The Ruth Lee Charitable Trust focuses on providing general operating support to a small set of recurring grantees, with an emphasis on faith-affiliated higher education, basic human services in the Montgomery, AL area, and regional performing arts. Although headquartered in Atlanta, the foundation’s largest commitments go to Alabama organizations and it favors unrestricted grants that sustain core operations. Its giving pattern indicates a preference for repeat relationships with colleges and community service providers rather than wide, one-off funding.
A recurring pattern defines Ruth Lee Charitable Trust’s giving: multi-year general operating support for a small group of institutions, especially faith-affiliated colleges, Montgomery-area human services, and regional arts organizations. The trust’s largest recent commitment went to Wesleyan Fund, which received $29,000 in 2025 for general operating support, followed by repeated support for Montgomery Area Council on Aging, which received $20,000 in 2024 and $15,000 in 2023. Those gifts show a funder that uses unrestricted dollars to cover core costs rather than project-specific work. The trust also maintains longer relationships with Faulkner University, which received $15,000 in 2024 and $12,734 in 2025, and with Alabama Shakespeare Festival, which received $12,500 in 2023 and $5,000 in 2025. Other recurring grants reach churches, food access groups, and scholarship funds, indicating a portfolio built around institutions with durable community roles. The trust’s recent record also includes support for College of Charleston Foundation scholarships, showing that higher education aid sits alongside local service and cultural giving. Across the file, the picture is of a regional funder that prefers repeat grants and flexible support over broad, one-time awards.
Faith-linked higher education is a consistent theme. Ruth Lee Charitable Trust gave $29,000 to Wesleyan Fund in 2025 for general operating support and also supported Faulkner University with $15,000 in 2024 and $12,734 in 2025. In human services, the trust backed Montgomery Area Council on Aging with $20,000 in 2024 and $7,500 in 2025, and it gave Montgomery Area Food Bank $15,000 in 2023 for general operating support. Food access also appears in a smaller grant to Lunches for Learning Inc, which received $6,000 in 2024 and $6,000 in 2025. The trust also funds arts and scholarship work. Alabama Shakespeare Festival received $12,500 in 2023 and $5,000 in 2025, while College of Charleston Foundation received $10,000 in 2023, $7,500 in 2024, and $8,500 in 2025 for scholarships.
Typical grants are modest but not tiny: the p25 is $2,000, the median is $4,000, and the p75 is $8,000. The recent file also shows occasional larger operating grants, including amounts above that range for a few recurring grantees. The pattern is not one-off project funding; multiple organizations appear in consecutive years, and some receive repeated general operating support. The trust does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its portfolio is built around repeat institutional grants rather than an open application-style grantmaking model.
$112K
$2.4M
$114K
$166K
Most grants fall between $2K and $8K, with a median of $4K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$4K
75th Percentile
$8K
About 14% of grants go to recipients in AL.
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Concentrated, mid-size general operating grants to a small number of repeat grantees; geographically focused on Montgomery/central Alabama despite Atlanta headquarters; prioritizes unrestricted support over project-specific funding.
Notable grantees: Wesleyan Fund, Faulkner University, Montgomery Area Council on Aging, Montgomery Area Food Bank, Alabama Shakespeare Festival
Giving is regional and stays entirely within the United States in the recent file. Georgia is the top state by grant count, though it accounts for only 14% of grants. Recipient locations cluster in Montgomery, Alabama, with additional grants to Atlanta and Peachtree Corners in Georgia, Charleston in South Carolina, and smaller Alabama cities such as Elba and Opp. The grant map suggests a strong Alabama-centered portfolio with a Georgia base of recipients as well.
The recent grants show support for faith-affiliated colleges, senior services, food access, and performing arts. Examples include Wesleyan Fund for general operating support, Montgomery Area Council on Aging, Montgomery Area Food Bank, and Alabama Shakespeare Festival.
The distribution centers on smaller awards: the p25 is $2,000, the median is $4,000, and the p75 is $8,000. The recent list also includes larger recurring grants, such as $29,000 to Wesleyan Fund and $20,000 to Montgomery Area Council on Aging.
Yes. Many of the recent awards are labeled general operating support or general operating, including grants to Wesleyan Fund, Faulkner University, Montgomery Area Council on Aging, and Alabama Shakespeare Festival.
The trust gives regionally and all recent grants in the file went to U.S. recipients. Montgomery, Alabama appears repeatedly, and Georgia is the top state by grant count even though only 14% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state.
