William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn
The William G and Helen C Hoffman Foundation is a private foundation based in Saint Louis, Missouri. It supports organizations helping people who are blind and medical research related to blindness, with the foundation’s 2025 filing stating that it primarily supports organizations in New Jersey or New York.
Key facts about William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn
In short: William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn gave $340K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $20K), mostly in New York. 35% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 23-7981677
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $340,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- Average grant
- $20,000
- Median grant
- $17,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (6 of 17, 2025)
- Total assets
- $4,071,343
- Primary geography
- New York (57% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The filing directs applicants to apply online through the application process it identifies. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The 2025 filing lists January 15 and August 22.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.1M
+3.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$340K
+30.8% YoY
Grant Count
17
+13.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$20K
+15.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn reported a distributable amount of $419K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 17 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $17K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 53% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+19%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 84% 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 (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation was established through Helen C. Hoffman’s will for charitable, religious, scientific, literary, and educational purposes, with a special interest in helping blind people and medical research to prevent blindness.
Its 2025 grants included organizations whose own missions describe services and research for people with vision loss. For example, Safe Toddles says it provides blind toddlers with pediatric belt canes to help them walk independently and safely. Guiding Eyes for the Blind says it provides guide dogs to people with vision loss. The SUNY College of Optometry Foundation says it supports scholarships, vision care for underserved people, and research. Research to Prevent Blindness says it provides resources to support eye research.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave 17 grants totaling $340,000. Grants ranged from $6,500 to $30,000, with a median of $17,500; the program listing describes an award range of $15,000–$15,000.
Review Cycle
for consideration at an August meeting was a past cycle as of September 28, 2026.
How to Apply
it identifies.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn
Ready to take the next step with William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 filing says there are no geographic limitations, but that it primarily supports organizations in New Jersey or New York. In 2025, 57% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 40% to New Jersey, and 3% to Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $260K (2024) to $340K (2025). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $340K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Guiding Eyes for the Blind Inc ($30K). Together the top 10 received $249K.
Grant Size Distribution
74 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 73 grants of 74 (99%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Guiding Eyes for the Blind Inc Yorktown Heights, NY | General Operating | $30,000 |
| Eversight Clark, NJ | General Operating | $30,000 |
| Vision Loss Alliance of NJ Morris Plains, NJ | General Operating | $30,000 |
| Safe Toddles Fishkill, NY | General Operating | $30,000 |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, NY | General Operating | $25,000 |
| Jewish Family Service Agency of Ctr JER Elizabeth, NJ | General Operating | $25,000 |
| St Josephs School for the Blind Jersey City, NJ | General Operating | $25,000 |
| The Seeing Eye Inc Morristown, NJ | General Operating | $20,000 |
| SUNY College of Optometry Foundation New York, NY | General Operating | $17,500 |
| Visions Services Blind and Visual Impair New York, NY | General Operating | $16,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,071,343 | $568,869 | $439,074 | $340,000 | 17 |
| 2024 | $3,941,212 | $65,749 | $318,882 | $260,000 | 15 |
| 2023 | $4,195,776 | $432,789 | $376,178 | $295,000 | 15 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,071,343 | $3,941,212 | $4,195,776 |
| Revenue | $568,869 | $65,749 | $432,789 |
| Expenses | $439,074 | $318,882 | $376,178 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $351,091 | $270,116 | $304,480 |
| Net Investment Income | $479,580 | $139,966 | $373,941 |
| Distributable Amount | $418,873 | $380,592 | $336,603 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 3, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 4, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Wells Fargo Bank N.A. is listed as trustee on the 2025 filing.
William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's only listed officer is Wells Fargo Bank N A, Trustee on every filing since 2019 (compensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
Wells Fargo Bank N A
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
$30K (2019) → $39K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $39K, to Wells Fargo Bank N a (Trustee).
Contact
Application contact: Wells Fargo Philanthropic Services
Mailing address: 100 N Main St Fl 5D4001-052, Winston Salem, NC 27101
Phone: (888) 730-4933
Email: grantadministration@wellsfargo.com
Frequently asked questions about William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn
How much does William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn give each year?
William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn gave $340K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $260K across 15 grants.
What is William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's typical grant size?
William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's median grant in 2025 was $17,500, and its average grant was $20,000, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn that year got $19K on average.
Where does William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn give grants?
William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn gives mostly in New York: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Jersey (40%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (4 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).
Does William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's largest grantees?
William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's largest 2025 grantees include Guiding Eyes for the Blind Inc ($30,000), Eversight ($30,000) and Vision Loss Alliance of NJ ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 26% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn?
William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn reported $4.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $351K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $419K (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 William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn fund?
The foundation was established through Helen C. Hoffman’s will for charitable, religious, scientific, literary, and educational purposes, with a special interest in helping blind people and medical research to prevent blindness. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn?
The filing directs applicants to apply online through the application process it identifies. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's EIN?
William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7981677. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching William G and Helen C Hoffman Fdn by hand.
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