The trust focuses primarily on supporting postsecondary and parochial education, with most grants designated for student tuition or scholarships at regional Catholic colleges, universities, and K–12 Catholic schools. Funding is concentrated in the Pacific Northwest (Tacoma/Portland/Seattle area) but occasionally supports out-of-region higher education. The foundation repeatedly funds religiously affiliated institutions and makes relatively modest numbers of mid-size tuition awards rather than broad programmatic grants.
Concentrated giving: a small number of mid-to-large tuition grants account for most dollars; repeat grantees among regional Catholic institutions; primarily one-off or annual tuition awards rather than multi-year general operating support.
Rudolph David Roller Ed Ch Trust concentrates its giving on tuition support for postsecondary and parochial education, with repeated awards to Catholic schools and universities in the Pacific Northwest. The largest recent grant on file was $40,142 to the University of Portland for tuition in 2023, and the trust also made a $24,000 charitable donation to Catholic Community Services in Tacoma in 2025. That pattern points to a funder that mixes educational aid with occasional charitable support, while keeping most of its dollars tied to student costs. The trust’s recent grants show a steady flow of tuition payments to faith-based institutions and a smaller set of awards to public colleges and community colleges. Seattle University, St Martins University, Holy Rosary School, and Portland State University all appear among recent recipients, alongside American University, Carroll College, and Biola University. The result is a grantmaking profile centered on student financial assistance rather than program grants, with most awards sized in the mid-thousands and aimed at specific educational expenses.
Education is the dominant theme. In 2025, Rudolph David Roller Ed Ch Trust gave $22,500 to St Nicholas Catholic School in Gig Harbor for tuition, and in 2024 it awarded $13,145 to Holy Rosary School in Tacoma for tuition. Those gifts fit a broader pattern of aid to Catholic K–12 schools in Washington. Higher education is the other clear pillar. The trust gave $20,000 to St Martins University in Lacey in 2024 and $15,000 to Seattle University in 2023, both for tuition. It also supported out-of-region universities, including $23,000 to American University in Washington, DC and $11,000 to Colorado State University in Fort Collins. The trust also makes smaller charitable donations beyond tuition. Examples include $5,182 to Southwest Autism Research Center in Phoenix and $5,125 to Young Life Greater Tacoma in 2025.
Typical grants are modest to mid-sized: the p25 is $4,012, the median is $7,500, and the p75 is $10,750. The recent record also includes larger outliers such as $40,142 and $24,000. Grants appear episodic rather than formalized around a public application process, and the trust funds individuals as well as institutions. Several recipients recur across years, including St Martins University, Holy Rosary School, Seattle University, Portland State University, Biola University, Pierce College, and American University, which suggests repeated annual support rather than one-time-only awards.
$364K
$3.1M
$126K
$149K
Most grants fall between $4K and $11K, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$11K
About 63% of grants go to recipients in WA.
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Notable grantees: University of Portland, St. Martin's University, Catholic Community Services, Seattle University, St. Nicholas Catholic School
Giving is centered in Washington, which accounts for 63% of grants and is the top recipient state by count. Tacoma appears often, with grants to Catholic Community Services, Holy Rosary School, Bates Technical College, South Sound Care Foundation, and Young Life Greater Tacoma. Other repeated recipient cities include Seattle, Puyallup, Lacey, Gig Harbor, and Federal Way. Outside Washington, grants have also gone to Portland, Oregon; Washington, DC; Fort Collins, Colorado; Helena, Montana; La Mirada, California; Dallas, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona.
Its core pattern is tuition support for postsecondary and parochial education. Recent grants include awards to Catholic schools, Catholic universities, and public colleges, with many payments labeled simply as tuition. The trust also makes occasional charitable donations outside tuition support.
No. Washington receives most grants, but the trust also gave to recipients in Oregon, Washington, DC, Colorado, Montana, California, Texas, and Arizona. Recent examples include the University of Portland, American University, Colorado State University, Carroll College, Biola University, Southern Methodist University, and Southwest Autism Research Center.
The grant distribution centers in the mid-thousands: p25 is $4,012, median is $7,500, and p75 is $10,750. Recent grants range from smaller tuition awards such as $3,550 to larger payments like $40,142.
Yes. Several organizations appear more than once in the recent grants list, including St Martins University, Holy Rosary School, Seattle University, Portland State University, Biola University, Pierce College, and American University. That points to recurring support for selected institutions.
