Merkin Family Foundation
The Merkin Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Marina del Rey, California. Its 2024 grants supported organizations working in education, medical research, telehealth, the arts, and youth life-skills education.
Merkin Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Merkin Family Foundation gave $9.2M across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $656K), mostly in California. 14% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $9,180,000
- -21.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- -17.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $655,714
- -5.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $55,000
- Total assets
- $228,648,321
- -0.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (2 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (78% 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 Merkin Family Foundation
- 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: 3115 Ocean Front Walk 301, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
Phone: (661) 631-1171
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Merkin Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Milken Institute ($5.6M). Together the top 10 received $8.7M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($500,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
76 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 22 grants of 76 (29%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 78% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 22% to recipients in Maryland.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Merkin Family Foundation open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 14 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $763K. How we count
Medians: $13K first-time, $105K repeat.
- 64% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 47% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 73% 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 (2020–2024). 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 $9.2M (2024) to $17.2M (2021). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $9.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Milken Institute Flushing, CA | Education | $5,600,000 |
| Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | Medical Research | $2,000,000 |
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $500,000 |
| California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA | Education | $400,000 |
| The Maven Project San Francisco, CA | Telehealth | $300,000 |
| Regents of the University of CA Oakland, CA | Education | $150,000 |
| Prostate Cancer Foundation Santa Monica, CA | Medical and Cancer Research | $60,000 |
| Los Angeles Ballet Los Angeles, CA | Arts & Educationarts & Education | $50,000 |
| The Harold & Carole Pump Foundation Santa Monica, CA | Medical Research | $50,000 |
| Kyles Family Foundation Los Angeles, CA | Teach Life Skills | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Merkin Family Foundation?
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 | $228,648,321 | $11,222,341 | $11,269,010 | $9,180,000 | 14 | $9,180,000 | $7,516,218 | $12,569,172 |
| 2023 | $228,694,990 | $5,459,799 | $12,323,764 | $11,734,000 | 17 | $11,734,000 | $4,904,447 | $11,030,323 |
| 2022 | $235,736,162 | $6,972,502 | $13,089,082 | $11,731,000 | 13 | $11,731,000 | $7,429,434 | $11,188,610 |
| 2021 | $241,752,328 | $31,870,945 | $18,860,213 | $17,180,000 | 17 | — | $11,822,017 | $12,570,729 |
| 2020 | $228,667,698 | $35,448,262 | $14,163,177 | $12,805,000 | 15 | — | $25,684,320 | $12,262,915 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Merkin Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $12.6M 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
No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grant purposes show support for education, medical research, telehealth, arts and education, and teaching life skills.
The grantees describe a range of work. Johns Hopkins University says its mission includes educating students, fostering independent research, and bringing the benefits of discovery to the world. The Maven Project describes its mission as providing expert healthcare for everyone, when and where they need it. The Prostate Cancer Foundation says it funds research on prostate cancer biology and treatment, with the aim of improving patient outcomes and ending death and suffering from the disease. Los Angeles Ballet describes work in classical and modern ballet and accessible dance education. Kyles Family Foundation says it teaches life skills to urban youth. UCLA Foundation describes itself as the giving, receiving, and investing arm of the UCLA campus, supporting the university through private philanthropy. United Friends of the Children says it supports current and former foster youth through education and housing programs, advocacy, and relationships.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 14 grants totaling $9,180,000. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $5,600,000, with a median of $55,000.
The largest 2024 grants included $5,600,000 to Milken Institute for education; $2,000,000 to Johns Hopkins University for medical research; $500,000 to the University of California–an individual recipient for education; $400,000 to California Institute of Technology for education; and $300,000 to The Maven Project for telehealth. Other listed grants included $150,000 to Regents of the University of California for education, $60,000 to Prostate Cancer Foundation for medical and cancer research, and $50,000 to Los Angeles Ballet for arts and education.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Richard Merkin as president and Anne Wymer as secretary/treasurer.
Merkin Family Foundation is led by Richard Merkin, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Richard Merkin
President
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anne Wymer
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Merkin Family Foundation
How much does Merkin Family Foundation give each year?
Merkin Family Foundation gave $9.2M across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $11.7M across 17 grants.
What is Merkin Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Merkin Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $55,000, and its average grant was $655,714, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Merkin Family Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does Merkin Family Foundation give grants?
Merkin Family Foundation gives mostly in California: 78% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Maryland (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (5 grants) and Santa Monica, CA (2 grants).
Does Merkin Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Merkin Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (5 grants) and "Medical Research" (4 grants).
Who are Merkin Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Merkin Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Milken Institute ($5,600,000), Johns Hopkins University ($2,000,000) and California Institute of Technology ($400,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($500,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 87% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Merkin Family Foundation?
Merkin Family Foundation reported $228.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $9.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $12.6M (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 Merkin Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided. The 2024 grant purposes show support for education, medical research, telehealth, arts and education, and teaching life skills. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Merkin Family Foundation?
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 Merkin Family Foundation's EIN?
Merkin Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-0527223. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Merkin Family 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
(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). Merkin Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/merkin-family-foundation-morg_c377b77801424cc0ba81f575d20ba889
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_200527223_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Merkin Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/merkin-family-foundation-morg_c377b77801424cc0ba81f575d20ba889},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Merkin Family 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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