Yes. The recent grants include scholarships through College of Charleston Foundation, with awards of $10,000 in 2023, $7,500 in 2024, and $8,500 in 2025.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WESLEYAN FUND | PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA | $32,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ALABAMA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL | MONTGOMERY, AL | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| HEART OF ALABAMA FOOD BANK | MONTGOMERY, AL | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON FOUNDATION | CHARLESTON, SC | $8,500 | 2026 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| FAULKNER UNIVERSITY | MONTGOMERY, AL | $6,557 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| LUNCHES FOR LEARNING INC | ROSWELL, GA | $6,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| MONTGOMERY MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS | MONTGOMERY, AL | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| MONTGOMERY AREA COUNCIL ON AGING | MONTGOMERY, AL | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ELBA CHURCH OF CHRIST | ELBA, AL | $4,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| OPP CHURCH OF CHRIST | OPP, AL | $4,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE PRESCHOOL | ATLANTA, GA | $3,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| MONTGOMERY YMCA | MONTGOMERY, AL | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | MONTGOMERY, AL | $2,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| MONTGOMERY CAPITAL ROTARY | MONTGOMERY, AL | $2,500 | 2026 | GALA |
| UNION CHURCH CEMETERY | GEORGIANA, AL | $1,500 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ORION BAPTIST CEMETERY TRUST | TROY, AL | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| HARMONY BAPTIST CHURCH | TROY, AL | $1,000 | 2026 | CEMETERY FUND |
| WESLEYAN FUND | PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA | $29,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| FAULKNER UNIVERSITY | MONTGOMERY, AL | $12,734 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON FOUNDATION | CHARLESTON, SC | $8,500 | 2025 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| MONTGOMERY AREA COUNCIL ON AGING | MONTGOMERY, AL | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| EMBRACE ALABAMA KIDS | MONTGOMERY, AL | $7,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| LUNCHES FOR LEARNING INC | ROSWELL, GA | $6,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PEACHTREE ROAD UNITED METHODIST | ATLANTA, GA | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ALABAMA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL | MONTGOMERY, AL | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| OPP CHURCH OF CHRIST | OPP, AL | $4,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ELBA CHURCH OF CHRIST | ELBA, AL | $4,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| MONTGOMERY YMCA | MONTGOMERY, AL | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | MONTGOMERY, AL | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| BLUE GRAY CIVITAN | MONTGOMERY, AL | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| UNION CHURCH CEMETERY | GEORGIANA, AL | $1,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| HARMONY BAPTIST CHURCH | TROY, AL | $1,000 | 2025 | CEMETERY FUND |
| ORION BAPTIST CEMETERY TRUST | TROY, AL | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE PRESCHOOL | ATLANTA, GA | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| MONTGOMERY AREA COUNCIL ON AGING | MONTGOMERY, AL | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| WESLEYAN FUND | PEACHTREE CORNERS, GA | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| FAULKNER UNIVERSITY | MONTGOMERY, AL | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON FOUNDATION | CHARLESTON, SC | $7,500 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIPS |
| LUNCHES FOR LEARNING INC | MONTGOMERY, AL | $6,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PEACHTREE ROAD UNITED METHODIST | ATLANTA, GA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ELBA CHURCH OF CHRIST | ELBA, AL | $4,186 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| OPP CHURCH OF CHRIST | OPP, AL | $4,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| MONTGOMERY YMCA | MONTGOMERY, AL | $3,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ALABAMA SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL | MONTGOMERY, AL | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| MONTGOMERY ROTARY CLUB | MONTGOMERY, AL | $2,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| BLUE GRAY CIVITAN | MONTGOMERY, AL | $2,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | MONTGOMERY, AL | $2,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| UNION CHURCH CEMETERY | GEORGIANA, AL | $1,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| HOPE INSPIRED MINISTRIES | MONTGOMERY, AL | $1,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ORION BAPTIST CEMETERY TRUST | TROY, AL | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
LUNCHES FOR LEARNING INC
$6,000GENERAL OPERATING
MONTGOMERY MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING
ELBA CHURCH OF CHRIST
$4,000GENERAL OPERATING
OPP CHURCH OF CHRIST
$4,000GENERAL OPERATING
THE PRESCHOOL
$3,500GENERAL OPERATING
MONTGOMERY YMCA
$3,000GENERAL OPERATING
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING
MONTGOMERY CAPITAL ROTARY
$2,500GALA
UNION CHURCH CEMETERY
$1,500GENERAL OPERATING
ORION BAPTIST CEMETERY TRUST
$1,000GENERAL OPERATING
HARMONY BAPTIST CHURCH
$1,000CEMETERY FUND
WESLEYAN FUND
$29,000GENERAL OPERATING
EMBRACE ALABAMA KIDS
$7,000GENERAL OPERATING
LUNCHES FOR LEARNING INC
$6,000GENERAL OPERATING
PEACHTREE ROAD UNITED METHODIST
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING
OPP CHURCH OF CHRIST
$4,000GENERAL OPERATING
ELBA CHURCH OF CHRIST
$4,000GENERAL OPERATING
MONTGOMERY YMCA
$3,000GENERAL OPERATING
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING
BLUE GRAY CIVITAN
$2,000GENERAL OPERATING
UNION CHURCH CEMETERY
$1,500GENERAL OPERATING
HARMONY BAPTIST CHURCH
$1,000CEMETERY FUND
ORION BAPTIST CEMETERY TRUST
$1,000GENERAL OPERATING
THE PRESCHOOL
$1,000GENERAL OPERATING
WESLEYAN FUND
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING
LUNCHES FOR LEARNING INC
$6,000GENERAL OPERATING
PEACHTREE ROAD UNITED METHODIST
$5,000GENERAL OPERATING
ELBA CHURCH OF CHRIST
$4,186GENERAL OPERATING
OPP CHURCH OF CHRIST
$4,000GENERAL OPERATING
MONTGOMERY YMCA
$3,000GENERAL OPERATING
MONTGOMERY ROTARY CLUB
$2,000GENERAL OPERATING
BLUE GRAY CIVITAN
$2,000GENERAL OPERATING
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$2,000GENERAL OPERATING
UNION CHURCH CEMETERY
$1,500GENERAL OPERATING
ORION BAPTIST CEMETERY TRUST
$1,000GENERAL OPERATING