The Ruggles Family Foundation funds a mix of youth services, biomedical and scientific research, cultural institutions, and regional conservation/education organizations, favoring well-established nonprofits with program- or general-support needs. Grants skew toward mid‑to‑large gifts with many repeat awards, indicating ongoing relationships with a core set of beneficiaries across the Northeast and national scientific and media institutions. Their portfolio blends health and biomedical research, STEM and museum education, arts/media support, and direct services for children and families.
A repeated commitment to Plummer Youth Promise stands out in the Ruggles Family Foundation C/o Bessemer Trust’s recent giving, including a $400,000 grant in 2025 after a $150,000 grant in 2023. That pattern fits a foundation that backs established nonprofits with general-purpose support rather than tightly restricted project funding. Across the latest grants, its portfolio reaches youth services, biomedical research, education, arts and media, and conservation. The foundation gave $200,000 to J Craig Venter Institute in 2025 and another $200,000 in 2023, showing the same kind of follow-through it brought to other long-running recipients. It also supported direct-service and education organizations such as DreamYard Project, The Mentor Group, and The Hotchkiss School, alongside cultural and public-interest institutions. The mix suggests a funder that supports both local community organizations and national institutions, with gifts that range from modest awards to large, repeated commitments. Recent grants also include support for hospitals, museums, land trusts, and public media, reflecting a broad but recognizable pattern across a core set of beneficiaries.
Youth development is one of the clearest themes in the foundation’s recent grants. It gave $400,000 to Plummer Youth Promise in 2025 for general purpose support, and it also awarded $100,000 to DreamYard Project in 2023. In education, The Hotchkiss School received $75,000 in 2025, while The New School received $30,000 the same year. Biomedical and scientific research is another major area. J Craig Venter Institute received $200,000 in both 2023 and 2025, and Massachusetts General Hospital received $60,000 in 2025 after a $40,000 grant in 2023. The foundation also supported Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, American Physical Society, and Sigma Xi the Scientific. Its portfolio also includes public media and culture: NPR received $40,000 in 2025, PBS received $40,000, and Museum of Science received $35,000. Conservation appears as well through Scarborough Land Trust and Trout Unlimited.
Typical grants sit in a mid-range band, with a p25 of $3,750, a median of $10,000, and a p75 of $17,500. The recent list also shows much larger awards, including six-figure gifts and repeated support for the same organizations in multiple years. That suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards. The foundation is a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Its grants are mainly general-purpose, which fits a flexible support model across a broad set of recipients.
$2.4M
$36M
$9M
$2.8M
Most grants fall between $4K and $18K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$18K
About 16% of grants go to recipients in MA.
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Concentrated giving with multiple repeat grants to a core group of organizations; a mix of several large flagship gifts and numerous mid‑sized unrestricted/general-purpose grants, suggesting long‑term relationships and flexible support rather than highly restricted project funding.
Notable grantees: Plummer Youth Promise, J. Craig Venter Institute, Museum of Science, Planned Parenthood, DreamYard Project
The foundation’s giving is regional, with Massachusetts the top state by grant count. Among recent recipients, Boston appears repeatedly through Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Museum of Science. Other recurring locations include Salem, MA; Rockville, MD; and New York, NY. Grants also reached recipients in Connecticut, Maine, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. Recipients in the HQ state of New York accounted for 15% of grants.
Its recent grants support youth services, biomedical and scientific research, education, arts and media, and land conservation. Examples from the grant list include Plummer Youth Promise, J Craig Venter Institute, Museum of Science, NPR, and Scarborough Land Trust, most often with general-purpose support.
The foundation’s typical grants cluster around a median of $10,000, with a p25 of $3,750 and a p75 of $17,500. Recent giving also includes larger awards, such as $400,000 to Plummer Youth Promise and $200,000 to J Craig Venter Institute.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Plummer Youth Promise, J Craig Venter Institute, The Mentor Group, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston Children’s Hospital. That pattern indicates continuing relationships rather than single awards.
Massachusetts receives the largest share of grants by count. Recent recipients there include Plummer Youth Promise in Salem, The Mentor Group, Massachusetts General Hospital, Museum of Science, and Boston Children’s Hospital in Boston.
