The Cecil A. and Mabel Lene Hamman Foundation concentrates its giving locally in Evansville, making substantial, targeted investments in community institutions. Recent grants show a clear priority for a major capital investment in the region’s flagship nature preserve and operational support for the local public school district’s foundation. The foundation appears mission-driven toward sustaining place-based environmental assets and strengthening K–12 public education infrastructure.
Highly concentrated giving with very few, large grants; favors one-time large capital gifts alongside significant operating support to key local institutions rather than many small or geographically dispersed grants.
A single capital gift of $800,000 to Wesselman Nature Society Inc. stands out in the Cecil a and Mabel Lene Hamman Foundation Inc’s recent record, showing how strongly the foundation backs major place-based projects in Evansville. That grant supported a capital campaign for a regional nature preserve, while other large awards have gone to local institutions that anchor civic life, including the EVSC Foundation Inc, the University of Evansville, and the University of Southern Indiana Foun. The pattern is not broad national philanthropy; it is concentrated support for Evansville organizations with visible operating or capital needs. Across recent filings, the foundation has also repeatedly funded community groups that serve youth, education, culture, health, and neighborhood stability. Awards to Youth First Inc, Boys and Girls Club of Evansville, Evansville African American Museum, and Vanderburgh Humane Society Inc suggest a consistent emphasis on sustaining local nonprofits that provide direct community services. Its giving reads as institutionally focused and locally rooted, with funding choices that reinforce existing civic infrastructure rather than seed new programs elsewhere.
Environmental and civic infrastructure are both visible in the foundation’s recent grants. In conservation, it gave $800,000 to Wesselman Nature Society Inc for a capital campaign, indicating support for a major preserve-related project in Evansville. In higher education, the foundation awarded $105,000 to University of Evansville for a capital campaign and $87,000 to University of Southern Indiana Foun for general operating expense, pairing facility support with operating help. The foundation also backs youth-serving organizations: Youth First Inc received $85,500 for general operating expense in 2025, following $75,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2023. That repeated support pattern appears again with the Boys and Girls Club of Evansville, which received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025 for general operating expense. These awards show a mix of capital campaigns and unrestricted or operating support.
Typical grants cluster in the low five-figure range, with a p25 of $5,000, median of $10,000, and p75 of $20,000. Even with that modest center, the foundation makes occasional large commitments, including six- and seven-figure awards. The recent record also shows repeat support to the same organizations across multiple years, especially EVSC Foundation Inc, Youth First Inc, Boys and Girls Club of Evansville, University of Southern Indiana Foun, and Evansville African American Museum. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its pattern is best described as local institutional philanthropy with a strong bias toward operating support and periodic capital campaign gifts.
$2.1M
$17.3M
$4.3M
$2.1M
Most grants fall between $5K and $20K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$20K
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Notable grantees: Wesselman Nature Society Inc, EVSC Foundation Inc
The foundation gives overwhelmingly in Indiana: 91% of grants go to recipients in its HQ state, and the top state by grant count is IN. Recent grants are centered in Evansville, with only a small number outside that city, such as Ivy Tech Foundation Inc in Indianapolis. The recipient-country distribution is entirely domestic, with all 296 grants going to US organizations. The geography is tightly local rather than regional or national, with Evansville accounting for most named recipients.
Recent grants favor Evansville institutions that need operating or capital support. Examples include EVSC Foundation Inc for general operating expense, Wesselman Nature Society Inc for a capital campaign, and University of Evansville and University of Southern Indiana Foun for capital or operating support.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including EVSC Foundation Inc, Youth First Inc, Boys and Girls Club of Evansville, University of Southern Indiana Foun, and Evansville African American Museum. The pattern suggests recurring support rather than one-time gifts only.
The grant-size distribution is centered on smaller awards: p25 is $5,000, median is $10,000, and p75 is $20,000. At the same time, the foundation occasionally makes much larger gifts, including major capital campaign support.
Its giving is highly local. Indiana receives 91% of grants, and the recent recipient list is dominated by Evansville organizations, with one named recipient in Indianapolis. All listed grants are to US organizations.
No. The foundation funds organizations rather than individuals, and it does not make program-related investments.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EVSC Foundation Inc | Evansville, IN | $115,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| University of Southern Indiana Foun | Evansville, IN | $107,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Evansville Area Tennis Patrons | Evansville, IN | $82,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Dream Center Evansville Inc | Evansville, IN | $60,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Vanderburgh County Humane Society | Evansville, IN | $55,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Boys and Girls Club of Evansville | Evansville, IN | $52,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Community Foundation Alliance | Evansville, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Youth First Inc | Evansville, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Ivy Tech Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | capital campaign |
| United Way of Southwestern Indiana | Evansville, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Tri-State Food Bank Inc | Evansville, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | capital campaign |
| Childrens Center for Dance Educatio | Evansville, IN | $50,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Young Mens Christian Association | Evansville, IN | $43,200 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Sisters of St Benedict of Ferdinand | Ferdinand, IN | $40,000 | 2026 | capital campaign |
| Golfmoor Baseball Association | Evansville, IN | $37,500 | 2026 | capital improvements |
| Elberfeld Community League | Elberfeld, IN | $35,000 | 2026 | capital improvements |
| Joshua Training Center Inc | Newburgh, IN | $33,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Habitat for Humanity of Evansville | Evansville, IN | $32,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Catholic Diocese of Evansville | Evansville, IN | $30,000 | 2026 | capital campaign |
| Community One Inc | Evansville, IN | $30,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Environmental Law and Policy Center | Chicago, IL | $30,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Indiana State Games Incorporated | Evansville, IN | $30,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| WNIN Tri-State Public Media Inc | Evansville, IN | $28,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1114 | Evansville, IN | $27,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Immigrant Welcome and Resource Cent | Evansville, IN | $26,500 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Buffalo Trace Council BSA Inc | Evansville, IN | $26,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Southwestern Indiana Regional Counc | Evansville, IN | $25,000 | 2026 | capital campaign |
| Auxiliary FOP Lodge 73 | Evansville, IN | $25,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Committee to Promote Respect in Sch | Evansvile, IN | $25,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| JD Sheth Foundation Inc | Evansville, IN | $25,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Cancer Pathways Midwest | Evansville, IN | $25,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Granted Inc | Evansville, IN | $23,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Evansville Area Trails Coalition | Evansville, IN | $22,500 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Evansville African American Museum | Evansville, IN | $22,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Knights of Columbus | Evansville, IN | $20,500 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Easter Seals Rehabilitation Center | Evansville, IN | $20,000 | 2026 | capital campaign |
| Evansville Museum of Arts History | Evansville, IN | $20,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Mission First Inc | Evansville, IN | $20,000 | 2026 | capital campaign |
| Olivers Heroes | Evansville, IN | $20,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Santa Clothes Club Inc | Evansville, IN | $20,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Jacobs Village Inc | Evansville, IN | $20,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Carver Community Organization Inc | Evansville, IN | $18,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Leadership Everyone Inc | Evansville, IN | $18,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Isaiah 117 House | Elizabethton, TN | $15,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Evansville Police Department Founda | Evansville, IN | $15,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Ballet Indiana Inc | Evansville, IN | $15,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| It Taks a Village Animal Canine Res | Evansville, IN | $15,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Evansville Goodwill Industries Inc | Evansville, IN | $15,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Welborn Baptist Foundation | Evansville, IN | $15,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
| Old Evansville Historic Association | Evansville, IN | $15,000 | 2026 | general operating expense |
Evansville Area Tennis Patrons
$82,000general operating expense
Childrens Center for Dance Educatio
$50,000general operating expense
Young Mens Christian Association
$43,200general operating expense
Sisters of St Benedict of Ferdinand
$40,000capital campaign
Golfmoor Baseball Association
$37,500capital improvements
Elberfeld Community League
$35,000capital improvements
Joshua Training Center Inc
$33,000general operating expense
Catholic Diocese of Evansville
$30,000capital campaign
Indiana State Games Incorporated
$30,000general operating expense
WNIN Tri-State Public Media Inc
$28,000general operating expense
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1114
$27,000general operating expense
Immigrant Welcome and Resource Cent
$26,500general operating expense
Buffalo Trace Council BSA Inc
$26,000general operating expense
Southwestern Indiana Regional Counc
$25,000capital campaign
Auxiliary FOP Lodge 73
$25,000general operating expense
Committee to Promote Respect in Sch
$25,000general operating expense
JD Sheth Foundation Inc
$25,000general operating expense
Cancer Pathways Midwest
$25,000general operating expense
Granted Inc
$23,000general operating expense
Evansville Area Trails Coalition
$22,500general operating expense
Evansville African American Museum
$22,000general operating expense
Knights of Columbus
$20,500general operating expense
Evansville Museum of Arts History
$20,000general operating expense
Mission First Inc
$20,000capital campaign
Olivers Heroes
$20,000general operating expense
Santa Clothes Club Inc
$20,000general operating expense
Jacobs Village Inc
$20,000general operating expense
Leadership Everyone Inc
$18,000general operating expense
Evansville Police Department Founda
$15,000general operating expense
Ballet Indiana Inc
$15,000general operating expense
It Taks a Village Animal Canine Res
$15,000general operating expense
Welborn Baptist Foundation
$15,000general operating expense
Old Evansville Historic Association
$15,000general operating expense