Karen Murrell Foundation
The Karen Murrell Foundation is a private foundation based in Hamilton, Ohio. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including local schools, community organizations, and service providers.
Karen Murrell Foundation at a glance
In short: Karen Murrell Foundation gave $100K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Ohio. 23% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $99,611
- -9.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- -16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $6,641
- +8.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $1,713,917
- +3.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 23% first-time grantees (3 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (100% 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 Karen Murrell Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its filing says to request a formal application from Karen Murrell. Awards are restricted to organizations exempt under IRC 501(c)(3).
- Contact
Application contact: Karen Murrell
Mailing address: 1503 Hogue Road, Hamilton, OH 45013
Phone: (513) 868-0900
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Karen Murrell Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boys and Girls Club ($36K). Together the top 10 received $86K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($10,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 80 grants of 80 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Karen Murrell Foundation open to new grantees?
23%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 13 grantees (23%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+13%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 121% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $50K (2020) to $110K (2024). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $100K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boys and Girls Club Hamilton, OH | Operations | $35,569 |
| Badin High School Hamilton, OH | Scholarships | $16,662 |
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $10,500 |
| Good Samaratin Foundation Cincinnati, OH | Free Medical Clinic | $10,000 |
| Fenwick High School Franklin, OH | Scholarships | $5,000 |
| Neurofit Gym Hamilton, OH | Medical Equip | $5,000 |
| St Joseph School Hamilton, OH | Tuition Asst | $5,000 |
| Queen of Peace Hamilton, OH | Scholarship Fund | $3,000 |
| Caring Closet Hamilton, OH | Operations | $2,500 |
| Friends of Parks Hamilton, OH | Operations | $2,000 |
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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 | $1,713,917 | $26,509 | $109,165 | $99,611 | 15 | $99,611 | $20,960 | $82,392 |
| 2024 | $1,660,651 | $33,767 | $119,280 | $109,979 | 18 | $109,979 | $33,482 | $79,728 |
| 2023 | $1,595,929 | $31,795 | $93,557 | $84,620 | 16 | $84,620 | $89,853 | $75,406 |
| 2022 | $1,460,588 | $30,231 | $97,414 | $88,145 | 16 | $88,145 | $21,702 | $80,378 |
| 2021 | $1,815,757 | $29,841 | $84,579 | $74,960 | 15 | $74,960 | $38,099 | $83,531 |
| 2020 | $1,597,894 | $30,209 | $63,739 | $50,000 | 11 | — | $16,470 | $73,945 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Karen Murrell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $82K 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 available information does not state the foundation’s mission. Its 2025 grants include support for operations, scholarships and tuition assistance, a free medical clinic, and medical equipment. Among its grantees, NeuroFit Gym Inc. says it provides exercise and wellness classes for people with neurological disorders and the community, while Animal Adoption Foundation says it operates a no-kill shelter and provides adoption, spay/neuter, and educational programs. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $99,611 through 15 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $380 to $35,569, with a median grant of $3,000.
The largest reported grants included $35,569 to Boys and Girls Club in Hamilton for operations; $16,662 to Badin High School in Hamilton for scholarships; $10,500 to an individual recipient High School in Cincinnati for tuition assistance; and $10,000 to Good Samaritan Foundation in Cincinnati for a free medical clinic. Other grants included $5,000 each to Fenwick High School for scholarships, NeuroFit Gym for medical equipment, and St Joseph School for tuition assistance.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Karen Murrell as president and Katelyn Teeters, Serena McKinney, and Eric Murrell as board members.
Karen Murrell Foundation is led by Karen Murrell, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Karen Murrell
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Eric Murrell
Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Katelyn Teeters
Board Member
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Serena McKinney
Board Member
On filings since 2020
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 Karen Murrell Foundation
How much does Karen Murrell Foundation give each year?
Karen Murrell Foundation gave $100K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $110K across 18 grants.
What is Karen Murrell Foundation's typical grant size?
Karen Murrell Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $6,641, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Karen Murrell Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Karen Murrell Foundation give grants?
Karen Murrell Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hamilton, OH (10 grants) and Fairfield, OH (2 grants).
Does Karen Murrell Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Karen Murrell Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Operations" (4 grants).
Who are Karen Murrell Foundation's largest grantees?
Karen Murrell Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Boys and Girls Club ($35,569), Badin High School ($16,662) and Good Samaratin Foundation ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($10,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 62% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Karen Murrell Foundation?
Karen Murrell Foundation reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $100K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $82K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Karen Murrell Foundation fund?
The available information does not state the foundation’s mission. Its 2025 grants include support for operations, scholarships and tuition assistance, a free medical clinic, and medical equipment. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Karen Murrell Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Karen Murrell Foundation's EIN?
Karen Murrell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-5191390. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Karen Murrell 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Karen Murrell Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/karen-murrell-foundation-morg_dd5a3fd9f407445a8cdb9f9f84fc93f3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_825191390_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Karen Murrell Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/karen-murrell-foundation-morg_dd5a3fd9f407445a8cdb9f9f84fc93f3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Karen Murrell 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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