The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust

What The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust does

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust is a private philanthropic foundation established following the estate of Leona and Harry Helmsley that began active grantmaking in 2008. Headquartered in New York City with a second office in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the trust operates across six programmatic focus areas: Crohn's Disease, Israel, Rural Healthcare, Type 1 Diabetes, Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa, and New York City. The trust distributes grants by invitation only to qualified organizations, with no public pricing, no commercial product lines, and no traditional revenue generation.

Cumulatively, Helmsley has committed over $4.6 billion in grants since 2008, with the Type 1 Diabetes program exceeding $1 billion (making it the largest private foundation funder globally for T1D) and the Rural Healthcare program exceeding $850 million since 2009, including a disclosed $84 million expected in the current fiscal year. Recent large commitments include $20 million to Intermountain Health for pediatric behavioral health in Nevada, $29 million to the Weizmann Institute of Science, $11.9 million to Fika for rural Ethiopia trail infrastructure, and $10.2 million to Kuakini Health System for diagnostic imaging in Hawaii. The trust also deploys program-related investments (e.g., $4.85 million total in TIXiMED for T1D oral therapy) alongside traditional grants and seeds ecosystem entities such as Blue Circle Health and Civica's rural hospital insulin initiative.

The organization employs 51-100 staff across its two offices and is led by Trustee Walter Panzirer (grandson of Leona Helmsley) and CEO Sarah Paul. Its operating model is curatorial and proactive: programs are managed vertically with deep subject-matter teams, grantees are sourced through targeted outreach rather than open RFPs, and multi-year, multi-million-dollar commitments are paired with operational support (e.g., telehealth platforms, equipment procurement, training). Geographic reach spans the United States (with emphasis on the upper Midwest, Mountain West, Hawaii, and U.S. Pacific territories), Sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Zambia, Rwanda, Uganda, and others), and Israel.

Name

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust

Legal name

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust

Website

https://helmsleytrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust is a private philanthropic foundation that distributes invitation-only grants across six focus areas: Crohn's Disease, Israel, Rural Healthcare, Type 1 Diabetes, Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa, and New York City, with over $4.6 billion committed since 2008.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Healthcare foundation
• Rural healthcare funding
• Medical research grants
• Humanitarian aid programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sioux Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Helmsley Charitable Trust provides philanthropic grants to healthcare and humanitarian organizations across six program focus areas: Crohn's Disease, Israel, Rural Healthcare, Type 1 Diabetes, Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa, and New York City. The Trust commits capital to hospitals, research institutions, and nonprofits for infrastructure, equipment, medical research, telehealth, and community programs, having awarded over $4.6 billion since 2008. Grant proposals are accepted by invitation only, with the Trust proactively identifying and supporting qualified partners aligned with its focus areas.

