Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc
Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports 77 grants totaling $828,500 to charitable organizations.
Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc gave $829K across 77 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), top state Massachusetts. 35% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $828,500
- +14.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 77
- +22.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,760
- -6.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $360,139
- -45.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (27 of 77, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (43% 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 Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1 Post Office Square Fl 25, Boston, MA 02109-2115
Phone: (617) 482-1776
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was IES Abroad ($100K). Together the top 10 received $428K.
Grant Size Distribution
349 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 339 grants of 349 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, Massachusetts-based recipients received 43% of grant dollars, New York recipients 27%, and Illinois recipients 14%. California and Washington, DC, each received 3%. These figures describe the distribution of 2025 grant dollars by recipient state.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 77 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 27 of 77 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $11K; repeat grants $10K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 52% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $402K (2021) to $829K (2025). In 2025 it made 77 grants totaling $829K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| IES Abroad Chicago, IL | General Support | $100,000 |
| Mira Coalition Boston, MA | General | $65,000 |
| Corporate Accountability International Boston, MA | General Support | $60,000 |
| Catskills Agrarian Alliance Hamden, NY | General Support | $60,000 |
| Agricultural Stewardship Greenwich, NY | General | $35,000 |
| Wbur Boston, MA | General Support | $30,000 |
| Company One Inc Boston, MA | General | $27,500 |
| Black Ocean Publishing Boston, MA | General Support | $20,000 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | General | $15,000 |
| FOS Feminista New York, NY | General Support | $15,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $360,139 | $545,367 | $854,549 | $828,500 | 77 | $840,312 | $540,453 | $56,795 |
| 2024 | $659,168 | $657,982 | $758,767 | $727,000 | 63 | $738,218 | $645,432 | $76,713 |
| 2023 | $759,961 | $543,131 | $757,540 | $720,000 | 74 | $733,074 | $528,856 | $97,912 |
| 2022 | $974,610 | $543,470 | $853,676 | $816,200 | 78 | $831,844 | $526,618 | $123,388 |
| 2021 | $1,285,146 | $336,106 | $448,283 | $402,000 | 57 | $422,458 | $314,781 | $170,206 |
| 2020 | $1,398,601 | $318,136 | $464,056 | $424,500 | 68 | — | $298,901 | $149,742 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $57K 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 foundation mission is stated. Its grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Catskills Agrarian Alliance describes its work as promoting food sovereignty and access to healthy, culturally appropriate food produced sustainably. Company One Theatre says it builds community at the intersection of art and social change. United Help Ukraine describes its mission as providing humanitarian, medical, and psychological assistance, among other support, to people in Ukraine. Tupelo Press says it provides the community with an independent literary press.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 77 grants totaling $828,500. Grants ranged from $500 to $100,000, with a median of $5,000. Notable awards included $100,000 to IES Abroad, $65,000 to Mira Coalition, $60,000 each to Corporate Accountability International and Catskills Agrarian Alliance, and $35,000 to Agricultural Stewardship. Other 2025 recipients included WBUR ($30,000), Company One ($27,500), Black Ocean Publishing ($20,000), and Doctors Without Borders, Fos Feminista, Razom, and United Help Ukraine ($15,000 each).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Bruce Merrill as president, Paul Merrill as vice-president, Amy Merrill as secretary, and Matthew R Hillery as trustee.
Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc is led by Bruce Merrill, President since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Bruce Merrill
President
Secretary-Treas → Vice President, 2021
Vice President → President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matthew R. Hillery
Trustee
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Merrill
Secretary
Vice President → President, 2021
President → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Paul Merrill
Vice President
President → Secretary, 2021
Secretary → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Ellen C. Peckham (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Family Charitable Foundation Inc
How much does Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc give each year?
Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc gave $829K across 77 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $727K across 63 grants.
What is Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $10,760, across 77 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc that year got $11K on average.
Where does Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc give grants?
Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc's top state is Massachusetts, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (27%) and Illinois (14%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (18 grants), New York, NY (8 grants), Washington, DC (5 grants) and Chicago, IL (4 grants).
Does Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 97% of Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (75 of 77) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include IES Abroad ($100,000), Mira Coalition ($65,000) and Corporate Accountability International ($60,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc?
Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc reported $360K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $840K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $57K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc fund?
No foundation mission is stated. Its grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Catskills Agrarian Alliance describes its work as promoting food sovereignty and access to healthy, culturally appropriate food produced sustainably. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN?
Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-3494040. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/merrill-family-charitable-foundation-inc-morg_ac36669ee4724ee480cbfbfbf0e2bcfe
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_223494040_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/merrill-family-charitable-foundation-inc-morg_ac36669ee4724ee480cbfbfbf0e2bcfe},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Family Charitable Foundation Inc'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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