Philip E and Carole R Ratcliffe Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & Voluntarism
About Philip E and Carole R Ratcliffe Foundation
The Ratcliffe Foundation concentrates on large, unrestricted gifts to regional educational institutions, community anchors, and coastal/environmental restoration projects. Their giving mixes sustained multi-year support for a handful of repeat grantees (local YMCAs and colleges) with multi-hundred-thousand dollar investments in coastal shellfish/oyster recovery and arts education. Grants are typically unrestricted and intended to strengthen institutional capacity rather than fund narrowly defined programs.
Focus Areas
Local YMCA operations and community recreation (YMCA of Queen Anne's County)Higher education and workforce-focused community colleges in the Mid-Atlantic (Harford CC, CCBC, Salisbury, Dabney S. Lancaster)University support with a Florida connection (Florida International University, Miami Core)Arts education and cultural institutions (Maryland Institute College of Art / MICA)Coastal shellfish/oyster restoration and marine conservation (Ferry Cove Shellfish grants, Oyster Recovery Partnership)
Who They Fund
grant recipients (organizations/general)
About Philip E and Carole R Ratcliffe Foundation
Philip E and Carole R Ratcliffe Foundation Inc has built its giving around large unrestricted grants to a small set of repeat recipients, especially regional colleges, YMCAs, and coastal restoration groups. The largest recent award in the record is $3,000,000 to YMCA of Queen Anne's County in Centreville, a signal of the foundation’s willingness to make very large operating gifts over multiple years. That same organization appears again at $2,500,000 in 2024 and $2,000,000 in 2023, showing a sustained relationship rather than a one-time award. The foundation also backs higher education institutions with repeated support at the high end of the range. Harford Community College received $540,000 in 2023 and 2024, while the Maryland Institute College of Art appears repeatedly as well. Coastal environmental work is another clear thread, with multiple large gifts to Ferry Cove Shellfish and Oyster Recovery Partnership. Across these examples, the pattern is consistent: unrestricted funding aimed at institutional strength rather than narrow project support.
What Philip E and Carole R Ratcliffe Foundation Funds
Higher education is one of the foundation’s clearest priorities. Florida International University received $625,000 in 2023 and again in 2024, and a related Miami Core grant reached $600,000 in 2023. In Maryland, Harford Community College received $540,000 in 2023 and 2024, while CCBC appears with awards of $503,132 in 2023 and $810,913 in 2025. Arts support is another recurring line of giving. The Maryland Institute College of Art received $882,000 in 2023 and 2024, plus $590,000 in 2023 and $441,000 in 2025 under the Mica name. The foundation also funds coastal restoration. Ferry Cove Shellfish received $1,500,000 in 2023 and $825,000 in 2024, and Oyster Recovery Partnership received $395,000 in Annapolis.
How Philip E and Carole R Ratcliffe Foundation Gives
Typical grants are large: the 25th percentile is $99,990, the median is $186,000, and the 75th percentile is $318,750. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including YMCA of Queen Anne's County, Harford Community College, Florida International University, and Ferry Cove Shellfish. Grants are described as unrestricted use by recipient, with a strong recipient-directed pattern. The foundation is not a funder of individuals and does not make program-related investments, so its support is directed to organizations rather than private beneficiaries or PRI-style vehicles.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$9.4M
Total Assets
$62.5M
Total Revenue
$5M
Total Expenses
$11.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $100K and $319K, with a median of $186K.
25th Percentile
$100K
Median
$186K
75th Percentile
$319K
Geographic Reach
Regional7 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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