The James A Ruppe Foundation concentrates its giving on health-related causes, primarily supporting a major medical institution (Mayo Clinic) and specialized pediatric health/educational programming (Bay Cliff Health Camp). Grants are large and targeted rather than widely distributed, indicating a preference for a few high-impact recipients. The foundation’s support is focused on direct medical and health-service uses and experiential health education for children.
The James a Ruppe Foundation’s largest recent gifts go to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, where the foundation has made three consecutive general medical-use grants of $180,184 in 2025, $178,354 in 2024, and $156,533 in 2023. That pattern points to a funder that supports a small number of recurring recipients rather than a broad pool of applicants. Alongside that medical support, the foundation has backed Bay Cliff Health Camp in Big Bay, Michigan, with $60,379 in 2025, $55,000 in 2024, and $40,000 in 2023 for educational purposes. The same grant history also includes community care support in Calumet, hospice care in Houghton, and educational funding for Michigan institutions, showing a portfolio that mixes health services, care for children, and local community support. Recent grants are mostly in the low five-figure range, but the foundation’s largest awards are materially larger and concentrated in a few named organizations. The overall picture is of targeted giving to health-related and educational programs, especially where direct service and patient support are part of the work.
Health care is the clearest theme in the foundation’s grant history. It gave $12,000 to St Jude Childrens Research Hospital in 2025 for general medical use, and it also supported Ronald Mcdonald House in Rochester with $11,500 in both 2024 and 2025 for general medical use. Hospice care is another recurring area: Omega House in Houghton received $16,000 in 2025, $15,000 in 2024, and $13,000 in 2023. Educational funding appears across multiple Michigan recipients, including Michigan Tech Fund in Houghton, which received $17,500 in 2025 and 2024 after a $17,000 grant in 2023. The foundation also gave $11,000 to The Boggy Creek Gang Inc (camp Boggy Creek) in Eustis, Florida, for educational purposes, linking its support to experiential programming for children.
The typical grant size is modest relative to the foundation’s largest awards: p25 is $3,000, median grant size is $6,000, and p75 is $10,000. Recent giving shows repeated awards to the same organizations across 2023, 2024, and 2025, which suggests an ongoing relationship model rather than one-time support. The foundation is not a donor-advised fund and does not make program-related investments. The grant list also shows a mix of six-figure medical support and many smaller operating-style grants in the low five-figure and single-digit-thousand range, but the pattern is concentrated rather than broad-based.
$626K
$7.6M
$1.3M
$642K
Most grants fall between $3K and $10K, with a median of $6K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$6K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in MI.
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Highly concentrated giving: few, large grants with repeat support to the same organizations (three grants to Mayo Clinic and two to Bay Cliff). Funding is focused geographically and sector-wise on health/medical causes rather than broadly distributed across many organizations.
Notable grantees: Mayo Clinic, Bay Cliff Health Camp
Grantmaking is regional and overwhelmingly U.S.-based, with 184 grants to U.S. recipients. The top state by grant count is Michigan, and several recipients are in Calumet, Houghton, Big Bay, and Ironwood. Rochester, Minnesota, is another recurring recipient city through medical and religious grants. Outside the Midwest, the only named recent recipient location in the sample is Eustis, Florida, and one recent grant also went to Memphis, Tennessee.
Its recent grants go to medical institutions, health camps, hospice care, educational institutions, and religious organizations. Named recipients include Mayo Clinic, Bay Cliff Health Camp, Omega House, Michigan Tech Fund, and Calumet High School, which shows a mix of health-service and education support.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years. Mayo Clinic received three consecutive general medical-use grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Bay Cliff Health Camp, Omega House, Michigan Tech Fund, and Calumet High School also received repeated grants across years.
The typical award is in the low thousands: p25 is $3,000, median grant size is $6,000, and p75 is $10,000. The recent grant list also includes much larger outliers, including six-figure support for Mayo Clinic.
Michigan is the top state by grant count. Recent Michigan recipients include Calumet Township in Calumet, Omega House and St Albert the Great University Parish in Houghton, Bay Cliff Health Camp in Big Bay, and Gogebic Community College Foundation in Ironwood.
