Merjent Foundation
The Merjent Foundation is a Minneapolis-based private foundation and the giving arm of Merjent, Inc. It supports charitable organizations and sponsors scholarships, with a stated aim of helping communities where Merjent employees live and work.
Merjent Foundation at a glance
In short: Merjent Foundation gave $40K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), top state Arizona. 88% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $40,100
- +1.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- +63.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,228
- -38.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $83,652
- -14.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 88% first-time grantees (15 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Arizona (21% 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 Merjent 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. Scholarship applicants are encouraged to explore internship opportunities with Merjent, Inc.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1 Main Street Se Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Phone: (231) 495-0944
Website: https://www.merjentfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Merjent Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Food Bank of Alaska ($8K). Together the top 10 received $29K.
Grant Size Distribution
68 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 68 grants of 68 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation says it supports communities where Merjent employees live and work. Its 2025 grants went to recipients in multiple states. The largest shares of grant dollars went to Arizona (21%), Alaska (20%), Wisconsin (17%), Minnesota (15%), and Maryland (9%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Merjent Foundation open to new grantees?
88%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 17 grantees (88%) 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 $2K; repeat grants $300. How we count
Medians: $2K first-time, $300 repeat.
- 6% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 22% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $9K (2019) to $52K (2022). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $40K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Food Bank of Alaska Anchorage, AK | Charitable | $8,000 |
| 2025 - Scholarship Univ of Marylnd College Park, MD | Scholarship | $3,500 |
| 2025 - Scholarship Univ of Arizona Tucson, AZ | Scholarship | $2,500 |
| 2025 - Scholarship Uw Steven Pt Stevens Point, WI | Scholarship | $2,500 |
| Community Emergency Asst Prog Brooklyn Center, MN | Charitable | $2,000 |
| Downtown Daily Bread Harrisburg, PA | Charitable | $2,000 |
| East Side Neighborhood - Food Shelv Minneapolis, MN | Charitable | $2,000 |
| Kinship Community Food Center Milwaukee, WI | Charitable | $2,000 |
| Navajo Relief Fund Phoenix, AZ | Charitable | $2,000 |
| Native Health Food Pantry Mesa, AZ | Charitable | $2,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Merjent Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $83,652 | $27,095 | $41,403 | $40,100 | 18 | $40,752 | $3,962 |
| 2024 | $97,960 | $41,500 | $43,275 | $39,500 | 11 | $41,388 | $4,442 |
| 2023 | $99,735 | $68,000 | $41,350 | $40,100 | 14 | $40,726 | $4,718 |
| 2022 | $73,085 | $80,750 | $52,775 | $51,550 | 17 | $52,163 | $5,183 |
| 2021 | $45,110 | $7,750 | $24,725 | $23,500 | 8 | $24,113 | $3,295 |
| 2020 | $62,085 | $49,999 | $25,725 | $24,500 | 19 | — | $3,741 |
| 2019 | $37,811 | $46,855 | $9,044 | $9,000 | 11 | — | $1,957 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Merjent Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4K 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 foundation’s stated mission is to support charitable organizations in communities where Merjent employees live and work. It says it seeks to help people and communities access economic and educational opportunities, stability, and equity, including people from disadvantaged and marginalized groups.
Its website describes scholarships for students intending to pursue environmental careers, including in energy, archaeology, engineering, or other environmental fields. In 2026, the foundation said it was focusing its support on charities addressing domestic violence.
The 2025 grants show support for organizations whose own missions include hunger relief and community services. For example, Food Bank of Alaska says it works to eliminate hunger in Alaska by providing food to partner agencies and through anti-hunger leadership. Downtown Daily Bread says it serves people facing hunger and homelessness through meals, shelter, health resources, and other services. Trees for Tomorrow describes its mission as education for the conservation of natural resources.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $40,100. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $8,000, with a median grant of $2,000.
The largest reported grant was $8,000 to Food Bank of Alaska. Other notable grants included $3,500 for a University of Maryland scholarship and $2,500 each for scholarships at the University of Arizona and UW–Stevens Point. Among charitable grants, recipients included Community Emergency Assistance Program, Downtown Daily Bread, East Side Neighborhood Food Shelf, Kinship Community Food Center, Navajo Relief Fund, Native Health Food Pantry, PRISM, and South Kitsap Helpline, each receiving $2,000.
The foundation’s website describes its academic scholarships as one-time awards: two $2,500 Merjent Foundation Academic Scholarships, for one college freshman or sophomore and one junior or senior, and one $3,500 David Campbell Memorial Scholarship for an undergraduate or graduate student. The website says the online 2027 application will be available in spring 2027.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kari Krause as president; Melissa Dellwo as secretary; Jessica Caruso as treasurer; and William Harding, Brian Fox, Becky Reinert, Valerie Jones, Katie Unke Ehrenberg, and Scott Beard as board members.
