The Jim & Kristen Hamel Family Foundation concentrates philanthropic support in their local Washington County, WI community, funding a small number of relatively large grants that target family stability and education. Their giving mixes direct service/community support for families (notably homelessness prevention/shelter) with targeted education and scholarship support, including equestrian-focused scholarships tied to the USHJA. They favor a handful of substantive grants rather than many small gifts, and they repeat support for key local partners.
A repeat $40,000 commitment to Family Promise of Washington County shows the Jim & Kristen Hamel Family Foundation Inc. backing a small set of organizations with substantial grants rather than spreading support broadly. Across 2023 and 2024, the foundation’s recent giving ties together housing stability, education, and scholarship support, with recurring attention to Washington County, Wisconsin and select equestrian-related initiatives in Kentucky. It also supports family-serving education work in West Bend through Casa Guadalupe Education Center and Casa Guadalupe, while keeping a separate line of support for horse-related scholarship and program partners through USHJA, the USHJA Foundation - Hamel Scholarship Fund, and The National Horse Show. The pattern points to direct-service and project-specific philanthropy: housing help for residents facing instability, education for students and families, and scholarships connected to equestrian participation. Other grants extend that mix into school athletics, financial literacy, and animal rescue, showing a foundation that funds practical programs with defined purposes and identifiable local or niche beneficiaries.
Housing stability is a clear priority. The foundation gave $20,000 in 2024 to Habitat for Humanity of Washington & Dodge County for community support and housing, alongside repeated support for Family Promise of Washington County. Education funding appears in several forms: $30,000 in 2024 to Casa Guadalupe Education Center for education and $25,000 in 2024 to Groundwork Milwaukee for education. The foundation also backs youth development through school athletics, with $25,000 to Mitchell School Booster Club in both 2023 and 2024 for education and school athletics. Another strand is financial literacy: Secure Futures in Milwaukee received $25,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for education and financial literacy. These grants show a mix of community-based service, student support, and skills-building programs.
The foundation’s grant sizes cluster in the mid-range: p25 is $5,625, median is $20,000, and p75 is $25,000. A few larger gifts sit above that range, but many awards fall between $5,000 and $25,000. The recent record also shows repeat support to the same organizations across 2023 and 2024, indicating ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts. It funds individuals, and its giving is direct and project-specific rather than program-related investments. The foundation is organized as a family foundation, and the latest 990 year on file is 2024.
$253K
$5.2M
$359K
$268K
Most grants fall between $6K and $25K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$25K
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Concentrated giving: few, mid-to-large sized grants with repeat support for select organizations (notably Family Promise). Roughly split between community service/capacity-building and targeted education/scholarships rather than broad national grantmaking.
Notable grantees: Family Promise of Washington County, USHJA (United States Hunter Jumper Association), USHJA Foundation - Hamel Scholarship Fund, Casa Guadalupe
Most grants land in Wisconsin, which accounts for 58% of grants and is also the top state by count. West Bend appears repeatedly, including grants to Family Promise of Washington County, Casa Guadalupe, and Habitat for Humanity of Washington & Dodge County. Milwaukee, Racine, and Richfield also show up in Wisconsin awards. Outside Wisconsin, the foundation gives to Lexington, Kentucky for equestrian organizations, plus smaller grants in South Carolina, New Jersey, and Oregon. All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
Its recent grants center on housing stability, education, financial literacy, school athletics, and equestrian-related scholarships or therapy. The strongest local pattern is Washington County, Wisconsin community support, paired with named support for student and family-serving education programs.
Yes. The record includes repeat awards across 2023 and 2024 to Family Promise of Washington County, Secure Futures, Mitchell School Booster Club, Habitat for Humanity of Washington & Dodge County, Wheeler County Communities Inc, Richfield Historical Society, and others.
The grant-size distribution is centered in the middle range: p25 is $5,625, median is $20,000, and p75 is $25,000. That means many of the foundation’s gifts are sizable, with several recurring awards at $20,000 or $25,000.
