Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation
The Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation is a private foundation based in Evansville, Indiana. Its 2025 filing reports 15 grants totaling $159,000, all to recipients in Indiana.
Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation at a glance
In short: Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation gave $159K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in Indiana. 21% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $159,000
- +6.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- -21.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,600
- +34.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $4,841,653
- +49.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (3 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Indiana (100% 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 Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing lists no formal application process or required materials and names Thomas A. Ruder as the contact.
- Review Cycle
- No formal deadline, according to the 2024 filing.
- Deadline
- No formal deadline, according to the 2024 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Thomas A Ruder
Mailing address: PO Box 2482, Evansville, IN 47728-0482
Phone: (812) 479-5551
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Evsc Foundation ($50K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $156K.
Grant Size Distribution
89 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 83 grants of 89 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Indiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder 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 $17K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 79% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−5%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 81% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $136K (2020) to $168K (2022). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $159K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mater DEI Student INV Evansville, IN | Education | $50,000 |
| Evsc Foundation Evansville, IN | Education | $25,000 |
| Hanover College Hanover, IN | Education | $25,000 |
| Evsc Foundation Evansville, IN | Education | $25,000 |
| Ark Crisis Center Evansville, IN | General Fund | $10,000 |
| St Vincent Early Learning Center Evansville, IN | Education | $10,000 |
| Voices Incorp Evansville, IN | General Fund | $4,000 |
| Wesselman Park Nature Society Evansville, IN | General Fund | $3,000 |
| Evansville Junior Football Evansville, IN | General Fund | $1,500 |
| USI Foundation Evansville, IN | Education | $1,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,841,653 | $1,767,659 | $166,752 | $159,000 | 15 | $159,000 | $504,173 | $197,052 |
| 2024 | $3,240,996 | $511,225 | $155,182 | $149,950 | 19 | $151,096 | $189,646 | $164,846 |
| 2023 | $2,884,953 | $250,653 | $159,649 | $154,654 | 23 | $154,654 | $198,350 | $141,313 |
| 2022 | $2,793,806 | $221,400 | $170,870 | $168,250 | 14 | $168,250 | $221,462 | $153,991 |
| 2021 | $2,743,276 | $746,043 | $159,525 | $153,650 | 18 | $154,472 | $175,895 | $145,912 |
| 2020 | $2,156,758 | $301,753 | $141,820 | $136,250 | 16 | — | $239,315 | $103,465 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation reported a distributable amount of $197K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants included awards designated for education and general fund purposes. Among its education grantees, Hanover College describes its work as providing a liberal arts education, while EVSC Foundation says its mission is to enhance educational opportunities and support extraordinary learning experiences. St. Vincent Early Learning Center describes itself as an accredited early childhood education and care center that supports children and their families.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 15 grants totaling $159,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $50,000, with a median of $3,000. Notable awards included $50,000 to Mater Dei Student Inv; $25,000 each to EVSC Foundation and Hanover College; and $10,000 each to Ark Crisis Center and St. Vincent Early Learning Center.
The 2024 filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It lists no formal application process, no formal deadline, and no formal restrictions on awards.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Thomas A. Ruder as president, Sharon K. Ruder as secretary, Bryan A. Ruder and Alex F. Ruder as vice presidents, and Robert C. Kozsan as treasurer.
Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation is led by Thomas A. Ruder, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Thomas A. Ruder
President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bryan A. Ruder
Vice President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert C Kozsan
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sharon K. Ruder
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alex F Ruder
Vice President
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/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 Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation
How much does Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation give each year?
Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation gave $159K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $150K across 19 grants.
What is Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation's typical grant size?
Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $10,600, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation give grants?
Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation gives mostly in Indiana: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Evansville, IN (13 grants).
Does Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 40% of Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (6 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Education" (9 grants).
Who are Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation's largest grantees?
Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Evsc Foundation ($50,000 across 2 grants), Mater DEI Student INV ($50,000) and Hanover College ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 79% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation?
Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation reported $4.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $159K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $197K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. The 2025 grants included awards designated for education and general fund purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation?
The 2024 filing lists no formal application process or required materials and names Thomas A. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation's EIN?
Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-2063035. 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 3, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 19, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 17, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 20, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 9, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/thomas-a-and-sharon-k-ruder-foundation-morg_383d8ed4f9414c90af701d6b6188abeb
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_352063035_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Thomas A \& Sharon K Ruder Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/thomas-a-and-sharon-k-ruder-foundation-morg_383d8ed4f9414c90af701d6b6188abeb},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder 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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