Meriden Foundation
The Meriden Foundation is a private foundation based in Waterbury, Connecticut. Founded in 1932, it supports the well-being of Meriden residents and the surrounding area through scholarships for local high school students and grants to charitable organizations.
Meriden Foundation at a glance
In short: Meriden Foundation gave $1.2M across 156 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in Connecticut. 8% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,235,560
- +9.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 156
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,920
- +9.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $19,927,159
- -2.5% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 8% first-time grantees (6 of 76, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (85% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Meriden Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s filing lists Paul M. McAfee at Webster Bank NA as the contact for applications. Grant requests must be in writing on organizational letterhead and state their purpose. The online application process also requires an account and supporting materials. Scholarship applicants must provide proof of qualifications and a completed application.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 filing lists no deadlines. The website says the grant window opens in early fall, with awards made by year-end.
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing lists no deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Paul M Mcafee Webster Bank Na
Mailing address: 123 Bank Street, Waterbury, CT 06702
Phone: (860) 692-1751
Website: https://meridenfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Meriden Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Midstate Medical Center ($78K across 4 grants). Together the top 10 received $376K.
Organizations only. It also paid 66 individual scholarships ($332,500), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
774 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 772 grants of 774 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s stated focus is Meriden and the surrounding area, and it says grant requests should benefit the greater Meriden area. In 2024, 85% of grant dollars went to recipients in Connecticut; the other listed recipient states were Massachusetts (4%), New York (3%), Rhode Island (2%), and California (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 156 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Meriden Foundation open to new grantees?
8%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 76 grantees (8%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $9K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $9K repeat.
- 89% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+4%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 110% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $1.1M (2022) to $1.2M (2024). In 2024 it made 156 grants totaling $1.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Midstate Medical Center Meriden, CT | General Use | $43,000 |
| Meriden Public Library Meriden, CT | General Use | $32,000 |
| New Opportunites of Greater Meriden Meriden, CT | Walk for Warmth | $32,000 |
| Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish Meriden, CT | General Use | $28,750 |
| Trinity College Hartford, CT | General Use | $28,750 |
| Yale Law School Annual Fund New Haven, CT | General Use | $28,750 |
| Girls Inc Meriden, CT | General | $28,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Meriden Meriden, CT | General | $27,000 |
| Beat the Street Community Center Meriden, CT | General | $25,000 |
| Midstate Medical Center Meriden, CT | General Use | $25,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $19,927,159 | $1,014,091 | $1,521,173 | $1,235,560 | 156 | $1,361,706 | $707,132 | $1,240,485 |
| 2023 | $20,434,241 | $768,884 | $1,377,321 | $1,127,977 | 156 | $1,220,037 | $575,837 | $1,195,641 |
| 2022 | $21,042,678 | $720,202 | $1,315,347 | $1,057,232 | 148 | $1,156,705 | $540,151 | $1,261,582 |
| 2021 | $21,664,954 | $2,856,440 | $1,471,675 | $1,188,971 | 154 | $1,274,028 | $2,651,166 | $1,304,403 |
| 2020 | $20,253,058 | $845,302 | $1,449,244 | $1,179,776 | 160 | — | $698,039 | $1,186,530 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Meriden Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M for 2024 — 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 foundation describes its aim as creating an all-inclusive community and improving the well-being of Meriden residents and those in the surrounding area. It provides scholarships to local high school students and grants to charitable organizations helping individuals, families, and communities, without regard to race, color, gender, or creed.
Its 2024 grantees included organizations working in health, education, and youth services. Midstate Medical Center describes its mission as improving the health and healing of the people and communities it serves. Trinity College describes its mission as providing excellence in liberal arts education. The Boys & Girls Club of Meriden says it provides opportunities for positive and healthy growth for youth in its communities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 156 grants totaling $1,235,560. Grants ranged from $800 to $43,000, with a median of $5,000. Notable awards included $43,000 to Midstate Medical Center, $32,000 to Meriden Public Library, $32,000 to New Opportunities of Greater Meriden for Walk for Warmth, and $28,750 each to Our Lady Queen of Angels Parish, Trinity College, and Yale Law School Annual Fund.
Grant requests are accepted from institutions providing public, charitable, and educational services to the greater Meriden community. The website describes an online application process requiring an account. Applicants are asked for agency information, details about the request and its intended benefit to Meriden, and supporting financial and organizational documents. The 2024 filing states that grant requests must be submitted in writing on organizational letterhead and state their purpose. Scholarship requests require proof of qualifications and a completed application. Requests should benefit the greater Meriden area.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Edward Grady, Bruce Burchsted, Frank Ridley, Jason Teal, and Francisca Oyogoa on the distribution committee; Colin Mahon as chair of the distribution committee; and Webster Bank NA as trustee.
Meriden Foundation is led by Colin Mahon, Chair & Distribution Committee on every filing since 2020; 1 of 7 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Colin Mahon
Chair & Distribution Committee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Webster Bank NA
Trustee
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$205K (2020) → $227K (2024)
Bruce Burchsted
Distribution Committee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Frank Ridley
Distribution Committee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jason Teal
Distribution Committee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edward Grady
Distribution Committee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Francisca Oyogoa
Distribution Committee
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Dante Bartolomeo (2020) — Distribution Committee
- Former: David Lohman (2020) — Distribution Committee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $227K, to Webster Bank NA (Trustee).
Frequently asked questions about Meriden Foundation
How much does Meriden Foundation give each year?
Meriden Foundation gave $1.2M across 156 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.1M across 156 grants.
What is Meriden Foundation's typical grant size?
Meriden Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $7,920, across 156 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Meriden Foundation that year got $9K on average.
Where does Meriden Foundation give grants?
Meriden Foundation gives mostly in Connecticut: 85% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Meriden, CT (47 grants), Hartford, CT (9 grants), Wallingford, CT (4 grants) and New Haven, CT (3 grants).
Does Meriden Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 56% of Meriden Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (87 of 156) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarship" (67 grants).
Who are Meriden Foundation's largest grantees?
Meriden Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Midstate Medical Center ($77,640 across 4 grants), Boys & Girls Club of Meriden ($41,375 across 2 grants) and Meriden Public Library ($38,200 across 3 grants), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 66 individual scholarships ($332,500), which are not listed by name. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Meriden Foundation?
Meriden Foundation reported $19.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Meriden Foundation fund?
The foundation describes its aim as creating an all-inclusive community and improving the well-being of Meriden residents and those in the surrounding area. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Meriden Foundation?
The foundation’s filing lists Paul M. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Meriden Foundation's EIN?
Meriden Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-6037849. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Meriden Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/meriden-foundation-morg_1c2c29e1c3ba4defa637819f8cbbb1f9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_066037849_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Meriden Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/meriden-foundation-morg_1c2c29e1c3ba4defa637819f8cbbb1f9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Meriden 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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