The Nancy Ruyle Dodge Charitable Trust concentrates its small but focused giving on arts and education, especially supporting music/organ education, higher education institutions, and local historical preservation. Grants are few and targeted—often repeat awards to the same organizations—indicating relationships with longstanding grantees rather than broad exploratory giving. The foundation appears to favor programmatic and unrestricted support that sustains institutional operations and educational activities.
A defining thread in Nancy Ruyle Dodge Charitable Trust grantmaking is repeated support for the American Guild of Organists, which received $8,000 in 2025 after $7,500 grants in both 2023 and 2024 for educational activities. That pattern points to a funder that backs specific institutions over time rather than dispersing small gifts broadly. The trust’s recent grants also show sustained support for higher education, cultural institutions, and preservation work, with awards that range from modest operating-style gifts to larger program grants. Recipients include DePauw University, Historic Sotterley Inc, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Washington Conservatory of Music. Across those awards, the trust appears to favor education-centered and arts-centered projects, especially music, performance, and historical education. Its grant history also includes animal rescue, environmental education and arts, meals and care for indigent people, and support for science, literature, and the arts, but those areas appear as smaller parts of a concentrated portfolio. The overall pattern is of a regional trust making targeted grants to a relatively small set of organizations, often more than once across multiple years.
Music and performing arts are central to the trust’s giving. In 2025, it awarded $2,500 to Washington Conservatory of Music for support of music education and performances, and it also backed Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with $4,000 in 2024 and 2025 for support of education and arts. Higher education is another recurring line of support: DePauw University received $6,000 in 2024 and 2025, plus $5,000 in 2023, all for unrestricted support of education. Preservation and local history also appear clearly in the grant list. Historic Sotterley Inc received $6,500 in 2023, then $5,000 in both 2024 and 2025, for education and historical preservation. The trust’s portfolio also includes environmental education and arts through the Environmental Film Festival, which received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Typical grants are small: the 25th percentile is $2,000, the median is $2,500, and the 75th percentile is $5,000. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, especially for music, education, preservation, and arts programming. That recurring pattern suggests relationship-based giving rather than one-time exploratory grants. The trust does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its grant list is entirely composed of U.S. recipients, with a regional geographic scope.
$111K
$3K
$2K
$43K
Most grants fall between $2K and $5K, with a median of $3K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$3K
75th Percentile
$5K
About 20% of grants go to recipients in MD.
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Concentrated, relationship-driven giving: a small number of mid-sized grants with repeats to core grantees rather than many one-off awards; funding mixes program support and unrestricted gifts.
Notable grantees: The American Guild of Organists, DePauw University, Historic Sotterley, Inc.
Grantmaking is concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic and nearby Washington, DC area. Maryland is the top state by grant count, and 20% of grants go to recipients in the trust’s headquarters state. Washington, DC appears frequently through recipients such as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Humane Rescue Alliance, So Others May Eat, the Environmental Film Festival, and Cosmos Club Foundation. Other recurring locations include New York, NY; Bethesda, MD; Hollywood, MD; and Green Castle, IN. All recent grants in the dataset go to U.S. recipients.
The trust most often supports arts and education organizations, especially music and performing arts groups, higher education institutions, and historical preservation nonprofits. Recent examples include grants for educational activities, unrestricted support of education, and education and historical preservation.
Yes. The recent grants list shows multi-year support for several organizations, including the American Guild of Organists in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Historic Sotterley Inc in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and DePauw University in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Typical grants are modest. The grant-size distribution shows a 25th percentile of $2,000, a median of $2,500, and a 75th percentile of $5,000. Recent awards also include larger grants such as $8,000 and $7,500.
Maryland is the top state by grant count. The trust’s headquarters are in Mechanicsville, MD, and 20% of grants go to recipients in Maryland. Washington, DC recipients also appear frequently in the recent grants list.
