The Hamer Foundation
The Hamer Foundation is a private foundation based in Kenova, West Virginia. Its 2023 filing says grants and contributions are primarily awarded to religious organizations in the West Virginia area and other preselected charitable organizations; its 2025 grants also went to organizations in other states and to a range of charitable purposes.
The Hamer Foundation at a glance
In short: The Hamer Foundation gave $135K across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in West Virginia. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $135,305
- +5.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- +23.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,443
- -14.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $6,000
- Total assets
- $1,320,008
- +5.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (7 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- West Virginia (52% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Hamer Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s 2023 filing says applications should be submitted in letter form, detailing the organization’s history and purpose and the proposed use of funds. The filing names Gladys F Hamer as the contact. It says the foundation does not restrict giving to preselected organizations, while also stating that grants and contributions will be primarily awarded to religious organizations in the West Virginia area and other preselected charitable organizations.
- Review Cycle
- The 2023 filing lists December 15 each year. The December 15, 2025 cycle has passed.
- Deadline
- The 2023 filing lists December 15 each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Gladys F Hamer
Mailing address: PO Box 418, Kenova, WV 25530
Phone: (304) 453-6381
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Hamer Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was 20TH Street Baptist Church ($15K). Together the top 10 received $94K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($1,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
83 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 82 grants of 83 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2023 filing describes the foundation’s primary geographic emphasis as religious organizations in the West Virginia area, along with other preselected charitable organizations. In 2025, 52% of grant dollars went to recipients in West Virginia, 15% to North Carolina, 13% to Texas, 4% to Arizona, and 4% to Nebraska.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Hamer Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 21 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 62% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 172% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 100% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2022) to $135K (2025). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $135K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 20TH Street Baptist Church Kenova, WV | Evangelism | $15,000 |
| Good Samaritan Center Kenova, WV | Food Pantry Support | $11,000 |
| Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Charlotte, NC | Evangelism | $10,000 |
| Kenova Volunteer Fire Dept Kenova, WV | Equipment Needs | $10,000 |
| Life Outreach International Fort Worth, TX | Support of Missions and Relief Programs | $10,000 |
| Samaritans Purse Boone, NC | Evangelism | $10,000 |
| Hospice of Huntington Huntington, WV | Provide compassionate physical, emotional & spiritual care for those with life-limiting illness & their families | $8,305 |
| Salvation Army Huntington, WV | To preach the gospel of jesus christ and to meet the needs in his name without discrimination | $7,000 |
| Huntington City Mission Huntington, WV | Community Support | $7,000 |
| Jerusalem Prayer Team Phoenix, AZ | Evangelism | $6,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Hamer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,320,008 | $206,708 | $141,236 | $135,305 | 21 | $135,305 | $202,508 | $134,749 |
| 2024 | $1,254,536 | $117,101 | $133,218 | $128,305 | 17 | $128,305 | $113,021 | $134,068 |
| 2023 | $1,270,653 | $63,965 | $113,484 | $109,411 | 12 | $109,411 | $101,580 | $128,305 |
| 2022 | $1,320,172 | $123,408 | $59,576 | $49,700 | 13 | $49,700 | $119,518 | $133,998 |
| 2021 | $1,256,340 | $266,123 | $81,771 | $77,750 | 20 | — | $262,102 | $130,526 |
| 2020 | $1,071,988 | $79,615 | $137,519 | $131,100 | 19 | — | $94,303 | $110,338 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Hamer Foundation reported a distributable amount of $135K for 2025 — 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 available filing information does not state a separate mission for the foundation. Its grants include support for evangelism, food pantry support, fire department equipment, missions and relief programs, hospice care, community support, and a scholarship fund and church projects.
Grantee missions illustrate the kinds of organizations supported. Kenova Volunteer Fire Department says it provides fire protection and rescue services in Kenova and the surrounding area, as well as mutual aid to other departments. Samaritan’s Purse describes itself as a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to people affected by war, poverty, disasters, disease, and famine. Hospice of Huntington says it provides physical, emotional, and spiritual care for people with life-limiting illnesses and continued support for their families. Judicial Watch says it promotes integrity, transparency, accountability in government, and fidelity to the rule of law.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave 21 grants totaling $135,305. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $15,000, with a median of $6,000. Among the largest were $15,000 to 20th Street Baptist Church for evangelism; $11,000 to Good Samaritan Center for food pantry support; and $10,000 each to Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for evangelism, Kenova Volunteer Fire Department for equipment needs, Life Outreach International for missions and relief programs, and Samaritan’s Purse for evangelism. Other listed grants included $8,305 to Hospice of Huntington and $7,000 each to the Salvation Army and Huntington City Mission. Judicial Watch received $5,000 in 2025.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gladys F Hamer, Lori Dale Hamer, Jim P Hamer II, and Stephen A Hamer II as trustees.
The Hamer Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gladys F. Hamer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jim P. Hamer II
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lori Dale Hamer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen A. Hamer II
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 The Hamer Foundation
How much does The Hamer Foundation give each year?
The Hamer Foundation gave $135K across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $128K across 17 grants.
What is The Hamer Foundation's typical grant size?
The Hamer Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $6,000, and its average grant was $6,443, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Hamer Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Hamer Foundation give grants?
The Hamer Foundation gives mostly in West Virginia: 52% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were North Carolina (15%) and Texas (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kenova, WV (4 grants) and Huntington, WV (4 grants).
Does The Hamer Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on The Hamer Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Evangelism" (9 grants).
Who are The Hamer Foundation's largest grantees?
The Hamer Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include 20TH Street Baptist Church ($15,000), Good Samaritan Center ($11,000) and Billy Graham Evangelistic Association ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($1,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Hamer Foundation?
The Hamer Foundation reported $1.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $135K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $135K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Hamer Foundation fund?
The available filing information does not state a separate mission for the foundation. Its grants include support for evangelism, food pantry support, fire department equipment, missions and relief programs, hospice care, community support, and a scholarship fund and church projects. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Hamer Foundation?
The foundation’s 2023 filing says applications should be submitted in letter form, detailing the organization’s history and purpose and the proposed use of funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Hamer Foundation's EIN?
The Hamer Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7349926. 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 12, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 31, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Hamer Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-hamer-foundation-morg_f26b1c2d55e14e0ea97b6c93f1aa88ee
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237349926_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Hamer Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-hamer-foundation-morg_f26b1c2d55e14e0ea97b6c93f1aa88ee},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 The Hamer 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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