The Norman R Rales and Ruth Rales Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation's stated focus is children and families facing challenging circumstances, reached through education, health and social services, so work of that kind is the clearest fit.
- It does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected organisations, so an organisation without an existing introduction should not send a cold request and should first look for a route to a relationship.
- About 8 in 10 of its 46 grants to organisations fall between $10,000 and $3,750,000, and half were about $54,500 or less, so a request near the typical band is realistic, though that band is not a ceiling because its largest grant was about $125,000,000.
- Most of its grant dollars go to repeat recipients, with 98% of grant dollars to organisations in its most recent filing going to groups it had also funded in earlier filings.
- No geographic focus is stated, although the filing shows grants mainly in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York.
Overview
The Norman R Rales and Ruth Rales Foundation is a US private foundation based in Washington, DC.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and web pages about the foundation (cmu.edu, kipp.org, hopkinsmedicine.org), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 12 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation is dedicated to supporting children and families facing challenging circumstances, creating opportunities for them to realise their potential through enhanced education, health and social services. Its stated commitments place children and families in need at the centre of its giving, while treating education, health and social services as routes to greater opportunity. Its grants reach schools, universities and education organisations, as well as family-support and counselling services, health-related organisations and religious, community and public-interest bodies receiving general support. Rather than describing an open call, the filing says that contributions go only to preselected charitable organisations. In describing its approach, the foundation calls itself a partner and advocate for programmes it supports and holds partners accountable for promised results.
Themes
- Education
- Health
- Social services
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New York.
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations; no submission steps for organisations are provided.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 98% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 46 grants to organisations were about $54,500 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The foundation works as a partner and advocate for programmes it supports and holds partners accountable for promised results. (as reported in other published sources)
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
3 other states: 1%
- The largest single recipient received 68% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 98% of grant dollars went to organisations The Norman R Rales and Ruth Rales Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 14% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 13 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $150k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Carnegie Mellon University · Educational support$122,714,1632024 tax year
- Anti-Defamation League · General support$2,525,0002024 tax year
- Ruth and Norman Rales Jewish Family Services · Counseling and educational support$2,500,0002024 tax year
- Montgomery County Public Schools Educational Foundation · Educational support$2,000,0002024 tax year
- Success Academy Charter Schools · Educational support$1,440,0002024 tax year
- Johns Hopkins University · Medical support$160,0002024 tax year
- Ron Brown Scholar Fund · Educational support$150,0002024 tax year
- Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology · General support$115,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Queenie H Chung — Vice President
- Ileane Rosenthal — Chief Operating Officer
- Teresa LC Baldwin — Assistant Treasurer / Secretary
- Mary W Dunn — Secretary
- Joseph O Bunting III — Vice President & Treasurer
- Joshua B Rales — Trustee & President
- Mitchell P Rales — Trustee
- Steven M Rales — Trustee
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $16,263,744 | $13,425,788 | $212,153,902 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $38,460,296 | $36,987,599 | $185,496,219 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $133,331,563 | $131,789,163 | $53,460,570 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
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At a glance
Applying to The Norman R Rales and Ruth Rales Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Washington, DC
Applying to The Norman R Rales and Ruth Rales Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Washington, DC