The Ruth L Lee Fund
The Ruth L Lee Fund is a private foundation based in East Weymouth, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including recipients working in affordable housing, legal services, healing, education, and the arts; the filing lists grant recipients in several states.
The Ruth L Lee Fund at a glance
In short: The Ruth L Lee Fund gave $124K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), top state Massachusetts. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $123,615
- -2.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +33.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,726
- -27.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,204,258
- +9.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (6 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (43% 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 Ruth L Lee Fund
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing lists the contact as The Ruth L Lee Fund. It specifies no application form or materials, no deadline, and no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: The Ruth L Lee Fund
Mailing address: 1362 Washington St, East Weymouth, MA 02189
Phone: (781) 331-4767
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Ruth L Lee Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Enterprise Community Partners ($40K). Together the top 10 received $121K.
Grant Size Distribution
53 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 53 grants of 53 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (43%), Maryland (32%), California (16%), North Carolina (6%), and Indiana (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Ruth L Lee Fund open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 16 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $820 first-time, $4K repeat.
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 29% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 187% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $93K (2020) to $156K (2021). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $124K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise Community Partners Columbia, MD | Charitable | $40,000 |
| Smith Campus School Northampton, MA | Charitable | $39,825 |
| Uncommon Law Oakland, CA | Charitable | $15,000 |
| Embodiment Institute Durham, NC | Charitable EIN 93-1803400 | $7,500 |
| Boston Symphone Orchestra Boston, MA | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Celebrity Series Boston, MA | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Dykes on Bikes San Francisco, CA | Charitable | $2,500 |
| Because Black Is Still Beautiful Sacramento, CA | Charitable EIN 87-0743848 | $2,500 |
| Beam Cambridge, MA | Charitable | $2,500 |
| Children Inc Columbus, IN | Charitable EIN 54-0761510 | $1,140 |
Ready to take the next step with The Ruth L Lee Fund?
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 | $1,204,258 | $81,502 | $142,298 | $123,615 | 16 | $143,255 | $26,656 | $76,809 |
| 2024 | $1,101,938 | $48,456 | $149,743 | $127,132 | 12 | $142,047 | $20,932 | $73,755 |
| 2023 | $1,093,971 | $42,799 | $139,109 | $119,720 | 8 | $122,870 | $23,936 | $75,367 |
| 2022 | $662,263 | $35,303 | $118,919 | $95,500 | 8 | $98,155 | $29,857 | $71,922 |
| 2021 | $844,003 | $73,671 | $182,679 | $155,996 | 9 | $158,839 | $51,419 | $93,398 |
| 2020 | $913,794 | $90,543 | $121,356 | $93,479 | 10 | — | $76,193 | $88,807 |
| 2019 | $944,630 | $57,147 | $148,119 | $122,000 | 5 | — | $41,737 | $96,747 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Ruth L Lee Fund reported a distributable amount of $77K 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 fund is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose own stated missions span multiple areas. Enterprise Community Partners describes its work as addressing the affordable housing crisis and building places of pride, belonging, resilience, and upward mobility. Uncommon Law says it provides legal and healing services to people impacted by incarceration. Embodiment Institute says it works to change healing practices through training and interventions. Children Inc. says it provides children with a safe, stimulating social, emotional, and educational foundation.
Other 2025 recipients included Smith Campus School, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Celebrity Series.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund reported 16 grants totaling $123,615. Grant amounts ranged from $200 to $40,000, with a median of $2,500.
The largest reported grants were $40,000 to Enterprise Community Partners, $39,825 to Smith Campus School, $15,000 to Uncommon Law, and $7,500 to Embodiment Institute. Other listed grants included $5,000 each to the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Celebrity Series, $2,500 each to Dykes on Bikes, Because Black Is Still Beautiful, and BEAM, and $1,140 to Children Inc. The filing also listed grants of $1,000 to Southern Poverty Law and $500 to Finian Summit.
The 2024 filing lists Enterprise Community Partners, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Smith Campus School as direct charitable activities.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Randy L Comfort as president, Matthew Comfort as secretary and treasurer, and Megan Lee Comfort as vice president.
The Ruth L Lee Fund is led by Randy L. Comfort, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Randy L. Comfort
President
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Matthew Comfort
Secretary & Treasurer
Secretary & Treasurer → Secretary Treasurer, 2022
Secretary Treasurer → Secretary & Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Megan Lee Comfort
Vice President
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Ruth L Lee Fund
How much does The Ruth L Lee Fund give each year?
The Ruth L Lee Fund gave $124K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $127K across 12 grants.
What is The Ruth L Lee Fund's typical grant size?
The Ruth L Lee Fund's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $7,726, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Ruth L Lee Fund that year got $2K on average.
Where does The Ruth L Lee Fund give grants?
The Ruth L Lee Fund's top state is Massachusetts, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Maryland (32%) and California (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (3 grants).
Does The Ruth L Lee Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on The Ruth L Lee Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (12 grants).
Who are The Ruth L Lee Fund's largest grantees?
The Ruth L Lee Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Enterprise Community Partners ($40,000), Smith Campus School ($39,825) and Uncommon Law ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 77% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Ruth L Lee Fund?
The Ruth L Lee Fund reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $143K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $77K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Ruth L Lee Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for organizations whose own stated missions span multiple areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Ruth L Lee Fund?
The 2024 filing lists the contact as The Ruth L Lee Fund. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Ruth L Lee Fund's EIN?
The Ruth L Lee Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-6190225. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS August 7, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 25, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 1, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Ruth L Lee Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-ruth-l-lee-fund-morg_6339230d8a434c5dad70d0e15fafc446
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_956190225_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Ruth L Lee Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-ruth-l-lee-fund-morg_6339230d8a434c5dad70d0e15fafc446},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Ruth L Lee Fund'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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