The Hussman Foundation
The Hussman Foundation is a private foundation based in Little Rock, Arkansas, established in 1985. The foundation operates with a mission to provide life-changing assistance through medical research, education, and direct aid to vulnerable populations facing urgent needs or significant disabilities.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$10.8M
+7.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$491K
-1.3% YoY
Grant Count
48
+14.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$10K
-13.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to provide life-changing assistance through medical research, education, and direct aid to vulnerable populations having urgent needs or significant disabilities. The foundation emphasizes projects with the capacity to save or significantly improve lives at a small financial commitment per person affected, seeking to "tip the balance" in critical areas where research or intervention can significantly alter the course of individual lives.
Primary funding areas include:
- Medical Research: Supporting promising medical research in autism, diabetes, malaria, and other conditions, along with under-funded lines of investigation
- Education: Funding preschool and primary school programs, community-based programs that take children off the streets, training for migrant workers, support for young adult migrant students, and teacher training in remote areas
- International Programs: Supporting education for refugees and displaced populations, particularly Burmese migrant workers and their families
- Special Projects: Establishing model programs and providing direct aid to vulnerable populations
Grantmaking
The foundation made 41 grants in 2023. Recent grants include:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds projects primarily in Arkansas, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. International work focuses on education programs for Burmese migrant workers and refugees, with particular emphasis on communities in Thailand and Burma.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $10,024,424
- Total Revenues: $643,151
- Total Expenses: $530,710
- Investment Income and Dividends: $261,359
The foundation operates with 0 employees and is run by its board of trustees.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $10,764,878 | $10,024,424 | $9,116,698 |
| Revenue | $418,840 | $643,151 | $321,380 |
| Expenses | $533,014 | $530,710 | $494,089 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $491,400 | $498,600 | $454,700 |
| Net Investment Income | $389,280 | $620,431 | $302,553 |
| Distributable Amount | $507,001 | $455,409 | $473,097 |
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
209 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
- Walter Hussman Jr.: Trustee
- Robena Hussman: Trustee
- Robert Tucker: Trustee
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
No officer/director data available.
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Hussman Foundation's work was honored with the 2013 Philanthropist of The Year award by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Hussman announces four $25K awards for \u2018most fair, objective, impartial\u2019\The foundation maintains an active research and perspectives program, with leadership publishing remarks and research presentations on topics including autism, philanthropy, and medical research.
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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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