Merriman Family Foundation
Merriman Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Durango, Colorado. It reported $39,750 in grants to 15 organizations in filing year 2025, with listed grants supporting food programs, scholarships, community support, youth services, adaptive sports, and other causes.
Merriman Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Merriman Family Foundation gave $40K across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), top state Colorado. 47% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $39,750
- +4.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- +15.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,650
- -9.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $670,422
- -6.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (7 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Colorado (48% 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 Merriman Family Foundation
- 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. No application process or required materials are specified.
- Contact
Mailing address: 7 Pine Tree Way, Durango, CO 81301
Phone: (970) 759-9223
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Merriman Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Coal Creek Meals on Wheels ($8K). Together the top 10 received $36K.
Grant Size Distribution
68 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 68 grants of 68 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Colorado (48%), Florida (21%), Maryland (19%), Nebraska (6%), and Tennessee (3%). These locations reflect the 2025 grants.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Merriman Family Foundation open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 15 grantees (47%) 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. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 47% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+7%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% of 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 $36K (2023) to $45K (2021). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $40K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Coal Creek Meals on Wheels Lafayette, CO | Senior Food Program | $7,500 |
| Celebration Community Church Naples, FL | Food Program | $6,500 |
| Manna Soup Kitchen Durango, CO | Food Program | $5,000 |
| Community Foundation of Frederick County Frederick, MD | Scholarship | $5,000 |
| Hooker County Community Foundation Mullen, NE | Scholarship | $2,500 |
| Community Ministry Denver, CO | Food Program | $2,500 |
| Rising Tide Crisfield Crisfield, MD | Community Support Program | $2,500 |
| Pace Center for Girls Jacksonville, FL | Youth Support Program | $2,000 |
| Adaptive Sports Association Durango, CO | Disabled Sports Program | $1,500 |
| FLC Foundation Durango, CO | College Public Radio | $1,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Merriman 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $670,422 | $6,199 | $51,772 | $39,750 | 15 | $39,750 | $2,022 | $38,190 |
| 2024 | $716,489 | $42,754 | $49,428 | $38,200 | 13 | $38,200 | $35,512 | $36,817 |
| 2023 | $719,361 | $15,938 | $47,000 | $36,415 | 15 | $36,415 | $5,353 | $34,110 |
| 2022 | $794,069 | $22,727 | $51,227 | $37,100 | 11 | $37,100 | $12,127 | $34,731 |
| 2021 | $880,196 | $35,910 | $51,975 | $45,000 | 14 | $45,000 | $253,079 | $39,219 |
| 2020 | $672,667 | $37,590 | $49,206 | $43,925 | 13 | — | $32,690 | $38,702 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Merriman Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $38K 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 for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included food and senior meal programs, scholarships, community support, youth support, adaptive sports, college public radio, and medical research.
Among its grantees, Coal Creek Meals on Wheels says it provides weekday meals for older adults, people with disabilities, and others with limited physical capacity; the foundation awarded it $7,500 in 2025. Rising Tide Crisfield says it promotes tourism and economic development in Crisfield and Somerset County, Maryland; it received $2,500. Little Warrior Foundation says it funds and seeks a lasting cure for childhood cancer, with a focus on Ewing sarcoma; it received $1,000.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $39,750 through 15 grants. Grants ranged from $250 to $7,500, with a median grant of $2,000.
Notable 2025 grants included $7,500 to Coal Creek Meals on Wheels for a senior food program; $6,500 to Celebration Community Church for a food program; $5,000 each to Manna Soup Kitchen for a food program and Community Foundation of Frederick County for a scholarship; and $2,500 each to Hooker County Community Foundation for a scholarship, Community Ministry for a food program, and Rising Tide Crisfield for a community support program.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists George Merriman as president and vice president, Kelli Merriman as treasurer, and Katie Merriman as secretary.
Merriman Family Foundation is led by George Merriman, Vice President & President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 3 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
George Merriman
Vice President & President
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kelli Merriman
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
$7K (2023) → $7K (2025)
Katie Merriman
Secretary
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Kelli Lombardo (2020–2022) — Treasurer
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $7K, to Kelli Merriman (Treasurer).