Product overview

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust is a philanthropic organization that does not offer commercial products or services. Rather, the Trust operates as a charitable grant-making foundation with six distinct program focus areas: Crohn's Disease, Israel, Rural Healthcare, Type 1 Diabetes, Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa, and New York City. The Trust provides grants to organizations and initiatives rather than selling products or services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crohn's Disease Program A research-focused grantmaking program that funds academic and medical research institutions to advance the understanding of Crohn's disease and develop curative therapies. For researchers, principal investigators, and institutions working on fibrotic complications and disease mechanisms.
• Israel Program A grantmaking program that strengthens the health, safety, and security of the people of Israel through capital and operating support to Israeli medical organizations and research institutions. Recipients include Hadassah Medical Organization and the Weizmann Institute of Science.
• Rural Healthcare Program The Trust's largest geographic grantmaking program, which has committed over $850 million since 2009 to improve access to quality healthcare in rural U.S. communities. Funds telemedicine, cancer care, cardiac services, mental health programs, behavioral health, equipment purchases, and facility construction at rural and critical access hospitals.
• Type 1 Diabetes Program The Trust's largest program by total commitments (over $1 billion), funding T1D research, therapy development, AI-powered diabetes management, continuous glucose monitor (CGM) access, and free virtual care programs such as Blue Circle Health for adults with T1D. The world's largest private foundation funder focused on Type 1 Diabetes.
• Vulnerable Children in Sub-Saharan Africa Program A grantmaking program that funds holistic programs supporting children and families in remote sub-Saharan African communities. Investments address food security, cooperative agribusiness, rural infrastructure (trail bridges), drinking water access in schools and clinics, neglected tropical disease elimination, obstetric fistula eradication, and satellite-data tools for development.
• New York City Program A place-based grantmaking program that invests in the health and stability of New York City's most critically underserved populations. Funds nonprofits piloting innovative models for stabilizing health, behavioral health, and housing among high-acuity individuals experiencing homelessness and complex needs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90 lives saved since 2021 through North Dakota Law Enforcement AED Project
• +4 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fika (formerly Bridges to Prosperity)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2026$11.9 million grant to support the third phase of the Transformative Rural Access for Improved Livelihoods (TRAIL) program in Ethiopia. The three-year investment runs from October 2025 through September 2028. Previous phases constructed 135 trail bridges connecting 2.6+ million rural Ethiopians. Phase III targets construction of at least 198 additional trail bridges and expansion to a sixth region.
• Intermountain HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 May 2026$20 million commitment to expand pediatric behavioral health specialty services in Nevada - one of the largest philanthropic investments of its kind in Nevada history. Will support a comprehensive behavioral healthcare model expanding access, improving continuity of care, and delivering evidence-based treatment across the full continuum of pediatric mental health.
• Civica FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Helmsley granted $3.2 million to fund the Civica Rural Hospital Program, a three-year pilot launching across nine states (Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming) to expand rural hospitals' access to essential generic medicines. The program covers per-bed membership fees for eligible rural and critical access hospitals and is expected to support approximately 225 rural hospitals representing about 6,750 hospital beds.
• NurucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2026$7.5 million three-year grant to launch a cross-border initiative strengthening cooperative agribusinesses in Burkina Faso and Ghana. Targets 99,000 people and 85 cooperative agribusinesses across the Nahouri Province of Burkina Faso and the western half of Ghana's Upper East Region. Builds on over a decade of partnership in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Burkina Faso.
• END FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2026$1.375 million two-year emergency grant for visceral leishmaniasis program coordinated by WHO in nine eastern African countries (Ethiopia, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan). Enables diagnostic equipment for approximately 68,000 people and treatments for more than 32,000 people.
• Blue Circle HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit serving adults with type 1 diabetes, funded into existence by Helmsley. Operates a free virtual six-month care program that has helped over 1,250 people across 20 states plus Washington D.C. since its January 2024 launch. Program includes endocrinology care, diabetes education, insurance navigation, behavioral health services, peer support, and financial assistance for T1D medications and supplies. Recognized by the American Diabetes Association.
• Knoxville Hospital & ClinicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$3.5 million grant to purchase a TrueBeam linear accelerator for the South Central Iowa Radiation Center. The radiation center is a joint project between KHC and Pella Regional Health Center, representing the first time two Iowa hospitals have partnered to provide radiation therapy services. Expected completion early 2027.
• Central Montana Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$9 million grant supporting the opening of a new comprehensive cancer center in Lewistown, Montana. The 16,700-square-foot center provides radiation oncology services in addition to medical and surgical oncology. The center is the only comprehensive cancer center within a 100-mile radius.
• Kuakini Health SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$10.2 million grant to replace imaging equipment and expand access to advanced diagnostic services. Funds installation of new MRI system and digital PET/CT scanner for detecting, diagnosing, and treating cancer, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular disease.
• Kaiser Permanente HawaiicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$5 million grant supporting the Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Cancer Center at Moanalua Medical Center. Funding provides significant funding for infusion bays and patient care areas within a new, expanded hematology and medical oncology wing. The 12,500-square-foot center will be nearly triple the size of existing space.
• Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CNMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMore than $8.6 million grant to expand and modernize the islands' sole hospital-based surgical department. Project expands surgery department from approximately 2,300 to 4,500 square feet, supporting additional operating suites with advanced surgical technologies.
• Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner$4.2 million three-year grant to pilot models expanding access to continuous glucose monitors (CGM) for people living with insulin-requiring diabetes. Five pilot projects launching October 2025 through September 2028, generating proof of concept for payer-led strategies to expand CGM access.
• University of Virginia School of Data SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on $4.7 million project for AI-powered diabetes management led by researcher Heman Shakeri. Collaboration between UVA, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, and UCSF, with industry partners Tandem Diabetes Care and Arecor providing in-kind contributions.
• Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police (WASCOP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNearly $2.4 million grant to help Wyoming law enforcement officers provide residents in crisis with 24/7 access to behavioral health professionals via telehealth. Virtual Crisis Care equips officers with tablets to connect people in crisis to trained experts for de-escalation, assessment, and stabilization.
• North Dakota Health and Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$4.3 million grant funding the North Dakota Law Enforcement AED Project, providing 1,700 AEDs to local, state, tribal, and federal agencies since 2021. Project credited with saving 90 lives. Provides not only equipment but also training to effectively use the devices.
• Uptime GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding support for SafeManzi program delivering reliable drinking water to rural schools and clinics in Zambia. Pilot in 100 government schools and clinics in Mumbwa District provided 70,000 pupils and patients with reliable water. New funding supports scaling to 1,500 schools and clinics in Central Province.
• Digital Earth AfricacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding the transition of Digital Earth Africa program to African ownership. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) appointed as long-term owner. DE Africa provides free, analysis-ready satellite data enabling better decision-making across flooding, drought, agriculture, water quality, and land use.
• Reaching the Last Mile Fund (RLMF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner$4,130,500 investment to fund treatment and elimination of river blindness and lymphatic filariasis in Malawi, Rwanda, and Guinea Bissau over three years. Part of $100 million partnership launched by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
• SightSaverscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$2,193,748 grant to banish trachoma from Zambia by December 2025. Supports Zambia's Ministry of Health in eliminating the disease in 33 trachoma-endemic districts covering 3.6 million people.
• Hadassah Medical OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for Hadassah-Helmsley Netivot, a new center providing advanced medical care for residents of Netivot and communities in the south of Israel.
• National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding to advance high-quality diabetes care through a learning collaborative focused on measuring patient engagement in healthcare settings. Initiative brings together leading healthcare organizations to develop best practices in digital wellness, condition management, and patient engagement strategies.
• Healing Hands of JoycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$1 million grant funding documentary and organizational support to eliminate obstetric fistula in Ethiopia. Supports training Safe Motherhood Ambassadors, facilitating surgical repairs, and providing comprehensive support programs for survivors.
• International Water Management Institute (IWMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Digital Innovations for Water Secure Africa (DIWASA) initiative combining Earth observation, AI, and advanced data analytics to improve water planning across the continent. Developed Digital Twin of Limpopo River Basin providing near real-time insights.
• Pulitzer CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding EMMA Radio & TV Media production of four-part participatory radio series on Ethiopia's Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Series reached over 300,000 listeners across 12 partner stations.
• CivicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit generic drug company created by hospitals to combat medication shortages. Helmsley has supported Civica's efforts to make insulin more affordable since 2022, including availability of Civica insulin glargine at the lowest list price in the long-acting insulin market.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• JDRF (formerly Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation): Leading global Type 1 Diabetes research and advocacy organization. Direct peer in Helmsley's largest focus area — JDRF is a co-funder of the UVA AI diabetes management project and competes for T1D scientific talent and grantees. Most direct functional peer for the T1D program specifically.
• Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF UK): Global T1D research funder co-funding the UVA AI diabetes project alongside Helmsley. Direct peer in the T1D funding ecosystem, comparable in mission and grantee overlap, though smaller in absolute T1D commitment than Helmsley.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: U.S. health-focused private foundation with a long history of multi-billion-dollar grantmaking across healthcare access, rural health, and chronic disease. Highly comparable as a peer health-focused foundation of similar vintage and programmatic breadth, though RWJF is somewhat larger and more U.S.-system-oriented.

