Helping Hand Foundation
Helping Hand Foundation is a private foundation based in Moundsville, West Virginia. It supports nonprofit organizations working to improve quality of life for people in the Ohio Valley and surrounding areas, including through assistance for people who are poor, distressed, or underprivileged and through work in religion, education, healthcare, and community infrastructure.
Helping Hand Foundation at a glance
In short: Helping Hand Foundation gave $1.1M across 31 grants in 2026 (avg $34K), mostly in West Virginia. 32% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $1,068,952
- +16.7% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 31
- +10.7% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $34,482
- +5.4% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $24,732,970
- +34.2% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (10 of 31, 2026)
- Primary geography
- West Virginia (91% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Helping Hand 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 1193, Moundsville, WV 26041
Phone: (304) 234-3500
Website: https://www.ovhelpinghand.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Helping Hand Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless ($131K). Together the top 10 received $784K.
Grant Size Distribution
90 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 70 grants of 90 (78%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s mission refers to the Ohio Valley and surrounding areas. In filing year 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in West Virginia and 1% to recipients in Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Helping Hand Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 10 of 31 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $39K. How we count
Medians: $17K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 61% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving grew 187% from 2023 to 2026. Method
- In 2026 it paid out 112% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2023–2026). 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 2023 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $373K (2023) to $1.1M (2026). In 2026 it made 31 grants totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless Wheeling, WV | 501 (C) (3) | $131,250 |
| United Way Weirton, WV | 501 (C) (3) | $125,000 |
| Local Collective Market Sistersville, WV | 501 (C) (3) | $100,000 |
| Truist Bank Wheeling, WV | 501 (C) (3) | $99,500 |
| Family Services of Upper Ohio Valley Wheeling, WV | 501 (C) (3) | $80,100 |
| The Life Hub Wheeling, WV | 501 (C) (3) | $75,000 |
| Brooke County Committee on Aging Follansbee, WV | 501 (C) (3) | $56,250 |
| Valley Hospice Rayland, OH | 501 (C) (3) | $42,500 |
| Seeing Hand Association Wheeling, WV | 501 (C) (3) | $38,000 |
| Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling Wheeling, WV | 501 (C) (3) | $36,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Helping Hand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $24,732,970 | $5,876,842 | $1,171,752 | $1,068,952 | 31 | $1,080,454 | $1,310,850 | $961,609 |
| 2025 | $18,432,430 | $1,022,027 | $993,089 | $915,724 | 28 | $923,813 | $964,948 | $845,214 |
| 2024 | $17,641,552 | $10,703,231 | $473,027 | $410,616 | 17 | $422,672 | $656,688 | $645,788 |
| 2023 | $6,440,645 | $6,623,813 | $396,055 | $372,745 | 14 | $396,055 | $123,813 | $156,880 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Helping Hand Foundation reported a distributable amount of $962K for 2026 — 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 foundation’s mission is to improve quality of life in the Ohio Valley and surrounding areas by relieving the poor, distressed, and underprivileged; advancing religion, education, and healthcare; and maintaining and developing community infrastructure. Its stated charitable activities include donations to nonprofits providing food, clothing, shelter, and other basic needs.
Its 2025 grantees include organizations serving people with varied needs. For example, Seeing Hand Association says it provides assistance and training to blind and sight-impaired people; Brooke County Committee on Aging says it promotes services supporting the health, safety, and welfare of older residents; and Old Man Rivers Mission says it provides meals and other assistance to older adults, people with disabilities, people experiencing homelessness, and people in need. Youth Services System describes its mission as creating better futures for children, families, and the community.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 28 grants totaling $915,724. Grants ranged from $500 to $188,000, with a median of $18,450. Notable awards included $188,000 to Truist Bank, $100,000 to United Way, $75,750 to Family Services of Upper Ohio Valley, $65,000 to Helping Heros, and $56,414 to Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless. Its 2026 filing, the latest on this page, reports 31 grants totaling $1.1 million.
Other reported awards included $52,500 to Seeing Hand Association, $50,000 to The Life Hub, $46,000 to Appalachian Outreach, $44,045 to House of the Carpenter, $43,500 to Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling, $40,000 to Brooke County Committee on Aging, and $25,000 to Old Man Rivers Mission.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mark Games as president, Chad Kuhns as secretary, and Eric Freitag as treasurer.
Helping Hand Foundation is led by Mark Games, President on every filing since 2023; none of the 3 officers listed in 2026 report compensation.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Mark Games
President
On filings since 2023
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Chad Kuhns
Secretary
On filings since 2023
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Freitag
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2023–2026. "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 Helping Hand Foundation
How much does Helping Hand Foundation give each year?
Helping Hand Foundation gave $1.1M across 31 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $916K across 28 grants.
What is Helping Hand Foundation's typical grant size?
Helping Hand Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $20,000, and its average grant was $34,482, across 31 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Helping Hand Foundation that year got $26K on average.
Where does Helping Hand Foundation give grants?
Helping Hand Foundation gives mostly in West Virginia: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Ohio (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Wheeling, WV (17 grants) and Weirton, WV (2 grants).
Does Helping Hand Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2026: none of the 31 grants with a stated purpose on Helping Hand Foundation's 2026 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "501 (C) (3)" (31 grants).
Who are Helping Hand Foundation's largest grantees?
Helping Hand Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless ($131,250), United Way ($125,000) and Local Collective Market ($100,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 33% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is Helping Hand Foundation?
Helping Hand Foundation reported $24.7M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $962K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Helping Hand Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to improve quality of life in the Ohio Valley and surrounding areas by relieving the poor, distressed, and underprivileged; advancing religion, education, and healthcare; and maintaining and developing community infrastructure. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Helping Hand 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 Helping Hand Foundation's EIN?
Helping Hand Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-1303156. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2023–2026.
Does Helping Hand Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated November 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 2026 (received by the IRS September 11, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2023–2025
Live grants for the work Helping Hand Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Helping Hand Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Helping Hand Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/helping-hand-foundation-morg_98f0a71ac3544d01bf1ce2eb663d7047
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_301303156_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Helping Hand Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/helping-hand-foundation-morg_98f0a71ac3544d01bf1ce2eb663d7047},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-06. 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 Helping Hand 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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