The Ed and Fern Hamel Family Foundation concentrates its giving on higher-education student support, primarily funding scholarships and student services at two- and four-year colleges. Giving is focused and targeted rather than broad, with multiple gifts to a single community college foundation and a sizable award to a rural college. The foundation appears to prioritize direct support for students' access and persistence in college.
A $27,500 gift to Alice Lloyd College for student support is the clearest signal in the Ed and Fern Hamel Family Foundation’s recent giving: this is a funder centered on helping students stay in college. Across its grant record, the foundation repeatedly backs scholarships, student services, and direct educational aid at two-year and four-year institutions, with recurring support for community college students and rural college students. One of its main patterns is concentration rather than breadth. The same college foundation appears multiple times in the recent grants list, and other higher-education awards point to a consistent interest in access, persistence, and affordability for undergraduate students. The foundation’s education grants are not limited to one type of campus. Community college support sits alongside awards for scholarship aid at a private college and student support at a high school. Beyond education, the recent record also includes grants for veterans, crisis response, disaster relief, and area-of-greatest-need support. That mix shows a family foundation making targeted gifts around student need while leaving room for local and event-based giving in nearby Maryland communities and selected national relief organizations.
Student support is the foundation’s most visible theme. It gave $15,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025 to Anne Arundel Community College Foundation for support for students, showing repeated backing for community college aid. It also made a $7,500 scholarship grant to Bca Bsa in 2025. Rural higher-education support is another clear thread. Alice Lloyd College received $27,500 in 2023 and $5,000 in both 2024 and 2025 for support for students. The foundation also gives to community-facing organizations outside education. It awarded $10,000 to Rebuilding Together Howard County in 2024 and again in 2025 for fundraiser support, and $4,600 to Gilchrist Center Howard County in 2024 for the We Honor Veterans program.
Typical grants are small: the p25, median, and p75 are $1,000, $1,000, and $2,000. The recent record still includes a few larger awards, but most gifts cluster at modest levels. The pattern is repetitive in a few places. Anne Arundel Community College Foundation appears in three consecutive years, Alice Lloyd College appears in three consecutive years, and several Maryland-area recipients receive more than one gift across 2023 to 2025. That suggests recurring relationships rather than one-time, isolated awards. The foundation is a family foundation and also funds individuals, which fits its scholarship-heavy profile. No application process is stated in the data.
$130K
$1.6M
$109K
$213K
Most grants fall between $1K and $2K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$1K
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$2K
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Concentrated, small-number grantmaking: few, relatively large grants focused on student support; repeat funding to at least one core grantee (Anne Arundel Community College Foundation) rather than many small, diversified donations.
Notable grantees: Anne Arundel Community College Foundation, Alice Lloyd College, Other student-support grantees (unspecified)
Maryland is the top giving state by grant count, and 42% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent Maryland recipients include Arnold, Columbia, West River, Crownsville, Burtonsville, Hunt Valley, Severna Park, Elkridge, and Baltimore. Outside Maryland, the foundation gave to grantees in Kentucky, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Michigan, Virginia, and New York. All recorded grants in the dataset go to U.S. recipients.
Its recent grants center on student support, especially scholarships and student services for higher education. The record also includes veterans services, Ukraine crisis response, disaster relief, and area-of-greatest-need gifts to community organizations.
Yes. Anne Arundel Community College Foundation appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Alice Lloyd College appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Rebuilding Together Howard County also received gifts in both 2024 and 2025.
Typical awards are small: the 25th percentile is $1,000, the median is $1,000, and the 75th percentile is $2,000. Larger grants appear in the record, but most gifts are much closer to the median.
Maryland is the top state by grant count, and 42% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent Maryland recipients include organizations in Arnold, Columbia, West River, Burtonsville, Hunt Valley, Severna Park, Elkridge, and Baltimore.
The data points to community college student scholarships, rural/Appalachian college student support, direct financial aid and program support for undergraduate students, veteran and military family services, crisis and humanitarian response for Ukraine, and disaster relief or community emergency funds.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FOUNDATION | DURHAM, NH | $15,000 | 2026 | AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| SAMARITAN'S PURSE | BOONE, NC | $10,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT HELENE DISASTER RELIEF |
| BCA BSA | IRVING, TX | $7,500 | 2026 | SCHOLORSHIP |
| CENTERFOR ADOPTION SUPPORT AND EDUC | BURTONSVILLE, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT ANNIVERSAY GALA |
| MMYFC | BALTIMORE, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | FUNDRAISING |
| HILLSDALE COLLEGE | HILLSDALE, MI | $5,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIPS |
| NAMI HOWARD COUNTY MD | COLUMBIA, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE VERTERAN CONNECTION S |
| COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS | POINT LOOKOUT, MO | $5,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
| ALICE LLOYD COLLEGE | PIPPA PASSES, KY | $5,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS |
| PATRICK HENRY COLLEGE | PURCELLVILLE, VA | $5,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| BAY COMMUNITY HEALTH | WEST RIVER, MD | $3,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| ARAMINA FREEDOM INITIATIVE | BALTIMORE, MD | $3,000 | 2026 | PROJECT SAFE OFF THE STREETS |