Yes. Health-related causes dominate the recent grant list, especially general medical use, pediatric health and educational programming, and hospice care. The foundation also supports education, but the named grants show a clear emphasis on direct medical and care-related funding.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAYO CLINIC | ROCHESTER, MN | $180,184 | 2025 | GENERAL MEDICAL USE |
| BAY CLIFF HEALTH CAMP | BIG BAY, MI | $60,379 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| CO-CATHEDRAL OF ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST | ROCHESTER, MN | $25,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| MICHIGAN TECH FUND | HOUGHTON, MI | $17,500 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| OMEGA HOUSE | HOUGHTON, MI | $16,000 | 2025 | HOSPICE CARE |
| ST ALBERT THE GREAT UNIVERSITY PARISH | HOUGHTON, MI | $13,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| CALUMET HIGH SCHOOL | CALUMET, MI | $13,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| ST JUDE CHILDRENS RESEARCH HOSPITAL | MEMPHIS, TN | $12,000 | 2025 | GENERAL MEDICAL USE |
| CLK FOUNDATION | CALUMET, MI | $12,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE | ROCHESTER, MN | $11,500 | 2025 | GENERAL MEDICAL USE |
| THE BOGGY CREEK GANG INC (CAMP BOGGY CREEK) | EUSTIS, FL | $11,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| CLK COUNCIL OF CHURCHES | CALUMET, MI | $10,000 | 2025 | FOOD PANTRY |
| COPPER SHORES COMMUNITY HEALTH FOUNDATION | HANCOCK, MI | $10,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY CARE FUND |
| LITTLE BROTHERS FRIENDS OF ELDERLY | HANCOCK, MI | $10,000 | 2025 | HANDICAP/ELDERLY CARE |
| GOGEBIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION | IRONWOOD, MI | $10,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION PURPOSES |
| COPPER COUNTRY SENIOR MEALS INC | HANCOCK, MI | $10,000 | 2025 | ELDERLY CARE |
| LAKE SUPERIOR BIBLE CAMP ASSOCIATION (GITCHEE GUMEE) | EAGLE RIVER, MI | $9,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| COPPER COUNTRY ANGEL MISSION | CALUMET, MI | $9,000 | 2025 | CLOTHING/FEEDING THE POOR |
| NMU FOUNDATION | MARQUETTE, MI | $8,500 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| COVENANT HOUSE FLORIDA | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL | $8,000 | 2025 | RUNAWAY/HOMELESS YOUTH |
| HORIZONS ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL | CALUMET, MI | $7,500 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| CALUMET THEATRE | CALUMET, MI | $7,000 | 2025 | BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS |
| ST IGNATIUS LOYOLA PARISH | HOUGHTON, MI | $7,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| ST SEBASTIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH | FT LAUDERDALE, FL | $7,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| HOUGHTON COUNTY MEDICAL CARE FACILITY | HANCOCK, MI | $7,000 | 2025 | HANDICAP/ELDERLY CARE |
| COMMUNTY FOUNDATION OF BROWARD | FT LAUDERDALE, FL | $7,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY CHARITIES |
| 31 BACKPACKS INC | HANCOCK, MI | $6,500 | 2025 | CHILDHOOD HUNGER |
| LAKE LINDEN-HUBBELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | LAKE LINDEN, MI | $6,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| SCHOOL SISTERS OF NOTRE DAME | WAUWATOSA, WI | $6,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| UNITED WAY OF BROWARD COUNTY | FT LAUDERDALE, FL | $6,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY CARE FUND |
| COPPER SHORES COMMUNITY SUPPORT & OUTREACH | HOUGHTON, MI | $6,000 | 2025 | SUICIDE PERVENTION |
| WORLD WILDLIFE FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,500 | 2025 | ANIMAL CARE |
| BARBARA KETTLE GUNDLACH SHELTER HOME | CALUMET, MI | $5,000 | 2025 | DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS |
| BIG BORTHERS BIG SISTERS OF THE WESTERN UP (UP KIDS) | HOUGHTON, MI | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION PURPOSES |
| BROWARD PUBLIC LIBRARY | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL | $5,000 | 2025 | PUBLIC LIBRARY |
| BHK FOUNDATION (BARAGA HOUGHTON KEWEENAW CHILD DEVELOPMENT BOARD INC) | HOUGHTON, MI | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| HOLY CROSS HOSPITAL | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL | $4,500 | 2025 | GENERAL MEDICAL USE |
| HOUGHTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY | LAKE LINDEN, MI | $4,000 | 2025 | HISTORICAL PRESERVATION |
| UPPER PENINSULA HONOR FLIGHT | GLADSTONE, MI | $4,000 | 2025 | HONOR FLIGHTS FOR VETERANS |
| COPPER COUNTRY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY | HOUGHTON, MI | $4,000 | 2025 | BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS |
| KEWEENAW HERITAGE CENTER | CALUMET, MI | $4,000 | 2025 | HISTORICAL PRESERVATION |
| MAINSTREET CALUMET | CALUMET, MI | $4,000 | 2025 | HISTORICAL PRESERVATION |
| GROW & LEAD COMMUNITY & YOUTH DEV | MARQUETTE, MI | $3,500 | 2025 | EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| SACRED HEART CHURCH | CALUMET, MI | $3,000 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| SIMPLE KINDNESS FOR YOUTH INC | HANCOCK, MI | $3,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY CARE FUND |
| CALUMET ART CENTER | CALUMET, MI | $3,000 | 2025 | COMMUNITY CARE FUND |
| STAR CHILDRENS BEREAVEMENT SERVICES INC | MARQUETTE, MI | $2,500 | 2025 | CHILD BEREAVEMENT CAMP |
| ST JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH | LAKE LINDEN, MI | $2,500 | 2025 | RELIGIOUS |
| OAKHOUSE INC | HANCOCK, MI | $2,500 | 2025 | HANDICAP CARE |
| CALUMET FIGURE SKATING CLUB | CALUMET, MI | $2,500 | 2025 | YOUTH ATHLETICS |
MAYO CLINIC
$180,184GENERAL MEDICAL USE
CO-CATHEDRAL OF ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST
$25,000RELIGIOUS
ST ALBERT THE GREAT UNIVERSITY PARISH
$13,000RELIGIOUS
CALUMET HIGH SCHOOL
$13,000EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
CLK FOUNDATION
$12,000EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
THE BOGGY CREEK GANG INC (CAMP BOGGY CREEK)
$11,000EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
CLK COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
$10,000FOOD PANTRY
COPPER SHORES COMMUNITY HEALTH FOUNDATION
$10,000COMMUNITY CARE FUND
GOGEBIC COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION
$10,000EDUCATION PURPOSES
COPPER COUNTRY SENIOR MEALS INC
$10,000ELDERLY CARE
LAKE SUPERIOR BIBLE CAMP ASSOCIATION (GITCHEE GUMEE)
$9,000RELIGIOUS
COPPER COUNTRY ANGEL MISSION
$9,000CLOTHING/FEEDING THE POOR
NMU FOUNDATION
$8,500EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
HORIZONS ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL
$7,500EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
CALUMET THEATRE
$7,000BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS
ST IGNATIUS LOYOLA PARISH
$7,000RELIGIOUS
ST SEBASTIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
$7,000RELIGIOUS
HOUGHTON COUNTY MEDICAL CARE FACILITY
$7,000HANDICAP/ELDERLY CARE
COMMUNTY FOUNDATION OF BROWARD
$7,000COMMUNITY CHARITIES
31 BACKPACKS INC
$6,500CHILDHOOD HUNGER
LAKE LINDEN-HUBBELL PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION
$6,000EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
SCHOOL SISTERS OF NOTRE DAME
$6,000RELIGIOUS
COPPER SHORES COMMUNITY SUPPORT & OUTREACH
$6,000SUICIDE PERVENTION
BARBARA KETTLE GUNDLACH SHELTER HOME
$5,000DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS
BIG BORTHERS BIG SISTERS OF THE WESTERN UP (UP KIDS)
$5,000EDUCATION PURPOSES
BROWARD PUBLIC LIBRARY
$5,000PUBLIC LIBRARY
BHK FOUNDATION (BARAGA HOUGHTON KEWEENAW CHILD DEVELOPMENT BOARD INC)
$5,000EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
HOUGHTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$4,000HISTORICAL PRESERVATION
UPPER PENINSULA HONOR FLIGHT
$4,000HONOR FLIGHTS FOR VETERANS
COPPER COUNTRY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
$4,000BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS
KEWEENAW HERITAGE CENTER
$4,000HISTORICAL PRESERVATION
MAINSTREET CALUMET
$4,000HISTORICAL PRESERVATION
GROW & LEAD COMMUNITY & YOUTH DEV
$3,500EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
SACRED HEART CHURCH
$3,000RELIGIOUS
SIMPLE KINDNESS FOR YOUTH INC
$3,000COMMUNITY CARE FUND
CALUMET ART CENTER
$3,000COMMUNITY CARE FUND
STAR CHILDRENS BEREAVEMENT SERVICES INC
$2,500CHILD BEREAVEMENT CAMP
ST JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH
$2,500RELIGIOUS
OAKHOUSE INC
$2,500HANDICAP CARE
CALUMET FIGURE SKATING CLUB
$2,500YOUTH ATHLETICS