Ruth M Hughes Scholarship Trust
Columbus, OH · EIN 31-6442501. Reported 225 grants totalling $1,641,188 to 101 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Ruth M Hughes Scholarship Trust did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $3,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $2,625 and $7,250; the smallest was $500 and the largest $60,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muskingum University | New Concord, OH | $239,125 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Ohio University | Athens, OH | $175,625 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Ohio State University | Steubenville, OH | $144,400 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Ohio University Zanesville | Columbus, OH | $99,850 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| University of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $90,325 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Kent State University | Kent, OH | $71,575 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Marietta College | Marietta, OH | $51,900 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Zane State College | Zanesville, OH | $41,750 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Miami University | Oxford, OH | $35,275 | 5 | 4 | 2025 |
| Mount Vernon Nazarene University | Mt Vernon, OH | $35,125 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Capital University | Columbus, OH | $32,800 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Bowling Green State University | Bowling Green, OH | $30,900 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Pensacola Christian College | Pensacola, MI | $25,750 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| West Liberty University | Columbus, OH | $23,525 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Indiana University | Indianapolis, IN | $23,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| University of Findlay | Findlay, OH | $22,500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| University of Akron | Columbus, OH | $21,825 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| University of Dayton | Dayton, OH | $20,750 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| West Virginia University | Columbus, OH | $20,025 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Youngstown State University | Youngstown, OH | $19,750 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| University of Evansville | Evansville, IN | $17,900 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland, OH | $16,125 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Wright State University | Dayton, OH | $15,525 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Otterbein University | Westerville, OH | $14,375 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Rose Hulman Institute of Tech | Terre Haute, OH | $13,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Franklin University | Columbus, OH | $12,875 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Ashland University | Ashland, OH | $12,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| West Virginia Wesleyan College | Buckhannon, WV | $10,625 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Marshall University | Huntington, WV | $10,150 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| University of Kentucky | Columbus, OH | $10,025 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| University of Mount Union | Alliance, OH | $10,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Ohio Northern University | Ada, OH | $9,500 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Maryville University | Columbus, OH | $9,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Ohio Wesleyan University | Delaware, OH | $9,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| High Point University | High Point, NC | $8,025 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Ohio State University of Newark | Newark, OH | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Hocking College | Nelsonville, OH | $7,650 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Heidelberg University | Tiffin, OH | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Indiana Wesleyan University | Marion, IN | $7,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Ohio Dominican University | Columbus, OH | $7,500 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | $7,250 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Walsh University | N Canton, OH | $7,025 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Youngstown State University Foundation | Youngstown, OH | $6,800 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Pensacola Christian College Inc | Pensacola, FL | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Rose Hulman Institute of Tech | Terre Haute, IN | $6,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Central Ohio Technical College | Newark, OH | $5,750 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Full Sail University | Winter Park, FL | $5,625 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Glenville State College | Glenville, WV | $5,625 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Ithaca College | Ithaca, NY | $5,625 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Russell Sage College | Troy, NY | $5,625 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Saint Francis University | Loretto, PA | $5,625 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Brigham Young University | Provo, UT | $5,400 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Huntington University | Huntington, IN | $5,400 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Arizona State University | Tempe, AZ | $5,125 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Baldwin Wallace University | Berea, OH | $5,125 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Ohio State Newark | Columbus, OH | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Harding University | Searcy, AR | $4,400 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| University of Notre Dame | South Bend, IN | $3,875 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Columbus College of Art & Design | Columbus, OH | $3,700 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Malone University | Canton, OH | $3,125 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Saint Marys College | Notre Dame, IN | $3,125 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Allegheny College | Meadville, PA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| American College of Education | Indianapolis, IN | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Belmont Abbey College | Belmont, NC | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Eckerd College | St Petersburg, FL | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Edinboro University | Edinboro, PA | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Edinboro University | Columbus, OH | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Florida State University | Tallahassee, FL | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Indiana University | Columbus, OH | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Miami University Benjamin | Columbus, OH | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Pace University | Columbus, OH | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| University of Evansville | Columbus, OH | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN | $3,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Campbellsville University | Campbellsville, KY | $2,625 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Columbia University | New York, NY | $2,625 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Oxford University | New York, NY | $2,625 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Point Park University | Pittsburgh, PA | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| University of Rio Grande | Rio Grande, OH | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Western Governors University | Salt Lake Cty, UT | $2,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Columbus State Community | Delaware, OH | $2,400 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Glenville State University | Glenville, WV | $2,400 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Chatham University | Pittsburgh, PA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| George Mason University | Fairfax, VA | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Shawnee State University | Portsmouth, OH | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Missouri | Saint Louis, MO | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT | $2,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Owens Community College | Columbus, OH | $1,838 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Columbia College Chicago | Columbus, OH | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Eastern Kentucky University | Columbus, OH | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Eckerd College | Columbus, OH | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| High Point University | Columbus, OH | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Iup | Indiana, PA | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Kalamazoo College | Columbus, OH | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| New York Film Academy | Columbus, OH | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Ohio Christian University | Columbus, OH | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Russell Sage College | Columbus, OH | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Southern New Hampshire Univ | Columbus, OH | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Woodbury University | Columbus, OH | $1,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Allegheny College | Meadville, OH | $1,400 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| University of Kentucky | Lexington, KY | $1,250 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Cedarville University | Cedarville, OH | $750 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
52 of 101 (51%) received money in more than one year over the 5 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 62%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is about typical. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
What kind of organizations it funds
By the activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 113 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 46 | $319,488 | $3,000 |
| 2022 | 43 | $357,250 | $3,000 |
| 2023 | 51 | $290,200 | $3,000 |
| 2024 | 45 | $301,750 | $2,625 |
| 2025 | 40 | $372,500 | $6,125 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
86% of its giving went to organizations in Ohio. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $3,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in Ohio.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Ruth M Hughes Scholarship Trust's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
Address of record on the latest return: Po Box 1558 Dept EA5W86, Columbus, OH, 43216. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 31-6442501 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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