Rudd Foundation

What Rudd Foundation does

The Rudd Foundation is a Kansas-based private nonprofit foundation established in 1994 by Leslie Rudd and his family. Its flagship initiative is the Rudd Scholarship, a full-ride scholarship (covering tuition, fees, room, board, books, and supplies) awarded to Pell-eligible Kansas high school seniors who attend one of four partner state universities: Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University, and Wichita State University. The program incorporates mentorship, career guidance, and structured cohort engagement beyond the financial award.

The scholarship program has scaled materially, growing from 20 scholars in 2018 to 148 scholars in 2025-26, with cumulative investment exceeding $10 million across cohorts. Annual intake has expanded from early single-digit and teen-sized cohorts to 45 in 2024 and 50 in 2025, the largest in program history. Kansas State University was added as a partner in 2023, completing the four-institution network.

Beyond the scholarship, the foundation operates or supports a portfolio of programmatic verticals: League 42 (a youth baseball and after-school program in Wichita supported by a $1 million grant in 2021), the Rudd Round Table (wine professional training), the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health at the University of Connecticut, and Upward NY (a food security initiative). The foundation is funded by the Rudd family endowment and does not generate commercial revenue. Leadership transitioned in 2025 with Pete Najera's departure, Darrell Swank's appointment as President, and Corri Roberts's promotion. The technology and operational stack is administrative in nature; no AI, ML, or proprietary software products are part of the program delivery.

Name

Rudd Foundation

Legal name

Rudd Foundation

Website

https://ruddfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Rudd Foundation is a Kansas-based private nonprofit founded in 1994 that operates the Rudd Scholarship, a full-ride four-year program for Pell-eligible Kansas high school seniors attending one of four partner state universities, supported by additional youth, food policy, and workforce initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Education Scholarships

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Philanthropic scholarship program
• Need-based college scholarships
• Nonprofit foundation grants
• Youth development programs
• Food policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Endowment and Charitable Donations: The Rudd Foundation operates as a charitable organization funded by Leslie Rudd's endowment and portfolio of businesses including Standard Beverage Corporation and Leslie Rudd Investment Company. The foundation distributes scholarships and programmatic grants from these funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Rudd Foundation's flagship offering is the Rudd Scholarship Program, a four-year full-ride scholarship covering tuition, fees, room and board, books, and supplies for Pell-eligible Kansas high school seniors attending four partner state universities. The scholarship extends beyond financial aid to include professional development summits, one-on-one mentorship, scholar-to-scholar mentoring, alumni networking, LinkedIn coaching, and financial literacy training. The foundation also operates supporting philanthropic initiatives including the Rudd Round Table sommelier training, the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health research, the League 42 youth baseball program, and the Upward NY food security initiative.

Product overview

The Rudd Foundation is a Kansas-based philanthropic organization operating primarily as a single-product scholarship program with supporting initiatives. The core offering is the Rudd Scholars Program - a prestigious full-ride scholarship for Pell-eligible Kansas students attending four partner universities (Emporia State, Fort Hays State, Kansas State, Wichita State). The program extends beyond financial support to include professional development, mentorship, networking, and community building. Supporting programs include the Rudd Round Table (wine professional training), Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health (food policy research), League 42 (youth development), and Upward NY Initiative (food security in New York).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rudd Scholars Program: The flagship full-ride scholarship program supporting Pell-eligible Kansas students at four state universities
• Rudd Round Table
• Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health
• League 42
• Upward NY

Products and services

• Rudd Scholars Program Full-ride four-year scholarship program covering tuition, fees, room, board, books, and supplies for Pell-eligible Kansas high school seniors who demonstrate grit, determination, and work ethic. Provides wraparound support including mentorship, professional development summits, scholar-to-scholar mentoring, alumni networking, LinkedIn coaching, and financial literacy training. Scholars attend Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Kansas State University, or Wichita State University.
• Rudd Round Table

