Hein Legacy Foundation
Hein Legacy Foundation is a private foundation based in Cle Elum, Washington. In its 2025 filing, it reported awarding 29 grants totaling $128,201 to organizations and individuals, with most grant dollars going to recipients in Washington and some going to a recipient in Colorado.
Hein Legacy Foundation at a glance
In short: Hein Legacy Foundation gave $128K across 29 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Washington. 53% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $128,201
- -15.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 29
- +26.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,421
- -32.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $2,831,452
- +4.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (8 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Washington (92% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Hein Legacy Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Submit a letter of request; the filing lists no deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Hein Legacy Foundation Melissa Beck
Mailing address: 3493 Airport Road, Cle Elum, WA 98922
Phone: (509) 674-4414
Website: HTTPS://HEINLEGACYFOUNDATION.ORG/
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Hein Legacy Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Kittitas County Habitat for Humanity ($15K). Together the top 10 received $93K.
Organizations only. It also paid 12 individual scholarships ($24,281), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
153 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 152 grants of 153 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 92% of grant dollars went to recipients in Washington and 8% to recipients in Colorado. The listed grants included recipients in Cle Elum, Ellensburg, South Cle Elum, Seattle, and other Washington locations, as well as a Colorado Springs recipient.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Hein Legacy Foundation open to new grantees?
53%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 15 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $5K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 20% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 34% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 72% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $95K (2022) to $164K (2021). In 2025 it made 29 grants totaling $128K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kittitas County Habitat for Humanity Renton, WA | To provide support and help for residence for local communities | $15,000 |
| Hopesource Ellensburg, WA | To provide aid for heating and transportation for needy families | $12,000 |
| Kaleidoscope Community Services South CLE Elum, WA | To Provide General Support | $12,000 |
| CLE Elum Roslyn School District CLE Elum, WA | To Provide Support for School Programs | $10,700 |
| Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust Seattle, WA | To conserve and enhance the landscape of the mountains to sound greenway | $10,000 |
| Young Life Colorado Springs, CO | To expose adolescents around the world to the person of jesus christ | $10,000 |
| Kittitas County Search and Rescue Ellensburg, WA | To Help Fund Equipment Purchases | $7,000 |
| Rotary Club of Upper Kittitas County Foundation CLE Elum, WA | To Promote Community Service for Upper Kittitas County | $6,000 |
| CLE Elum Youth Football Roslyn, WA | To Provide Sports Opportunity for Local Youth | $5,000 |
| Court Advocates for Children of Kittitas County Ellensburg, WA | To provide legal support for the children of Kittitas county | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Hein Legacy Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,831,452 | $426,807 | $201,535 | $128,201 | 29 | $180,551 | $370,395 | $250,929 |
| 2024 | $2,699,642 | $351,919 | $226,651 | $150,877 | 23 | $197,307 | $325,381 | $221,082 |
| 2023 | $2,605,221 | $116,210 | $317,262 | $96,487 | 29 | $143,290 | $77,175 | $180,007 |
| 2022 | $2,677,112 | $88,788 | $182,412 | $95,492 | 32 | $151,512 | $57,633 | $179,437 |
| 2021 | $2,766,817 | $572,268 | $244,525 | $163,672 | 40 | $206,581 | $288,332 | $191,036 |
| 2020 | $2,436,934 | $293,385 | $202,249 | $140,764 | 50 | — | $21,821 | $139,452 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Hein Legacy Foundation reported a distributable amount of $251K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The filing does not state a foundation mission. Its 2025 grants included support for housing, heating and transportation assistance, school programs, environmental conservation, youth activities, search-and-rescue equipment, legal support for children, community services, and educational scholarships.
Grantees describe their own work in varied terms. Kittitas County Habitat for Humanity says it brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. HopeSource describes its mission as improving quality of life in Kittitas County by assisting people who cannot temporarily stabilize basic needs. Kaleidoscope Community Services says it connects local resources with community needs, and Young Life describes its work as introducing adolescents to the person of Jesus Christ through activities including club meetings, Bible studies, camps, and missions.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $128,201 through 29 grants. Grant sizes ranged from $20 to $15,000, with a median of $2,500. Notable grants included $15,000 to Kittitas County Habitat for Humanity; $12,000 each to HopeSource and Kaleidoscope Community Services; $10,700 to Cle Elum Roslyn School District; and $10,000 each to Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and Young Life.
The filing states that the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Requests are made by letter, and the filing lists no award restrictions at this time.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Claire Nicholls as president/secretary and Melissa Becker as treasurer. Directors listed are Jerry Hein, Patricia Hein, Annemarie Hill, and John Hein.
Hein Legacy Foundation is led by Claire Nicholls, President & Secretary since 2024 (on filings since 2020); 2 of 6 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Claire Nicholls
President & Secretary
Treasurer → President & Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$10K (2023) → $25K (2025)
Annemarie Hill
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jerry Hein
Director
President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Hein
Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patricia Hein
Director
Secretary → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Becker
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2023
8 hrs/week
$31K (2023) → $22K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $25K, to Claire Nicholls (President/Secretary). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Hein Legacy Foundation
How much does Hein Legacy Foundation give each year?
Hein Legacy Foundation gave $128K across 29 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $151K across 23 grants.
What is Hein Legacy Foundation's typical grant size?
Hein Legacy Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,421, across 29 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Hein Legacy Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Hein Legacy Foundation give grants?
Hein Legacy Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 92% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were CLE Elum, WA (6 grants), Ellensburg, WA (3 grants) and Roslyn, WA (3 grants).
Does Hein Legacy Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 10% of Hein Legacy Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 29) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Educational Scholarship" (12 grants).
Who are Hein Legacy Foundation's largest grantees?
Hein Legacy Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Kittitas County Habitat for Humanity ($15,000), Hopesource ($12,000) and Kaleidoscope Community Services ($12,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 12 individual scholarships ($24,281), which are not listed by name. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Hein Legacy Foundation?
Hein Legacy Foundation reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $181K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $251K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Hein Legacy Foundation fund?
The filing does not state a foundation mission. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Hein Legacy Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Hein Legacy Foundation's EIN?
Hein Legacy Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-4655987. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Hein Legacy Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Hein Legacy Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Hein Legacy Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Hein Legacy Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/hein-legacy-foundation-morg_48f9bc336eb6481fbd135ea21b370e79
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_814655987_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Hein Legacy Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/hein-legacy-foundation-morg_48f9bc336eb6481fbd135ea21b370e79},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Hein Legacy 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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