Helle Family Foundation
The Helle Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Edwards, Colorado. In 2024, it made 27 grants totaling $717,886 to charitable organizations, including recipients in Illinois and Colorado.
Helle Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Helle Family Foundation gave $718K across 27 grants in 2024 (avg $27K), mostly in Illinois. 37% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $717,886
- -7.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 27
- -32.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $26,588
- +37.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $16,050,202
- +44.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 37% first-time grantees (10 of 27, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (67% 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 Helle Family 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: PO Box 1498, Edwards, CO 81632
Phone: (312) 873-7370
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Helle Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Illinois ($271K). Together the top 10 received $674K.
Grant Size Distribution
170 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 152 grants of 170 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that 67% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois and 23% to recipients in Colorado. Other reported recipient-state shares were DC (5%), Iowa (2%), and Minnesota (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Helle Family Foundation open to new grantees?
37%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 27 grantees (37%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $32K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 59% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−6%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 79% 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 (2020–2024). 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 $599K (2020) to $920K (2022). In 2024 it made 27 grants totaling $718K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Champaign, IL | To Further Program Services | $271,127 |
| The Josselyn Center Northbrook, IL | To Further Program Services | $133,513 |
| Eagle Valley Community Fund Edwards, CO | To Further Program Services | $101,516 |
| Evans Scholars Foundation Glenview, IL | To Further Program Services | $50,339 |
| American Red Cross Washington, DC | To Further Program Services | $35,564 |
| Vail Health Foundation Edwards, CO | To Further Program Services | $25,870 |
| Steadman Philippon Research Institute Vail, CO | To Further Program Services | $20,801 |
| Vail Veterns Foundation Inc Vail, CO | To Further Program Services | $12,881 |
| Guardian Scholars Foundation West Des Moines, IA | To Further Program Services | $12,214 |
| Loyola University of Chicago Chicago, IL | To Further Program Services | $10,453 |
Ready to take the next step with Helle Family 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $16,050,202 | $5,954,273 | $953,916 | $717,886 | 27 | $718,011 | $4,222,863 | $907,687 |
| 2023 | $11,109,086 | $2,217,428 | $994,839 | $776,355 | 40 | $776,355 | $999,699 | $713,473 |
| 2022 | $9,859,956 | $2,028,659 | $1,065,068 | $920,000 | 33 | $920,000 | $884,277 | $721,107 |
| 2021 | $9,710,644 | $994,695 | $873,067 | $765,000 | 38 | $765,000 | $888,671 | $777,121 |
| 2020 | $9,576,564 | $1,169,584 | $682,995 | $599,250 | 32 | — | $571,915 | $605,091 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Helle Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $908K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees describe a range of activities: the Evans Scholars Foundation says it provides scholarships and educational opportunities for caddies; the Steadman Philippon Research Institute describes work in orthopaedic sports medicine, regenerative medicine, research, and education; and the Ross K Macneill Foundation says it raises funds and awareness to end pediatric brain cancer, with research investments focused on non-toxic therapies for children. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 27 grants totaling $717,886. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $271,127, with a median grant of $2,500.
The largest grants included $271,127 to the University of Illinois, $133,513 to the Josselyn Center, and $101,516 to the Eagle Valley Community Fund. Other grants included $50,339 to the Evans Scholars Foundation, $35,564 to the American Red Cross, $25,870 to the Vail Health Foundation, and $20,801 to the Steadman Philippon Research Institute. The filing lists the purposes of these grants as “to further program services.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Daniel G Helle as president and Cynthia M Helle and Keith Yamada as directors.
Helle Family Foundation is led by Daniel G. Helle, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Daniel G. Helle
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Cynthia M. Helle
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Keith Yamada
Director
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 Helle Family Foundation
How much does Helle Family Foundation give each year?
Helle Family Foundation gave $718K across 27 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $776K across 40 grants.
What is Helle Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Helle Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $26,588, across 27 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Helle Family Foundation that year got $18K on average.
Where does Helle Family Foundation give grants?
Helle Family Foundation gives mostly in Illinois: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Colorado (23%) and District of Columbia (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (3 grants), Edwards, CO (2 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Vail, CO (2 grants).
Does Helle Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 27 grants with a stated purpose on Helle Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Further Program Services" (27 grants).
Who are Helle Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Helle Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include University of Illinois ($271,127), The Josselyn Center ($133,513) and Eagle Valley Community Fund ($101,516), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 71% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Helle Family Foundation?
Helle Family Foundation reported $16.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $718K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $908K (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 Helle Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Helle Family 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 Helle Family Foundation's EIN?
Helle Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-4842124. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Helle Family 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
Live grants for the work Helle Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Helle Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/helle-family-foundation-morg_9b2ac572b2264837801e673c92bcd328
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_464842124_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Helle Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/helle-family-foundation-morg_9b2ac572b2264837801e673c92bcd328},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Helle Family 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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