The Christel DeHaan Family Foundation concentrates its philanthropic resources on higher education in Indianapolis, demonstrated by a single large institutional grant to the University of Indianapolis. The foundation appears to prioritize major, campus-level investments (likely scholarships, program support, endowment, or capital projects) over a diversified grant portfolio. Its giving is local and institution-focused, suggesting a strategic relationship with one flagship educational partner.
A $4,122,000 general operating grant to the University of Indianapolis anchors Christel DeHaan Family Foundation Inc’s recent giving and shows how heavily the foundation leans into sustained institutional support. In 2024, that same operating model extended to a wide circle of Indianapolis organizations, including the American Pianist Assoc, Indianapolis Zoological Society, American Cabaret Theatre, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis Symphony Society, Indiana Repertory Theatre Inc, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art, Step-Up Inc, Pace Inc, and others. The pattern suggests a funder that prefers substantial, recurring operating dollars over narrow project-by-project awards, with arts, education, and community-serving institutions all appearing in the portfolio. The foundation’s grant list also shows support for large-scale cultural and civic infrastructure. Its giving includes general operating support for the Arts Council of Indianapolis, Phoenix Theatre Inc, Booth Tarkington Civic Inc, International Violin Competition of Indianapolis, Indianapolis Ballet Inc, Harrison Center for the Arts, and Indianapolis Shakespeare Company. One grant outside the arts, a $1,000,000 award to Delta Waterfowl Foundation-NE Indiana for the HuntR3 Initiative, shows that the portfolio is not limited to one sector. Overall, the foundation’s recent activity points to concentrated, place-based funding in Indianapolis and central Indiana, with one dominant university relationship and a strong cluster of arts institutions.
Higher education is one clear pillar of the foundation’s grantmaking. The University of Indianapolis received $4,122,000 in general operating support, the largest grant in the recent list, underscoring a close institutional relationship. Arts and culture make up another major stream. The foundation gave $2,748,000 each in general operating support to the American Pianist Assoc, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis Symphony Society, Indiana Repertory Theatre Inc, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art, and Dance Kaleidoscope. It also funded the Arts Council of Indianapolis with $1,470,000 and Phoenix Theatre Inc with $1,373,000. Youth and performance-oriented programs also appear in the record. Asante Children's Theatre Inc, Summer Stock Stage, Indianapolis Children's Choir, Indianapolis Shakespeare Company, and Young Actors Theatre each received $687,000 in general operating support, showing a repeated emphasis on arts participation and training in Indianapolis.
$54M
$214K
$2.3M
$54.2M
Most grants fall between $5K and $110K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$110K
About 88% of grants go to recipients in IN.
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Extremely concentrated: one very large grant to a single local university rather than multiple small or distributed awards; appears focused on deep institutional investment rather than broad community grants.
Notable grantees: University of Indianapolis
Typical grants cluster around a median of $20,000, with a lower quartile of $5,000 and an upper quartile of $110,000, though the recent list also contains multimillion-dollar operating grants. The foundation’s latest grants show repeat support to the same Indianapolis institutions in 2024, which points to recurring relationships rather than isolated awards. Its 990 data indicate a family foundation structure; it also funds individuals. The recent grants are overwhelmingly general operating support, with some project-specific support such as the HuntR3 Initiative, but no application process is described in the provided data.
Grantmaking is highly concentrated in Indiana, with 88% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state and the top state by grant count also Indiana. Most recent recipients are in Indianapolis, with additional grants in Carmel and Bloomington. A smaller share reaches beyond Indiana, including San Antonio, TX and Cincinnati, OH. All recent grants in the provided distribution go to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants show a strong emphasis on higher education and arts institutions, especially in Indianapolis. The foundation also supports community-serving organizations and a few specialty programs, including a wildlife-related initiative and service organizations.
The grant-size distribution centers on a median of $20,000, with a lower quartile of $5,000 and an upper quartile of $110,000. The recent list also includes much larger operating grants, including awards in the millions.
Yes. The 2024 list shows repeated support to many of the same Indianapolis organizations across the year, and the overall pattern is consistent with ongoing operating support rather than one-time awards.
