Helene Foundation Inc
Helene Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY. In its 2024 filing, it reported grants to 10 charitable organizations totaling $106,340. The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Helene Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Helene Foundation Inc gave $106K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $11K), mostly in New York. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $106,340
- +0.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +11.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,634
- -9.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $1,827,085
- +5.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (2 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (86% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990 filing, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Helene Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: C/O 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016
Phone: (212) 777-0807
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Helene Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Immigration Equality ($15K). Together the top 10 received $106K.
Grant Size Distribution
37 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 37 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 86% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 14% to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Helene Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 10 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $95K (2020) to $106K (2024). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $106K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Immigration Equality Brooklyn, NY | General Support | $15,000 |
| Callen Lorde New York, NY | General Support | $15,000 |
| Oak Grove Sanctuary Murrieta, CA | General Support | $15,000 |
| CUNY School of Law Found Queens, NY | General Support | $11,000 |
| NY Anti-Violence Project New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Matthew Shepard Foundation Casper, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Family Equality Council New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| Outright International New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| The Ali Forney Center New York, NY | General Support | $10,000 |
| NY Law Journal New York, NY | General Support | $340 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,827,085 | $129,254 | $106,340 | 10 | $125,677 |
| 2023 | $1,739,442 | $126,172 | $106,000 | 9 | $22,609 |
| 2022 | $1,903,799 | $116,521 | $100,000 | 9 | $35,800 |
| 2020 | $1,829,988 | $105,560 | $95,000 | 9 | $51,254 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its program as “Change in investmt Cost Basis due to Sales & Purch. during yr.” Its grants show support for organizations including Immigration Equality, which says it promotes justice and equality for LGBTQ and HIV-positive immigrants through legal services, policy advocacy, and impact litigation. Outright International says it works to advance human rights for LGBTIQ people worldwide, partnering with human rights defenders, allies, and organizations.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $106,340 through 10 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $340 to $15,000, with a median of $10,000. Larger grants included $15,000 each to Immigration Equality, Callen Lorde, and Oak Grove Sanctuary; $11,000 to CUNY School of Law Found; and $10,000 each to NY Anti-Violence Project, Matthew Shepard Foundation, Family Equality Council, Outright International, and The Ali Forney Center. The NY Law Journal received $340.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Elizabeth Thielens as Vice President; David Thielens as President & Treasurer; Philip McCarfthy as Director; and James CP Berry as Secretary.
Helene Foundation Inc is led by David Thielens, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
David Thielens
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Philip McCarfthy
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth Thielens
Vice President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James CP Berry
Secretary
On filings since 2020
25 hrs/week
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 Helene Foundation Inc
How much does Helene Foundation Inc give each year?
Helene Foundation Inc gave $106K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. In 2023 it gave $106K across 9 grants.
What is Helene Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Helene Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $10,634, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Organizations receiving their first grant from Helene Foundation Inc that year got $8K on average.
Where does Helene Foundation Inc give grants?
Helene Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 86% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants).
Does Helene Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Helene Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
Who are Helene Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Helene Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Immigration Equality ($15,000), Callen Lorde ($15,000) and Oak Grove Sanctuary ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Helene Foundation Inc?
Helene Foundation Inc reported $1.8M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990 filing.
What does Helene Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s 2024 filing describes its program as “Change in investmt Cost Basis due to Sales & Purch. during yr.” See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Helene Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Helene Foundation Inc's EIN?
Helene Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6161748. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Helene Foundation Inc 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 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). Helene Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/helene-foundation-inc-morg_fed6dffeb8934f39bb297520993c1518
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136161748_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Helene Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/helene-foundation-inc-morg_fed6dffeb8934f39bb297520993c1518},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Helene Foundation Inc'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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