Durham Merchants Association

Foundation · Grantmaker Durham, NC EIN: 56-1651068

The Durham Merchants Association Charitable Foundation is a private foundation established in 1989 in Durham, North Carolina. It operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and distributes grants to tax-exempt charitable organizations, primarily within Durham County and the broader North Carolina region.

Key facts about Durham Merchants Association

EIN: 56-1651068
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $167,843
Grants made (2024): 39
Average grant: $4,304
Median grant: $4,000
New grantees (estimate): 23% first-time grantees (9 of 39, 2024)
Total assets: $2,748,707
Primary geography: North Carolina (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals: No
How to apply: The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Durham Merchants Association funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Durham Merchants Association's 39 itemized 2024 grants were North Carolina (100%). The most frequent recipient cities were Durham, NC (35 grants) and Raleigh, NC (4 grants). 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.

Is Durham Merchants Association open to new grantees?

23%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 9 of 39 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $5K. How we count

Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.

64% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−19%). Method
In 2024 it paid out 102% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Next steps with Durham Merchants Association

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$2.7M

+7.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$168K

+0.7% YoY

Grant Count

-2.5% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$4K

+3.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Durham Merchants Association reported a distributable amount of $169K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation primarily supports social services and human services organizations. Recent grant distribution patterns show:

Social & Human Services: 39% of giving
Education: 19% of giving
Health: 12% of giving

The foundation focuses on general support for preselected charitable organizations rather than specific programmatic initiatives.

Grantmaking

Grant Range

$250–$15,000

Review Cycle

How to Apply

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation distributes grants with a national scope, though it primarily supports organizations in Durham County, North Carolina and the surrounding region. It does not fund requests outside its geographic area of focus.

Grant Distribution by State

North Carolina $168K (100%)

Share of all 39 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

North Carolina

Cities

DurhamRaleighCaryChapel HillMorrisville

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Total Assets: $2,748,707 (2024)
Total Revenues: $411,816 (2024)
Total Expenses: $229,389 (2024)
Total Giving: $167,843 (2024)

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$2,748,707	$2,566,127	$2,668,625
Revenue	$411,816	$123,861	$273,344
Expenses	$229,389	$226,654	$267,071
Qualifying Distributions	$172,004	$169,321	$214,722
Net Investment Income	$354,431	$66,965	$231,458
Distributable Amount	$168,610	$159,935	$164,460

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 1, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

168 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Urban Ministries of Durham ($15,000), Boys & Girls Club of Greater Durham ($9,560), Caring House ($8,500).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
URBAN MINISTRIES OF DURHAM Durham, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$15,000
BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF GREATER DURHAM Durham, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$9,560
CARING HOUSE Durham, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$8,500
MEALS ON WHEELS OF DURHAM Durham, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$8,000
FAMILIES MOVING FORWARD Durham, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$7,200
HOUSING FOR NEW HOPE Durham, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$7,000
THE SALVATION ARMY OF DURHAM Durham, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$7,000
YMCA OF THE TRIANGLE AREA Raleigh, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$6,000
LATINO EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT PARTNERSHIP Durham, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$6,000
AUTISM SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY CENTER Durham, NC	GENERAL SUPPORT	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Steve Hancock, Executive Director
Alex Sykes, Director
Cindie Diehl, Director
Dede Brockwell, Secretary
Jeff Hendriks, Vice President
Jeff Stewart, Treasurer
Joye Speight, Director
Kirk West, Director

The foundation is supported by Durham Merchants Assn., Inc.

Compensation Overview

From 2022 IRS filing

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Jeff Hendriks	President	—	—
Steve Hancock	Executive Director	10	—
Dede Brockwell	Secretary	—	—
Kirk West	Vice President	—	—
Alex Sykes	Director	—	—
Joye Speight	Treasurer	—	—
Nancy Brown	Director	—	—
Pilar Rocha-Goldberg	Director	—	—
Seth Jernigan	Director	—	—
Kelly Misenheimer	Director	—	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Durham Merchants Association fund?

The foundation primarily supports social services and human services organizations. Recent grant distribution patterns show: • **Social & Human Services**: 39% of giving • **Education**: 19% of giving • **Health**: 12% of giving The foundation focuses on general support for preselected charitable organizations rather than specific programmatic initiatives.

How do I apply for a grant from Durham Merchants Association?

The foundation only makes contributions 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 ↑

Where does Durham Merchants Association make grants?

What size grants does Durham Merchants Association award?

In 2024, Durham Merchants Association awarded 39 grants totaling $168K — an average of about $4K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Durham Merchants Association required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Durham Merchants Association reported a distributable amount of $169K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.