Phone: (412) 683-7971
Website: https://rustfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Rust Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fields for Kids ($31K). Together the top 10 received $188K.
Grant Size Distribution
510 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 507 grants of 510 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The filing reports that 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest shares were Pennsylvania (26%), Virginia (14%), New York (13%), Tennessee (9%), and Ohio (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 109 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Rust Foundation gives
- 56% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 114% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $289K (2020) to $422K (2022). In 2025 it made 109 grants totaling $381K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fields for Kids Larchmont, NY | General Purpose | $30,500 |
| Woodberry Forest School Woodberry Forest, VA | General Purpose | $28,500 |
| Second Harvest Food Bank Nashville, TN | General Purpose | $27,500 |
| Chatham University Pittsburgh, PA | General Purpose | $26,000 |
| Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | General Purpose | $16,000 |
| Save a Warrior Columbus, OH | General Purpose | $15,000 |
| St Anthony School Programs Wexford, PA | General Purpose | $12,500 |
| Oncue Theatre Incorporated Bethesda, MD | General Purpose | $11,052 |
| Fox Families Care Pittsburgh, PA | General Purpose | $11,000 |
| Genesis of Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI | General Purpose | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Rust 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 | $3,394,201 | $448,158 | $450,238 | $381,252 | 109 | $391,964 | $383,701 | $345,270 |
| 2024 | $3,396,281 | $384,968 | $361,548 | $305,000 | 95 | $310,413 | $333,833 | $324,171 |
| 2023 | $3,372,861 | $247,789 | $384,103 | $304,000 | 88 | $309,572 | $176,310 | $287,611 |
| 2022 | $3,509,175 | $483,731 | $512,323 | $421,500 | 102 | $426,892 | $402,052 | $293,742 |
| 2021 | $3,537,767 | $340,509 | $426,236 | $333,000 | 116 | $345,870 | $266,663 | $327,229 |
| 2020 | $3,623,494 | $441,672 | $370,466 | $288,500 | 1 | — | $369,994 | $293,206 |
| 2019 | $3,588,838 | $329,476 | $342,428 | $291,723 | 1 | — | $288,714 | $268,135 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Rust Foundation reported a distributable amount of $345K 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
The Foundation’s website states its mission is to make global computer systems more secure, sustainable, scalable, and efficient through the use of the Rust programming language. Its listed initiatives include security, infrastructure support, community grants, interoperability, training, safety-critical Rust, and cloud computing.
The 2025 filing describes the purposes of its largest grants as “general purpose.” Recipients’ own mission statements show a varied set of grantees: Chatham University describes its work as preparing students for purposeful lives, fulfilling work, and engaged citizenship; Save a Warrior says it works to address suicide among veterans, active military, and first responders; and Fox Families Care says it provides resources to children and families facing financial hardship in the Fox Chapel Area School District. Other reported recipients include universities, food-security organizations, and community-support organizations.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 109 grants totaling $381,252. Awards ranged from $500 to $30,500, with a median of $1,000.
Among the largest reported grants were $30,500 to Fields for Kids, $28,500 to Woodberry Forest School, $27,500 to Second Harvest Food Bank, $26,000 to Chatham University, and $16,000 to Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. Each was listed with a general-purpose grant purpose. Other reported awards included $15,000 to Save a Warrior, $12,500 to St Anthony School Programs, and $11,000 to Fox Families Care.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thatcher O Montgomery as president; Coburn J Gillies and R Bruce Rust as trustees; Molly R Montgomery and Nancy L Gillies as treasurers; James O Rust as secretary; and David C Gilles as vice president.
The Rust Foundation is led by Thatcher O. Montgomery, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thatcher O. Montgomery
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
R. Bruce Rust
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Coburn J. Gillies
Trustee
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James O. Rust
Secretary
Trustee → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David C. Gilles
Vice President
Trustee → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Molly R. Montgomery
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy L. Gillies
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Davis B. Rust (2019–2023) — Trustee
- Former: J. Mead Rust Jr. (2019–2023) — Secretary
- Former: John R. Rust (2019–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: S. Murray Rust III (2019–2023) — Vice President
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Rust Foundation
How much does The Rust Foundation give each year?
The Rust Foundation gave $381K across 109 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $305K across 95 grants.
What is The Rust Foundation's typical grant size?
The Rust Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $3,498, across 109 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Rust Foundation give grants?
The Rust Foundation's top state is Pennsylvania, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Virginia (14%) and New York (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (18 grants), Leesburg, VA (8 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants) and Larchmont, NY (3 grants).
Does The Rust Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Rust Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (109 of 109) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Rust Foundation's largest grantees?
The Rust Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Fields for Kids ($30,500), Woodberry Forest School ($28,500) and Second Harvest Food Bank ($27,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 23% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Rust Foundation?
The Rust Foundation reported $3.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $392K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $345K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Rust Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s website states its mission is to make global computer systems more secure, sustainable, scalable, and efficient through the use of the Rust programming language. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Rust Foundation?
The Foundation states in its 2025 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Rust Foundation's EIN?
The Rust Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 25-6049037. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Rust 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 2024 (received by the IRS May 5, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Rust Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Rust Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-rust-foundation-morg_a6bd76b7746b439cb3e20f95757505fd
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_256049037_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Rust Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-rust-foundation-morg_a6bd76b7746b439cb3e20f95757505fd},
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 Rust 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.
The Rust Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?