Help the Elderly Live with Dignity
Help the Elderly Live with Dignity is a private foundation based in Weatherby Lake, Missouri. Its 2025 filing describes support for living assistance for needy elderly people of Latvian origin, including help with rent, medication, and food.
Help the Elderly Live with Dignity at a glance
In short: Help the Elderly Live with Dignity gave $16K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), top state Missouri. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $16,322
- +13.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- -8.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,484
- +23.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,094
- Total assets
- $301,887
- -3.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Missouri (31% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Help the Elderly Live with Dignity
- How to Apply
-
The board administers the process. The filing says requests are received from potential recipients, and award amounts are determined according to each individual applicant’s need. Annual visits and ongoing correspondence, including some telephone conversations, are used to monitor recipients’ situations and needs. The filing names Mara Garton as the contact. The stated restriction is demonstrated need; the foundation is established to provide living assistance to needy elderly persons of Latvian origin.
- Contact
Application contact: Mara Garton
Mailing address: 7603 Nw Westside Dr, Weatherby Lake, MO 64152
Phone: (816) 741-4455
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Help the Elderly Live with Dignity funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Champami Book Club ($5K). Together the top 10 received $15K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($1,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
68 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 68 grants of 68 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in Weatherby Lake, Missouri. In 2025, 31% of grant dollars went to recipients in Missouri and 6% to recipients in Georgia; the recipient state for the remaining 63% is not identified in the supplied filing data. The filing states that the foundation is established to assist needy elderly persons of Latvian origin.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
How Help the Elderly Live with Dignity gives
- Giving fell 20% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 87% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $14K (2024) to $25K (2021). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $16K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Champami Book Club Weatherby Lake, MO | To Build a Park | $5,000 |
| Legers Martins | Medicine/Rent Assistance | $2,191 |
| Ragalska Ilsa | Medicine/Rent Assistance | $1,313 |
| Eglite Zigrida | Medicine/Rent Assistance | $1,094 |
| Putnina Vija | Medicine/Rent Assistance | $1,094 |
| Rogozane Marta Judite | Medicine/Rent Assistance | $1,094 |
| Smalces Velta | Medicine/Rent Assistance | $1,094 |
| Smite Biruta | Medicine/Rent Assistance | $1,094 |
| Zumente Aina | Medicine/Rent Assistance | $1,094 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $1,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $301,887 | $36,967 | $47,666 | $16,322 | 11 | $17,024 | $35,471 | $19,474 |
| 2024 | $312,586 | $46,640 | $42,442 | $14,407 | 12 | $22,296 | $45,158 | $18,905 |
| 2023 | $308,388 | $256,497 | $32,631 | $23,691 | 15 | $24,460 | $250,729 | $14,374 |
| 2022 | $84,522 | $30,538 | $25,915 | $20,475 | 15 | $20,648 | $27,388 | $17,536 |
| 2021 | $79,899 | $23,372 | $28,073 | $24,996 | 15 | $25,156 | $23,122 | $17,150 |
| 2020 | $84,600 | $15,674 | $23,257 | $20,205 | 13 | — | $15,649 | $13,338 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Help the Elderly Live with Dignity reported a distributable amount of $19K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated purpose is to provide living assistance to needy elderly persons of Latvian origin. Its filing describes assistance with rent, medications, and food, and says awards are determined principally according to an individual applicant’s need for medications. It also identifies college students unable to earn enough for tuition among its other recipients.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave 11 grants totaling $16,322. Grant amounts ranged from $254 to $5,000, with a median of $1,094. Most itemized awards were for medicine or rent assistance. The largest grant was $5,000 to CHAMPAMI BOOK CLUB for the purpose of building a park. Other grants included $1,000 to an individual recipient for assistance to rangers of the 1st Ranger Battalion and their families.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mara Garton as president, Nora K Jenkins as secretary and treasurer, and August G Grasis III as vice president.
Help the Elderly Live with Dignity is led by Mara Garton, President since 2023 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mara Garton
President
Vice President → President, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nora K. Jenkins
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
August G. Grasis III
Vice President
On filings since 2023
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Biruta Grasis (2020–2022) — President
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.
Frequently asked questions about Help the Elderly Live with Dignity
How much does Help the Elderly Live with Dignity give each year?
Help the Elderly Live with Dignity gave $16K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $14K across 12 grants.
What is Help the Elderly Live with Dignity's typical grant size?
Help the Elderly Live with Dignity's median grant in 2025 was $1,094, and its average grant was $1,484, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Help the Elderly Live with Dignity give grants?
Help the Elderly Live with Dignity's top state is Missouri, with 31% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest state was Georgia (6%).
Does Help the Elderly Live with Dignity give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on Help the Elderly Live with Dignity's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Medicine/Rent Assistance" (9 grants).
Who are Help the Elderly Live with Dignity's largest grantees?
Help the Elderly Live with Dignity's largest 2025 grantees include Champami Book Club ($5,000), Legers Martins ($2,191) and Ragalska Ilsa ($1,313), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($1,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Help the Elderly Live with Dignity?
Help the Elderly Live with Dignity reported $302K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $17K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $19K (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 Help the Elderly Live with Dignity fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to provide living assistance to needy elderly persons of Latvian origin. Its filing describes assistance with rent, medications, and food, and says awards are determined principally according to an individual applicant’s need for medications. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Help the Elderly Live with Dignity?
The board administers the process. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Help the Elderly Live with Dignity's EIN?
Help the Elderly Live with Dignity's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1807344. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
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