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Ruth Foundation for the Arts (RDK Foundation)

Annual Giving
$17.3M
Grant Range
$20K - $0.2M

Ruth Foundation for the Arts (RDK Foundation)

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $17.3 million (FY 2024)
  • Total Assets: $367.1 million
  • Grant Range: $20,000 - $200,000 (varies by program)
  • Decision Time: Varies by program (typically announced annually each spring for Artist Choice)
  • Geographic Focus: National with strong Wisconsin focus
  • Application Type: Primarily invitation-only and artist-nomination based; limited open applications

Contact Details

Address: 234 West Florida Street, Milwaukee, WI 53204

Website: https://www.rutharts.org/

Leadership:

  • Karen Patterson, Executive Director
  • Rachel Reichert, Program Director
  • Zola Yi, Program Coordinator

Social Media:

  • Instagram: @ruthfoundationforthearts
  • Facebook: facebook.com/ruthfoundationforthearts

Overview

The Ruth Foundation for the Arts (operating as RDK Foundation, EIN 39-1524311) was established in 1985 and received a transformative $440 million bequest in 2022 from Ruth DeYoung Kohler II, immediately catapulting it into the upper tier of U.S. arts funders. With total assets of $367.1 million and annual disbursements of approximately $17-20 million, the foundation honors the legacy of Ruth DeYoung Kohler II (1941-2020), who directed Sheboygan's John Michael Kohler Arts Center for over 50 years. The foundation emphasizes "nonhierarchical" approaches to arts funding, championing under-recognized artists and art forms, particularly regional and craft-based organizations and artist-built environments. The foundation's distinctive grantmaking philosophy centers artists as decision-makers and provides multi-year unrestricted support, reflecting Kohler's lifelong commitment to breaking down hierarchies in the art world.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. RDK Legacy Fund (Invitation-Only)

  • Amount: $2.5 million distributed annually
  • Recipients: 40 organizations historically supported by Ruth DeYoung Kohler II
  • Focus: Regional and craft-based organizations, artist-built environments
  • Geographic: Primarily Midwest (26 of 40 recipients in Wisconsin)
  • Application: Invitation-only to organizations with historical relationships with Ruth DeYoung Kohler II

2. Artist Choice (Artist-Nomination Only)

  • Amount: $20,000 - $50,000 unrestricted grants
  • Distribution: $1.25 million+ annually to 56-90 organizations
  • Application: Organizations cannot apply directly; must be nominated by invited artists
  • Timeline: Awards announced annually each spring
  • Geographic: National (28+ states, DC, and Puerto Rico)

3. Core Grants (Application-Based for Previous Recipients)

  • Amount: $50,000 in unrestricted operational support
  • Eligibility: Only organizations that previously received Artist Choice awards
  • Application: Application-based with thematic questions changing annually
  • Review: Rotating panel of readers across disciplines and regions

4. Wisconsin Special Project Grants (Open Application - Wisconsin Only)

  • Amount: $100,000 or $200,000 over two years (distributed equally each year)
  • Eligibility: Wisconsin nonprofits with operating budgets under $2 million; Wisconsin Tribal Nations (no budget cap)
  • Application: Open application cycle (2025 cycle closed; next opportunity 2026)
  • Launched: 2024 (committed $3.5 million to date)
  • Use: Up to 25% for general operating; remainder for project costs

5. Ruth Awards (Invitation-Only - Individual Artists)

  • Amount: $100,000 unrestricted over two years
  • Recipients: Individual artists nominated by curators
  • 2024 Recipients: Kite, Candice Lin, Joe Minter, Rose B. Simpson

6. Wisconsin Artist Grants (Through Regranting Partners)

  • Amount: $435,000 distributed annually through three partners
  • Partners: Lynden Sculpture Garden, Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, The Open Fund
  • Application: Through individual partner organizations

Priority Areas

  • Craft and Regional Arts: Northern Clay Center, Penland School of Craft, folk and outsider art sites
  • Artist-Built Environments: Pasaquan, The Painted Forest, Prairie Moon Sculpture Garden, Chauvin Sculpture Garden
  • Performing Arts: Milwaukee Ballet, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, American Players Theatre
  • Arts Education: Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD)
  • Community-Based Arts: Organizations demonstrating artist embeddedness in communities
  • Underrepresented Artists: Historically marginalized communities and overlooked art forms
  • Cultural Sustainability: Long-term cultural and structural impact for communities

What They Don't Fund

  • K-12 schools and universities (for Wisconsin Special Project Grants)
  • Government agencies and municipal departments
  • Organizations without direct arts/culture missions
  • Capital campaigns
  • Fundraising events
  • Playgrounds
  • Public libraries

Governance and Leadership

Executive Director: Karen Patterson brings over 15 years of museum and curatorial experience, most recently as Director of Exhibitions at The Fabric Workshop and Museum and Senior Curator at John Michael Kohler Arts Center.

