Merrill Charitable Foundation
Merrill Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Mission, Kansas. Its 2025 grants went to charitable organizations in Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, and Texas, including churches, health, arts, education, community, and other organizations.
Merrill Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: Merrill Charitable Foundation gave $482K across 25 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in Kansas. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $482,002
- +50.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 25
- +4.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,280
- +44.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $13,000
- Total assets
- $9,894,257
- -0.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (3 of 25, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Kansas (58% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Merrill Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. It lists Fred Merrill Jr. as the contact, says there is no prescribed form, and lists no restrictions on awards.
- Contact
Application contact: Fred Merrill Jr
Mailing address: 5400 Johnson Dr 373, Mission, KS 66205
Phone: (734) 645-5310
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Merrill Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wilson Tourism Hub Inc ($101K). Together the top 10 received $406K.
Grant Size Distribution
125 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 118 grants of 125 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Kansas (58%), Missouri (38%), Colorado (4%), and Texas (1%), as reported by the foundation.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Merrill Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 25 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $27K; repeat grants $18K. How we count
Medians: $30K first-time, $12K repeat.
- 84% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 85% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 78% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $100K (2019) to $482K (2025). In 2025 it made 25 grants totaling $482K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson Tourism Hub Inc Wilson, KS | To Help Support the Organization | $100,500 |
| Country Club Christian Church Kansas City, MO | To Help Support the Organization | $50,584 |
| Saint Lukes Foundation Kansas City, MO | To Help Support the Organization | $50,000 |
| Leawood Presbyterian Church Leawood, KS | To Help Support the Organization | $40,834 |
| Kansas State Athletics Manhattan, KS | To Help Support the Organization | $40,000 |
| Church of the Resurrection Leawood, KS | To Help Support the Organization | $30,000 |
| Youth Front Kansas City, KS | To Help Support the Organization | $30,000 |
| Salvation Army Kansas City, MO | To Help Support the Organization | $25,000 |
| Rocky Ridge Music Center Foundation Boulder, CO | To Help Support the Organization | $20,000 |
| Museum of Prairiefire Foundation Overland Park, KS | To Help Support the Organization | $18,834 |
Ready to take the next step with Merrill Charitable 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 | $9,894,257 | $457,561 | $527,432 | $482,002 | 25 | $484,164 | $413,862 | $620,437 |
| 2024 | $9,966,294 | $2,446,978 | $352,243 | $320,000 | 24 | $322,065 | $416,092 | $490,447 |
| 2023 | $7,877,466 | $2,205,156 | $320,741 | $300,000 | 23 | $301,895 | $186,117 | $331,317 |
| 2022 | $5,993,010 | $1,201,356 | $285,756 | $260,000 | 26 | $261,732 | $183,651 | $286,955 |
| 2021 | $5,078,686 | $1,390,236 | $220,851 | $200,000 | 27 | $201,570 | $373,786 | $268,473 |
| 2020 | $3,985,687 | $749,322 | $137,376 | $120,000 | 21 | — | $237,297 | $201,100 |
| 2019 | $3,369,378 | $661,804 | $113,463 | $100,000 | 20 | — | $151,245 | $163,376 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Merrill Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $620K 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 or specific funding focus is stated. The 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, Saint Lukes Foundation describes its work as supporting medical services and health education, training, prevention, and research; Rocky Ridge Music Center Foundation says it helps people learn, create, enjoy, and support music; and Museum of Prairiefire Foundation describes its commitment to learning in science, the arts, and natural history. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 25 grants totaling $482,002. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $100,500, with a median of $13,000. Its largest grants included $100,500 to Wilson Tourism Hub Inc.; $50,584 to Country Club Christian Church; $50,000 to Saint Lukes Foundation; $40,834 to Leawood Presbyterian Church; and $40,000 to Kansas State Athletics. Other notable grants included $30,000 each to Church of the Resurrection and Youth Front, and $25,000 to the Salvation Army.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Fred Merrill Jr. as treasurer, Melanie Merrill Thompson as president, Melinda Merrill as secretary, and Merrie Merrill Costello as director.
Merrill Charitable Foundation is led by Melanie Merrill Thompson, President since 2025 (on filings since 2019); none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Melanie Merrill Thompson
President
Director → President, 2025
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Merrie Merrill Costello
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Fred Merrill Jr.
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Melinda Merrill
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Virginia U. Merrill (2019–2024) — President, Secretary & Treasurer
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 Merrill Charitable Foundation
How much does Merrill Charitable Foundation give each year?
Merrill Charitable Foundation gave $482K across 25 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $320K across 24 grants.
What is Merrill Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
Merrill Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $13,000, and its average grant was $19,280, across 25 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Merrill Charitable Foundation that year got $27K on average.
Where does Merrill Charitable Foundation give grants?
Merrill Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Kansas: 58% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Missouri (38%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kansas City, MO (13 grants), Leawood, KS (2 grants), Manhattan, KS (2 grants) and Kansas City, KS (2 grants).
Does Merrill Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on Merrill Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Help Support the Organization" (25 grants).
Who are Merrill Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
Merrill Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Wilson Tourism Hub Inc ($100,500), Country Club Christian Church ($50,584) and Saint Lukes Foundation ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Merrill Charitable Foundation?
Merrill Charitable Foundation reported $9.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $484K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $620K (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 Merrill Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement or specific funding focus is stated. The 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Merrill Charitable Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Merrill Charitable Foundation's EIN?
Merrill Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 48-1088604. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Merrill Charitable Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 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 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 30, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Merrill Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/merrill-charitable-foundation-morg_bd6468182b2a40e895e32ab4610e24e1
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_481088604_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Merrill Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/merrill-charitable-foundation-morg_bd6468182b2a40e895e32ab4610e24e1},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Merrill Charitable 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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