The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation
The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation is a private foundation based in Columbus, Mississippi. Its 2025 filing says it provides medical and miscellaneous assistance to indigent individuals directly, while making other distributions through qualified exempt organizations. The filing states that awards are restricted to residents of Lowndes County, Mississippi, and people within 50 miles of Columbus.
The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation at a glance
In short: The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation gave $60K across 13 grants in 2026 (avg $5K), mostly in Mississippi. 38% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $59,700
- +23.6% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 13
- +30.0% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $4,592
- -5.0% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $979,359
- -3.4% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (5 of 13, 2026; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Mississippi (99% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2025 filing states that applicants should send a letter with biographical and financial information to Leslie Peel.
- Review Cycle
- None stated on the 2025 filing.
- Deadline
- None stated on the 2025 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Leslie Peel
Mailing address: PO Box 1366, Columbus, MS 39703
Phone: (662) 574-3136
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Helping Hands Inc ($25K). Together the top 10 received $59K.
Grant Size Distribution
48 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 48 grants of 48 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing restricts awards to residents of Lowndes County, Mississippi, and people within 50 miles of Columbus, Mississippi. In 2026, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Mississippi and 1% to recipients in Michigan.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 5 of 13 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 62% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (+0%). Method
- In 2026 it paid out 96% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2026). 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 2021 to 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $32K (2021) to $60K (2026). In 2026 it made 13 grants totaling $60K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Helping Hands Inc Columbus, MS | Indigent Care | $25,000 |
| Last House on the Block Columbus, MS | Further Their Exempt Purpose | $10,000 |
| Golden Triangle Homeless Coalition Columbus, MS | Indigent Care | $6,000 |
| Good Samaritan Medical Clinic Columbus, MS | Indigent Care | $5,000 |
| Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen of Lowndes County Columbus, MS | Indigent Care | $5,000 |
| Camp Rising Sun Columbus, MS | Further Their Exempt Purpose | $3,000 |
| Salvation Army Columbus, MS | Indigent Care | $2,000 |
| Columbus Lowndes Habitat for Humanity Columbus, MS | Further Their Exempt Purpose | $1,000 |
| Boys and Girls of Lowndes County Starkville, MS | Further Their Exempt Purpose | $1,000 |
| National Fire Safety Council Michigan Center, MI | Further Their Exempt Purpose | $500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Herman and Hazel Owen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $979,359 | $45,130 | $79,501 | $59,700 | 13 | $63,600 | $34,839 | $65,969 |
| 2025 | $1,013,730 | $38,274 | $67,650 | $48,320 | 10 | $48,320 | $38,274 | $64,314 |
| 2024 | $1,043,106 | $46,439 | $63,214 | $45,200 | 7 | $61,875 | $46,439 | $60,386 |
| 2023 | $1,059,881 | $54,300 | $78,350 | $59,542 | 10 | $66,852 | $43,728 | $52,239 |
| 2022 | $1,083,931 | $47,101 | $55,406 | $36,650 | 8 | $44,039 | $36,034 | $67,677 |
| 2021 | $1,092,236 | $8,360 | $49,462 | $32,073 | 7 | — | $25,007 | $59,073 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation reported a distributable amount of $66K for 2026 — 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 foundation’s 2025 filing describes its direct charitable activity as providing medical and miscellaneous assistance to indigent individuals. It says other distributions are made through qualified exempt organizations. Its 2026 grants included support for indigent care and for organizations’ exempt purposes.
Grantees’ stated missions illustrate some of the activities supported: Camp Rising Sun says it provides a camp experience for cancer patients. The National Fire Safety Council says it works to prevent accidents and save lives by providing fire and life-safety educational materials and programs.
Grantmaking
In 2026, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $59,700. Grants ranged from $200 to $25,000, with a median of $2,000. Among the largest were $25,000 to Helping Hands Inc. for indigent care; $10,000 to Last House on the Block to further its exempt purpose; $6,000 to Golden Triangle Homeless Coalition for indigent care; and $5,000 each to Good Samaritan Medical Clinic and Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen of Lowndes County for indigent care. Other listed grants included $3,000 to Camp Rising Sun, $2,000 to the Salvation Army, and $1,000 to Columbus Lowndes Habitat for Humanity.
The foundation’s 2025 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Ronny Roberts as chairman and president; Jim Wilson as vice president; Mary Anna Ford as secretary; Leslie Peel as executive director; and Michael Prince as treasurer.
The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation is led by Leslie Peel, Executive Director since 2026 (on filings since 2021); all 5 officers listed in 2026 are compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
Leslie Peel
Executive Director
Secretary & Treasurer → Executive Director, 2026
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
$300 (2021) → $5K (2026)
Ronny Roberts
Chairman & President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$300 (2021) → $300 (2026)
Jim Wilson
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2026
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$300 (2021) → $300 (2026)
Mary Anna Ford
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2026
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
$300 (2021) → $300 (2026)
Michael Prince
Treasurer
New on the 2026 filing
1 hr/week
$300 (2026)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Sa Bray (2021–2025) — Vice President
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $5K, to Leslie Peel (Executive Director). 5 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation
How much does The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation give each year?
The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation gave $60K across 13 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $48K across 10 grants.
What is The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation's typical grant size?
The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $2,000, and its average grant was $4,592, across 13 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation give grants?
The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation gives mostly in Mississippi: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Columbus, MS (11 grants).
Who are The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation's largest grantees?
The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Helping Hands Inc ($25,000), Last House on the Block ($10,000) and Golden Triangle Homeless Coalition ($6,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation?
The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation reported $979K in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $64K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $66K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2025 filing describes its direct charitable activity as providing medical and miscellaneous assistance to indigent individuals. It says other distributions are made through qualified exempt organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation?
The 2025 filing states that applicants should send a letter with biographical and financial information to Leslie Peel. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation's EIN?
The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 64-0601824. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2026.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 29, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS July 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 10, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS June 2, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-herman-and-hazel-owen-foundation-morg_563d5485f75d4e21a3132554a77b3dc6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_640601824_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Herman and Hazel Owen Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-herman-and-hazel-owen-foundation-morg_563d5485f75d4e21a3132554a77b3dc6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Herman and Hazel Owen 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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