Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation
The Merle E & Patricia A Butler Family Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in St. Louis, Missouri. Its 2025 filing reports 15 grants totaling $605,000, with recipients including healthcare, food assistance, education, and other charitable organizations.
Key facts about Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation
In short: Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation gave $605K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $40K), mostly in Missouri. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 46-1178301
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $605,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- Average grant
- $40,333
- Median grant
- $17,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $9,822,607
- Primary geography
- Missouri (95% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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 for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$9.8M
+3.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$605K
+0.8% YoY
Grant Count
15
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$40K
+0.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $676K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 15 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. How we count
- 93% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 90% 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 (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas including pediatric and other healthcare, hunger relief, education, and community service.
Grantee descriptions offer examples of this work. St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation says it supports pediatric care through programs, initiatives, and expertise, including patient and family experience and access to care. Missouri Baptist Healthcare Foundation says it raises funds for programs, equipment, and projects connected to Missouri Baptist Medical Center and related exempt organizations. Operation Food Search describes its mission as addressing hunger through solutions that provide food today and help create a hunger-free tomorrow. Rossman School says it provides a well-balanced education in a nurturing school community.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 15 grants totaling $605,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $300,000, with a median of $17,500. The largest grants were $300,000 to St. Louis Children’s Hospital Foundation and $130,000 to Missouri Baptist Healthcare Foundation. Other notable awards included $20,000 each to the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, Greater St. Louis Honor Flight, Ronald McDonald House Charities, and St. Peters United Church of Christ; and $17,500 each to Operation Food Search and St. Louis Area Food Bank. The listed grant purposes were general support of charitable purposes.
How to Apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to organizations in Missouri, 3% to Illinois, and 2% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $545K (2021) to $649K (2023). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $605K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was St Louis Children's Hospital Foundation ($300K). Together the top 10 received $565K.
Grant Size Distribution
80 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 68 grants of 80 (85%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| St Louis Children's Hospital Foundation St. Louis, MO | General Support of Charitable Purpose | $300,000 |
| Missouri Baptist Healthcare Foundation St. Louis, MO | General Support of Charitable Purpose | $130,000 |
| Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America St. Louis, MO | General Support of Charitable Purpose | $20,000 |
| Greater St Louis Honor Flight Chesterfield, MO | General Support of Charitable Purpose | $20,000 |
| Ronald McDonald House Charities St. Louis, MO | General Support of Charitable Purpose | $20,000 |
| St Peters United Church of Christ Red Bud, IL | General Support of Charitable Purpose | $20,000 |
| Operation Food Search St. Louis, MO | General Support of Charitable Purpose | $17,500 |
| St Louis Area Food Bank Bridgeton, MO | General Support of Charitable Purpose | $17,500 |
| Crossroads Clinics St. Louis, MO | General Support of Charitable Purpose | $10,000 |
| Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School Saint Louis, MO | General Support of Charitable Purpose | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $9,822,607 | $1,062,320 | $718,838 | $605,000 |
| 2024 | $9,469,168 | $665,734 | $682,947 | $600,300 |
| 2023 | $9,485,644 | $507,026 | $718,061 | $648,500 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $9,822,607 | $9,469,168 | $9,485,644 |
| Revenue | $1,062,320 | $665,734 | $507,026 |
| Expenses | $718,838 | $682,947 | $718,061 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $606,374 | $601,674 | $649,124 |
| Net Investment Income | $949,856 | $584,461 | $431,842 |
| Distributable Amount | $675,581 | $623,275 | $592,162 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 12, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 30, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Merle E. Butler and Patricia A. Butler as trustees, Michelle Ott as secretary, and Michael Butler as a director.
Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Merle E. Butler
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patricia A. Butler
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Butler
Director
On filings since 2024
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Ott
Secretary
On filings since 2024
0.1 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.
Contact
Mailing address: Co Sandberg Phoenix, Washington Ave St Lou, MO 63101
Phone: (314) 231-3332
Frequently asked questions about Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation
How much does Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation give each year?
Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation gave $605K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $600K across 15 grants.
What is Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $17,500, and its average grant was $40,333, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation give grants?
Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (10 grants).
Does Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include St Louis Children's Hospital Foundation ($300,000), Missouri Baptist Healthcare Foundation ($130,000) and Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation?
Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation reported $9.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $606K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $676K (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 Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations working in areas including pediatric and other healthcare, hunger relief, education, and community service. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1178301. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Merle E & Patricia a Butler Family Charitable 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 October 2026.
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