Merjent Foundation is led by Kari Krause, President since 2024 (on filings since 2019); none of the 9 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kari Krause
President
Secretary → President, 2024
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Dellwo
Secretary
President → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jessica Caruso
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Scott Beard
Board Member
On filings since 2023
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Becky Reinert
Board Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian Fox
Board Member
On filings since 2024
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katie Unke Ehrenberg
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Valerie Jones
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William Harding
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Bill Harding (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Lacy Lepisto (2023–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Mark Cline (2023–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Christina Prezler (2019–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Sara Romdenne (2019–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Mike Madsen (2021–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Analiese Genthe (2021) — Board Member
- Former: Jameson Loesch (2019–2020) — Board Member
- Former: Lucas Bicknell (2019–2020) — Board Member
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Merjent Foundation
How much does Merjent Foundation give each year?
Merjent Foundation gave $40K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $40K across 11 grants.
What is Merjent Foundation's typical grant size?
Merjent Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,228, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Merjent Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Merjent Foundation give grants?
Merjent Foundation's top state is Arizona, with 21% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Alaska (20%) and Wisconsin (17%).
Does Merjent Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Merjent Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (15 grants) and "Scholarship" (3 grants).
Who are Merjent Foundation's largest grantees?
Merjent Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Food Bank of Alaska ($8,000), 2025 - Scholarship Univ of Marylnd ($3,500) and 2025 - Scholarship Univ of Arizona ($2,500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Merjent Foundation?
Merjent Foundation reported $84K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $41K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Merjent Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated mission is to support charitable organizations in communities where Merjent employees live and work. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Merjent Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Merjent Foundation's EIN?
Merjent Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-1623599. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Merjent 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 9, 2020)
- 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 March 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 23, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Merjent Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
The Jamf Nation Global Foundation
Minneapolis, MN
The Jamf Nation Global Foundation supports nonprofits aligned with its values and connected to Jamf employees’ local communities, including communities where employees live and work. Its 2024 grants ranged from $5,738 to $976,054, with a median of $27,476. It funds only preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.6M
Grants
5
Total Given
$1.4M
Ch Robinson Worldwide Foundation
Sioux Falls, SD
The foundation funds community needs, supply-chain and logistics initiatives, and environmental sustainability, with a Twin Cities program focused on hunger, shelter, K–12 education, and workforce development. Its 2024 grants ranged from $750 to $2.69 million, with a median of $5,000; its Twin Cities program focuses on Minneapolis–St. Paul, while grants also went to organizations elsewhere. The Strategic Industry program is invitation-only, while the Twin Cities program has an application process.
Assets
$18.2M
Grants
87
Total Given
$4.0M
Otto Bremer Trust
St. Paul, MN
The Otto Bremer Trust funds organizations and projects addressing community needs and opportunities, including health care and social services, in Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. In 2025, grants ranged from $3,500 to $4.2 million, with a median of $150,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests or direct grant applications; Community Responsive Fund grants are offered through selected intermediaries.
Assets
$1.4B
Grants
180
Total Given
$57.2M
The Graco Foundation
Minneapolis, MN
The Graco Foundation funds local nonprofits, especially near its U.S. facilities, for capital projects, programs and technology, with emphasis on STEM education, workforce development and youth empowerment. In 2025, grants ranged from $500 to $214,000, with a median of $10,000; it prioritizes Minnesota and other states where Graco has facilities. It gives only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$25.3M
Grants
38
Total Given
$1.6M
The James M Stanton Foundation
Bloomington, MN
The James M Stanton Foundation supports preselected charitable organizations working in areas represented by its grants, including health, hunger, youth and family services, employment, veterans, arts education, and homelessness. In 2026, grants ranged from $20,000 to $2 million, with a median of $100,000; most funding went to Minnesota, with additional grants in Colorado, Kentucky, and California. It does not accept unsolicited funding requests.
Assets
$14.0M
Grants
29
Total Given
$6.2M
Patrick and Aimee Butler Family
St. Paul, MN
The Patrick and Aimee Butler Family supports nonprofits in the arts, environment, and human services, prioritizing Minneapolis and Saint Paul; environmental grants can support work anywhere in Minnesota. In 2024, grants ranged from $3,000 to $150,000, with a median of $27,500; Special Projects Grants are at least $100,000. Its 2024 filing says it does not accept unsolicited requests, though its website describes a letter-of-inquiry process for Community Grants.
Assets
$102.3M
Grants
88
Total Given
$2.9M
More similar funders
More Funders in Minnesota
The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Merjent 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.
Merjent Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?