The Rydin Foundation
The Rydin Foundation is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. In 2024, it reported 13 grants totaling $6.6 million, with recipients including policy organizations, educational organizations, and Houston Grand Opera Association Inc.
The Rydin Foundation at a glance
In short: The Rydin Foundation gave $6.6M across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $508K), mostly in District of Columbia. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $6,600,000
- -1.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +333.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $507,692
- -77.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $100,000
- Total assets
- $16,010,127
- -25.4% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (93% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Rydin Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 5500 Holly Street, Houston, TX 77081
Phone: (713) 201-1203
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Rydin Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Conservative Partnership Institute ($3.5M). Together the top 10 received $6.5M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($22,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
17 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $100–250K range: 6 grants of 17 (35%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington, DC, 7% to recipients in Texas, and less than 1% to recipients in Virginia. The listed recipients included organizations in Washington, DC; Houston and Austin, Texas; and Arlington, Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Rydin Foundation gives
- 25% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 645% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). 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 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.5M (2022) to $6.7M (2023). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $6.6M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative Partnership Institute Washington, DC | General Donation | $3,500,000 |
| America First Legal Foundation Washington, DC | General Donation | $1,851,000 |
| Texas Public Policy Foundation Austin, TX | General Donation | $375,000 |
| American Accountability Foundation Washington, DC | General Donation | $200,000 |
| American Moment Inc Washington, DC | General Donation | $200,000 |
| The Heritage Foundation Washington, DC | General Donation | $167,000 |
| America First Policy Institute Washington, DC | General Donation | $100,000 |
| Fair Elections Fund Washington, DC | General Donation | $100,000 |
| Leadership Institute Arlington, VA | General Donation | $30,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $22,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $16,010,127 | $1,279,458 | $6,745,034 | $6,600,000 | 13 | $6,600,000 | $1,137,725 | $1,024,045 |
| 2023 | $21,462,461 | $-393,832 | $6,879,709 | $6,667,000 | 3 | $6,667,000 | $679,531 | $1,214,439 |
| 2022 | $28,864,678 | $505,533 | $1,645,175 | $1,500,000 | 1 | $1,500,000 | $504,174 | $1,385,773 |
| 2021 | $30,041,716 | $30,041,716 | — | — | — | — | $41,716 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Rydin Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.0M for 2024 — 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 2024 grants included organizations whose stated missions encompass conservative policy advocacy, education, and the arts. For example, America First Legal Foundation describes its mission as providing litigation tools and resources to advance conservative policy solutions. The Texas Public Policy Foundation says it promotes liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise through research and outreach. Houston Grand Opera Association Inc. describes its mission as enriching its community through opera.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave 13 grants totaling $6,600,000. Grant amounts ranged from $15,000 to $3,500,000, with a median of $100,000. The largest grants included $3,500,000 to Conservative Partnership Institute, $1,851,000 to America First Legal Foundation, and $375,000 to the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Other notable grants were $200,000 each to American Accountability Foundation and American Moment Inc., and $167,000 to The Heritage Foundation. The listed grant purposes were general donations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Michael Rydin was listed as a trustee on the 2024 filing.
The Rydin Foundation is led by Michael Rydin, Trustee on every filing since 2021 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Michael Rydin
Trustee
On filings since 2021
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "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 Rydin Foundation
How much does The Rydin Foundation give each year?
The Rydin Foundation gave $6.6M across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $6.7M across 3 grants.
What is The Rydin Foundation's typical grant size?
The Rydin Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $100,000, and its average grant was $507,692, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Rydin Foundation give grants?
The Rydin Foundation gives mostly in District of Columbia: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Texas (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (8 grants) and Houston, TX (2 grants).
Does The Rydin Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Rydin Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Rydin Foundation's largest grantees?
The Rydin Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Conservative Partnership Institute ($3,500,000), America First Legal Foundation ($1,851,000) and Texas Public Policy Foundation ($375,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($22,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 87% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Rydin Foundation?
The Rydin Foundation reported $16.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $6.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Rydin Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included organizations whose stated missions encompass conservative policy advocacy, education, and the arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Rydin Foundation?
The foundation 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 Rydin Foundation's EIN?
The Rydin Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-3788576. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Does The Rydin 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Rydin Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-rydin-foundation-morg_f66165bd63624b8bb5b6bc7fc265da72
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_873788576_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Rydin Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-rydin-foundation-morg_f66165bd63624b8bb5b6bc7fc265da72},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Rydin 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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