Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation
The Merle & Sheri DeWitt Foundation is a private foundation based in Holland, Michigan. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including schools, colleges, a seminary, churches, ministries, and community-service organizations.
Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation at a glance
In short: Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation gave $249K across 35 grants in 2025 (avg $7K), mostly in Michigan. 11% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $249,074
- +18.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 35
- +16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $7,116
- +1.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $951,379
- -10.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (4 of 35, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (66% 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 Merle & Sheri Dewitt 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: PO Box 2007, Holland, MI 49422
Phone: (616) 915-1998
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Zeeland Christian ($34K). Together the top 10 received $200K.
Grant Size Distribution
155 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 153 grants of 155 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 66% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan, 11% to Iowa, 8% each to Washington, DC, and Colorado, and 6% to Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 35 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 35 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 54% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 158% of 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 $150K (2023) to $249K (2025). In 2025 it made 35 grants totaling $249K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Zeeland Christian Zeeland, MI | Unrestricted Grant to General Fund | $33,500 |
| Unity Christian School Hudsonville, MI | Unrestricted Grant to General Fund | $30,000 |
| Northwestern College Orange City, IA | Unrestricted Grant to General Fund | $27,000 |
| Focus on the Family Colorado Springs, CO | Unrestricted Grant to General Fund | $20,000 |
| Western Theological Seminary Holland, MI | Unrestricted Grant to General Fund | $19,000 |
| Ottawa Reformed Church West Olive, MI | Unrestricted Grant to General Fund | $17,340 |
| Children's Advocacy Center Holland, MI | Unrestricted Grant to General Fund | $17,234 |
| Multiplication Network Sauk Village, IL | Unrestricted Grant to General Fund | $15,000 |
| North Holland CRC Holland, MI | Unrestricted Grant to General Fund | $10,500 |
| American Values Washington, DC | Unrestricted Grant to General Fund | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Merle & Sheri Dewitt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $951,379 | $103,273 | $310,903 | $249,074 | 35 | $279,988 | $72,358 | $177,769 |
| 2024 | $1,059,697 | $125,787 | $259,689 | $210,080 | 30 | $231,210 | $104,657 | $167,610 |
| 2023 | $1,193,935 | $462,139 | $208,066 | $150,140 | 28 | $178,603 | $276,885 | $118,425 |
| 2022 | $940,854 | $41,410 | $189,235 | $162,100 | 32 | $175,602 | $26,110 | $108,492 |
| 2021 | $1,087,630 | $46,081 | $191,992 | $164,300 | 30 | $177,689 | $32,571 | $128,752 |
| 2020 | $1,232,558 | $71,813 | $234,811 | $207,502 | 31 | — | $58,107 | $110,467 |
| 2019 | $1,393,263 | $72,389 | $165,033 | $154,825 | 31 | — | $68,482 | $111,263 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation reported a distributable amount of $178K 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 organizations working in areas including Christian education, religious and ministry work, children’s advocacy, hospice care, and community support. For example, Northwestern College describes its mission as engaging students in Christian learning and living; Hospice of Holland describes its work as providing compassionate end-of-life care; and 3SIXTY says it connects and mobilizes community partners for neighbor-led transformation. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 35 grants totaling $249,074. Grant amounts ranged from $400 to $33,500, with a median of $2,000.
The largest reported grants included $33,500 to Zeeland Christian, $30,000 to Unity Christian School, $27,000 to Northwestern College, $20,000 to Focus on the Family, and $19,000 to Western Theological Seminary. Other notable grants were $17,340 to Ottawa Reformed Church, $17,234 to Children’s Advocacy Center, and $15,000 to Multiplication Network. The listed purposes for these largest grants were unrestricted grants to general funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Merle J. DeWitt as president/treasurer; Sherelyn DeWitt as secretary/vice president; and Aaron J. DeWitt, Alex L. DeWitt, and Alyse Whitman as directors.
Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation is led by Merle J. Dewitt, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Merle J. Dewitt
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Aaron J. Dewitt
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alex L. Dewitt
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alyse Whitman
Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sherelyn Dewitt
Secretary & Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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 Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation
How much does Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation give each year?
Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation gave $249K across 35 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $210K across 30 grants.
What is Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation's typical grant size?
Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $7,116, across 35 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation give grants?
Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Iowa (11%) and District of Columbia (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Holland, MI (11 grants), Zeeland, MI (5 grants), Grand Rapids, MI (4 grants) and Allendale, MI (3 grants).
Does Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (35 of 35) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation's largest grantees?
Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Zeeland Christian ($33,500), Unity Christian School ($30,000) and Northwestern College ($27,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation?
Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation reported $951K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $280K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $178K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations working in areas including Christian education, religious and ministry work, children’s advocacy, hospice care, and community support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Merle & Sheri Dewitt 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 Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation's EIN?
Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-0769508. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Merle & Sheri Dewitt 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 4, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 8, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation funds
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Browse active grant opportunities in Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Merle & Sheri Dewitt Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/merle-and-sheri-dewitt-foundation-morg_b096deaeeb134bc1966211d61b68df42
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_270769508_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Merle \& Sheri Dewitt Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/merle-and-sheri-dewitt-foundation-morg_b096deaeeb134bc1966211d61b68df42},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Merle & Sheri Dewitt 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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