| ELKRIDGE HERITAGE SOCIETY | ELKRIDGE, MD | $3,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| HOWARD COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL | COLUMBIA, MD | $3,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| TURNING POINT USA | PHOENIX, AZ | $2,500 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT | TOPEKA, KS | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| JOHNS HOPKINS CHILDREN'S CENTER | BALTIMORE, MD | $2,000 | 2026 | GIFT TO BENEIFT MATHILDE LILLY CHAE |
| HOME FOR OUR TROOPS | TAUNTON, MA | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER | RESTON, VA | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| NATIONAL RIGHT TO WORK FOUNDATION | SPRINGFIELD, VA | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| STEPHEN SILLER TUNNEL TO TOWERS FOUNDATION | STATEN ISLAND, NY | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| FRISKY'S WILDLIFE & PRIMATE SANCTUARY INC | WOODSTOCK, MD | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| ST JOSEPH INDIAN SCHOOL | CHAMBERLAIN, SD | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT MISSION |
| GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | ARLINGTON, VA | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIP |
| NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOLARS | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| LAW ENFORCEMENT LEGAL DEFENSE FUND | ALEXANDRIA, VA | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFESSION |
| TEAM BLUELINE | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| JUDICIAL WATCH INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,000 | 2026 | ARE OF GREATEST NEED |
| HOWARD COUNTY VETERANS | LISBON, MD | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT VETS FOUNDATION AND FAMILIES |
| KENNEDY KRIEGER FOUNDATION | BALTIMORE, MD | $2,000 | 2026 | IN MEMORY OF MATTHEW AND SOFIA |
| GILCHRIST CENTER HOWARD COUNTY | HUNT VALLEY, MD | $2,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT WE HONOR VETERANS PROGRAM |
| ELLICOTT CITY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPART | ELLICOTT CITY, MD | $1,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT THE AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| SUSAN B ANTHONY LIST | ARLINGTON, VA | $1,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| NEIGHBOR RIDE INC | COLUMBIA, MD | $1,000 | 2026 | TO HELP PROVIDE TRANSPORATION |
| WINTER GROWTH | ONLEY, MD | $1,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| ST JUDE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH HOSPIT | ARLINGTON, VA | $1,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| MARYLAND DENTAL ACTION COALITION | COLUMBIA, MD | $1,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| COLLEGE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| FISHER HOUSE FOUNDATION | ROCKVILLE, MD | $1,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT THE AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| DOG IS MY COPILOT | JACKSON, WY | $1,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| THE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE | ARLINGTON, VA | $1,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| MARINE TOYS FOR TOTS FOUNDATION | TRIANGLE, VA | $1,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| ELKRIDGE ASSEMBLE ROOMS INC | ELKRIDGE, MD | $1,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| SHRINERS CHILDREN'S | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| TRAVIS MANION FOUNDATION | DOYLESTOWN, PA | $1,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| STUDENTS FOR LIFE OF AMERICA | FREDERICKSBURG, VA | $1,000 | 2026 | SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED |
| WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA DONATION | COLUMBIA FALLS, ME | $500 | 2026 | SUPPORT VETERANS |
| ANNE ARUNDAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION | ARNOLD, MD | $15,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS |
| REBUILDING TOGETHER HOWARD COUNTY | COLUMBIA, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | FUNDRAISER |
| SAMARITAN'S PURSE-UKRAINE RESPONSE | BOONE, NC | $10,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT CRISIS IN UKRAINE |
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FOUNDATION
$15,000AREA OF GREATEST NEED
BCA BSA
$7,500SCHOLORSHIP
MMYFC
$5,000FUNDRAISING
SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIPS
NAMI HOWARD COUNTY MD
$5,000TO SUPPORT THE VERTERAN CONNECTION S
COLLEGE OF THE OZARKS
$5,000SUPPORT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
BAY COMMUNITY HEALTH
$3,000TO SUPPORT THE AREA OF GREATEST NEED
ARAMINA FREEDOM INITIATIVE
$3,000PROJECT SAFE OFF THE STREETS
ELKRIDGE HERITAGE SOCIETY
$3,000SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED
HOWARD COUNTY ANIMAL CONTROL
$3,000TO SUPPORT THE AREA OF GREATEST NEED
TURNING POINT USA
$2,500TO SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED
WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT
$2,000SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED
JOHNS HOPKINS CHILDREN'S CENTER
$2,000GIFT TO BENEIFT MATHILDE LILLY CHAE
HOME FOR OUR TROOPS
$2,000SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED
MEDIA RESEARCH CENTER
$2,000SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED
FRISKY'S WILDLIFE & PRIMATE SANCTUARY INC
$2,000SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED
ST JOSEPH INDIAN SCHOOL
$2,000SUPPORT MISSION
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOLARS
$2,000SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED
TEAM BLUELINE
$2,000SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED
HOWARD COUNTY VETERANS
$2,000SUPPORT VETS FOUNDATION AND FAMILIES
GILCHRIST CENTER HOWARD COUNTY
$2,000SUPPORT WE HONOR VETERANS PROGRAM
ELLICOTT CITY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPART
$1,000SUPPORT THE AREA OF GREATEST NEED
NEIGHBOR RIDE INC
$1,000TO HELP PROVIDE TRANSPORATION
WINTER GROWTH
$1,000TO SUPPORT THE AREA OF GREATEST NEED
COLLEGE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE
$1,000SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED
ELKRIDGE ASSEMBLE ROOMS INC
$1,000SUPPORT AREA OF GREATEST NEED
SHRINERS CHILDREN'S
$1,000TO SUPPORT THE AREA OF GREATEST NEED
WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA DONATION
$500SUPPORT VETERANS
ANNE ARUNDAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION
$15,000SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS
REBUILDING TOGETHER HOWARD COUNTY
$10,000FUNDRAISER