Happy Difference Foundation
Happy Difference Foundation is a private foundation based in Montchanin, Delaware. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, all of which were in Delaware.
Happy Difference Foundation at a glance
In short: Happy Difference Foundation gave $280K across 39 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), mostly in Delaware. 5% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $279,775
- +10.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 39
- -11.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,174
- +24.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $3,936,154
- +5.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 5% first-time grantees (2 of 39, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Delaware (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Happy Difference Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: P O Box 320, Montchanin, DE 19710
Phone: (302) 888-0481
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Happy Difference Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Congregation Beth Shalom ($63K). Together the top 10 received $233K.
Grant Size Distribution
200 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 195 grants of 200 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Delaware.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Happy Difference Foundation open to new grantees?
5%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 39 grantees (5%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 90% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+4%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 103% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $236K (2020) to $280K (2024). In 2024 it made 39 grants totaling $280K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Congregation Beth Shalom Wilmington, DE | Program Assistance | $62,500 |
| Community Education Building Wilmington, DE | Program Assistance | $25,000 |
| Food Bank of Delaware Newark, DE | Program Assistance | $25,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Delaware Wilmington, DE | Program Assistance | $25,000 |
| Ministry of Caring Wilmington, DE | Program Assistance | $25,000 |
| West End Neighborhood House Wilmington, DE | Program Assistance | $25,000 |
| Lewes Public Library Lewes, DE | Program Assistance | $17,225 |
| The Independence School Newark, DE | Program Assistance | $11,500 |
| Children and Families First Hockessin, DE | Program Assistance | $9,000 |
| American Red Cross Wilmington, DE | Program Assistance | $7,500 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $3,936,154 | $519,608 | $330,636 | $279,775 | 39 | $279,775 | $459,415 | $271,698 |
| 2023 | $3,747,182 | $207,346 | $295,244 | $254,000 | 44 | $254,000 | $219,917 | $254,474 |
| 2022 | $3,835,080 | $128,280 | $312,880 | $248,250 | 39 | $252,450 | $67,850 | $265,288 |
| 2021 | $4,019,680 | $675,007 | $307,249 | $268,450 | 42 | $272,760 | $565,518 | $263,978 |
| 2020 | $3,651,922 | $194,436 | $272,557 | $235,500 | 36 | — | $161,629 | $241,003 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Happy Difference Foundation reported a distributable amount of $272K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including food access, community services, education, libraries, and health care. For example, the Food Bank of Delaware describes its mission as providing food to nourish Delawareans while collaborating on long-term solutions to hunger and poverty. West End Neighborhood House says it helps people achieve self-sufficiency through outcomes-driven programming, and Lewes Public Library describes its work as providing classes, programs, and resources for all ages.
Other 2024 recipients include The Independence School, which says it inspires students to become independent and intellectually curious; Children and Families First, which helps children facing adversity and supports families; and Christiana Care Health System, which supports charitable health care, research, and educational services.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 39 grants totaling $279,775. Grants ranged from $500 to $62,500, with a median of $2,000. The largest listed grant was $62,500 to Congregation Beth Shalom for program assistance. Other grants included $25,000 each to Community Education Building, Food Bank of Delaware, Jewish Federation of Delaware, Ministry of Caring, and West End Neighborhood House; $17,225 to Lewes Public Library; and $11,500 to The Independence School.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ellen K. Levin as president, treasurer, and director; Alan B. Levin as vice president, secretary, and director; and Andrew G. Levin, Daniel B. Levin, Jason S. Levin, Jessica M. Levin, and Lauren A. Levin as directors.
Happy Difference Foundation is led by Ellen K. Levin, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 7 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ellen K. Levin
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Andrew G. Levin
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Daniel B. Levin
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jason S. Levin
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Jessica M. Levin
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Lauren A. Levin
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Alan B. Levin
Vice President, Secretary & D
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Happy Difference Foundation
How much does Happy Difference Foundation give each year?
Happy Difference Foundation gave $280K across 39 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $254K across 44 grants.
What is Happy Difference Foundation's typical grant size?
Happy Difference Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $7,174, across 39 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Happy Difference Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does Happy Difference Foundation give grants?
Happy Difference Foundation gives mostly in Delaware: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Wilmington, DE (21 grants), Newark, DE (5 grants), Lewes, DE (3 grants) and Hockessin, DE (2 grants).
Does Happy Difference Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 39 grants with a stated purpose on Happy Difference Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Assistance" (39 grants).
Who are Happy Difference Foundation's largest grantees?
Happy Difference Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Congregation Beth Shalom ($62,500), Community Education Building ($25,000) and Food Bank of Delaware ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Happy Difference Foundation?
Happy Difference Foundation reported $3.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $280K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $272K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Happy Difference Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in areas including food access, community services, education, libraries, and health care. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Happy Difference Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Happy Difference Foundation's EIN?
Happy Difference Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5679477. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Happy Difference Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Happy Difference Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/happy-difference-foundation-morg_b88a4c031a2b4f21b49bb376ed03a471
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_205679477_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Happy Difference Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/happy-difference-foundation-morg_b88a4c031a2b4f21b49bb376ed03a471},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Happy Difference Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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