The Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation concentrates its giving on a small number of sizable, local investments, primarily supporting higher education and cultural institutions in the Evansville/Indiana area. Roughly half of its recent grants went to Hanover College (repeat support), with the remainder split between a charitable/financial intermediary and a local African American museum, indicating interests in postsecondary education, community heritage, and flexible philanthropic vehicles.
Highly concentrated: few, relatively large grants; repeat funding to a single college beneficiary; local geographic focus; mix of direct program/capital support and contribution to a donor-advised/charitable fund.
A single $75,000 general-fund grant to Stifel Charitable stands out in the Thomas A & Sharon K Ruder Foundation’s recent record, because it shows that the foundation uses a flexible intermediary alongside direct grants to local institutions. Most of its giving stays close to Evansville and southern Indiana, with repeated support for Hanover College and a set of community organizations that cover education, crisis services, youth activities, and cultural preservation. The pattern is not scattered; it is concentrated, with Hanover College receiving multiple awards across 2023 and 2024, including two sizable education grants in 2024 and another in 2023. The foundation also supports institutions that anchor local identity and service delivery. Recent grants reached the Evansville African American Museum, the University of Evansville ecosystem, and several Evansville-based charities and school-related nonprofits. Its use of general-fund awards suggests broad-purpose support rather than tightly restricted project funding in many cases. The overall picture is of a local funder making relatively selective grants, often at meaningful dollar amounts for the recipients it chooses to back.
Education is the clearest throughline in the foundation’s grant record. Hanover College received $68,100 in 2024, $30,000 in 2023, and another $15,000 in 2024, all marked for education. Other higher-education gifts went to UE Foundation, University of Evansville, USI Foundation, and Ivy Tech Foundation, showing support across several postsecondary institutions in the region. Beyond college giving, the foundation funds youth and family-serving organizations. It gave $10,000 to Ark Crisis Center in 2024 and $10,000 to Ark Crisis Children Center in 2023 for general funds, plus $5,000 to Big Brother Big Sister SW In and $1,500 to Evansville Junior Football. It also supported community service through $2,000 to Hope of Evansville and $1,000 to YWCA. Cultural preservation appears in grants to the Evansville African American Museum, including a $20,000 general-fund grant in 2024 and a $1,000 education grant in 2023.
Typical grants are modest to mid-sized, with a p25 of $1,000, a median of $1,500, and a p75 of $10,000. The pattern includes both smaller community grants and occasional larger awards, with one $75,000 grant and several gifts in the $10,000 to $20,000 range. Recent records show repeat support to the same organizations across 2023 and 2024, especially Hanover College and several Evansville institutions. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grant list also suggests broad-purpose support through many general-fund awards.
$159K
$4.8M
$1.8M
$167K
Most grants fall between $1K and $10K, with a median of $2K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$2K
75th Percentile
$10K
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Notable grantees: Hanover College, Evansville African American Museum, Stifel Charitable
Giving is overwhelmingly local and centered in Indiana. Ninety-five percent of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and the top state by grant count is Indiana. Evansville appears repeatedly in the recipient list, along with Hanover and Indianapolis. Outside Indiana, the only named out-of-state recipient in the recent grants is Stifel Charitable in St. Louis, Missouri. All listed grants in the recent sample went to US recipients.
The record is strongest in education, especially higher education, with repeated grants to Hanover College and other Indiana education institutions. It also supports community services and cultural preservation, including crisis services, youth programs, and the Evansville African American Museum.
Yes. Hanover College appears multiple times across 2023 and 2024, including $68,100, $30,000, and $15,000 grants. Several other organizations also recur, such as EVSC Foundation and UE Foundation.
The middle of the distribution is small to mid-sized: p25 is $1,000, median is $1,500, and p75 is $10,000. That means many grants are in the low thousands, with a smaller set of larger awards.
The foundation gives primarily in Indiana, which accounts for 95% of grants in the recent record. Indiana also ranks first by grant count, and Evansville-based organizations make up much of the recipient list.