Recent grantees include Plummer Youth Promise, J Craig Venter Institute, DreamYard Project, Massachusetts General Hospital, NPR, PBS, Scarborough Land Trust, and The Hotchkiss School. The grants are mainly for general purpose support.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLUMMER YOUTH PROMISE | SALEM, MA | $400,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| J CRAIG VENTER INSTITUTE | ROCKVILLE, MD | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| RUDY RUGGLES JR FAMILY FUND - BESSEMER GIVING FUND | WOODBRIDGE, NJ | $200,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE MENTOR GROUP | BOSTON, MA | $100,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ACT A CONTEMPORARY THEATRE OF CT | RIDGEFIELD, CT | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE HOTCHKISS SCHOOL | LAKEVILLE, CT | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND | RICHMOND, VA | $75,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $60,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SIGMA XI THE SCIENTIFIC | RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| AMERICANS FOR OXFORD INC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TROUT UNLIMITED | ARLINGTON, VA | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| SCARBOROUGH LAND TRUST | SCARBOROUGH, ME | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER | HAGERSTOWN, MD | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY | COLLEGE PARK, MD | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD | NEW YORK, NY | $45,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| NPR | BALTIMORE, MD | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PBS | NEW YORK, NY | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MUSEUM OF SCIENCE | BOSTON, MA | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL | BOSTON, MA | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE NEW SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BOZEMAN PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION | BOZEMAN, MT | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FRONTLINE JOURNALISM FUND | BOSTON, MA | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BERKSHIRE WALDORF SCHOOL | GREAT BARRINGTON, MA | $30,000 | 2026 | GERNERAL PURPOSE |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CHARLES RIVER MUSEUM OF INDUSTRY & INNOVATION | WATHAM, MA | $30,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FOUNDERS HALL | RIDGEFIELD, CT | $28,600 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ESPERANZA ACADEMY | LAWRENCE, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| DIGNITY MATTERS | WAYLAND, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE CHARLIE FUND | LOS ANGELES, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| PINE STREET INN | BOSTON, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE CHILDREN'S ROOM | ARLINGTON, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE | ALBERT LEA, MN | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ROOT | SALEM, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GVSHP | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BEVERLY BOOTSTRAPS | BEVERLY, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GIRLS INC | LYNN, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| GRACE CHURCH SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ACADIA CENTER | ROCKPORT, ME | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ROSIE'S PLACE | BOSTON, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ST PETER'S CHURCH | WESTON, MA | $14,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| WBUR | BOSTON, MA | $13,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FOOD LINK INC | ARLINGTON, MA | $12,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| WOMEN IN NEED -WIN | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BEVERLY HOSPITAL ANNUAL FUND | BEVERLY, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| DESTIN HARVEST | DESTIN, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE HOME FOR THE LITTLE WANDERERS | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CITY HARVEST INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HUDSON GUILD | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| EAGLE MOUNT | BOZEMAN, MT | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| BELLISINI ACADEMY | LAWRENCE, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
RUDY RUGGLES JR FAMILY FUND - BESSEMER GIVING FUND
$200,000GENERAL PURPOSE
THE MENTOR GROUP
$100,000GENERAL PURPOSE
ACT A CONTEMPORARY THEATRE OF CT
$75,000GENERAL PURPOSE
THE HOTCHKISS SCHOOL
$75,000GENERAL PURPOSE
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
$60,000GENERAL PURPOSE
SIGMA XI THE SCIENTIFIC
$50,000GENERAL PURPOSE
SCARBOROUGH LAND TRUST
$50,000GENERAL PURPOSE
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING CANCER CENTER
$50,000GENERAL PURPOSE
PLANNED PARENTHOOD
$45,000GENERAL PURPOSE
PBS
$40,000GENERAL PURPOSE
BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
$35,000GENERAL PURPOSE
FRONTLINE JOURNALISM FUND
$30,000GENERAL PURPOSE
BERKSHIRE WALDORF SCHOOL
$30,000GERNERAL PURPOSE
CHARLES RIVER MUSEUM OF INDUSTRY & INNOVATION
$30,000GENERAL PURPOSE
FOUNDERS HALL
$28,600GENERAL PURPOSE
THE CHARLIE FUND
$20,000GENERAL PURPOSE
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
$20,000GENERAL PURPOSE
BEVERLY BOOTSTRAPS
$15,000GENERAL PURPOSE
GIRLS INC
$15,000GENERAL PURPOSE
GRACE CHURCH SCHOOL
$15,000GENERAL PURPOSE
ST PETER'S CHURCH
$14,000GENERAL PURPOSE
WOMEN IN NEED -WIN
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
BEVERLY HOSPITAL ANNUAL FUND
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
DESTIN HARVEST
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
THE HOME FOR THE LITTLE WANDERERS
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
BELLISINI ACADEMY
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE