Lottery Winners Who Donated Their Winnings: 3 Stories of Giving

Ahead of International Day of Charity on September 5, we’re looking at three lottery winners who donated their winnings — or part of them — to organizations, local communities and causes close to their hearts.

From giving away an entire Powerball prize to creating a foundation dedicated to supporting a hometown, these stories show how one lottery win can change more than one life.

Lottery Winners Who Donated Their Winnings: 3 Real Stories

Carrie Edwards: Giving Away the Entire $150,000 Prize

In 2025, Carrie Edwards won $150,000 playing Powerball in Virginia and quickly made an unusual decision: she would give the entire prize away.

Edwards split the money among three organizations supporting frontotemporal dementia research, access to fresh food and military families.

One of those causes was especially personal. Her husband had died from frontotemporal dementia, making the decision to support research into the disease particularly meaningful to her.

Rather than turning the Powerball win into a personal windfall, Edwards used it to support three causes that were already important in her life.

Mark and Cindy Hill: Giving Back to Their Community

In 2012, Mark and Cindy Hill won $293.7 million with Powerball in Missouri.

The couple chose to use part of their winnings to support their hometown and the people who lived there.

Their contributions helped fund a new fire station, athletic facilities and other community projects, turning part of their Powerball fortune into improvements that could be shared by their neighbors.

More than a decade later, their story remains an example of how a lottery jackpot can have an impact far beyond the people holding the winning ticket.

Pearlie Mae Smith: Turning a $429.6 Million Jackpot Into a Foundation

Another major story came in 2016, when Pearlie Mae Smith and her seven children won a $429.6 million Powerball jackpot in New Jersey.

The family later created the Smith Family Foundation, focused on giving back to their hometown of Trenton.

Through the foundation, the family has supported scholarships, education and youth programs, and community development projects, extending the impact of their lottery win well beyond their own family.

What Would You Do With a Lottery Win?

These three stories took place in different states, in different years and involved very different prizes. But they have one thing in common: the winners decided their good fortune could also help someone else.

Their stories are a reminder that a lottery win can change more than just the winner’s life.

If luck came your way with Tulotero, would you share part of your winnings with someone — or a cause that matters to you?