Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully
Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully is a private foundation based in Jessup, Maryland. It provides needs-based financial support to qualifying Maryland residents receiving cancer treatment, including people living alone without another person’s assistance and qualifying custodial parents.
Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully at a glance
In short: Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully gave $52K across 32 grants in 2024 (avg $2K), mostly in Maryland. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $52,000
- +136.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 32
- +113.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $1,625
- +10.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $563,960
- +2.6% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Maryland (100% 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 Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applicants should submit the organization’s application form with copies of their most recent federal Form 1040 and Maryland Form 502, if filed. Applicants must have a cancer diagnosis and be receiving cancer treatment, reside in Maryland, meet the stated living-arrangement or custodial-parent criteria, demonstrate financial need, and have household income no greater than 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The application and required documentation must be submitted on the form provided by the organization.
- Contact
Application contact: Danielle Valentino
Mailing address: 9905 Medical Center Dr, Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: (301) 424-6231
Email: danielle.valentino@usoncology.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Caring Matters ($5K). Together the top 2 received $7K.
Organizations only. It also paid 30 grants to individuals ($45,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
112 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 112 grants of 112 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All reported 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in Maryland. The foundation’s stated eligibility criteria require applicants to be Maryland residents.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
Cities
How Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully gives
- Giving grew 108% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 174% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $22K (2023) to $52K (2024). In 2024 it made 32 grants totaling $52K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Caring Matters Gaitherburg, MD | General Support | $5,000 |
| 30 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $45,500 |
| Poindextershirnetta Germantown, MD | Living Expenses | $1,500 |
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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 | $563,960 | $69,790 | $55,525 | $52,000 | 32 | $54,100 | $45,246 | $31,070 |
| 2023 | $549,695 | $36,309 | $24,916 | $22,000 | 15 | $24,566 | $39,173 | $27,502 |
| 2022 | $538,302 | $29,323 | $26,300 | $23,000 | 17 | $26,000 | $26,188 | $27,831 |
| 2021 | $535,279 | $21,844 | $28,375 | $25,000 | 25 | $28,000 | $22,190 | $28,176 |
| 2020 | $541,810 | $24,771 | $27,219 | $26,000 | 23 | — | $24,771 | $24,625 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully reported a distributable amount of $31K 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
The foundation’s stated direct charitable activity is providing needs-based financial support to individuals in Maryland who have a cancer diagnosis and live alone without the assistance of others. Its filing also sets out eligibility for some custodial parents of children under 18. Support may cover food, rent or mortgage assistance, transportation, health insurance premiums, or COBRA payments.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 32 grants totaling $52,000. Grants ranged from $1,400 to $5,000, with a median of $1,500. The largest listed grant was $5,000 to Caring Matters in Gaithersburg, Maryland, for general support. The other listed grants were to individual recipients in Maryland, primarily for living expenses.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Mary DeStefano as president and director; Gordon Chin as vice president and director; Danielle Valentino as treasurer and director; and Shannon C. O'Connor, MD, and Michele McBride as directors.
Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully is led by Mary Destefano, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mary Destefano
President & Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gordon Chin
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Shannon C. O'Connor MD
Director
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Danielle Valentino
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michele McBride
Director
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Lindsey Wise (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Naycherie Alvira (2020–2022) — Treasurer & Director
- Former: Kimberly Roddy (2020–2021) — Secretary & Director
- Former: Heather Case (2020) — Director
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 Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully
How much does Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully give each year?
Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully gave $52K across 32 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $22K across 15 grants.
What is Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully's typical grant size?
Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully's median grant in 2024 was $1,500, and its average grant was $1,625, across 32 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully give grants?
Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully gives mostly in Maryland: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there.
Does Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully give general operating support?
Occasionally: 3% of Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 32) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Living Expenses" (31 grants).
How large is Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully?
Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully reported $564K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $54K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $31K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully fund?
The foundation’s stated direct charitable activity is providing needs-based financial support to individuals in Maryland who have a cancer diagnosis and live alone without the assistance of others. Its filing also sets out eligibility for some custodial parents of children under 18. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully?
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 Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully's EIN?
Helping You to Live Your Life More Fully's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-3240530. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 2020–2024
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