Frequently asked questions about Merriman Family Foundation
How much does Merriman Family Foundation give each year?
Merriman Family Foundation gave $40K across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $38K across 13 grants.
What is Merriman Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Merriman Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,000, and its average grant was $2,650, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Merriman Family Foundation that year got $2K on average.
Where does Merriman Family Foundation give grants?
Merriman Family Foundation's top state is Colorado, with 48% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Florida (21%) and Maryland (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Durango, CO (5 grants).
Does Merriman Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 15 grants with a stated purpose on Merriman Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Food Program" (3 grants).
Who are Merriman Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Merriman Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Coal Creek Meals on Wheels ($7,500), Celebration Community Church ($6,500) and Manna Soup Kitchen ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Merriman Family Foundation?
Merriman Family Foundation reported $670K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $40K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $38K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Merriman Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included food and senior meal programs, scholarships, community support, youth support, adaptive sports, college public radio, and medical research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Merriman Family Foundation?
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 Merriman Family Foundation's EIN?
Merriman Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-1450529. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Merriman 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 9, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 6, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
Live grants for the work Merriman Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Merriman Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
Davidson Family Foundation
Bonita Springs, FL
The Davidson Family Foundation supports a mix of charitable work, including health care and research, hunger relief, family services, and early learning. Its 2024 grants ranged from $5,000 to $15,000, with a median of $10,000, and mostly went to organizations in Colorado, followed by Florida and Tennessee. It accepts requests by brief letter describing the organization and the request’s goals and purpose; requests for the next year should be submitted by December 31.
Assets
$1.8M
Grants
13
Total Given
$115K
Collins Foundation
Saint Louis, MO
The foundation’s recent grants have supported organizations addressing food access, housing, child advocacy, youth homelessness, and services for older adults, though these are grantees’ activities rather than stated priorities. In 2025, grants ranged from $3,000 to $7,500, with a median of $5,000; its 2024 filing restricts awards to Boulder County, Colorado. Application materials are available through Wells Fargo Wealth Management Group, with no deadlines stated; whether unsolicited requests are accepted is not specified.
Assets
$1.5M
Grants
18
Total Given
$98K
Trailhead Institute
Denver, CO
Trailhead Institute supports community-driven public and environmental health work, including food access, nutrition, health equity, and local food systems, primarily in Colorado. Its 2024 grants had a median of $10,000, though awards ranged from $6,000 to $1.61 million; it does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$11.5M
Grants
72
Total Given
$2.7M
Nextfifty Initiative
Denver, CO
NextFifty Initiative funds innovative, equitable work that creates economic opportunities for older adults, with priorities including ending ageism, digital equity, and aging in place; some programs specifically support Colorado nonprofits. Its 2024 grants ranged from $1,500 to $600,000, with a median of $54,175, and funding went to organizations in multiple states, primarily Colorado. It does not restrict giving to preselected organizations, though some programs require a pre-application call or invitation to submit a full proposal.
Assets
$263.8M
Grants
103
Total Given
$8.0M
Louis P Singer Fund Inc
Portsmouth, NH
The Louis P Singer Fund supports a range of charitable organizations, including education, arts, community services, and healthcare, with most of its giving going to Colorado and smaller amounts to organizations in New York and California. In 2025, grants ranged from $500 to $134,500, with a median of $10,000. It gives only to preselected organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Assets
$1.1M
Grants
32
Total Given
$480K
Means Database Inc
Washington, DC
Means Database Inc funds food banks, food distribution groups, and other nonprofits through food-recovery and donated-meal programs, with 2024 grants ranging from $7,297 to $26.7 million and a median of about $167,000. Its reach is nationwide, with its strongest programs in Florida, New Jersey, New England, California, and New York; the profile does not state whether it accepts unsolicited requests.
Assets
$832K
Grants
108
Total Given
$113.5M
More similar funders
More Funders in Colorado
The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Merriman 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.
Merriman Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?