Merlo Family Foundation
Merlo Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. In its 2024 filing, it reported 11 grants totaling $216,500 to charitable organizations, including a university, a disaster-relief organization, and community and educational organizations.
Merlo Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Merlo Family Foundation gave $217K across 11 grants in 2024 (avg $20K), top state Pennsylvania. 45% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $216,500
- +6.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 11
- +37.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $19,682
- -22.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $4,660,194
- -0.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (5 of 11, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (48% 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 Merlo 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: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Merlo Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was University of Pittsburgh ($100K). Together the top 10 received $216K.
Grant Size Distribution
25 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 20 grants of 25 (80%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania (48%), Massachusetts (26%), Rhode Island (12%), New York (5%), and Washington, DC (5%). These figures describe the locations of recipients listed for that year.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Merlo Family Foundation open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 11 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $25K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 55% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 91% 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 (2022–2024). 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 2022 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $94K (2022) to $217K (2024). In 2024 it made 11 grants totaling $217K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA | General & Unrestricted | $100,000 |
| All Hands and Hearts Smart Response Inc Mattapoisett, MA | Charitable Event | $50,000 |
| Boys and Girls Clubs of Providence Providence, RI | General & Unrestricted | $15,000 |
| American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Humane Society of the United States Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Lincoln School Providence, RI | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| Dana Farber Cancer Institute Inc Boston, MA | General & Unrestricted | $6,000 |
| Childrens Hospital Pittsburgh Foundation Pittsburgh, PA | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
| LOVE4PAWS Inc Sarasota, FL | General & Unrestricted | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Merlo 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 | $4,660,194 | $242,417 | $268,797 | $216,500 | 11 | $238,206 | $212,724 | $261,302 |
| 2023 | $4,686,574 | $96,879 | $254,044 | $204,000 | 8 | $226,491 | $70,826 | $234,509 |
| 2022 | $4,843,739 | $-37,193 | $141,096 | $94,000 | 6 | $114,593 | $45,547 | $228,132 |
| 2021 | $5,022,028 | $5,101,939 | $79,911 | — | — | $16,738 | $3,430,279 | $125,292 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Merlo Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $261K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations whose own missions describe higher education and research, disaster relief, youth development, and girls’ education. For example, All Hands and Hearts Smart Response says it provides “community-inspired, volunteer-powered disaster relief,” while Boys and Girls Clubs of Providence says it works to help children and youth reach their potential as productive, responsible members of the community. Lincoln School describes its mission as educating girls to embrace the opportunities and responsibilities of citizenship.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 11 grants totaling $216,500. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $100,000, with a median of $10,000.
The largest grant was $100,000 to the University of Pittsburgh, for general and unrestricted purposes. Other notable grants were $50,000 to All Hands and Hearts Smart Response Inc. for a charitable event; $15,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs of Providence; and $10,000 each to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Humane Society of the United States, and Lincoln School. The latter five grants, except the All Hands and Hearts award, were for general and unrestricted purposes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kristen V Merlo as a director; Larry J Merlo as a director, president, secretary, and treasurer; and LeeAnn E Merlo as a director.
Merlo Family Foundation is led by Larry J Merlo, Director, President, Secretary & Treasurer on every filing since 2021; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Larry J Merlo
Director, President, Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kristen V Merlo
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
LeeAnn E Merlo
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "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 Merlo Family Foundation
How much does Merlo Family Foundation give each year?
Merlo Family Foundation gave $217K across 11 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $204K across 8 grants.
What is Merlo Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Merlo Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $19,682, across 11 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Merlo Family Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does Merlo Family Foundation give grants?
Merlo Family Foundation's top state is Pennsylvania, with 48% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Massachusetts (26%) and Rhode Island (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (2 grants) and Providence, RI (2 grants).
Does Merlo Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 91% of Merlo Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Merlo Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Merlo Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include University of Pittsburgh ($100,000), All Hands and Hearts Smart Response Inc ($50,000) and Boys and Girls Clubs of Providence ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 76% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Merlo Family Foundation?
Merlo Family Foundation reported $4.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $238K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $261K (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 Merlo Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations whose own missions describe higher education and research, disaster relief, youth development, and girls’ education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Merlo 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 Merlo Family Foundation's EIN?
Merlo Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-2109227. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Does Merlo 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 2021–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Merlo Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/merlo-family-foundation-morg_4a6d9d3c9b3746e39d33fce676d48f3f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_862109227_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Merlo Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/merlo-family-foundation-morg_4a6d9d3c9b3746e39d33fce676d48f3f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Merlo 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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