Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc
Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Its 2025 grants supported organizations working in areas including medical research, education, media, and public policy, as well as organizations receiving operating support.
Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc gave $1.9M across 45 grants in 2025 (avg $43K), top state Louisiana. 62% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,928,400
- +0.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 45
- +200.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $42,853
- -66.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $34,626,077
- -1.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 62% first-time grantees (28 of 45, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Louisiana (30% 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 Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Applicants should contact Maryjo Cohen and submit a letter with a proposed budget. The stated preference is for Northwest Wisconsin charities, with Eau Claire and Chippewa counties preferred.
- Review Cycle
- December 1.
- Deadline
- December 1.
- Contact
Application contact: Maryjo Cohen
Mailing address: 3925 N Hastings Way, Eau Claire, WI 54703
Phone: (715) 839-2139
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wyes New Orleans ($575K). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
140 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 92 grants of 140 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Louisiana (30%), Minnesota (23%), and Pennsylvania (16%), followed by California (7%) and New York (6%). The foundation also states a preference for Northwest Wisconsin charities, particularly those in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 45 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
62%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 28 of 45 grantees (62%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $94K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $25K repeat.
- 18% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−8%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 98% 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 $1.9M (2024) to $5.2M (2020). In 2025 it made 45 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wyes New Orleans New Orleans, LA | Operating Funds | $575,000 |
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | Melanoma Research | $400,000 |
| Center for Independent Thought Bala Cynwyd, PA | Operating Funds | $250,000 |
| Prager University Foundation Sherman Oaks, CA | Operating Funds | $100,000 |
| Free to Choose Network Inc Erie, PA | Operating Funds | $50,000 |
| Friends of the Israel Defense Force New York, NY | Medical Equipment and Supplies | $50,000 |
| Friends of United Hatzalah New York, NY | Medical Equipment and Supplies | $50,000 |
| Torah Academy of Minneapolis St Louis Park, MN | Scholarships | $50,000 |
| Wisc Institute for Law & Liberty Milwaukee, WI | Operating Funds | $50,000 |
| Zaka TEL Aviv Jackson Township, NJ | Medical Equipment and Supplies | $50,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc?
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 | $34,626,077 | $1,603,612 | $2,009,690 | $1,928,400 | 45 | $1,938,534 | $1,554,083 | $1,981,374 |
| 2024 | $35,031,722 | $2,016,357 | $2,008,767 | $1,924,100 | 15 | $1,933,833 | $1,968,815 | $1,938,827 |
| 2023 | $35,024,613 | $1,869,560 | $2,060,920 | $1,981,300 | 28 | $1,990,520 | $1,824,546 | $1,934,823 |
| 2022 | $35,218,156 | $767,906 | $2,163,769 | $2,105,500 | 27 | $2,113,751 | $728,017 | $1,988,452 |
| 2021 | $36,613,228 | $476,716 | $2,335,859 | $2,277,100 | 25 | $2,286,054 | $432,949 | $2,114,098 |
| 2020 | $38,472,371 | $788,445 | $5,338,994 | $5,245,500 | 25 | — | $739,326 | $2,310,550 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $2.0M 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 grants show support for activities including melanoma research, scholarships, medical equipment and supplies, and operating funds. Among its grantees, Mayo Clinic describes its mission as providing patient care, education, and research to contribute to health and well-being. Center for Independent Thought says it works to expand awareness of individual liberty, free markets, and peace.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 45 grants totaling $1,928,400. Grants ranged from $100 to $575,000, with a median grant of $10,000. The largest awards included $575,000 to WYES New Orleans for operating funds, $400,000 to Mayo Clinic for melanoma research, and $250,000 to Center for Independent Thought for operating funds. Other 2025 grants included $100,000 to Prager University Foundation for operating funds and $50,000 each to Free to Choose Network, Friends of the Israel Defense Force, Friends of United Hatzalah, Torah Academy of Minneapolis, WISC Institute for Law & Liberty, and ZAKA Tel Aviv.
In 2024, the foundation gave Mayo Clinic $377,000, Center for Independent Thought $250,000, and Free to Choose Network $225,000. Free to Choose Network describes its mission as using accessible media to promote the view that individuals and societies flourish when people are free to choose how to live and pursue happiness ethically.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Maryjo Cohen as president; Randy F Lieble as vice president and treasurer; Jeff Madson as secretary and director; Amy Alpine as director; and Melissa Nyhus as assistant secretary and assistant secretary.
Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc is led by Maryjo Cohen, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 5 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Maryjo Cohen
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Randy F. Lieble
V President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Amy Alpine
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Melissa Nyhus
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2020
15 hrs/week
$42K (2022) → $52K (2025)
Jeff Madson
Secretary & D
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $52K, to Melissa Nyhus (Asst Sec, as).
Frequently asked questions about Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc
How much does Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc give each year?
Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc gave $1.9M across 45 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.9M across 15 grants.
What is Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $42,853, across 45 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc that year got $12K on average.
Where does Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc give grants?
Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc's top state is Louisiana, with 30% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Minnesota (23%) and Pennsylvania (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (8 grants), New York, NY (5 grants), Arlington, VA (3 grants) and Eau Claire, WI (3 grants).
Does Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 71% of Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (32 of 45) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Medical Equipment and Supplies" (3 grants).
Who are Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Wyes New Orleans ($575,000), Mayo Clinic ($400,000) and Center for Independent Thought ($250,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc?
Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc reported $34.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.9M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.0M (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 Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants show support for activities including melanoma research, scholarships, medical equipment and supplies, and operating funds. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc?
The foundation states that it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc's EIN?
Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-6075009. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
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 16, 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 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/melvin-s-cohen-foundation-inc-morg_53f56903f23546e5bccde450d9f257a7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_396075009_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Melvin S Cohen Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/melvin-s-cohen-foundation-inc-morg_53f56903f23546e5bccde450d9f257a7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Melvin S Cohen 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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