Wisconsin is the main giving state, with 58% of grants going to recipients in the state. West Bend appears multiple times in the recent grants list, and Milwaukee, Racine, and Richfield also receive support.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casa Guadalupe Education Center | West Bend, WI | $50,000 | 2026 | Education |
| Habitat for Humanity of WA & Dodge Co | West Bend, WI | $30,000 | 2026 | Community Support/Housing |
| Secure Futures | Milwaukee, WI | $25,000 | 2026 | Education / Financial Literacy |
| Mitchell School Booster Club | Racine, WI | $25,000 | 2026 | Education |
| The National Horse Show (NHS) | Lexington, KY | $25,000 | 2026 | Education |
| Family Promise of Washington County | West Bend, WI | $20,000 | 2026 | Community Support |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County | West Bend, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | Community Support |
| Family Promise | West Bend, WI | $10,000 | 2026 | Community Support/Housing |
| Twickenham RFPA | Portland, OR | $10,000 | 2026 | Community Support |
| Glenayre Equestrian Program | Lumberton, NJ | $10,000 | 2026 | Equestrian Therapy |
| Danny and Ron's Rescue | Rembert, SC | $7,500 | 2026 | Animal Rescue |
| Wheeler County Fire & Rescue | Fossil, OR | $5,500 | 2026 | Community Support |
| Team Rapids | Wisconsin Rapids, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | Education/Community Support |
| Richfield Historical Society | Richfield, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | Community Support |
| Lincoln High School Matbackers | Wisconsin Rapids, WI | $5,000 | 2026 | Community Support |
| Wheeler County Communities | Mitchell, OR | $5,000 | 2026 | Community Support |
| Mattawa Clinic | Mattawa, WA | $5,000 | 2026 | Community Support |
| Habitat for Humanity | West Bend, WI | $30,000 | 2025 | Community Support/Housing |
| The National Horse Show | Lexington, KY | $25,000 | 2025 | Equestrian Therapy |
| Casa Guadalupe Education Center | West Bend, WI | $25,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Mitchell School Booster Club | Racine, WI | $25,000 | 2025 | Education |
| Secure Futures | Milwaukee, WI | $25,000 | 2025 | Education / Financial Literacy |
| Twickenham RFPA | Portland, OR | $20,000 | 2025 | Community Support |
| Family Promise of Washington County | West Bend, WI | $20,000 | 2025 | Community Support |
| Wheeler County Fire & Rescue | Mitchell, OR | $20,000 | 2025 | Community Support |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County | West Bend, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | Community Support |
| Glenayre Equestrian Program | Lumberton, NJ | $10,000 | 2025 | Equestrian Therapy |
| Danny and Ron's Rescue | Rembert, SC | $7,500 | 2025 | Animal Rescue |
| Team Rapids | Wisconsin Rapids, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | Community Support/Education |
| Wheeler County Communities | Mitchell, OR | $5,000 | 2025 | Community Support |
| Richfield Historical Society | Richfield, WI | $5,000 | 2025 | Community Support |
| Family Promise of Washington County | West Bend, WI | $40,000 | 2024 | Community Support |
| USHJA | Lexington, KY | $30,000 | 2024 | Education / Scholarships |
| The National Horse Show | Lexington, KY | $25,000 | 2024 | Education |
| Mitchell School Booster Club | Racine, WI | $25,000 | 2024 | Education / School Athletics |
| Secure Futures | Milwaukee, WI | $25,000 | 2024 | Education / Financial Literacy |
| Casa Guadalupe Education Center | West Bend, WI | $25,000 | 2024 | Education |
| Habitat for Humanity of Washington & Dodge County | West Bend, WI | $20,000 | 2024 | Community Support / Housing |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County | West Bend, WI | $10,000 | 2024 | Community Support |
| Danny & Ron's Rescue | Rembert, SC | $7,500 | 2024 | Animal Rescue |
| Glenayre Equestrian Program | Lumberton, NJ | $7,500 | 2024 | Equestrian Therapy |
| Groundwork Milwaukee | Milwaukee, WI | $5,000 | 2024 | Education |
| Wheeler County Communities Inc | Mitchell, OR | $5,000 | 2024 | Community Support |
| Richfield Historical Society | Richfield, WI | $5,000 | 2024 | Community Support |
| Wheeler County 4H Association | Fossil, OR | $1,127 | 2024 | Community Support |
| Family Promise of Washington County | West Bend, WI | $40,000 | 2023 | Community Support |
| USHJA Foundation - Hamel Scholarship Fund | Lexington, KY | $30,000 | 2023 | Education/Scholarship |
| Casa Guadalupe | West Bend, WI | $30,000 | 2023 | Education |
| Mitchell School Booster Club | Racine, WI | $25,000 | 2023 | Education/School Athletics |
| National Horse Show - Hamel Fund | Lexington, KY | $25,000 | 2023 | Education |
Habitat for Humanity of WA & Dodge Co
$30,000Community Support/Housing
Secure Futures
$25,000Education / Financial Literacy
Mitchell School Booster Club
$25,000Education
The National Horse Show (NHS)
$25,000Education
Community Support
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County
$10,000Community Support
Twickenham RFPA
$10,000Community Support
Glenayre Equestrian Program
$10,000Equestrian Therapy
Wheeler County Fire & Rescue
$5,500Community Support
Team Rapids
$5,000Education/Community Support
Richfield Historical Society
$5,000Community Support
Lincoln High School Matbackers
$5,000Community Support
Wheeler County Communities
$5,000Community Support
Mattawa Clinic
$5,000Community Support
Habitat for Humanity
$30,000Community Support/Housing
The National Horse Show
$25,000Equestrian Therapy
Mitchell School Booster Club
$25,000Education
Secure Futures
$25,000Education / Financial Literacy
Twickenham RFPA
$20,000Community Support
Wheeler County Fire & Rescue
$20,000Community Support
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County
$10,000Community Support
Glenayre Equestrian Program
$10,000Equestrian Therapy
Team Rapids
$5,000Community Support/Education
Wheeler County Communities
$5,000Community Support
Richfield Historical Society
$5,000Community Support
USHJA
$30,000Education / Scholarships
The National Horse Show
$25,000Education
Mitchell School Booster Club
$25,000Education / School Athletics
Secure Futures
$25,000Education / Financial Literacy
Habitat for Humanity of Washington & Dodge County
$20,000Community Support / Housing
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Washington County
$10,000Community Support
Glenayre Equestrian Program
$7,500Equestrian Therapy
Groundwork Milwaukee
$5,000Education
Wheeler County Communities Inc
$5,000Community Support
Richfield Historical Society
$5,000Community Support
Wheeler County 4H Association
$1,127Community Support
USHJA Foundation - Hamel Scholarship Fund
$30,000Education/Scholarship
Casa Guadalupe
$30,000Education
Mitchell School Booster Club
$25,000Education/School Athletics
National Horse Show - Hamel Fund
$25,000Education