It funds individuals as well as organizations. The trust’s profile indicates that it funds individuals, and the recent grant record also shows institutional awards across schools, universities, and charities.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SERVICES | TACOMA, WA | $24,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| ST NICHOLAS CATHOLIC SCHOOL | GIG HARBOR, WA | $22,500 | 2025 | TUITION |
| PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | PORTLAND, OR | $15,000 | 2025 | TUITION |
| PIERCE COLLEGE | PUYALLUP, WA | $12,704 | 2025 | TUITION |
| LIFE ACADEMY | FEDERAL WAY, WA | $10,000 | 2025 | TUITION |
| HOLY ROSARY SCHOOL | TACOMA, WA | $8,425 | 2025 | TUITION |
| SOUTHWEST AUTISM RESEARCH CENTER | PHOENIX, AZ | $5,182 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| YOUNG LIFE GREATER TACOMA | TACOMA, WA | $5,125 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| CHAPEL HILL PRE-SCHOOL | GIG HARBOR, WA | $3,300 | 2025 | TUITION |
| TACOMA SUNRISE ROTARY FOUNDATION | TACOMA, WA | $2,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| ST MARTINS UNIVERSITY | LACEY, WA | $20,000 | 2024 | TUITION |
| COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY | FORT COLLINS, CO | $11,000 | 2024 | TUITION |
| AMERICAN UNIVERSITY | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,500 | 2024 | TUITION |
| BATES TECHNICAL COLLEGE | TACOMA, WA | $10,332 | 2024 | TUITION |
| PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY | PORTLAND, OR | $10,000 | 2024 | TUITION |
| HOLY ROSARY SCHOOL | TACOMA, WA | $7,900 | 2024 | TUITION |
| BIOLA UNIVERSITY | LA MIRADA, CA | $7,500 | 2024 | TUITION |
| SEATTLE UNIVERSITY | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | TUITION |
| SOUTH SOUND CARE FOUNDATION | TACOMA, WA | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY | SEATTLE, WA | $4,151 | 2024 | TUITION |
| PIERCE COLLEGE | PUYALLUP, WA | $3,550 | 2024 | TUITION |
| CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SERVICES | TACOMA, WA | $3,500 | 2024 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF SEATTLE | SEATTLE, WA | $3,500 | 2024 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| CLOVER PARK TECHNICAL COLLEGE | LAKEWOOD, WA | $3,041 | 2024 | TUITION |
| YOUNG LIFE GREATER TACOMA | TACOMA, WA | $2,563 | 2024 | CHARITABLE DONATION |
| UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND | PORTLAND, OR | $40,142 | 2023 | TUITION |
| AMERICAN UNIVERSITY | WASHINGTON, DC | $23,000 | 2023 | TUITION |
| SEATTLE UNIVERSITY | SEATTLE, WA | $15,000 | 2023 | TUITION |
| ST MARTINS UNIVERSITY | LACEY, WA | $15,000 | 2023 | TUITION |
| HOLY ROSARY SCHOOL | TACOMA, WA | $13,145 | 2023 | TUITION |
| CARROLL COLLEGE | HELENA, MT | $10,000 | 2023 | TUITION |
| WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY | SALEM, OR | $10,000 | 2023 | TUITION |
| SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY | DALLAS, TX | $5,000 | 2023 | TUITION |
| BIOLA UNIVERSITY | LA MIRADA, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | TUITION |
| PIERCE COLLEGE | PUYALLUP, WA | $4,087 | 2023 | TUITION |
| SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY | SEATTLE, WA | $3,937 | 2023 | TUITION |
| KING'S SCHOOLS | SEATTLE, WA | $3,500 | 2023 | TUITION |
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SERVICES
$24,000CHARITABLE DONATION
ST NICHOLAS CATHOLIC SCHOOL
$22,500TUITION
PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
$15,000TUITION
PIERCE COLLEGE
$12,704TUITION
LIFE ACADEMY
$10,000TUITION
HOLY ROSARY SCHOOL
$8,425TUITION
SOUTHWEST AUTISM RESEARCH CENTER
CHARITABLE DONATION
YOUNG LIFE GREATER TACOMA
$5,125CHARITABLE DONATION
CHAPEL HILL PRE-SCHOOL
$3,300TUITION
TACOMA SUNRISE ROTARY FOUNDATION
$2,500CHARITABLE DONATION
ST MARTINS UNIVERSITY
$20,000TUITION
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
$11,000TUITION
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
$10,500TUITION
BATES TECHNICAL COLLEGE
$10,332TUITION
PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
$10,000TUITION
HOLY ROSARY SCHOOL
$7,900TUITION
BIOLA UNIVERSITY
$7,500TUITION
SEATTLE UNIVERSITY
$5,000TUITION
SOUTH SOUND CARE FOUNDATION
$5,000CHARITABLE DONATION
SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY
$4,151TUITION
PIERCE COLLEGE
$3,550TUITION
CATHOLIC COMMUNITY SERVICES
$3,500CHARITABLE DONATION
ARCHDIOCESE OF SEATTLE
$3,500CHARITABLE DONATION
CLOVER PARK TECHNICAL COLLEGE
$3,041TUITION
YOUNG LIFE GREATER TACOMA
$2,563CHARITABLE DONATION
UNIVERSITY OF PORTLAND
$40,142TUITION
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
$23,000TUITION
SEATTLE UNIVERSITY
$15,000TUITION
ST MARTINS UNIVERSITY
$15,000TUITION
HOLY ROSARY SCHOOL
$13,145TUITION
CARROLL COLLEGE
$10,000TUITION
WILLAMETTE UNIVERSITY
$10,000TUITION
SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
$5,000TUITION
BIOLA UNIVERSITY
$5,000TUITION
PIERCE COLLEGE
$4,087TUITION
SEATTLE PACIFIC UNIVERSITY
$3,937TUITION
KING'S SCHOOLS
$3,500TUITION