No. The foundation funds organizations rather than individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. Recent grants include both education and general-fund awards to nonprofits and charitable intermediaries.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MATER DEI STUDENT INV | EVANSVILLE, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| EVSC FOUNDATION | EVANSVILLE, IN | $25,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| EVSC FOUNDATION | EVANSVILLE, IN | $25,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| HANOVER COLLEGE | HANOVER, IN | $25,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| ST VINCENT EARLY LEARNING CENTER | EVANSVILLE, IN | $10,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| ARK CRISIS CENTER | EVANSVILLE, IN | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| VOICES INCORP | EVANSVILLE, IN | $4,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| WESSELMAN PARK NATURE SOCIETY | EVANSVILLE, IN | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| USI FOUNDATION | EVANSVILLE, IN | $1,500 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| EVANSVILLE JUNIOR FOOTBALL | EVANSVILLE, IN | $1,500 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| IU FOUNDATION | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $1,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| VANDERBURGH HUMANE SOCIETY | EVANSVILLE, IN | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| UE FOUNDATION | EVANSVILLE, IN | $1,000 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL | EVANSVILLE, IN | $500 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL | EVANSVILLE, IN | $500 | 2026 | EDUCATION |
| Mater Dei High School | Evansville, IN | $50,000 | 2025 | Education |
| EVSC Foundation | Evansville, IN | $25,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Hanover College | Hanover, IN | $16,000 | 2025 | Education |
| UE Foundation | Evansville, IN | $15,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Ark Crisis Center | Evansville, IN | $10,600 | 2025 | General Fund |
| Tri State Food Bank | Evansville, IN | $10,000 | 2025 | General Fund |
| St Vincent Early Learning Center | Evansville, IN | $10,000 | 2025 | General Fund |
| Voices Incorp | Evansville, IN | $3,000 | 2025 | General Fund |
| Wesselman Park Nature Society | Evansville, IN | $2,000 | 2025 | General Fund |
| Evansville Junior Football | Evansville, IN | $1,500 | 2025 | General Fund |
| ISU Foundation | Terra Haute, IN | $1,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Vanderburgh Humane Society | Evansville, IN | $1,000 | 2025 | General Fund |
| USI Foundation | Evansville, IN | $1,000 | 2025 | Education |
| North Posey High School | Poseyville, IN | $1,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Mater Dei High School | Evansville, IN | $1,000 | 2025 | Education |
| YWCA | Evansville, IN | $1,000 | 2025 | General Fund |
| Big Blue Booster | Evansville, IN | $600 | 2025 | General Fund |
| Boys Scouts of America | Evansville, IN | $150 | 2025 | General Fund |
| American Red Cross | Washington, DC | $100 | 2025 | General Fund |
| Hanover College | Hanover, IN | $68,100 | 2024 | Education |
| Evansville African American Museum | Evansville, IN | $20,000 | 2024 | General Fund |
| Hanover College | Hanover, IN | $15,000 | 2024 | Education |
| UE Foundation | Evansville, IN | $11,000 | 2024 | Education |
| Ark Crisis Center | Evansville, IN | $10,000 | 2024 | General Fund |
| EVSC Foundation | Evansville, IN | $10,000 | 2024 | Education |
| Big Brother Big Sister SW In | Evansville, IN | $5,000 | 2024 | General Fund |
| Voices Incorp | Evansville, IN | $3,000 | 2024 | General Fund |
| Hope of Evansville | Evansville, IN | $2,000 | 2024 | General Fund |
| Boys Scouts of America | Evansville, IN | $1,500 | 2024 | General Fund |
| Evansville Junior Football | Evansville, IN | $1,500 | 2024 | General Fund |
| USI Foundation | Evansville, IN | $1,000 | 2024 | Education |
| EVSC Foundation | Evansville, IN | $1,000 | 2024 | Education |
| UE Foundation | Evansville, IN | $1,000 | 2024 | Education |
| YWCA | Evansville, IN | $1,000 | 2024 | General Fund |
| IVY Tech Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $1,000 | 2024 | Education |
MATER DEI STUDENT INV
$50,000EDUCATION
ARK CRISIS CENTER
GENERAL FUND
VOICES INCORP
$4,000GENERAL FUND
WESSELMAN PARK NATURE SOCIETY
$3,000GENERAL FUND
USI FOUNDATION
$1,500EDUCATION
EVANSVILLE JUNIOR FOOTBALL
$1,500GENERAL FUND
IU FOUNDATION
$1,000EDUCATION
VANDERBURGH HUMANE SOCIETY
$1,000GENERAL FUND
UE FOUNDATION
$1,000EDUCATION
ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL
$500GENERAL FUND
MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL
$500EDUCATION
Mater Dei High School
$50,000Education
Hanover College
$16,000Education
UE Foundation
$15,000Education
Ark Crisis Center
$10,600General Fund
Voices Incorp
$3,000General Fund
Wesselman Park Nature Society
$2,000General Fund
Evansville Junior Football
$1,500General Fund
ISU Foundation
$1,000Education
Vanderburgh Humane Society
$1,000General Fund
USI Foundation
$1,000Education
North Posey High School
$1,000Education
Mater Dei High School
$1,000Education
YWCA
$1,000General Fund
Big Blue Booster
$600General Fund
Boys Scouts of America
$150General Fund
Evansville African American Museum
$20,000General Fund
UE Foundation
$11,000Education
Ark Crisis Center
$10,000General Fund
Voices Incorp
$3,000General Fund
Hope of Evansville
$2,000General Fund
Boys Scouts of America
$1,500General Fund
Evansville Junior Football
$1,500General Fund
UE Foundation
$1,000Education
YWCA
$1,000General Fund