Its giving is local and heavily Indiana-focused. 88% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and Indianapolis is the main recipient city in the recent grants list.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN | $4,122,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra | Indianapolis, IN | $2,748,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Dance Kaleidoscope | Indianapolis, IN | $2,748,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Indianapolis Museum of Art | Indianapolis, IN | $2,748,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Operation Homefront | San Antonio, TX | $2,748,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Step-Up Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $2,748,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| American Pianist Assoc | Indianapolis, IN | $2,748,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art | Indianapolis, IN | $2,748,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Indianapolis Zoological Society | Indianapolis, IN | $2,748,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| American Cabaret Theatre | Indianapolis, IN | $2,748,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Pace Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $2,748,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Indianapolis Symphony Society | Indianapolis, IN | $2,748,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Indiana Repertory Theatre Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $2,748,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Arts Council of Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN | $1,470,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Phoenix Theatre Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $1,373,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Booth Tarkington Civic Inc | Carmel, IN | $1,373,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund #Z97000442 | Cincinnati, OH | $1,123,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| International Violin Competition of Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN | $825,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre | Carmel, IN | $687,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Indianapolis Children's Choir | Indianapolis, IN | $687,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Young Actors Theatre | Indianapolis, IN | $687,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Indiana University | Bloomington, IN | $687,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Indianapolis Ballet Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $687,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Summer Stock Stage | Indianapolis, IN | $687,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Actor's Theatre of Indiana | Carmel, IN | $687,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Indianapolis Shakespeare Company | Indianapolis, IN | $687,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Asante Children's Theatre Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $687,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival | Indianapolis, IN | $687,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Harrison Center for the Arts | Indianapolis, IN | $687,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Athenaeum Foundation Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $343,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| ArtMix Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $343,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Butler University | Indianapolis, IN | $343,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Timothy Mooney Repertory Theatre | Buffalo Grove, IL | $343,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| The Children's Museum of Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN | $343,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| WFYI Public Media | Indianapolis, IN | $343,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Indianapolis Opera Company | Indianapolis, IN | $343,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Marian University | Indianapolis, IN | $250,000 | 2024 | Marian Angel Alumni Endowed Scholarship |
| Arts Council of Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN | $110,000 | 2024 | Dehaan Artist of Distinction Award |
| Christel House International | Indianapolis, IN | $100,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Steuben County Community Foundation | Angola, IN | $90,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Delta Waterfowl Foundation - NE Indiana | Angola, IN | $63,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Indianapolis-Liederkranz | Indianapolis, IN | $50,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support - Repairs for Roof |
| Nature Conservancy Inc | Arlington, VA | $20,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry Inc | Garrett, IN | $20,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Indiana Search and Response Team Inc | Wawaka, IN | $20,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Indiana Natural Resources Foundation | Indianapolis, IN | $20,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Hamilton Church of Christ | Hamilton, IN | $20,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Whitetails Unlimited | Sturgeon Bay, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | General Operating Support |
| Delta Waterfowl Foundation-NE Indiana | Angola, IN | $1,000,000 | 2023 | HuntR3 Initiative |
| Mercy Corps | Portland, OR | $150,000 | 2023 | Memory of CD Support work in Ukraine |
University of Indianapolis
$4,122,000General Operating Support
Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
$2,748,000General Operating Support
Dance Kaleidoscope
$2,748,000General Operating Support
Indianapolis Museum of Art
$2,748,000General Operating Support
Operation Homefront
$2,748,000General Operating Support
Step-Up Inc
$2,748,000General Operating Support
American Pianist Assoc
$2,748,000General Operating Support
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art
$2,748,000General Operating Support
Indianapolis Zoological Society
$2,748,000General Operating Support
American Cabaret Theatre
$2,748,000General Operating Support
Pace Inc
$2,748,000General Operating Support
Indianapolis Symphony Society
$2,748,000General Operating Support
Indiana Repertory Theatre Inc
$2,748,000General Operating Support
Arts Council of Indianapolis
$1,470,000General Operating Support
Phoenix Theatre Inc
$1,373,000General Operating Support
Booth Tarkington Civic Inc
$1,373,000General Operating Support
Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund #Z97000442
$1,123,000General Operating Support
International Violin Competition of Indianapolis
$825,000General Operating Support
Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre
$687,000General Operating Support
Indianapolis Children's Choir
$687,000General Operating Support
Young Actors Theatre
$687,000General Operating Support
Indiana University
$687,000General Operating Support
Indianapolis Ballet Inc
$687,000General Operating Support
Summer Stock Stage
$687,000General Operating Support
Actor's Theatre of Indiana
$687,000General Operating Support
Indianapolis Shakespeare Company
$687,000General Operating Support
Asante Children's Theatre Inc
$687,000General Operating Support
Indianapolis Theatre Fringe Festival
$687,000General Operating Support
Harrison Center for the Arts
$687,000General Operating Support
Athenaeum Foundation Inc
$343,000General Operating Support
ArtMix Inc
$343,000General Operating Support
Butler University
$343,000General Operating Support
Timothy Mooney Repertory Theatre
$343,000General Operating Support
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
$343,000General Operating Support
WFYI Public Media
$343,000General Operating Support
Indianapolis Opera Company
$343,000General Operating Support
Marian University
$250,000Marian Angel Alumni Endowed Scholarship
Arts Council of Indianapolis
$110,000Dehaan Artist of Distinction Award
Christel House International
$100,000General Operating Support
Steuben County Community Foundation
$90,000General Operating Support
Delta Waterfowl Foundation - NE Indiana
$63,000General Operating Support
Indianapolis-Liederkranz
$50,000General Operating Support - Repairs for Roof
Nature Conservancy Inc
$20,000General Operating Support
Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry Inc
$20,000General Operating Support
Indiana Search and Response Team Inc
$20,000General Operating Support
Indiana Natural Resources Foundation
$20,000General Operating Support
Hamilton Church of Christ
$20,000General Operating Support
Whitetails Unlimited
$20,000General Operating Support
Delta Waterfowl Foundation-NE Indiana
$1,000,000HuntR3 Initiative
Mercy Corps
$150,000Memory of CD Support work in Ukraine