David and Laura Merage Foundation
The David and Laura Merage Foundation is a private foundation based in Englewood, Colorado, that says it creates opportunities for future generations through venture philanthropy. Its website describes a hands-on model combining financial investment, business acumen, and problem-solving to advance initiatives intended to create a more equitable future.
David and Laura Merage Foundation at a glance
In short: David and Laura Merage Foundation gave $3.8M across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $183K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 24% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,842,850
- +15.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- -22.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $182,993
- +48.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $70,228,632
- +1.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (5 of 21, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (73% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to David and Laura Merage Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 18 Inverness Place East, Englewood, CO 80112
Phone: (303) 789-2664
Website: https://davidlaurameragefoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who David and Laura Merage Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was National Philanthropic Trust ($2.8M). Together the top 10 received $3.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
144 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 104 grants of 144 (72%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
For 2025, the reported shares of grant dollars by recipient state were Pennsylvania, 73%, and Colorado, 27%; New York and California were each reported as 0%. The foundation’s website also describes Merage Foundation Israel as an initiative focused on Israeli citizens, but the 2025 grant-dollar state breakdown does not describe grants outside the United States.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is David and Laura Merage Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 21 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. With only 21 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $238K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 67% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+8%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 94% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.4M (2020) to $3.9M (2023). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $3.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Philanthropic Trust Jenkintown, PA | Donor Advised Fund | $2,790,000 |
| Black Cube Denver, CO | Contemporary arts and event sponsorship | $453,500 |
| Jewish Colorado Denver, CO | Jewish Community Support and event sponsorship | $165,000 |
| Early Learning Ventures Englewood, CO | Early care and education | $150,000 |
| Mental Health CO Denver, CO | Mental healthcare | $75,000 |
| RedLine Denver, CO | Event Sponsorship | $50,150 |
| Executives Partnering to Invest in Denver, CO | Early care and education | $50,000 |
| National Jewish Health Denver, CO | Event sponsorship | $25,000 |
| FJC New York, NY | Confronting antisemitism | $15,000 |
| Colorado Children's Campaign Denver, CO | Event Sponsorship | $10,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $70,228,632 | $5,338,963 | $4,664,399 | $3,842,850 | 21 | $4,583,038 | $5,293,243 | $4,866,858 |
| 2024 | $69,559,462 | $5,205,765 | $4,208,694 | $3,324,750 | 27 | $4,013,190 | $5,144,260 | $4,587,149 |
| 2023 | $68,556,997 | $5,232,415 | $4,631,678 | $3,895,730 | 29 | $4,461,999 | $5,140,855 | $4,118,961 |
| 2022 | $67,956,260 | $6,990,927 | $4,389,222 | $3,565,687 | 33 | $4,245,722 | $6,860,767 | $4,372,730 |
| 2021 | $65,354,555 | $14,064,894 | $3,245,905 | $2,437,170 | 34 | — | $3,586,223 | $4,245,982 |
| 2020 | $54,535,566 | $7,948,855 | $3,601,544 | $2,360,963 | 43 | — | $3,206,727 | $3,154,267 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, David and Laura Merage Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.9M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to create opportunities for future generations by investing in initiatives, organizations, and ideas that move society toward a more equitable future. Its website describes a focus on incubating and advancing social-impact initiatives through sustained, hands-on support.
Its initiatives include Early Learning Ventures, which the foundation describes as providing administrative support to childcare providers; Black Cube, a nomadic museum engaging audiences with contemporary art and supporting artists; and Merage Foundation Israel, which focuses on empowerment, leadership development, and community building. Other listed initiatives include RedLine Contemporary Art Center, CareForAllChildren, EPIC, and Merage Community Development.
Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the kinds of organizations receiving support. Early Learning Ventures says it works to increase access to high-quality, full-day, year-round childcare for low-income working families. RedLine says it fosters education and engagement between artists and communities to create positive social change. National Jewish Health describes its work as providing healthcare, conducting research, and educating healthcare professionals. The Colorado Children’s Campaign says it advocates for children and works to create opportunity for every child in Colorado.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 21 grants totaling $3,842,850. Grants ranged from $125 to $2,790,000, with a median of $10,000. The largest listed grant was $2,790,000 to National Philanthropic Trust for a donor-advised fund. Other notable grants included $453,500 to Black Cube for contemporary arts and event sponsorship; $165,000 to Jewish Colorado for Jewish community support and event sponsorship; $150,000 to Early Learning Ventures for early care and education; and $75,000 to Mental Health CO for mental healthcare. The foundation also gave $50,150 to RedLine for event sponsorship and $50,000 to Executives Partnering to Invest in Children for early care and education.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists David Merage as President; Laura Merage and Sabrina Naim as Vice Presidents; Michael Niyompong as Executive Director; Sue Renner as Secretary; and Rob Nelson as Treasurer.
David and Laura Merage Foundation is led by Michael Niyompong, Executive Director on every filing since 2024; 2 of 6 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael Niyompong
Executive Director
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$133K (2024) → $227K (2025)
David Merage
President
Director → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sue Renner
Secretary
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
$127K (2024) → $35K (2025)
Laura Merage
Vice President
Director → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rob Nelson
Treasurer
Vice President → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sabrina Naim
Vice President
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $227K, to Michael Niyompong (Executive Dir.). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about David and Laura Merage Foundation
How much does David and Laura Merage Foundation give each year?
David and Laura Merage Foundation gave $3.8M across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.3M across 27 grants.
What is David and Laura Merage Foundation's typical grant size?
David and Laura Merage Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $182,993, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from David and Laura Merage Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does David and Laura Merage Foundation give grants?
David and Laura Merage Foundation gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Colorado (27%). The most frequent recipient cities were Denver, CO (14 grants), Englewood, CO (2 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does David and Laura Merage Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 21 grants with a stated purpose on David and Laura Merage Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Event Sponsorship" (9 grants).
Who are David and Laura Merage Foundation's largest grantees?
David and Laura Merage Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include National Philanthropic Trust ($2,790,000), Black Cube ($453,500) and Jewish Colorado ($165,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 89% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is David and Laura Merage Foundation?
David and Laura Merage Foundation reported $70.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.6M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4.9M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does David and Laura Merage Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to create opportunities for future generations by investing in initiatives, organizations, and ideas that move society toward a more equitable future. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from David and Laura Merage Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is David and Laura Merage Foundation's EIN?
David and Laura Merage Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-0493925. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does David and Laura Merage Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 1, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 29, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). David and Laura Merage Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/david-and-laura-merage-foundation-morg_b3c467e3e8ac4c5bb60fd5f1718dbe9b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_450493925_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{David and Laura Merage Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/david-and-laura-merage-foundation-morg_b3c467e3e8ac4c5bb60fd5f1718dbe9b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from David and Laura Merage Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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