Merlin & Verna Manatt Family
Merlin & Verna Manatt Family is a private foundation based in Grinnell, Iowa. Its 2024 filing is marked as the organization’s final return and reports no grants or assets, so the foundation appears to have wound down or stopped grantmaking.
Merlin & Verna Manatt Family at a glance
- Revenue (2024)
- $103
- -99.9% vs 2023
- Net investment income (2024)
- $28
- -100.0% vs 2023
- Expenses (2024)
- $1,764
- -99.7% vs 2023
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990 filing, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990 filing, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Merlin & Verna Manatt Family
- How to Apply
-
The final filing said applications should be submitted in letter form and include the organization’s name and the reason it was seeking funds. It restricted awards to tax-exempt nonprofits located in the Brooklyn, Iowa area. These instructions are from the final return and are not current application guidance.
- Review Cycle
- The final filing stated there were no deadlines and that funds would be disbursed in December. This is not a current funding cycle.
- Deadline
- The final filing stated there were no deadlines and that funds would be disbursed in December.
- Contact
Application contact: Bradford Manatt
Mailing address: 14109 Timberline Rd, Urbandale, IA 50323
Phone: (641) 522-9206
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Merlin & Verna Manatt Family funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
34 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 31 grants of 34 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The final filing restricted awards to tax-exempt nonprofits located in the Brooklyn, Iowa area. The named 2023 recipients were located in Brooklyn and Grinnell, Iowa, and West Des Moines, Iowa.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Is Merlin & Verna Manatt Family open to new grantees?
88%
first-time grantees, 2023
In 2023, 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 $23K; repeat grants $173K. How we count
Medians: $21K first-time, $173K repeat.
- Giving grew 1162% from 2020 to 2023. Method
- In 2023 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2023). 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 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $55K (2020) to $694K (2023). In 2023 it made 17 grants totaling $694K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Poweshiek CO Foundation Grinnell, IA | Community Needs | $240,500 |
| Michael J Manatt Community Center Brooklyn, IA | Maintenance & Operations | $105,000 |
| Brooklyn Historical Society Brooklyn, IA | Operations & Maintenance | $55,000 |
| BGM Brooklyn, IA | Playground Equipment | $35,000 |
| City of Brooklyn Brooklyn, IA | Ambulance Fund | $35,000 |
| Davis PTO Grinnell, IA | Operations - 5 Years | $27,500 |
| Brooklyn Fire Department Brooklyn, IA | Operations | $25,000 |
| CSF BGM Dollars for Scholars Brooklyn, IA | Students | $25,000 |
| Brooklyn Comm Foundation Brooklyn, IA | Maintenance | $25,000 |
| Brooklyn Community Foundation Brooklyn, IA | Playground/Toys Day Care Center | $21,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | — | $103 | $1,764 | — | — | — | $28 | — |
| 2023 | $1,661 | $107,917 | $700,968 | $694,000 | 17 | $694,000 | $99,033 | $27,510 |
| 2022 | $594,712 | $19,965 | $7,928 | — | — | — | $11,985 | $33,206 |
| 2021 | $582,675 | $103,491 | $78,352 | $70,000 | 12 | $70,000 | $96,979 | $35,633 |
| 2020 | $557,536 | $15,815 | $61,264 | $55,000 | 5 | — | $9,788 | $36,256 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2023 grants included support for community, elder-care, and heart-health organizations. The Brooklyn Community Foundation says it was established to support the Brooklyn, Iowa community. St. Francis Manor Foundation says its purpose is to promote the charitable interests of St. Francis Manor, Inc. Iowa Heart Foundation says it works to improve heart-health education and prevent heart disease.
Grantmaking
In 2023, the foundation gave $694,000 through 17 grants. Named recipients included Brooklyn Community Foundation ($21,000), St. Francis Manor Foundation ($20,000), and Iowa Heart Foundation ($10,000). The 2024 filing reports no grants.
The final filing listed an application process, but it should not be treated as current: it asked applicants to submit a letter naming the organization and explaining why it was seeking funds. It listed Bradford Manatt as the contact.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing listed Bradford J. Manatt as president; Julie A. Manatt as treasurer; and Margaret Manatt, Michelle Manatt, and Anthony Manatt as directors.
Merlin & Verna Manatt Family is led by Bradford J. Manatt, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Bradford J. Manatt
President
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Anthony Manatt
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Margaret M. Manatt
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Michelle Manatt
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Julie A. Manatt
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Michelle M. Manatt-Miller (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Pam Benishek (2020–2021) — Secretary
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 Merlin & Verna Manatt Family
What does Merlin & Verna Manatt Family fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2023 grants included support for community, elder-care, and heart-health organizations. The Brooklyn Community Foundation says it was established to support the Brooklyn, Iowa community. St. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Merlin & Verna Manatt Family?
The final filing said applications should be submitted in letter form and include the organization’s name and the reason it was seeking funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Merlin & Verna Manatt Family make grants?
The final filing restricted awards to tax-exempt nonprofits located in the Brooklyn, Iowa area. The named 2023 recipients were located in Brooklyn and Grinnell, Iowa, and West Des Moines, Iowa.
What is Merlin & Verna Manatt Family's EIN?
Merlin & Verna Manatt Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8112164. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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
Live grants for the work Merlin & Verna Manatt Family funds
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Merlin & Verna Manatt Family down — hundreds of funders to go?