Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation
The Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation is a private foundation based in Alexandria, Virginia. Its 2024 grants supported organizations including museums, arts and cultural institutions, schools, a university, and a historic site.
Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation at a glance
In short: Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation gave $1.1M across 64 grants in 2024 (avg $17K), top state Florida. 23% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,060,778
- +26.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 64
- +6.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $16,575
- +18.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $19,978,246
- -3.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (15 of 64, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Florida (26% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 201 N Union Street 300, Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: (703) 518-6124
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was American Friends of the Louvre ($176K). Together the top 10 received $758K.
Grant Size Distribution
300 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 268 grants of 300 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states and the District of Columbia. By recipient state, the largest shares were Florida (26%), New York (17%), Colorado (15%), Virginia (15%), and the District of Columbia (14%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 64 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 15 of 64 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 67% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+19%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 101% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $840K (2023) to $1.1M (2024). In 2024 it made 64 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Friends of the Louvre New York, NY | To fund charitable activities. | $176,000 |
| Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach Palm Beach, FL | To fund charitable activities. | $150,000 |
| Aspen Music Festival Aspen, CO | To fund charitable activities. | $107,768 |
| Charities Aid Foundation Alexandria, VA | To fund charitable activities. | $75,000 |
| The Society of the Four Arts Palm Beach, FL | To fund charitable activities. | $75,000 |
| The Phillips Collection Washington, DC | To fund charitable activities. | $50,000 |
| Music Associates of Aspen Aspen, CO | To fund charitable activities. | $49,379 |
| Salisbury School Salisbury, CT | To fund charitable activities. | $25,000 |
| The National World War II Museum New Orleans, LA | To fund charitable activities. | $25,000 |
| The Princes Foundation America Washington, DC | To fund charitable activities. | $25,000 |
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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 | $19,978,246 | $1,389,852 | $1,283,763 | $1,060,778 | 64 | $1,160,687 | $1,286,746 | $1,151,203 |
| 2023 | $20,712,230 | $930,696 | $1,083,182 | $839,822 | 60 | $1,006,313 | $853,827 | $1,060,540 |
| 2022 | $20,669,046 | $1,252,106 | $1,264,456 | $1,020,236 | 55 | $1,064,098 | $1,280,268 | $1,040,758 |
| 2021 | $20,652,471 | $2,686,908 | $1,081,084 | $892,232 | 54 | $940,908 | $2,585,683 | $1,095,239 |
| 2020 | $19,845,560 | $1,369,806 | $1,024,566 | $885,355 | 67 | — | $1,783,375 | $950,079 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M 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 grantees included organizations with varied missions. For example, American Friends of the Louvre says it raises funds and awareness in the United States for the Louvre Museum and its art collection. The Society of the Four Arts describes its work as providing educational and cultural programs for the Palm Beach County community, while the Phillips Collection says it presents modern and contemporary art and maintains educational and public programs. Stratford Hall says its mission is to engage, educate, and inspire through the site’s people, places, and past.
Other 2024 grantees included educational institutions. Salisbury School describes its aims as fostering learning and students’ intellectual, physical, moral, and spiritual development; Hollins University describes itself as a liberal arts university dedicated to academic excellence and humane values.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $1,060,778 through 64 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $176,000, with a median of $5,000.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $176,000 to American Friends of the Louvre, $150,000 to the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, $107,768 to Aspen Music Festival, $75,000 to Charities Aid Foundation, $75,000 to The Society of the Four Arts, and $50,000 to The Phillips Collection. The stated purpose for each of these grants was “to fund charitable activities.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Thomas D Rutherfoord was listed as a trustee on the 2024 filing.
Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation is led by Thomas D Rutherfoord, Trustee on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Thomas D Rutherfoord
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation
How much does Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation give each year?
Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation gave $1.1M across 64 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $840K across 60 grants.
What is Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation's typical grant size?
Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $16,575, across 64 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation give grants?
Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation's top state is Florida, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (17%) and Colorado (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (15 grants), Palm Beach, FL (6 grants), Aspen, CO (5 grants) and West Palm Beach, FL (5 grants).
Does Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 64 grants with a stated purpose on Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To fund charitable activities." (64 grants).
Who are Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation's largest grantees?
Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include American Friends of the Louvre ($176,000), Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach ($150,000) and Aspen Music Festival ($107,768), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 41% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation?
Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation reported $20.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees included organizations with varied missions. For example, American Friends of the Louvre says it raises funds and awareness in the United States for the Louvre Museum and its art collection. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation's EIN?
Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-2057953. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Thomas Rutherfoord 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 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/thomas-rutherfoord-foundation-morg_cf482d416da94e6c8116221567874b10
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_202057953_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Thomas Rutherfoord Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/thomas-rutherfoord-foundation-morg_cf482d416da94e6c8116221567874b10},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Rutherfoord 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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