Mereo Foundation
Mereo Foundation is a private foundation based in Naperville, Illinois. Its 2025 filing reports 17 grants totaling $36,517 to charitable organizations, including organizations working in education, food assistance, Hindu community and cultural programs, disaster recovery, and animal welfare.
Mereo Foundation at a glance
In short: Mereo Foundation gave $37K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), top state Illinois. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $36,517
- +31.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +13.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,148
- +16.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,500
- Total assets
- $165,757
- -4.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (3 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Illinois (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. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Mereo 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: 1431 Kallien Avenue, Naperville, IL 60540
Phone: (630) 258-4037
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mereo Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Donors Choose (Education) ($8K). Together the top 10 received $30K.
Grant Size Distribution
53 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 53 grants of 53 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 38% of grant dollars went to recipients in Illinois, 23% to New York, 19% to Washington, DC, 4% to California, and 4% to Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Mereo Foundation open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 17 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 82% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 330% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 211% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2025). 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 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $9K (2022) to $37K (2025). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $37K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Donors Choose (Education) New York, NY | To support an organization that is committed to combating racial and socio-economic inequity in school funding. | $7,513 |
| Hindu American Foundation Washington, DC | Haf focuses on educating the public about hindus and hinduism and advocating for policies and practices that ensure the well-being of all people. | $7,001 |
| Feed My Starving Children Aurora, IL | Nonprofit organization empowering volunteers to pack meals for the malnourished in nearly 70 countries. | $2,000 |
| Feeding America Chicago, IL | Grant to 501(c)(3) organization to support ongoing not-for-profit efforts | $2,000 |
| Hesed House Aurora, IL | To feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless and give people the chance to hope again. | $2,000 |
| HTGC (Lemont Temple) Lemont, IL | Hindu temple of greater chicago, which is an enduring symbol of hindu spirituality and cultural heritage in the heart of the midwest usa | $2,000 |
| Loaves & Fishes Naperville, IL | An anti-poverty, hunger relief agency serving food and leadership services to naperville and Dupage county. | $2,000 |
| Self Realization Fellowship River Forest, IL | To disseminate among the nations a knowledge of definite scientific techniques for attaining direct personal experience of god. | $2,000 |
| Akshaya Patra USA Fremont, CA | Not-for-Profit Foundation the Strives to Eliminate Classroom Hunger. | $1,500 |
| All Hands & Hearts Mattapoisett, MA | Helps communities recover after disasters and gets children back in school | $1,500 |
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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 | $165,757 | $31,281 | $38,258 | $36,517 | 17 | $36,517 | $23,818 | $17,318 |
| 2024 | $172,734 | $71,348 | $28,595 | $27,746 | 15 | $27,746 | $61,202 | $13,879 |
| 2023 | $129,981 | $2,434 | $13,832 | $12,584 | 13 | $12,584 | $2,442 | $9,301 |
| 2022 | $141,379 | $42,876 | $10,492 | $8,502 | 8 | $8,502 | $32,949 | $6,713 |
| 2021 | $108,995 | $108,995 | — | — | — | — | $72,168 | — |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mereo Foundation reported a distributable amount of $17K 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 2025 grants include support for organizations addressing education, hunger relief, disaster recovery, religious and cultural programs, and animal welfare. For example, Feeding America describes its mission as ensuring equitable access to nutritious food; Catskill Animal Sanctuary says it rescues farmed animals and works to end their exploitation; and Barn Sanctuary says it rescues farmed animals and promotes plant-based living. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $36,517 through 17 grants. Grants ranged from $500 to $7,513, with a median grant of $1,500.
Among the larger 2025 grants were $7,513 to DonorsChoose (Education) to support an organization committed to combating racial and socioeconomic inequity in school funding, and $7,001 to Hindu American Foundation for public education about Hindus and Hinduism and advocacy. Other grants included $2,000 each to Feed My Starving Children, Feeding America, Hesed House, HTGC (Lemont Temple), Loaves & Fishes, and Self Realization Fellowship. The foundation also gave $1,500 to Akshaya Patra USA, All Hands & Hearts, and Sewa International; $1,001 to Hindu Heritage Endowment; and $1,000 each to Catskill Animal Sanctuary and Barn Sanctuary.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Sivapatham Natarajan is listed as president on the 2025 filing.
Mereo Foundation is led by Sivapatham Natarajan, President on every filing since 2021 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sivapatham Natarajan
President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Mereo Foundation
How much does Mereo Foundation give each year?
Mereo Foundation gave $37K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $28K across 15 grants.
What is Mereo Foundation's typical grant size?
Mereo Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,500, and its average grant was $2,148, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mereo Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Mereo Foundation give grants?
Mereo Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (23%) and District of Columbia (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Aurora, IL (3 grants).
Does Mereo Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Mereo Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Mereo Foundation's largest grantees?
Mereo Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Donors Choose (Education) ($7,513), Hindu American Foundation ($7,001) and Feed My Starving Children ($2,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 45% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mereo Foundation?
Mereo Foundation reported $166K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $37K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $17K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Mereo Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants include support for organizations addressing education, hunger relief, disaster recovery, religious and cultural programs, and animal welfare. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mereo 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 Mereo Foundation's EIN?
Mereo Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-2797640. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Mereo 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 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 1, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
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