Merkel Foundation Inc
Merkel Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Its 2025 grants included support for Wisconsin organizations in areas such as health care, education, religious life, and youth activities, as well as grants to organizations outside Wisconsin.
Merkel Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Merkel Foundation Inc gave $2.3M across 47 grants in 2025 (avg $49K), mostly in Wisconsin. 13% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,316,683
- +18.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 47
- +6.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $49,291
- +10.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,078
- Total assets
- $56,122,211
- +14.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 13% first-time grantees (6 of 46, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Wisconsin (76% 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 Merkel Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 3465 Muirwood Dr, Brookfield, WI 53045
Phone: (262) 227-9357
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Merkel Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Global Brigades Inc ($451K). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
185 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 148 grants of 185 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 76% of grant dollars went to recipients in Wisconsin and 19% to recipients in California. Texas, Tennessee, and Minnesota each received 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 47 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Merkel Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
13%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 46 grantees (13%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $90K; repeat grants $44K. How we count
Medians: $30K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 85% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 152% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 68% 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 (2021–2025). 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $920K (2022) to $2.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 47 grants totaling $2.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Global Brigades Inc Fresno, CA | General Operating Support | $451,381 |
| Archdiocese of Milwaukee Inc (Catholic Stewardship Appeal) Milwaukee, WI | General Operating Support | $401,187 |
| Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers Milwaukee, WI | General Operating Support | $250,726 |
| Holy Apostles Catholic Parish New Berlin, WI | General Operating Support | $99,822 |
| Sheboygan Youth Sailing Club Inc Sheboygan, WI | General Operating Support | $99,464 |
| St Dominic Parish Brookfield, WI | General Operating Support | $84,898 |
| Community of St Paul Inc Racine, WI | General Operating Support | $53,610 |
| Marquette University Milwaukee, WI | General Operating Support | $50,194 |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern WI Inc Milwaukee, WI | General Operating Support | $50,194 |
| Saint Francis De Sales Seminary (The Salesianum Trust) St Francis, WI | Capital Campaign | $50,194 |
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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 | $56,122,211 | $8,345,079 | $2,443,837 | $2,316,683 | 47 | $2,358,729 | $5,482,040 | $3,450,160 |
| 2024 | $49,248,807 | $22,698,894 | $2,046,803 | $1,959,170 | 44 | $1,961,695 | $6,083,896 | $2,493,750 |
| 2023 | $31,096,519 | $8,243,440 | $1,573,994 | $1,536,277 | 30 | $1,538,802 | $2,242,116 | $1,802,737 |
| 2022 | $26,878,615 | $12,579,021 | $1,050,606 | $920,455 | 32 | $922,980 | $8,062,374 | $1,548,960 |
| 2021 | $17,593,799 | $6,360,859 | $995,801 | $935,055 | 32 | — | $1,223,299 | $1,234,570 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Merkel Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $3.5M 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 show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Global Brigades says its mission is to help communities achieve their own health and economic goals, while Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers describes its work as providing patient-centered health care and improving community well-being. Marquette University describes its mission as a Catholic, Jesuit university focused on truth, knowledge, faith, and service.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 47 grants totaling $2,316,683. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $451,381, with a median grant of $20,078. The largest grants listed included $451,381 to Global Brigades Inc., $401,187 to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Inc. for the Catholic Stewardship Appeal, and $250,726 to Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers. These grants were designated for general operating support. Other listed awards included $99,822 to Holy Apostles Catholic Parish and $99,464 to Sheboygan Youth Sailing Club Inc.; a $50,194 grant to Saint Francis de Sales Seminary was designated for a capital campaign.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Carol L Garces as president and director; Sandra J Benz as vice president, secretary, and director; Randy T Benz as vice president, treasurer, and director; and Carlos M Garces as vice president and director.
Merkel Foundation Inc is led by Carol L. Garces, President & Director on every filing since 2021; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Carol L. Garces
President & Director
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Randy T. Benz
Vice President, Treasurer & Director
Vice President & Treasurer → Vice President, Treasurer & Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
9.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sandra J. Benz
Vice President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2021
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carlos M. Garces
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2024
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Diane M. Knoll (2021–2024) — Vice President & Director
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 Merkel Foundation Inc
How much does Merkel Foundation Inc give each year?
Merkel Foundation Inc gave $2.3M across 47 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.0M across 44 grants.
What is Merkel Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Merkel Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $20,078, and its average grant was $49,291, across 47 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Merkel Foundation Inc that year got $90K on average.
Where does Merkel Foundation Inc give grants?
Merkel Foundation Inc gives mostly in Wisconsin: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Milwaukee, WI (15 grants), Sheboygan, WI (9 grants), New Berlin, WI (3 grants) and St Francis, WI (2 grants).
Does Merkel Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 98% of Merkel Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (46 of 47) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Merkel Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Merkel Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Global Brigades Inc ($451,381), Archdiocese of Milwaukee Inc (Catholic Stewardship Appeal) ($401,187) and Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers ($250,726), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Merkel Foundation Inc?
Merkel Foundation Inc reported $56.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.5M (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 Merkel Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Merkel Foundation Inc?
The foundation 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 Merkel Foundation Inc's EIN?
Merkel Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1582624. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Merkel Foundation Inc 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 December 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 16, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS December 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Merkel Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Merkel Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/merkel-foundation-inc-morg_2db543390d7848159441b7a337174333
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_391582624_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Merkel Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/merkel-foundation-inc-morg_2db543390d7848159441b7a337174333},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Merkel 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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