Ea Mellinger Educational
Ea Mellinger Educational is a private foundation based in Monmouth, Illinois. It awards scholarships to undergraduate students and makes grants to qualified charitable organizations for educational purposes.
Ea Mellinger Educational at a glance
In short: Ea Mellinger Educational gave $1.2M across 582 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in Illinois. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,188,578
- +3.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 582
- +4.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,042
- -1.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,100
- Total assets
- $24,976,538
- +7.3% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Illinois (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Ea Mellinger Educational
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s website says undergraduate applicants must live in Warren, Henderson, Knox, Mercer, Fulton, or McDonough County, Illinois. Applications are submitted online during the annual March 1–April 30 application period; current scholarship recipients are directed to use the renewal process rather than reapply. The website lists a completed application, a FAFSA Student Aid Index (SAI) page, and a recent high school or college transcript among the required materials. The 2025 filing describes the application materials as a completed form, a parents’ income statement, a FAFSA Student Aid Report page showing the Expected Family Contribution, and a transcript. The filing says awards are based primarily on academic achievement and financial need and are made at the annual scholarship committee meeting in June.
- Review Cycle
- The website’s stated application period ends April 30. The 2025 filing lists May 1 as the deadline. Both dates refer to past application cycles as of October 2, 2026.
- Deadline
- The website’s stated application period ends April 30.
- Contact
Application contact: Selection Committee
Mailing address: 1025 East Broadway, Monmouth, IL 61462
Phone: (309) 734-2419
Website: https://mellinger.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Ea Mellinger Educational funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 5 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Carl Sandburg College Foundation ($15K). Together the top 5 received $49K.
Organizations only. It also paid 577 individual scholarships ($1,139,878), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
2,796 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 2,796 grants of 2,796 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The website limits scholarship eligibility to applicants whose permanent residence is in Warren, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, Mercer, or Fulton County, Illinois. In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois; the filing also reports recipients in Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Missouri.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 582 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Ea Mellinger Educational gives
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $736K (2019) to $1.2M (2025). In 2025 it made 582 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Carl Sandburg College Foundation Galesburg, IL | GRANT | $15,000 |
| Monmouth College Monmouth, IL | GRANT | $15,000 |
| WIU Speech Language Hearing Clinic Macomb, IL | GRANT | $15,000 |
| 47 individual scholarships Recipients not named | — | $127,321 |
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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 | $24,976,538 | $1,158,638 | $1,361,984 | $1,188,578 | 582 | $1,278,008 | $932,595 | $1,183,091 |
| 2024 | $23,271,296 | $1,397,402 | $1,416,362 | $1,146,726 | 556 | $1,234,064 | $1,201,066 | $1,124,964 |
| 2023 | $22,144,208 | $1,267,856 | $1,554,954 | $1,130,257 | 581 | $1,216,838 | $1,083,774 | $1,042,672 |
| 2022 | $20,651,932 | $1,276,384 | $1,371,882 | $1,082,535 | 542 | $1,171,967 | $1,087,308 | $1,083,900 |
| 2021 | $25,255,010 | $2,085,498 | $1,167,457 | $848,824 | 535 | $929,624 | $1,894,264 | $1,198,056 |
| 2020 | $23,108,832 | $963,369 | $1,011,008 | $738,158 | 528 | — | $785,773 | $1,013,430 |
| 2019 | $21,554,871 | $700,007 | $991,899 | $735,815 | 534 | — | $531,169 | $1,018,463 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Ea Mellinger Educational reported a distributable amount of $1.2M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated mission is to award scholarships to undergraduate students attending accredited colleges and universities or accredited and/or recognized vocational schools in the United States, and to make grants to qualified charitable organizations for educational purposes.
In 2025, the foundation reported awarding scholarships to individuals and making three grants to other organizations. Among those grantees, Monmouth College describes its mission as providing a transformative educational experience in a caring community, while Carl Sandburg College Foundation says it raises and stewards charitable gifts to support Carl Sandburg College students and programs.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 582 grants totaling $1,188,578. Grants ranged from $183 to $15,000, with a median of $2,100. The filing identifies 579 scholarships to individuals and three grants to other organizations.
The largest reported grants to organizations were $15,000 each to Carl Sandburg College Foundation in Galesburg, Illinois, Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, and WIU Speech Language Hearing Clinic in Macomb, Illinois.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Gary Martin as president and trustee; Lynn R. McVey as vice president, treasurer, and trustee; Jackie Watson as secretary and trustee; and Tim Quinn and Gary Heaton as trustees.
Ea Mellinger Educational is led by Gary Martin, President & Trustee since 2020 (on filings since 2019); 4 of 5 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Gary Martin
President & Trustee
Trustee → President & Trustee, 2020
On filings since 2019
17 hrs/week
$5K (2019) → $27K (2025)
Jackie Watson
Secretary & Trustee
On filings since 2019
17 hrs/week
$33K (2019) → $34K (2025)
Lynn R. McVey
Vice President, Treasurer & Trustee
On filings since 2019
17 hrs/week
$34K (2019) → $35K (2025)
Gary Heaton
Trustee
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$4K (2021) → $4K (2025)
Tim Quinn
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Daniel G. Kistler (2019) — President & Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $35K, to Lynn R McVey (VP/Treasurer/Trustee). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Ea Mellinger Educational
How much does Ea Mellinger Educational give each year?
Ea Mellinger Educational gave $1.2M across 582 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 556 grants.
What is Ea Mellinger Educational's typical grant size?
Ea Mellinger Educational's median grant in 2025 was $2,100, and its average grant was $2,042, across 582 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Ea Mellinger Educational give grants?
Ea Mellinger Educational gives mostly in Illinois: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Galesburg, IL (3 grants).
Does Ea Mellinger Educational give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 582 grants with a stated purpose on Ea Mellinger Educational's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (579 grants) and "Grant" (3 grants).
Who are Ea Mellinger Educational's largest grantees?
Ea Mellinger Educational's largest 2025 grantees include Carl Sandburg College Foundation ($15,000), Monmouth College ($15,000) and WIU Speech Language Hearing Clinic ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 577 individual scholarships ($1,139,878), which are not listed by name. Together they received 4% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ea Mellinger Educational?
Ea Mellinger Educational reported $25.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Ea Mellinger Educational fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to award scholarships to undergraduate students attending accredited colleges and universities or accredited and/or recognized vocational schools in the United States, and to make grants to qualified charitable organizations for educational purposes. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ea Mellinger Educational?
The foundation’s website says undergraduate applicants must live in Warren, Henderson, Knox, Mercer, Fulton, or McDonough County, Illinois. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ea Mellinger Educational's EIN?
Ea Mellinger Educational's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-2428421. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 7, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ea Mellinger Educational funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ea-mellinger-educational-morg_21b2cf5d749f4915b4f289e7f312300a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_362428421_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ea Mellinger Educational funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ea-mellinger-educational-morg_21b2cf5d749f4915b4f289e7f312300a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Ea Mellinger Educational'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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