The Helen J Serini Foundation Inc
The Helen J. Serini Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Reisterstown, Maryland. Founded in 2012 by Paul and Susan Serini in memory of Paul's late mother, Helen J. Serini, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with tax-exempt status since April 2015.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$247K
-10.3% YoY
Grant Count
21
-8.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$12K
-1.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: The foundation envisions thriving communities where all people live healthy, dignified lives regardless of means or identity. The Helen J. Serini Foundation supports innovative interventions that remove or address the root causes of systemic barriers to health, safety, shelter, and opportunity in the communities where it works and lives.
Primary Funding Areas:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- Youth development and education (including STEM and social-emotional learning)
- Community and civic engagement
- Food security
- Housing and shelter
Grantmaking
The foundation is open to applications and does not restrict grantmaking to preselected organizations only.
Grant Range
s and Ranges:**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Maryland, with particular emphasis on communities where the foundation works and lives.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets and Giving (2024):
- Total assets: $2,182,803
- Total giving: $246,823
- Total revenue: $796,310
- Total expenses: $712,518
Assets and Giving (2023):
- Total assets: $2,750,000
- Total revenue: $396,000
- Total expenses: $646,000
- Total giving: $275,240
Giving Rate: Approximately 10% of assets annually
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
160 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Helen J Serini Foundation Inc
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board and Staff:
- Paul A. Serini - Director/President (5 hours/week, $60,000 compensation)
- Kerry A. McHugh - Director (18 hours/week, $77,000 compensation)
- Susan M. Serini - Director (1.5 hours/week, no compensation)
- J. James Serini - Director (1.5 hours/week, no compensation)
- P. Alex Serini - Director (1.5 hours/week, no compensation)
- Robert Geis - Director (1.5 hours/week, no compensation)
- Kevin McHugh - Director (1.5 hours/week, no compensation)
The foundation operates with limited paid staffing, with two employees reported in recent filings.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAUL A SERINI | DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT | 5 | $60,000 |
| SUSAN M SERINI | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| KERRY A MCHUGH | DIRECTOR | 18 | $77,253 |
| J JAMES SERINI | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| P ALEX SERINI | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| ROBERT GEIS | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
| KEVIN MCHUGH | DIRECTOR | 1.5 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation maintains an active presence in the nonprofit sector through multiple engagement strategies:
**Convenings & Nonprofit Education:**
Participation in The Frederick Nonprofit Summit
Frederick County Priority Planning for Nonprofits
Leadership Frederick County presentations
Think Big participation with Maryland Nonprofit organizations
**Funder Network Participation:**
Leadership roles in Exponent Philanthropy
Group leadership with Maryland Philanthropy Network
Participation in Frederick Funders Group and annual data projects
Presentations and panels with Peak Grantmaking, United Philanthropy Forum, and National Center for Family Philanthropy
**Grantee Capacity Support:**
Direct capacity building for grantee organizations
Website assistance and marketing support
Networking and introductions across grantees
Local training event information sharing
Participation in community initiatives such as Banner Neighborhood's annual coat distribution
**2025 Funding Strategies:**
The foundation has committed to updating its funding strategies in response to sector uncertainties, maintaining support for long-time partners, and continued learning as the nonprofit sector faces ongoing challenges.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Related Funders
Similar funders by location and focus area
Rotary Club of Columbia Patuxent
COLUMBIA, MD
Assets
$376K
Grants
1
Total Given
$12K
American Federation for Children Growth
COLUMBIA, MD
Assets
$9.4M
Grants
11
Total Given
$2.4M
Mayfield Scholastic Ltd
BALTIMORE, MD
Assets
—
Grants
1
Total Given
$38K
Baltimore Curriculum Project Inc
BALTIMORE, MD
Assets
$17.3M
Grants
6
Total Given
$2.7M
Government Employees' Benefit
HANOVER, MD
Assets
$3K
Grants
43
Total Given
$108K
Charles F and Margaret Mh Obrecht
BALTIMORE, MD
Assets
$1.2M
Grants
79
Total Given
$131K
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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