Others

• The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust — Sister: David H. Koch Charitable Foundation (historical reference): Historical peer estate-funded private foundation of comparable scale during its active giving phase. Comparable as a peer estate-funded U.S. private foundation with multi-vertical programmatic architecture.

Broad incumbents

• Bloomberg Philanthropies: Major U.S. private foundation with multi-vertical grantmaking including public health, environment, and cities. Directly comparable in scale and vertical breadth, with overlapping public health and global health portfolios; comparable in operating model (centralized strategy, large multi-year grants).
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: Largest private philanthropic foundation in the world, with similarly multi-vertical grantmaking spanning global health, development, and U.S. education. Directly comparable as a peer mega-foundation operating with comparable scale, multi-area program architecture, and data-driven grant strategy; Helmsley is materially smaller and more U.S.-rural-focused.
• Ford Foundation: Historic U.S. private foundation with multi-billion-dollar grantmaking across inequality, civic engagement, and global development. Comparable as a peer legacy foundation operating at similar scale across multiple verticals, with overlapping interests in Sub-Saharan Africa and underserved populations.
• Lilly Endowment: One of the largest U.S. private foundations, with a similarly broad program portfolio spanning community development, education, and religion. Comparable as a large multi-vertical U.S. private foundation operating at similar check size, though with a different vertical mix (more education/religion vs. Helmsley's health/place-based mix).
• Andrew W. Mellon Foundation: Large U.S. private foundation with multi-vertical grantmaking in arts, humanities, and higher education. Comparable as a peer legacy multi-vertical private foundation at similar scale, though with a different thematic mix (cultural vs. health/humanitarian).
• Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation: Major U.S. private foundation with multi-billion-dollar grantmaking across science, environmental conservation, and patient care improvement. Comparable as a peer large multi-vertical U.S. foundation with overlapping interests in healthcare systems improvement and data-driven grantmaking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HelmsleyTrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments26 records

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Frequently asked questions about The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust