The Helping Hand Foundation
The Helping Hand Foundation is a private foundation based in Riverside, Connecticut, according to its IRS filing. Its website describes a mission of supporting people affected by humanitarian crises and says it works with at-risk populations through education, healthcare, women’s empowerment, community development, and youth programs.
The Helping Hand Foundation at a glance
In short: The Helping Hand Foundation gave $306K across 30 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), mostly in Connecticut. 33% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $305,846
- +52.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 30
- -9.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $10,195
- +67.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,037
- Total assets
- $1,422,387
- +1407.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (10 of 30, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (53% 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 The Helping Hand Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 58 Dawn Harbor Lane, Riverside, CT 06878
Phone: (212) 832-0400
Website: https://helpinghandfound.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Helping Hand Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Greenwich Country Day School ($108K). Together the top 10 received $288K.
Grant Size Distribution
162 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 152 grants of 162 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Connecticut (53%), New Jersey (25%), and New York (19%), with 2% going to Louisiana and 1% to Florida. Separately, the foundation’s website describes work in crisis-affected countries and communities in Europe and the Americas, and names Afghanistan, Pakistan, Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen among its areas of focus.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 30 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Helping Hand Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 30 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $181 first-time, $3K repeat.
- 60% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 104% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2023 it paid out well above 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 $150K (2021) to $358K (2020). In 2024 it made 30 grants totaling $306K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Greenwich Country Day School Greenwich, CT | General Support | $108,333 |
| Christopher Reeve Foundation Short Hills, NJ | General Support | $75,000 |
| Randall's Island Park Alliance New York, NY | General Support | $50,000 |
| Ons Foundation Greenwich, CT | General Support | $15,000 |
| Stamford Hospital Stamford, CT | General Support | $10,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Stamford, CT | General Support | $7,744 |
| Temple Sholom Oceanside, NY | General Support | $7,574 |
| Tulane University New Orleans, LA | General Support | $5,200 |
| Waterside School Stamford, CT | General Support | $5,164 |
| Impact Fairfield County Greenwich, CT | General Support | $4,150 |
Ready to take the next step with The Helping Hand 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,422,387 | $1,636,507 | $308,455 | $305,846 | 30 | $305,861 | $930,325 | — |
| 2023 | $94,335 | $276,887 | $203,627 | $201,062 | 33 | $201,127 | $118,478 | $1,270 |
| 2022 | $21,075 | $151,879 | $312,659 | $307,163 | 30 | $309,413 | $45,264 | $5,542 |
| 2021 | $228,687 | $527,791 | $154,635 | $150,135 | 31 | $152,385 | $171,858 | $8,686 |
| 2020 | $29,202 | $271,197 | $388,131 | $358,481 | 38 | — | $81,270 | $7,088 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s website states that its mission is to provide broad-based, grassroots support focused on high-priority needs. It describes work in education, economic development, emergency health services, mobile care systems, and social opportunities for women and children. Other pages describe support for at-risk populations in education, healthcare, women’s empowerment, community development, and youth programs.
The 2024 grants included general support for organizations with varied missions. For example, Greenwich Country Day School describes its mission as helping children develop in their studies, play, and character. Waterside School says it provides an early-years educational foundation for motivated, disadvantaged children. The Christopher Reeve Foundation describes its work as advancing spinal-cord-injury research and improving quality of life for people and families affected by paralysis. Randall’s Island Park Alliance says it works with New York City and local communities to provide sports, cultural, and environmental programming.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 30 grants totaling $305,846. Grant amounts ranged from $3 to $108,333, with a median of $1,036. The largest grants were $108,333 to Greenwich Country Day School, $75,000 to the Christopher Reeve Foundation, and $50,000 to Randall’s Island Park Alliance. Other grants included $15,000 to ONS Foundation, $10,000 to Stamford Hospital, and $7,744 to Planned Parenthood; the listed 2024 grants were for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Jonathan B. Weiner and Jill Weiner as trustees.
