The Hand Foundation Incorporated

The Hand Foundation Incorporated is a family foundation rooted in the agricultural Glades community of Palm Beach County, Florida. Founded in 1988 by Homer and Frances (Dolly) Hand, the organization operated for more than three decades as a lean scholarship vehicle — annual contributions flowing in and directly out as student awards — with assets rarely exceeding $40,000 at year-end. A $163.5 million capital infusion in fiscal year 2024 changed that entirely, transforming the foundation into a substantially endowed institution with $167 million in assets and the capacity to give $3–5 million annually in perpetuity.

The foundation runs two distinct programs. The Student Grant Program awards multi-year scholarships to full-time students at accredited colleges, universities, or trade schools, renewable for up to four years (eight semesters). Selection weighs financial need and merit in a holistic review. Critically, prospective students must first submit a Letter of Interest describing their personal background, academic goals, and college objectives before the formal application is extended. This pre-qualification step is not optional — it is the gateway to the process.

The Organizational Grant Program is explicitly staged. The foundation directs new applicants to Emerging grants (up to $100,000) before pursuing Transformational Capital grants (over $100,000, often multi-year for facilities or physical assets). The most competitive proposals, per the foundation's own language, "demonstrate a complete analysis that validates the program or project's impact, need, and viability." Required documents include the IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, project and operating budgets, most recent Form 990, board list, and optional support letters.

Historically, the only institutional grantee appearing repeatedly in IRS records is Junior Achievement of South Florida ($15,000 cumulative across multiple cycles) — a direct signal that career readiness, financial literacy, and youth development for underserved students align with the Hand family's core values. Organizations whose missions bridge educational access and economic mobility for Palm Beach County communities are best positioned. With the foundation actively hiring staff and expanding infrastructure, 2025–2026 represents an opportune window for nonprofits to initiate contact before the organizational pipeline fills.

The Hand Foundation's financial history divides cleanly into two eras: pre-2024 (a lean pass-through scholarship vehicle) and post-2024 (a substantially endowed private foundation).

Pre-2024 giving trajectory (grants paid): - 2011: $185,000 - 2012: $191,245 - 2013: $250,000 - 2014: $270,000 (historical peak) - 2015: $265,000 - 2019: $210,750 - 2020: $180,000 - 2021: $192,500 - 2022: $146,500

Each year, contributions received and grants disbursed balanced closely, with year-end assets held below $40,000. This pass-through structure meant funding levels fluctuated with donor intent year to year.

Post-2024 transformation: A single $163.5 million contribution in FY2024 pushed assets to $167 million. Charitable disbursements that year reached approximately $3 million — a 20x increase over 2022. Investment income now provides ~$4.2 million annually ($4.1M in dividends, $128K in interest), establishing a sustainable baseline for $3–5 million in annual giving independent of future contributions.

Individual grant profile (historical): Average award: $2,743 | Median award: $3,000 | Range: $1,000–$10,000 | 177 total grants recorded. Multi-year renewals are the norm: most students received grants across two to three consecutive years, with some receiving up to five grant cycles. The most-funded individual received $30,000 cumulative over three years; several others received $9,000–$12,000 across three-year periods. These are tuition supplements, not full-ride scholarships.

Geography: 170 of 177 recorded grants (96%) went to Florida-based recipients. Remaining awards reached Oklahoma (3), North Carolina (2), New Jersey (1), and Illinois (1) — consistent with students who enrolled at out-of-state institutions.

Sector breakdown: All 177 recorded grants are classified as "Educational." No awards to health, arts, environment, or human services appear in public records through 2022.

Institutional giving: Junior Achievement is the only non-individual grantee with a recurring presence ($15,000 cumulative). The organizational grant program was minimal historically; the newly formalized two-tier structure (Emerging up to $100K, Transformational over $100K) represents the foundation's first serious investment in organizational grantmaking at scale.

The table below compares The Hand Foundation Incorporated to three peer funders active in Palm Beach County and Florida's educational philanthropy landscape. Asset and giving figures for comparators are drawn from publicly available Form 990 data and foundation websites; estimates are noted.

