George Helen and Harold Wainer Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered; a small charity should look for an existing connection that could lead to an invitation.
- Its filings show grants mainly to religious organisations and to a range of charities, with no single stated field, so fit depends on whether the work is comparable to those recipients.
- Most grants are modest: half of its grants to organisations across its recent filings were $5,000 or less, and about 8 in 10 fell between $2,500 and $105,000, a typical band rather than a ceiling, since its largest grant was $180,000.
- Repeat giving is strong, with 89% of its recent grant dollars to organisations also funded in an earlier filing, so a first grant may lead to a longer relationship.
- No geographic focus is stated, so the area is not a rule about who may apply.
Overview
George Helen and Harold Wainer Foundation is a US private foundation based in Metairie, LA.
What they fund
Profile based on the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) only: no website or other web source for the foundation was found. Every statement is checked against the filings. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
Across the filings, grants went chiefly to religious organisations, including congregations and Jewish community bodies, and also to charitable organisations. The charitable recipients include education and public-media organisations, children’s and family services, health-related causes, a museum, a nature institute and a food bank. Most grant purposes are recorded as general donations; one is recorded as a scholarship. The record therefore shows a mixture of religious and charitable recipients rather than a single stated field of grantmaking. Nearly all recorded grant dollars went to Louisiana recipients, with only small amounts going to Mississippi and Oregon.
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Louisiana.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 89% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 22 grants to organisations were $5,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 55% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to organisations George Helen and Harold Wainer Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 27% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 9 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $5,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Congregation Gates of Prayer · General donations$140,0002024 tax year
- Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana · General donations$105,0002024 tax year
- STEM Library Lab · General donations$15,0002024 tax year
- Greater New Orleans Educational Television Foundation · General donations$10,0002024 tax year
- Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience · General donations$5,0002024 tax year
- Tulane Educational Fund Center for K-12 STEM Education · General donations$5,0002024 tax year
- ForeKids Foundation · General donations$5,0002024 tax year
- Jewish Family Services of Greater New Orleans · General donations$5,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Andrew Sullivan — Director
- Beth-Anne P Watson — Director
- Harold Wainer — Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $85,095 | $80,000 | $5,669,712 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $214,066 | $210,000 | $8,119,315 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $326,224 | $291,000 | $12,772,087 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to George Helen and Harold Wainer Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Metairie, LA
Applying to George Helen and Harold Wainer Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Metairie, LA