The Helena Foundation Inc

ANNAPOLIS, MD EIN: 52-1522573 Website

The Helena Foundation Inc is a private foundation established in 1987 and based in Annapolis, Maryland. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity and focuses on philanthropic grantmaking across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2023 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

—

-100.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$4.0M

+43.0% YoY

Grant Count

-90.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$1.3M

+1329.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Helena Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $595K for 2023 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's giving priorities include:

Higher education
Environment
The arts
Hospitals
Health care
Education
Philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking

The foundation has demonstrated particular focus on Maryland and California as primary geographic areas for its grantmaking activities.

Grantmaking

The foundation has provided support to other private grantmaking foundations, including grants to The Blue Waters Foundation.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The Helena Foundation Inc primarily funds organizations in Maryland and California.

Grant Distribution by State

Maryland $8.5M (71%)

Massachusetts $1.4M (12%)

California $1.3M (11%)

District of Columbia $465K (4%)

Nebraska $126K (1%)

Florida $101K (1%)

Minnesota $71K (1%)

States

California District of Columbia Florida Massachusetts Maryland Minnesota Nebraska

Cities

AnnapolisArnoldBaltimoreBostonBrooklyn ParkCambridgeDavidsonvilleEastonEdgewaterForest HillMalibuMillersvilleMinneapolisNorwoodOmahaOrlandoQueenstownWashington

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Total Assets: $0 (as of 2023 tax filing)
Total Giving: $3,990,420
Tax Status: Exempt from federal income tax under 501(c)(3)
EIN: 52-1522573

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2023	2022	2021
Total Assets	—	$2,508,393	$2,767,487
Revenue	$3,301	$50,543	$354,772
Expenses	$4,039,347	$2,794,322	$2,612,327
Qualifying Distributions	$3,990,420	$2,791,192	$2,608,172
Net Investment Income	—	$47,413	$350,617
Distributable Amount	$595,045	$3,294,058	$3,172,218

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 3 recipients in 2023

Grant Size Distribution

101 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2023 grants, the largest include The Blue Waters Foundation Inc ($1,330,140), The Dovana Foundation Inc ($1,330,140), The Mhe Foundationinc ($1,330,140).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
THE BLUE WATERS FOUNDATION INC ANNAPOLIS, MD	OPERATING	$1,330,140
THE DOVANA FOUNDATION INC MALIBU, CA	OPERATING	$1,330,140
THE MHE FOUNDATIONINC EDGEWATER, MD	OPERATING	$1,330,140

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

James A. Earl — President, Treasurer, Director
Sylvia Earl — Vice President, Secretary, Director

Both officers serve on a voluntary basis with no reported compensation.

Compensation Overview

From 2023 IRS filing

From 2023 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
JAMES A EARL	PRES,TRES,DIR	0.5	—
SYLVIA EARL	VP,SEC,DIR	0.5	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Helena Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation's giving priorities include: • Higher education • Environment • The arts • Hospitals • Health care • Education • Philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking The foundation has demonstrated particular focus on Maryland and California as primary geographic areas for its grantmaking activities.

How do I apply for a grant from The Helena Foundation Inc?

**Grant Activity:** • Total giving: $3,990,420 (based on most recent 2023 IRS filing) • Typical grant awards range from $2,000 to $1,330,140 • Median grant amount: $1,300,000 • The foundation filed a final return as of 2023 **Recent Grants:** The foundation has provided support to other private grantmaking foundations, including grants to The Blue Waters Foundation.

Where does The Helena Foundation Inc make grants?

The Helena Foundation Inc primarily funds organizations in Maryland and California.

What size grants does The Helena Foundation Inc award?

In 2023, The Helena Foundation Inc awarded 3 grants totaling $4.0M — an average of about $1.3M per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Helena Foundation Inc required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2023, The Helena Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $595K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.