The Helena Foundation Inc
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
3
-90.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1.3M
+1329.6% YoY
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
Cities
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
| 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
No grants recorded for .
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 | — |
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Similar funders by location and focus area
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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