H a Vance Foundation Inc

WEST HARTFORD, CT EIN: 06-1355463

H A Vance Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in West Hartford, Connecticut. The foundation was established in 1993 and received its tax-exempt status in February of that year. It operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with a single employee.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$8.8M

+11.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$440K

+0.0% YoY

Grant Count

+12.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$49K

-11.1% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, H a Vance Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $582K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation primarily funds support work with the homeless community during pandemics, support work for providing food during pandemics, and support peer mentoring at community colleges. The foundation's grant-making focuses on education, philanthropy, voluntarism & grantmaking, and human services, with a primary geographic emphasis on Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Grantmaking

The foundation made 13 grants in 2024. Typical grant awards range from $10,000 to $100,000.

Ready to take the next step with H a Vance Foundation Inc?

Assess fit for your org Draft an LOI Find open RFPs

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Connecticut and Massachusetts, with recent grant activity concentrated in Connecticut.

Grant Distribution by State

Connecticut $1.8M (85%)

Massachusetts $320K (15%)

States

Connecticut Massachusetts

Cities

BloomfieldBostonBridgeportHartfordNew Haven

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total assets: $8,778,713
Total revenues: $1,517,609
Total expenses: $593,869
Total giving: $440,000

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$8,778,713	$7,864,380	$7,869,055
Revenue	$1,517,609	$573,879	$371,367
Expenses	$593,869	$578,554	$543,139
Qualifying Distributions	$541,992	$536,485	$474,535
Net Investment Income	$1,470,516	$531,810	$285,030
Distributable Amount	$582,396	$513,337	$529,242

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 9 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

53 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Readyct ($100,000), Achievement First ($75,000), Connecticut Rise Network ($75,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ACHIEVEMENT FIRST NEW HAVEN, CT	OPERATING EXPENSES OF ACHIEVEMENT FIRST HARTFORD HIGH SCHOOL	$75,000
CONNECTICUT RISE NETWORK NEW HAVEN, CT	EXPANSION OF POST-SECONDARY PLANNING AT HARTFORD HIGH SCHOOLS	$75,000
EDUCATORS FOR EXCELLENCE BRIDGEPORT, CT	OPERATING SUPPORT OF HARTFORD TEACHERS	$30,000
HARTFORD PROMISE HARTFORD, CT	SUPPORT REACHING BACK PROGRAM	$50,000
HARTFORD YOUTH SCHOLARS HARTFORD, CT	SUPPORT OF BEYOND THE BOOKS ENRICHMENT PROGRAM	$25,000
READYCT HARTFORD, CT	SUPPORT OF PUBLIC SERVICE PATHWAY AT BULKELEY HIGH SCHOOL	$100,000
TEACH FOR AMERICA - CONNECTICUT NEW HAVEN, CT	FOR PROGRAMS TO STRENGTHEN HARTFORD TEACHER PIPELINE	$25,000
THIRD SECTOR NEW ENGLAND BOSTON, MA	OPERATING EXPENSES OF SCHOOL + STATE FINANCE PROJECT	$50,000
HARTFORD INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY FOR RELIGION AND PEACE HARTFORD, CT	SUPPORT FOR DIGITIZATION OF LIBRARY COLLECTION	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Mary S Martin serves as Executive Director, with compensation of $63,667 as of December 31, 2023.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
H ALEX VANCE JR	PRESIDENT	6	—
COLEMAN H CASEY ESQ	SECRETARY & TREASURER	1	—
NANCY C RION	DIRECTOR	1	—
PATRICIA D VANCE	DIRECTOR	1	—
JOSEPH PACE	DIRECTOR	3	—
CAROLYN A PALDINO	DIRECTOR	1	—
MARY S MARTIN	EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR	24	$65,667

Frequently Asked Questions

What does H a Vance Foundation Inc fund?

How do I apply for a grant from H a Vance Foundation Inc?

The foundation made 13 grants in 2024. Typical grant awards range from $10,000 to $100,000. Recent grants include: • ReadyCT: $100,000 for support of Public Service Pathway at Bulkeley High School (2024) • Connecticut Rise Network: $75,000 for expansion of post-secondary planning at Hartford High Schools (2024) • Achievement First: $75,000 for operating expenses of Achievement First Hartford High School (2024) Total giving in 2024 was $440,000.

Where does H a Vance Foundation Inc make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Connecticut and Massachusetts, with recent grant activity concentrated in Connecticut.

What size grants does H a Vance Foundation Inc award?

In 2024, H a Vance Foundation Inc awarded 9 grants totaling $440K — an average of about $49K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is H a Vance Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, H a Vance Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $582K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.