Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc
The Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Phelps, New York. It awarded 15 grants totaling $402,847 in 2024, supporting organizations in Phelps and nearby communities in areas represented by its grants, including recreation, socialization, arts and culture, historical preservation, and education.
Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc gave $403K across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $27K), mostly in New York. 20% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $402,847
- +31.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- -6.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $26,856
- +39.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,000
- Total assets
- $6,151,004
- -1.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 20% first-time grantees (3 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (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. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Application forms are available through the Preston Foundation link on PhelpsNY.com. The filing lists the award restrictions as “Phelps, NY or surrounding areas” and says further details are available on the website. **Deadline:** Ongoing review.
- Contact
Application contact: Mary Hicks Preston Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 21, Phelps, NY 14532
Phone: (315) 548-8631
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Phelps Community Center ($228K). Together the top 10 received $394K.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 71 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s filing describes its award restrictions as Phelps, New York, or surrounding areas. All 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
20%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 15 grantees (20%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $32K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $7K repeat.
- 67% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 47% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $307K (2023) to $756K (2021). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $403K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Phelps Community Center Phelps, NY | Recreation &Socialization | $227,640 |
| Phelps Business Development Council Phelps, NY | Culture & Artsrecreationhistorical Preservation | $75,812 |
| Village of Phelps Phelps, NY | Recreation | $25,000 |
| Town of Phelps Phelps, NY | Historicalpreservation | $24,130 |
| Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic Clifton Springs, NY | Socialization | $10,000 |
| Partnership for Ontario County Canandaigua, NY | Socialization | $8,500 |
| Orleans Cemetery Association Clifton Springs, NY | Historicalpreservation | $7,500 |
| Midlakes Scholarship Fund Clifton Springs, NY | Education | $7,000 |
| Ontario Pathways Inc Canandaigua, NY | Recreation | $5,000 |
| Midlakes Chem Free Phelps, NY | Recreation | $3,800 |
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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 | $6,151,004 | $385,946 | $402,847 | $402,847 | 15 | $429,899 | $343,252 | $397,210 |
| 2023 | $6,239,236 | $357,443 | $355,241 | $307,297 | 16 | $314,556 | $321,758 | $361,395 |
| 2022 | $6,267,034 | $223,700 | $375,820 | $321,916 | 14 | $330,291 | $179,848 | $369,817 |
| 2021 | $6,505,418 | $744,752 | $798,497 | $756,470 | 12 | $766,424 | $712,825 | $386,165 |
| 2020 | $6,459,642 | $384,461 | $511,712 | $471,374 | 14 | — | $355,041 | $388,797 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $397K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for a community center whose stated mission is to provide recreational, educational, and social activities to the Phelps community. Other supported organizations describe their work as spanning human services, youth services, mental and physical health, substance-abuse prevention, community research, and coalition building, and as building girls’ courage, confidence, and character through Girl Scouting.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 15 grants totaling $402,847. Grants ranged from $170 to $227,640, with a median grant of $7,000. The largest awards included $227,640 to Phelps Community Center for recreation and socialization; $75,812 to Phelps Business Development Council for culture and arts, recreation, and historical preservation; $25,000 to the Village of Phelps for recreation; and $24,130 to the Town of Phelps for historical preservation. Other grants included $10,000 to Clifton Springs Hospital & Clinic for socialization, $8,500 to Partnership for Ontario County for socialization, $7,500 to Orleans Cemetery Association for historical preservation, and $7,000 to Midlakes Scholarship Fund for education.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Frank Murphy as president; John Uveges and Diane Sheckler as directors; James E Cheney as treasurer; and Aleta Williamson as secretary.
Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc is led by Frank Murphy, President on every filing since 2020; all 5 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Frank Murphy
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $2K (2024)
Diane Sheckler
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$1K (2020) → $2K (2024)
John Uveges
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$700 (2023) → $2K (2024)
Aleta Williamson
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
$1K (2020) → $1K (2024)
James E. Cheney
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
$1K (2020) → $2K (2024)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Robert F. Spink (2020–2022) — 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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $2K, to Frank Murphy (President). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc
How much does Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc give each year?
Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc gave $403K across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $307K across 16 grants.
What is Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $7,000, and its average grant was $26,856, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc that year got $5K on average.
Where does Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc give grants?
Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Phelps, NY (6 grants), Clifton Springs, NY (6 grants) and Canandaigua, NY (2 grants).
Does Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Socialization" (4 grants) and "Recreation" (4 grants).
Who are Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Phelps Community Center ($227,640), Phelps Business Development Council ($75,812) and Village of Phelps ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 82% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc?
Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc reported $6.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $430K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $397K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for a community center whose stated mission is to provide recreational, educational, and social activities to the Phelps community. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc?
The foundation’s filing states that it 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 Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc's EIN?
Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-3986225. 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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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mary-hicks-preston-historical-improvement-and-betterment-foundation-inc-morg_016aadb2bcfe4804a6a18e9cd598b2a1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_203986225_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement \& Betterment Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mary-hicks-preston-historical-improvement-and-betterment-foundation-inc-morg_016aadb2bcfe4804a6a18e9cd598b2a1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Mary Hicks Preston Historical Improvement & Betterment Foundation Inc'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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