The Dan Rupli Memorial Fund

The simple ideal of caring for others made the Arching Foundation a necessity for Dan.

At 77, he understood that even with a hundred more years, he could never finish all of his labors of love. Still, he kept going, because he cared that much—and because there’s that much that needs care.

 

Dan and Friends knew his mission was too big for one person or even one team. So, the Arching Foundation was their answer: a way to crowdsource empathy and extend due care to those who need it most—especially the vulnerable, starting right here in Maryland.

 

Dan was always the bulldog for the underdog, offering safety, comfort, and a voice to the overlooked. The Foundation consciously carries this forward through both direct acts of charity and as a fiscal sponsor—a sheltering arch—for other charitable programs. By granting immediate tax-exempt status and removing legal and logistical barriers, Arching helps new initiatives take root and thrive in communities everywhere, enabling a diverse partnership of people and programs committed to caring, listening, repairing. Building. Nurturing. 

 

In today’s political and economic climate, that work is becoming more vital—and more threatened—than ever. Grants and 501(c)(3)s are under ever-increasing pressure. And Arching needs your help to meet the moment.

 

Dan wanted Arching to amplify the heartbeat of those strong enough to care deeply, to act with purpose, and to nurture those most at risk. He found joy in healing what was broken. That same spirit lives on in Arching—because, through Dan's and Arching's shared lens, at the other end of every 501 is a person in need.

 

Who Was Dan Rupli?

Dan Rupli was a lawyer, congressional candidate, civil rights enforcer and progressive activist who passed away in March of 2025. He is dearly missed by his friends and family.

 

Dan met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he was just 10 years old and spent a great deal of time in Dr. King's company and under his tutelage. He made a decision and a promise to Dr. King at a very young age to become an attorney. Dan was with and recorded Dr. King from behind the pulpit as he delivered his last Sunday sermon on March 3, 1968, just four days before being assassinated. 

 

Early in his career, Dan was an attorney in the U.S. Justice Department enforcing the Voting Rights Act in the American South. He shared stories of returning rental cars with bullet holes in them from those averse to social equality. He then turned to private practice of law, and in the 1990s, Gov. Parris Glendening appointed him as the Maryland Trade Delegate to China.

 

Dan spent the last years of his life in Columbia, Md., working on causes such as gun control, affordable housing and youth engagement in politics, as well as offering counsel to the many politicos he came to know over the years.

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Quotes from those Who Knew Dan:

“Dan was one of the more principled political people that I have ever known,” said U.S. Rep. Mfume, who reclaimed his old 7th District House seat in 2020. “His sense of fairness and justice was exceeded only by his belief in the ability to bring about change. He gave so much of himself and offered himself up — over and over again — to communities across the state of Maryland as someone willing to fight the good fight. He was a friend who will be deeply missed.”

 

“Dan Rupli understood the importance of participating fully in our democracy and using your voice to make a difference,” Sen. Van Hollen said on Dan’s death. “He used his to make our state and our nation stronger, for which we were always grateful.”

 

Dan’s sister, Robin Rupli, a retired reporter for Voice of America, said, “Dan had the most astute political mind of anyone I ever knew. He had the experience of working in so many campaigns, a deep knowledge of history and an innate sense of what motivated people that tapped into so many winning strategies. Dan had no patience with the status quo,” she said. “He thought positive change was as obvious to everyone else as it was to him. He was ‘a dreamer’ — but those dreams were rooted in his parents’ Midwestern upbringing, common sense and a desire for public good.”

 

Quotes provided via: https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/politics_and_government/levels_of_government/federal/house/dan-rupli-lawyer-candidate-progressive-activist-dies-at-82/article_f5f88678-ef54-5bf8-b37f-713bc4d5afce.html​​​​