Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc
Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including theater, arts, health, and community organizations.
Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc gave $157K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $10K), mostly in New York. 6% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $156,850
- +1.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- +14.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $9,803
- -11.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $800
- Total assets
- $3,531,587
- +14.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (1 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc
- 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: 850 Park Avenue 6-A, New York, NY 10021
Phone: (212) 772-6853
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The New Group ($78K). Together the top 10 received $156K.
Grant Size Distribution
95 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 92 grants of 95 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 1% to Pennsylvania, and less than 1% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 16 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $600 repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−12%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% 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 $140K (2020) to $179K (2022). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $157K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The New Group New York, NY | Charitable Purposes | $78,000 |
| Central Synagogue New York, NY | Charitable Purposes | $36,000 |
| WHBPAC Westhampton, NY | Charitable Purposes | $30,000 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital New York, NY | Charitable Purposes | $5,000 |
| PBMC Foundation New Hyde Park, NY | Charitable Purposes | $2,500 |
| Bidawee New York, NY | Charitable Purposes | $1,000 |
| Moore College of Art Philadelphia, PA | Charitable Purposes | $1,000 |
| Peta Norfolk, VA | Charitable Purposes | $1,000 |
| Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, NY | Charitable Purposes | $600 |
| East End Hospice Camp Good Grief Westhampton Beach, NY | Charitable Purposes | $500 |
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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 | $3,531,587 | $739,623 | $199,072 | $156,850 | 16 | $161,600 | $596,496 | $169,372 |
| 2024 | $3,097,000 | $200,839 | $191,778 | $154,950 | 14 | $159,700 | $168,761 | $162,818 |
| 2023 | $3,087,939 | $184,158 | $204,419 | $167,950 | 20 | $172,400 | $151,627 | $157,859 |
| 2022 | $3,108,200 | $269,025 | $223,077 | $179,150 | 19 | $183,750 | $234,698 | $172,141 |
| 2021 | $3,062,252 | $250,433 | $213,968 | $174,128 | 26 | $178,878 | $215,343 | $184,033 |
| 2020 | $3,025,787 | $188,116 | $184,128 | $140,000 | 23 | — | $156,488 | $174,828 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $169K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grantees include organizations with varied missions: The New Group describes itself as an artist-driven company developing and producing contemporary theater; the Metropolitan Museum of Art says it collects, studies, conserves, and presents art across times and cultures; and the Quogue Fire Department describes its work as protecting life and property and responding to emergencies in its district and through mutual aid.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 14 grants totaling $154,950. Individual grants ranged from $100 to $53,500, with a median of $1,250. The largest reported awards included The New Group ($53,500), Central Synagogue ($31,850), WHBPAC ($30,000), Diabetes Research Institute FD ($20,000), and Broadway Cares ($10,000). Other reported recipients included Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital ($5,000), East End Hospice Camp Good Grief ($1,500), and Moore College of Art ($1,000). Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 16 grants totaling $156,850.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Abigail Merrill was listed as president on the 2024 filing.
Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc is led by Abigail Merrill, President on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Abigail Merrill
President
On filings since 2020
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.
Frequently asked questions about Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc
How much does Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc give each year?
Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc gave $157K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $155K across 14 grants.
What is Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $800, and its average grant was $9,803, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc that year got $3K on average.
Where does Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc give grants?
Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants), Westhampton Beach, NY (2 grants) and Quogue, NY (2 grants).
Who are Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include The New Group ($78,000), Central Synagogue ($36,000) and WHBPAC ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 92% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc?
Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc reported $3.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $162K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $169K (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 Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc?
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 Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc's EIN?
Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1711329. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/julia-and-gilbert-merrill-foundation-inc-morg_a75b850deae04eb3bbaf468aafbecd26
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521711329_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Julia \& Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/julia-and-gilbert-merrill-foundation-inc-morg_a75b850deae04eb3bbaf468aafbecd26},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-07. 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 Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc'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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