Merriman Foundation
Merriman Foundation is a private foundation based in Washington, DC. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including organizations involved in athletics, education, health research, arts, preservation, and community services.
Merriman Foundation at a glance
In short: Merriman Foundation gave $3.3M across 31 grants in 2025 (avg $106K), mostly in Texas. 39% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,293,555
- -15.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 31
- -16.2% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $106,244
- +1.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $4,873,190
- +39.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 39% first-time grantees (12 of 31, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Texas (61% 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 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: 1747 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 785-9500
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Merriman Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was SMU Athletics ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $3.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
154 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 116 grants of 154 (75%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 61% of grant dollars went to recipients in Texas, 31% to Missouri, 5% to Florida, 2% to Minnesota, and 1% to Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 31 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Merriman Foundation open to new grantees?
39%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 12 of 31 grantees (39%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $160K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 55% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 42% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 268% 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 $1.8M (2021) to $5.7M (2022). In 2025 it made 31 grants totaling $3.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SMU Athletics Dallas, TX | Charitable - Athletics | $1,000,000 |
| SMU School of Business Dallas, TX | Charitable - Education | $1,000,000 |
| Heart of America Council BSA Kansas City, MO | Charitable | $585,000 |
| St Lukes Hospital Foundation Kansas City, MO | Charitable - Research | $300,000 |
| The Garden Club of Palm Beach 1928 Palm Beach, FL | Charitable | $150,000 |
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | CHARITABLE - Medical Research | $50,000 |
| Nelson Gallery Foundation Kansas City, MO | Charitable - Art | $50,000 |
| Alcuin School Dallas, TX | Charitable | $20,000 |
| Blair House Foundation Washington, DC | Charitable | $20,000 |
| United Way Greater Kansas City Kansas City, MO | Charitable | $20,000 |
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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 | $4,873,190 | $5,433,851 | $3,743,865 | $3,293,555 | 31 | $3,293,555 | $687,105 | $1,229,510 |
| 2024 | $3,491,951 | $7,377,906 | $4,157,467 | $3,886,000 | 37 | $3,886,000 | $507,160 | $998,621 |
| 2023 | $2,317,524 | $488,551 | $2,812,043 | $2,692,250 | 28 | $2,692,250 | $482,683 | $995,976 |
| 2022 | $2,341,016 | $1,428,128 | $5,784,454 | $5,684,018 | 29 | $5,684,018 | $1,406,216 | $1,159,157 |
| 2021 | $6,097,342 | $12,356,691 | $1,774,027 | $1,759,900 | 29 | $1,759,900 | $3,472,482 | $922,651 |
| 2020 | $2,331,538 | $430,006 | $1,825,465 | $1,818,196 | 31 | — | $422,737 | $875,778 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Merriman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.2M 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 show support for a range of charitable organizations. For example, Alcuin School says it provides Montessori and International Baccalaureate education, while Mayo Clinic describes its work as providing patient care, education, and research. Welcome House describes its work as sober living and recovery support for adult men.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 31 grants totaling $3,293,555. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $1,000,000, with a median of $5,000.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $1,000,000 each to SMU Athletics and SMU School of Business; $585,000 to Heart of America Council BSA; $300,000 to St Lukes Hospital Foundation; and $150,000 to The Garden Club of Palm Beach 1928. Other reported grants included $50,000 to Mayo Clinic, $20,000 each to Alcuin School and Blair House Foundation, and $10,000 to Welcome House Inc.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael A. Merriman as president/treasurer, Marybeth M. Sotos as vice president/secretary, and Edward L. Merriman as vice president.
Merriman Foundation is led by Michael A. Merriman, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael A. Merriman
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Marybeth M. Sotos
Vice President & Secretary
Secretary → Vice President & Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Edward L. Merriman
Vice President
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Elaine Merriman (2020–2021) — Vice President
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 Merriman Foundation
How much does Merriman Foundation give each year?
Merriman Foundation gave $3.3M across 31 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.9M across 37 grants.
What is Merriman Foundation's typical grant size?
Merriman Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $106,244, across 31 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Merriman Foundation that year got $21K on average.
Where does Merriman Foundation give grants?
Merriman Foundation gives mostly in Texas: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Missouri (31%) and Florida (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Kansas City, MO (13 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants), Dallas, TX (3 grants) and Palm Beach, FL (3 grants).
Does Merriman Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 31 grants with a stated purpose on Merriman Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (26 grants).
Who are Merriman Foundation's largest grantees?
Merriman Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include SMU Athletics ($1,000,000), SMU School of Business ($1,000,000) and Heart of America Council BSA ($585,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 78% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Merriman Foundation?
Merriman Foundation reported $4.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.3M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.2M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Merriman Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Merriman 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 Merriman Foundation's EIN?
Merriman Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7113720. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Merriman 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Merriman Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Merriman Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/merriman-foundation-morg_cf4282634a054f3982f0c7b768a09dac
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237113720_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Merriman Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/merriman-foundation-morg_cf4282634a054f3982f0c7b768a09dac},
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 Merriman 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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