Program Leadership: Rachel Reichert (Program Director), Zola Yi (Program Coordinator)

Board of Trustees: Composed of Ruth DeYoung Kohler II's friends and advisors, including Susan Flader (childhood friend)

Staff Size: 5 employees

Trustee: US Bank NA serves as Co-Trustee ($1.9 million in fees, FY 2024)

Patterson on Multi-Year Support: Executive Director Karen Patterson notes that multi-year general operating support is "celebrated as something that's considered risky," highlighting her commitment to addressing systemic funding gaps. She emphasizes that "artists are more enmeshed in a community than you may realize," reflecting the foundation's belief in artist-centered decision-making.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Artist Choice Program (No Public Application Process):

  • Organizations cannot apply directly
  • Must be nominated by artists invited by the foundation to serve as nominators
  • Foundation invites diverse artists across disciplines and career stages annually
  • Each artist nominates up to three organizations that have impacted their practice

Core Grants Program (Restricted Application):

  • Open only to previous Artist Choice recipients
  • Online application portal with thematic questions
  • No draft reviews or advance feedback provided
  • Annual themes guide application questions (e.g., 2024: "improvisation, irresolution, and relationality")

Wisconsin Special Project Grants (Open Application - Wisconsin Organizations):

  • Online portal application
  • Budget template provided
  • Applications for 2025 cycle closed; next opportunity in 2026
  • Distinguished panel of national jurists reviews applications
  • Supplementary materials accepted but not prioritized

RDK Legacy Fund (No Application Process):

  • Invitation-only to organizations historically supported by Ruth DeYoung Kohler II
  • No new applicants accepted

Getting on Their Radar

For Artist Choice Consideration: Ruth Arts uses a unique artist-driven nomination model where the foundation first identifies artists (not organizations) to serve as nominators. The foundation specifically seeks to "expand beyond foundation networks" by asking initial artist nominators to identify other artists to participate. Organizations seeking consideration should:

  • Build authentic, long-term relationships with practicing artists across disciplines who can speak to your organizational impact on their creative practice
  • Demonstrate how your organization creates "a sense of creative community" for artists
  • Ensure artists who have benefited from your programs understand they may have opportunities to nominate organizations through foundations like Ruth Arts
  • Focus on being genuinely artist-centered rather than attempting to strategically position for nomination

For Wisconsin-Based Organizations: Wisconsin Special Project Grants represent the most accessible entry point, with open applications in 2026.

Decision Timeline

  • Artist Choice: Awards announced annually each spring
  • Wisconsin Special Project Grants: Specific timeline not publicly disclosed; applications for 2025 closed
  • Core Grants: Timeline varies; reviewed by rotating panels
  • General Processing: Specific decision timelines not published for most programs

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly disclosed. However:

  • Artist Choice has grown from 78 organizations (2022) to 90 organizations (2024)
  • Wisconsin Special Project Grants committed $3.5 million since 2024 launch
  • The foundation distributes $17-20 million annually across all programs

Reapplication Policy

Core Grants: Previous Artist Choice recipients may apply annually

Wisconsin Special Project Grants: Organizations must spend remaining funds before applying to the next cycle; up to 25% can support general operating

Artist Choice: Organizations may be nominated in multiple years by different artists

Application Success Factors

Foundation-Specific Insights

1. Artist-Centered Philosophy The foundation's flagship program deliberately places artists—not administrators or program officers—as the decision-makers. Executive Director Karen Patterson emphasizes that "artists are more enmeshed in a community than you may realize." Organizations should demonstrate genuine, sustained impact on individual artists' creative practices.

2. Unrestricted, Multi-Year Support Patterson has stated that multi-year general operating support is "celebrated as something that's considered risky," revealing the foundation's commitment to trust-based philanthropy. Successful applicants (where applicable) demonstrate organizational sustainability and long-term vision rather than project-specific outcomes.

3. Wisconsin Special Project Grants Priorities The foundation explicitly funds projects demonstrating:

  • Ambition, timeliness, and community relevance
  • Equitable partnerships with meaningful artist involvement
  • Support for historically underrepresented artists
  • Respectable compensation for all creators
  • Increased public access to archives/collections
  • Cultural sustainability and contributions to public knowledge

4. Breaking Down Hierarchies Ruth DeYoung Kohler II championed overlooked art forms including craft, folk art, and artist-built environments. Organizations working with "under-recognized artists and art forms" align strongly with the foundation's mission.

5. Community Embeddedness The foundation values organizations that demonstrate deep community roots and collaborative strength. For Artist Choice nominations, artists choose organizations that "instill a sense of creative community."

6. Structural Change Focus The foundation emphasizes "structural change" in arts funding. Wisconsin Special Project Grants prioritize initiatives with "long-term cultural and structural impact" rather than one-off events or short-term programming.

7. Recent Recipients as Models

  • Create Wisconsin: Statewide arts advocacy organization
  • Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design: Arts education supporting faculty research
  • Nicholls State University: Historic sculpture garden restoration ($75,000)
  • Arts of Life: Community-based arts organization ($50,000)
  • Northern Clay Center: Craft-based ceramics organization

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Build Artist Relationships First: For most programs, your pathway to funding runs through artists, not applications. Invest in genuine, long-term relationships with practicing artists who can authentically speak to your impact on their work.

  • Wisconsin Organizations Have Direct Access: The Wisconsin Special Project Grants program offers the most straightforward application pathway for state-based organizations with budgets under $2 million (next cycle: 2026).

  • Unrestricted Support Is the Norm: This foundation provides primarily unrestricted, multi-year grants. Frame your organizational needs around sustainability and long-term vision rather than specific project deliverables.

  • Embrace Nonhierarchical Values: Demonstrate how your organization centers artists, supports overlooked art forms, and challenges traditional arts hierarchies. Compensation equity for artists is a stated priority.

  • Previous Artist Choice Recipients Should Apply to Core Grants: If you've received Artist Choice funding, you're eligible for $50,000 annual Core Grants—don't miss this opportunity.

  • Patience for Legacy Fund Consideration: The RDK Legacy Fund supports only organizations with historical relationships to Ruth DeYoung Kohler II. New organizations should focus on Artist Choice and Wisconsin Special Project Grants pathways.

  • Multi-Year Thinking: With two-year Wisconsin Special Project Grants and multi-year support across programs, demonstrate capacity for sustained impact and strategic planning beyond single-year initiatives.

References

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