Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms

Private foundation · Grantmaker Charlotte, NC EIN: 26-1539092

Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms is a private foundation based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its 2025 grants supported charitable organizations, including local food assistance and human services organizations, as well as organizations working in conservation and health.

Key facts about Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms

In short: Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms gave $79K across 30 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in North Carolina. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
26-1539092
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2025
Annual giving (2025)
$79,370
Grants made (2025)
30
Average grant
$2,646
Median grant
$900
New grantees (estimate)
0% first-time grantees (0 of 30, 2025)
Total assets
$3,871,217
Primary geography
North Carolina (82% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.9M

+2.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$79K

-11.1% YoY

Grant Count

30

-14.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$3K

+3.8% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms reported a distributable amount of $50K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms open to new grantees?

0%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 0 of 30 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. How we count

  • 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving fell 28% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 158% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

No mission statement for the foundation is available here. Its grants show support for organizations addressing food assistance, services for vulnerable people, conservation, and health. For example, Cabarrus Meals on Wheels describes its work as providing nutritious meals and support to homebound seniors, disabled adults, and vulnerable children. Second Harvest Food Bank says it provides food assistance through a network of partners and works to address hunger and its causes. The National Audubon Society describes its mission as advancing conservation so birds thrive across the Americas, while Smile Train says it seeks to provide people born with clefts the same opportunities in life as those born without clefts.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation made 30 grants totaling $79,370. Grants ranged from $200 to $15,500, with a median of $900. The largest awards included $15,500 each to Cabarrus Meals on Wheels and Mt Pleasant Food Ministry, $10,500 to Second Harvest Food Bank, and $10,000 to Cooperative Christian Ministry. Other listed grants included $2,200 to Charlotte Rescue Mission, $2,000 each to the National Audubon Society and Smile Train, and $1,300 to Friends of the Earth. The filing lists the larger local grants as program support and several grants to national organizations as charitable.

How to Apply

The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2025, 82% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina. The remaining reported shares went to New York (10%), Virginia (2%), Texas (2%), and the District of Columbia (2%).

Grant Distribution by State

13states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.

Cities

ConcordCharlotteNew YorkMt PleasantNYCRaleighWashingtonWingateMorrisvilleDavidsonGarden ValleyLincolnAshevilleLittle RockOrlandoAlexandriaArlingtonMerrifieldOklahima CityChamberlain

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K14 grants2019 16 grants2020 26 grants2021 37 grants2022 34 grants2023 35 grants2024 30 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $79K (2025) to $115K (2023). In 2025 it made 30 grants totaling $79K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Cabarrus Meals on Wheels: $16KCabarrus Meals on Wheels$16KMt Pleasant Food Ministry: $16KMt Pleasant Food Ministry$16KSecond Harvest Food Bank: $11KSecond Harvest Food Bank$11KCooperative Christian Ministry: $10KCooperative Christian Ministry$10KOthers: $4KOthers$4KCharlotte Rescue Mission: $2KCharlotte Rescue Mission$2KNational Audubon Society: $2KNational Audubon Society$2KSmile Train: $2KSmile Train$2KCare: $2KCare$2KNRDC: $2KNRDC$2K

The largest 2025 recipient was Cabarrus Meals on Wheels ($16K). Together the top 10 received $65K.

Grant Size Distribution

162 grants across all recorded years

162<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 162 grants of 162 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Cabarrus Meals on Wheels Concord, NCProgram Support$15,500
Mt Pleasant Food Ministry Mt Pleasant, NCProgram Support$15,500
Second Harvest Food Bank Charlotte, NCProgram Support$10,500
Cooperative Christian Ministry Concord, NCProgram Support$10,000
Others Mt Pleasant, NCProgram Support$3,945
Charlotte Rescue Mission Charlotte, NCProgram Support$2,200
National Audubon Society New York, NYCharitable$2,000
Smile Train New York, NYCharitable$2,000
Care Merrifield, VAProgram Support$1,950
NRDC New York, NYCharitable$1,850

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Grant total Number of grants
2025 $79,370 30
2024 $89,249 35
2023 $114,740 34
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$200K$400K$600K$800K2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Metric202520242023
Total Assets$3,871,217$3,785,690$3,776,030
Revenue$165,000$98,914$256,782
Expenses$79,473$89,254$116,192
Qualifying Distributions$79,370$89,249$114,740
Net Investment Income$173$224$349
Distributable Amount$50,175$71,011$82,531

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 25, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 14, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 13, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 12, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 8, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 21, 2025)
  7. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 9, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists Anita B Helms as president, Randall E White as secretary, and Z Vance Smith III as treasurer.

Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms is led by Anita B. Helms, President since 2020 (on filings since 2019); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Anita B. Helms

    President

    Vice President → President, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Randall E. White

    Secretary

    Manager → Secretary, 2020

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Z. Vance Smith III

    Treasurer

    On filings since 2020

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Louis M. Helms Jr. (2019) — President

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Mailing address: 6910 Highway 49 North, Mt Pleasant, NC 28124-8563
Phone: (704) 571-8778

Frequently asked questions about Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms

How much does Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms give each year?

Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms gave $79K across 30 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $89K across 35 grants.

What is Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms's typical grant size?

Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms's median grant in 2025 was $900, and its average grant was $2,646, across 30 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms give grants?

Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms gives mostly in North Carolina: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Charlotte, NC (7 grants), Concord, NC (5 grants), New York, NY (4 grants) and Mt Pleasant, NC (2 grants).

Does Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms give general operating support?

Not in 2025: none of the 30 grants with a stated purpose on Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (18 grants) and "Charitable" (12 grants).

Who are Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms's largest grantees?

Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms's largest 2025 grantees include Cabarrus Meals on Wheels ($15,500), Mt Pleasant Food Ministry ($15,500) and Second Harvest Food Bank ($10,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms?

Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms reported $3.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $79K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $50K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is available here. Its grants show support for organizations addressing food assistance, services for vulnerable people, conservation, and health. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms?

The foundation states that it 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 Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms's EIN?

Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1539092. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Does Louis M Helms Jr and Anita B Helms accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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