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% retention rate for awarded scholars
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Kansas State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 August 2023Newest partner university added in 2023 as fourth university partner. Expansion reflects commitment to providing opportunities for talented students across Kansas.
• League 42 FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2021$1 million capital leadership gift to fund Leslie Rudd Education Center in Wichita. Rudd Scholars mentor youth in after-school activities and learning programs. League 42 serves nearly 600 youth players with core values of commitment, hard work, and personal responsibility.
• Emporia State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner university for Rudd Scholarship program since inception in 2018. Rudd Scholars attend Emporia State to pursue bachelor's degrees with full-ride scholarships covering tuition, fees, room and board, and books.
• Fort Hays State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partner university for Rudd Scholarship program since inception in 2018. Rudd Scholars attend Fort Hays State to pursue bachelor's degrees with comprehensive scholarship support.
• Wichita State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Original partner university for Rudd Scholarship program since 2018. Rudd Scholars attend Wichita State with full-ride scholarships and access to career development resources.
• UJA Federation of New YorkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year commitment to fund Upward NY Initiative supporting food pantries throughout New York City and offering human services for people experiencing poverty.
• Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health (UConn)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeeded funding for Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale, later merged with InCHIP at University of Connecticut. Center pioneers solutions addressing food insecurity, poor diet quality, and weight bias through research and policy.
• SommFoundation (Rudd Roundtable)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRudd Roundtable scholarship training program for wine professionals preparing for Master Sommelier Exam. Two-day intensive workshop at CIA St. Helena Campus in Napa Valley brings twelve sommeliers together for intimate learning experience.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Jack Kent Cooke Foundation: National scholarship foundation providing the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program — one of the most generous need-based undergraduate scholarships in the U.S. for high-achieving students with financial need. Direct comparable in mission and Pell-eligible focus.
• Questbridge: National nonprofit that connects high-achieving, low-income (primarily Pell-eligible) high school seniors with full four-year scholarships at partner colleges and universities. Directly comparable target population and full-ride offering to the Rudd Scholars Program.
• Ron Brown Scholar Program: National scholarship program targeting high-achieving African American high school seniors with financial need; similar comprehensive-support (mentorship, professional development) wraparound model.
• Dell Scholars Program: Michael & Susan Dell Foundation's scholarship program targeting Pell-eligible, college-ready students with a multi-year scholarship plus wraparound support services. Closely parallels the Rudd Scholars model on eligibility criteria and comprehensive support.
• Elks National Foundation: Long-standing national fraternal foundation that administers multi-year undergraduate scholarships with a values-driven (leadership, service) selection lens — comparable scholarship-grantmaking foundation structure.
• Horatio Alger Association: National nonprofit awarding need-based scholarships to high school students who have overcome significant adversity, with strong emphasis on character and grit. Mirrors Rudd's midwestern-values, grit-and-determination framing.
• Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation: Large corporate-sponsored scholarship foundation providing achievement-based scholarships to high school seniors; comparable scale and brand-led selection process.
• Daniels Fund: Colorado-based private foundation established by Bill Daniels that operates the Daniels Scholarship Program — a comparable full-ride, need-and-merit-based scholarship for high school seniors at partner universities in Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Utah. Closest functional peer to Rudd in scale, structure, and "scholarship foundation for state residents" model.

Regional players

• Wichita Community Foundation: Local Wichita-area community foundation that serves as an additional philanthropic vehicle in the same Kansas geography. Comparable as a Kansas/Wichita-rooted grantmaking body though with a broader (not scholarship-exclusive) agenda.
• Kansas Health Foundation: Major Kansas-based private foundation focused on health rather than education, but operates with similar Wichita/Kansas roots, private-foundation governance, and grantmaking distribution model — useful regional comparison for foundation operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RuddFoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=%23ruddfoundation&sp=QhASDnJ1ZGRmb3VuZGF0aW9u
• Facebookfacebook.com/ruddfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rudd-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/ruddfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Rudd Foundation