Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation
The Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation is a private foundation based in Wayland, Massachusetts. Its 2024 filing lists grants to organizations in Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, including Chicago-area workforce development, education, and community organizations.
Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation at a glance
In short: Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation gave $261K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $26K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $261,000
- -1.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- -9.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $26,100
- +8.2% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $8,081,251
- +12.4% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Illinois (77% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. The application process includes a high school counselor’s recommendation and a statement from the student describing their goals and aspirations. Awards are restricted to minorities and women living in inner-city Chicago.
- Review Cycle
- April 1. The filing does not specify a year for this deadline, so it cannot be identified as a current application cycle.
- Deadline
- April 1.
- Contact
Application contact: Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundatio
Mailing address: 2 Kelley Lane, Wayland, MA 01778
Phone: (847) 859-6880
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was AID Coalition ($36K). Together the top 10 received $261K.
Grant Size Distribution
27 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 27 grants of 27 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that 77% of grant dollars went to Illinois, 14% to Pennsylvania, and 10% to Massachusetts. The filing’s award restriction refers to minorities and women living in inner-city Chicago.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
How Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation gives
- 60% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 12632% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 83% 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 (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 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $2K (2021) to $265K (2023). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $261K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AID Coalition Bryn Mawr, PA | Brothers and Sisters Israel in Crisis Appeal | $36,000 |
| Growing Home Inc Chicago, IL | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Industrial Council for Nearwest Chi Chicago, IL | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| West Town Bikes Chicago, IL | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Revolution Workshop Chicago, IL | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Evanston Scholars Evanston, IL | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Math Circles of Chicago Chicago, IL | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| HFS Chicago Scholars Chicago, IL | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| CHAMPS Male Mentoring Chicago, IL | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Chabad Center of Sudbury INC Sudbury, MA | General Operating Support | $25,000 |
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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 | $8,081,251 | $671,253 | $347,259 | $261,000 | 10 | $310,565 | $633,508 | $374,913 |
| 2023 | $7,188,465 | $4,279,739 | $307,704 | $265,336 | 11 | $306,203 | $491,112 | $163,803 |
| 2022 | $2,787,174 | $1,896,723 | $29,911 | $20,500 | 3 | $21,500 | — | $39,368 |
| 2021 | $920,362 | $939,528 | $19,166 | $2,050 | 3 | $18,940 | $2,826 | $42,809 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation reported a distributable amount of $375K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include general operating support for organizations whose missions, as described by the organizations themselves, include workforce development, college access and support for students, and opportunities for children to develop an interest in mathematics. The filing also lists a grant for the Brothers and Sisters Israel in Crisis Appeal.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 10 grants totaling $261,000. Grant amounts ranged from $25,000 to $36,000, with a median of $25,000. Nine grants were $25,000 each; the largest was $36,000 to AID Coalition in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, for the Brothers and Sisters Israel in Crisis Appeal.
Other listed 2024 grants included $25,000 each to Growing Home Inc, Industrial Council for Nearwest Chi, West Town Bikes, Revolution Workshop, Math Circles of Chicago, HFS Chicago Scholars, and CHAMPS Male Mentoring, all in Chicago; Evanston Scholars in Evanston; and Chabad Center of Sudbury INC in Sudbury, Massachusetts. The listed purposes for these grants were general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Adam Strauss as president, Joshua Strauss as treasurer and secretary, and Kalman Strauss as director.
Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation is led by Adam Strauss, President since 2022 (on filings since 2021); none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Adam Strauss
President
Director → President, 2022
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kalman Strauss
Director
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joshua Strauss
Treasurer & Sect'y
Director → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Treasurer & Sect'y, 2023
On filings since 2021
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "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 Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation
How much does Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation give each year?
Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation gave $261K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $265K across 11 grants.
What is Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation's typical grant size?
Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $26,100, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation give grants?
Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 77% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (14%) and Massachusetts (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (7 grants).
Does Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 90% of Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation's largest grantees?
Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include AID Coalition ($36,000), Growing Home Inc ($25,000) and Industrial Council for Nearwest Chi ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation?
Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation reported $8.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $311K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $375K (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 Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation?
The filing says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation's EIN?
Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-2580241. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Live grants for the work Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 21, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/helaine-edgar-opportunity-foundation-morg_4b5566446f4442f4995e8a35e5cf7abc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_862580241_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Helaine Edgar Opportunity Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/helaine-edgar-opportunity-foundation-morg_4b5566446f4442f4995e8a35e5cf7abc},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-21. 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 Helaine Edgar Opportunity 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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