The Hand Foundation distinguishes itself through an unusual dual mandate — micro-scholarships for individuals alongside organizational capital grants — anchored to a single community-rooted mission in the Glades. Against the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, Hand is geographically tighter, programmatically simpler, and notably more accessible through its open portal model. Compared to Quantum Foundation, which historically operates through invited or relationship-driven processes, Hand's published portal gives smaller organizations a clear entry point. Unlike Jessie Ball duPont Fund, which requires an invitation, The Hand Foundation's open application process is a meaningful accessibility advantage — particularly given the foundation's rapid growth and the likelihood that organizational grant competition has not yet reached peak intensity.

The defining event in The Hand Foundation's recent history is the $163.5 million capital contribution received in fiscal year 2024, which transformed a modest scholarship operation into one of Palm Beach County's more substantial private foundations. Prior to 2024, year-end assets had never exceeded $40,000 in any recorded fiscal year. The magnitude of this infusion — representing more than 1,000 times the foundation's prior asset base — suggests a major estate gift, likely connected to the Hand family.

The 2024 Form 990 also documents the first-ever officer compensation in the foundation's history: Secretary/Treasurer Ruben Ledesma Jr. received $119,187, and total officer compensation reached $327,752 across the leadership team. All prior filings showed $0 in officer compensation, indicating the foundation was run entirely by volunteers. Wesley Ledesma now serves as Executive Director and primary external contact (info@handfoundationinc.org, (561) 567-9245), a new role consistent with the foundation's shift toward professional administration.

The Submittable-based application portal (thehandfoundationinc.submittable.com/submit) and an updated website at handfoundationinc.org represent infrastructure investments made alongside the capital infusion. No formal annual report, press release, or social media presence for the foundation was identified through searches conducted in early 2026. Contact with the organization is currently best made directly by phone or email. The board of directors includes Homer J. Hand (President), Frances R. Hand (Vice President), Ruben Ledesma Jr. (Secretary/Treasurer), Paul Orsenigo (Vice President), and directors Patrick T. Altman, P. Derek Orsenigo, Wesley A. Ledesma, and Thomas L. Altman.

For organizational applicants:

• Stage your ask deliberately. The foundation explicitly routes first-time organizational applicants to Emerging grants (up to $100,000). Arriving with a Transformational Capital request as your opening move signals a misunderstanding of how the foundation builds relationships — and will likely result in a pass. Earn your seat at the larger table through a smaller initial award and demonstrated stewardship.

• Localize your proposal to Palm Beach County and the Glades. The foundation was built around the Belle Glade–Pahokee–South Bay corridor and the Palm Beach County community. Organizations operating in or directly serving this geography have a structural advantage. If your work touches this region — even peripherally — make that connection explicit in your narrative.

• Use the foundation's own language: impact, need, and viability. Published selection criteria identify this triad as the basis for a competitive proposal. Translate it into specific commitments: cite local poverty or educational attainment data to establish need; detail a theory of change with measurable outcomes to demonstrate impact; show financial health (audited statements, operating reserves, diversified revenue) to prove viability.

• Junior Achievement's track record points to what resonates. Career readiness, financial literacy, and youth development for underserved students are the categories where the foundation has a documented track record of giving at the institutional level. Organizations working at the intersection of education and economic mobility — particularly for young people — are in the strongest alignment.

• Have your documents organized before you start the Submittable application. The required package includes: IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, project budget, current operating budget, most recent Form 990, board and officer list, and any relevant partner agreements. Support letters from civic or community partners, while optional, add credibility.

• Call or email before submitting. No published deadlines exist for the organizational program. A brief introductory call to Wesley Ledesma at (561) 567-9245 or info@handfoundationinc.org serves multiple purposes: confirms the current cycle is active, clarifies which grant tier is appropriate, and puts your organization's name on the foundation's radar ahead of your formal submission.

For student applicants:

• Lead with your Letter of Interest. The LOI is the required first step — without it, the formal application is not accessible. Be specific about your personal background, the field you intend to study, your financial circumstances, and your connection to the Glades or Palm Beach County community. Vague statements of ambition will not differentiate you in a competitive pool.

• Plan for multi-year renewal. The program covers up to eight semesters. Treat your first award as the start of a relationship, not a one-time transaction — subsequent years require reapplication, and maintaining contact with the foundation between semesters reinforces your commitment.