Rast Foundation

• The foundation accepts no unsolicited requests and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations, so a cold approach is unlikely to be considered and you should not send one.
• Its filing states no geographic focus, and its grants span religious, educational, health, cultural and arts organisations rather than one dominant field, so fit depends on whether your work sits within those broad areas.
• Most of its grants are modest: about 8 in 10 fall between $2,500 and $195,000, with a median of $10,000, so a request in that region is a realistic size, although the largest grant was about $2,000,000 and that band is not a ceiling.
• Only 11% of its grant dollars to organisations went to repeat recipients, so a previous grant is not a reliable basis for renewal.
• Because it works only through preselected organisations, an introduction is the only practical route in, and that is where your effort should go.

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

• American Endowment Foundation · General contribution - noncash donation
  $2,008,2902023 tax year
• Scotland African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church · Second century project
  $250,0002023 tax year
• Don Bosco Cristo Rey · Pledge donation
  $191,4752023 tax year
• Williams College · Dean's discretionary fund
  $120,0002023 tax year
• Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington · Our lady of mercy parish
  $100,0002023 tax year
• St Jude Children's Research Hospital · St. jude global gala
  $50,0002023 tax year
• Washington Ballet · Pledge for the mission moment/paddle raise
  $25,0002023 tax year
• Italian Cultural Society of Washington, D.C. · 2024 gala awards dinner
  $10,0002023 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

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.