Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation
The Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation is a private foundation based in Palm Beach, Florida. Its 2025 grants supported organizations in several states, including health, arts, education, social services, and cultural organizations.
Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation at a glance
In short: Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation gave $577K across 42 grants in 2025 (avg $14K), top state Colorado. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $577,090
- +234.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 42
- +61.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,740
- +106.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,000
- Total assets
- $4,460,722
- -3.7% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Colorado (38% 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 Helen S and Merrill L Bank 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: 200 Bradley Place 305, Palm Beach, FL 33480
Phone: (410) 960-5377
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Vail Health Foundation ($130K). Together the top 10 received $377K.
Grant Size Distribution
140 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 135 grants of 140 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 38% of grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado, 22% to Florida, 20% to Maryland, 7% to New York, and 5% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 42 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation gives
- 62% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 121% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 139% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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 $173K (2024) to $577K (2025). In 2025 it made 42 grants totaling $577K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Vail Health Foundation Vail, CO | Support | $130,000 |
| Steadman Philippon Research Institu Vail, CO | Support | $55,000 |
| Palm Beach Dramaworks West Palm Beach, FL | Support | $47,290 |
| Raymond Kravis Cent for Performing West Palm Beach, FL | Support | $30,000 |
| Chautauqua Institution Chautauqua, NY | Support | $25,000 |
| New England Baptist Hospital Boston, MA | Support | $20,000 |
| Baltimore Outreach Services Baltimore, MD | Support | $19,000 |
| GBMC Baltimore, MD | Support | $18,000 |
| Garrison Forest School Owings Mills, MD | Support | $18,000 |
| Jewish Federation of Palm Beach COU West Palm Beach, FL | Support | $15,000 |
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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 | $4,460,722 | $501,780 | $668,442 | $577,090 | 42 | $668,442 | $501,780 | $482,333 |
| 2024 | $4,632,090 | $486,382 | $251,225 | $172,746 | 26 | $251,225 | $486,382 | $418,851 |
| 2023 | $4,404,920 | $205,568 | $351,199 | $267,413 | 36 | $344,738 | $199,107 | $377,463 |
| 2022 | $4,556,333 | $592,024 | $364,181 | $261,234 | 35 | $364,181 | $592,024 | $424,282 |
| 2021 | $4,389,364 | $589,132 | $489,092 | $407,516 | 1 | — | $589,132 | $375,392 |
| 2020 | $4,289,324 | $222,878 | $442,055 | $361,000 | 1 | — | $222,878 | $340,024 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation reported a distributable amount of $482K 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
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in areas such as health, performing arts, education, shelter services, public media, and reproductive health. For example, Palm Beach Dramaworks describes its work as presenting live theatre; Baltimore Outreach Services describes providing shelter and support services to women and children; and Garrison Forest School describes preparing students to thrive in a changing world.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 42 grants totaling $577,090. Grants ranged from $50 to $130,000, with a median grant of $8,000. Notable grants included $130,000 to Vail Health Foundation, $55,000 to Steadman Philippon Research Institute, $47,290 to Palm Beach Dramaworks, $30,000 to Raymond Kravis Center for Performing Arts, and $25,000 to Chautauqua Institution.
Other 2025 recipients included New England Baptist Hospital ($20,000), Baltimore Outreach Services ($19,000), GBMC ($18,000), Garrison Forest School ($18,000), Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County ($15,000), Baltimore County Humane Society ($13,000), and Children’s Hospital of Colorado Foundation ($13,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Penny Bank and Herbert M Bank as trustees.
Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; 1 of 2 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Penny Bank
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
$12K (2020) → $12K (2025)
Herbert M Bank
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.5 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 $12K, to Penny Bank (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation
How much does Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation give each year?
Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation gave $577K across 42 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $173K across 26 grants.
What is Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation's typical grant size?
Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,000, and its average grant was $13,740, across 42 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation give grants?
Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Florida (22%) and Maryland (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were Baltimore, MD (9 grants), West Palm Beach, FL (5 grants), Vail, CO (4 grants) and Denver, CO (3 grants).
Does Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 42 grants with a stated purpose on Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support" (42 grants).
Who are Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation's largest grantees?
Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Vail Health Foundation ($130,000), Steadman Philippon Research Institu ($55,000) and Palm Beach Dramaworks ($47,290), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 40% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation?
Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation reported $4.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $668K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $482K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grants included organizations working in areas such as health, performing arts, education, shelter services, public media, and reproductive health. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Helen S and Merrill L Bank 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 Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation's EIN?
Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7031791. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Helen S and Merrill L Bank 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/helen-s-and-merrill-l-bank-foundation-morg_d94263a1093d4b00a07d4157fc6299f2
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237031791_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Helen S and Merrill L Bank Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/helen-s-and-merrill-l-bank-foundation-morg_d94263a1093d4b00a07d4157fc6299f2},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Helen S and Merrill L Bank 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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