It supports several related areas, but the strongest pattern is arts and education. The recent grants include music education, higher education, historical preservation, environmental education and arts, animal rescue, meals and care for indigent people, and science, literature, and the arts.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS | NEW YORK, NY | $8,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES |
| DEPAUW UNIVERSITY | GREEN CASTLE, IN | $6,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT OF EDUCATION |
| HISTORIC SOTTERLEY INC | HOLLYWOOD, MD | $5,000 | 2025 | EDUCATION & HISTORICAL PRESERVATION |
| KENNEDY CTR FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF EDUCATION & ARTS |
| HUMANE RESCUE ALLIANCE | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,000 | 2025 | RESCUE AND ADOPTION OF ANIMALS |
| ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUC & ART |
| SO OTHERS MAY EAT | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF MEALS & CARE FOR INDIGENT |
| COSMOS CLUB FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2025 | ADVANCE SCIENCE, LITERATURE, & ARTS |
| WASHINGTON CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC | BETHESDA, MD | $2,500 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF MUSIC EDUC & PERFORMANCES |
| THE WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,250 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF EDUC & PERFORMING ARTS |
| THE AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS | NEW YORK, NY | $7,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES |
| DEPAUW UNIVERSITY | GREEN CASTLE, IN | $6,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT OF EDUCATION |
| HISTORIC SOTTERLEY INC | HOLLYWOOD, MD | $5,000 | 2024 | EDUCATION & HISTORICAL PRESERVATION |
| KENNEDY CTR FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF EDUCATION & ARTS |
| HUMANE RESCUE ALLIANCE | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,000 | 2024 | RESCUE AND ADOPTION OF ANIMALS |
| SO OTHERS MAY EAT | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF MEALS & CARE FOR INDIGENT |
| ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUC & ART |
| THE WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS SOC | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,250 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF EDUC & PERFORMING ARTS |
| WASHINGTON CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC | BETHESDA, MD | $2,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF MUSIC EDUC & PERFORMANCES |
| COSMOS CLUB FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,000 | 2024 | ADVANCE SCIENCE, LITERATURE, & ARTS |
| THE AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS | NEW YORK, NY | $7,500 | 2023 | SUPPORT OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES |
| HISTORIC SOTTERLEY INC | HOLLYWOOD, MD | $6,500 | 2023 | EDUCATION & HISTORICAL PRESERVATION |
| DEPAUW UNIVERSITY | GREEN CASTLE, IN | $5,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT OF EDUCATION |
| SO OTHERS MAY EAT | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2023 | SUPPORT OF MEALS & CARE FOR INDIGENT |
| ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUC & ART |
| COSMOS CLUB FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,000 | 2023 | ADVANCE SCIENCE, LITERATURE, & ARTS |
| HUMANE RESCUE ALLIANCE | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,000 | 2023 | RESCUE AND ADOPTION OF ANIMALS |
| THE WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS SOC | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT OF EDUC & PERFORMING ARTS |
| WASHINGTON CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC | BETHESDA, MD | $2,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT OF MUSIC EDUC & PERFORMANCES |
| KENNEDY CTR FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,800 | 2023 | SUPPORT OF EDUCATION & ARTS |
THE AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS
$8,000SUPPORT OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
DEPAUW UNIVERSITY
$6,000UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT OF EDUCATION
HISTORIC SOTTERLEY INC
$5,000EDUCATION & HISTORICAL PRESERVATION
KENNEDY CTR FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
$4,000SUPPORT OF EDUCATION & ARTS
HUMANE RESCUE ALLIANCE
$4,000RESCUE AND ADOPTION OF ANIMALS
ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL
$2,500SUPPORT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUC & ART
SO OTHERS MAY EAT
$2,500SUPPORT OF MEALS & CARE FOR INDIGENT
COSMOS CLUB FOUNDATION
$2,500ADVANCE SCIENCE, LITERATURE, & ARTS
WASHINGTON CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
$2,500SUPPORT OF MUSIC EDUC & PERFORMANCES
THE WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS
$2,250SUPPORT OF EDUC & PERFORMING ARTS
THE AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS
$7,500SUPPORT OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
DEPAUW UNIVERSITY
$6,000UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT OF EDUCATION
HISTORIC SOTTERLEY INC
$5,000EDUCATION & HISTORICAL PRESERVATION
KENNEDY CTR FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
$4,000SUPPORT OF EDUCATION & ARTS
HUMANE RESCUE ALLIANCE
$4,000RESCUE AND ADOPTION OF ANIMALS
SO OTHERS MAY EAT
$2,500SUPPORT OF MEALS & CARE FOR INDIGENT
ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL
$2,500SUPPORT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUC & ART
THE WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS SOC
$2,250SUPPORT OF EDUC & PERFORMING ARTS
WASHINGTON CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
$2,000SUPPORT OF MUSIC EDUC & PERFORMANCES
COSMOS CLUB FOUNDATION
$2,000ADVANCE SCIENCE, LITERATURE, & ARTS
THE AMERICAN GUILD OF ORGANISTS
$7,500SUPPORT OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
HISTORIC SOTTERLEY INC
$6,500EDUCATION & HISTORICAL PRESERVATION
DEPAUW UNIVERSITY
$5,000UNRESTRICTED SUPPORT OF EDUCATION
SO OTHERS MAY EAT
$2,500SUPPORT OF MEALS & CARE FOR INDIGENT
ENVIRONMENTAL FILM FESTIVAL
$2,500SUPPORT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUC & ART
COSMOS CLUB FOUNDATION
$2,000ADVANCE SCIENCE, LITERATURE, & ARTS
HUMANE RESCUE ALLIANCE
$2,000RESCUE AND ADOPTION OF ANIMALS
THE WASHINGTON PERFORMING ARTS SOC
$2,000SUPPORT OF EDUC & PERFORMING ARTS
WASHINGTON CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
$2,000SUPPORT OF MUSIC EDUC & PERFORMANCES
KENNEDY CTR FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
$1,800SUPPORT OF EDUCATION & ARTS