The Helping Hand Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Jill Weiner
Trustee
Trustee As Required → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan B. Weiner
Trustee
Trustee As Required → Trustee, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Helping Hand Foundation
How much does The Helping Hand Foundation give each year?
The Helping Hand Foundation gave $306K across 30 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $201K across 33 grants.
What is The Helping Hand Foundation's typical grant size?
The Helping Hand Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,037, and its average grant was $10,195, across 30 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Helping Hand Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does The Helping Hand Foundation give grants?
The Helping Hand Foundation gives mostly in Connecticut: 53% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New Jersey (25%) and New York (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Greenwich, CT (9 grants), New York, NY (3 grants), Stamford, CT (3 grants) and New Orleans, LA (2 grants).
Does The Helping Hand Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Helping Hand Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (30 of 30) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Helping Hand Foundation's largest grantees?
The Helping Hand Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Greenwich Country Day School ($108,333), Christopher Reeve Foundation ($75,000) and Randall's Island Park Alliance ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 76% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Helping Hand Foundation?
The Helping Hand Foundation reported $1.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $1.6M.
What does The Helping Hand Foundation fund?
The foundation’s website states that its mission is to provide broad-based, grassroots support focused on high-priority needs. It describes work in education, economic development, emergency health services, mobile care systems, and social opportunities for women and children. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Helping Hand Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Helping Hand Foundation's EIN?
The Helping Hand Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-7409533. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Helping Hand Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Helping Hand Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Helping Hand Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Winokur Family Foundation Inc
Greenwich, CT
Assets
$11K
Grants
40
Total Given
$40K
The Gibbons Foundation
Old Greenwich, CT
The Gibbons Foundation supports a range of charitable organizations, including education, basic-needs, aging, and children’s services, with much of its recent giving in Maine and Connecticut. In 2025, grants ranged from $500 to $30,000, with a median of $1,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests and gives only to preselected organizations.
Assets
$871K
Grants
27
Total Given
$80K
Bevan Daddino Foundation Inc
Wilmington, DE
The foundation supports charitable organizations working in cancer research, education, environmental learning, arts and cultural programming, and capital campaigns, with recent grants concentrated in Connecticut and Washington and others in Illinois, New Jersey, and New York. In 2025, grants ranged from $500 to $26,000, with a median of $2,000. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$5.6M
Grants
53
Total Given
$263K
Simmons Family Foundation Inc
Greenwich, CT
The foundation’s grants supported organizations working in workforce training, community needs, youth programs and scholarships, health, food access, education, and the performing arts; these are grantees’ activities, not stated foundation priorities. In 2025, grants ranged from $250 to $70,000, with a median of $2,250, and recipients were concentrated in Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania, with additional funding in Arkansas and Florida. It funds only preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$4.1M
Grants
32
Total Given
$290K
Dr Joseph J Lawrence Trust
Greenwich, CT
The Dr Joseph J Lawrence Trust supports charitable organizations whose work includes education, animal welfare, health care, history, and conservation; these are areas represented among its grantees, not stated funding priorities. In 2025, grants ranged from $500 to $2,500, with a median of $1,000, and most funding went to Connecticut, followed by New York. It gives only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$319K
Grants
44
Total Given
$61K
Claire & Maurits Edersheim Foundation
New Haven, CT
The foundation supports a range of charitable work, including humanitarian response, children’s relief, racial justice, education, and community services, with recent grants concentrated in New York, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C. In 2024, grants ranged from $500 to $50,000, with a median of $5,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests and gives only to preselected organizations.
Assets
$6.6M
Grants
75
Total Given
$622K
More similar funders
More Funders in Connecticut
Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Helping Hand Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-helping-hand-foundation-morg_4b1f5c4084d64256a8613951d7903965
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_137409533_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Helping Hand Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-helping-hand-foundation-morg_4b1f5c4084d64256a8613951d7903965},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Helping Hand 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.
The Helping Hand Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?