Merriman Foundation

WASHINGTON, DC EIN: 23-7113720

The Merriman Foundation is a private foundation based in Washington, DC, designated as a 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation has been tax-exempt since September 1971. It functions as a grantmaking foundation that supports charitable, religious, and research organizations.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.5M

+50.7% YoY

Annual Giving

$3.9M

+44.3% YoY

Grant Count

+32.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$105K

+9.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Merriman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $999K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation funds charitable, religious, and research organizations. Primary funding focus areas include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Community Health
Health and Medical initiatives
Health and Wellness
School Health
Faith-based initiatives

Grantmaking

The foundation made 31 grants in 2023. Typical grant awards range from $500 to $1,779,068.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Missouri, Florida, and Texas, though it has also made grants to organizations in Washington, DC.

Grant Distribution by State

Missouri $10.6M (67%)

Texas $4.4M (28%)

Florida $294K (2%)

Minnesota $250K (2%)

Kansas $212K (1%)

District of Columbia $40K (0%)

New York $16K (0%)

Ohio $10K (0%)

+3 more states

States

District of Columbia Florida Illinois Kansas Minnesota Missouri New York Ohio Texas Virginia Wisconsin

Cities

Arrow RockBarabooBonner SpringsBucyrusBucyrysDallasDublinFloridaKansas CityLagrangeMerrimanMiamiN Kansas CityNapervilleNew YorkNorth Kansas CityOxfordPalm BeachPlam BeachPrairie Village

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2023:

Total Assets: $2,317,524
Total Revenue: $488,551
Total Expenses: $2,812,043
Total Liabilities: $2,900,000

As of 2024 (most recent data):

Total Assets: $3,491,951
Total Giving: $3,886,000

The foundation operates with zero employees and relies on volunteer leadership.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$3,491,951	$2,317,524	$2,341,016
Revenue	$7,377,906	$488,551	$1,428,128
Expenses	$4,157,467	$2,812,043	$5,784,454
Qualifying Distributions	$3,886,000	$2,692,250	$5,684,018
Net Investment Income	$507,160	$482,683	$1,406,216
Distributable Amount	$998,621	$995,976	$1,159,157

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

154 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Pembroke Hill School ($1,050,000), SMU Athletics ($1,000,000), SMU School of Business ($1,000,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
Alcuin School Dallas, TX	CHARITABLE	$50,000
American Friends of the Louvre New York, NY	CHARITABLE	$5,000
American Royal Association Kansas City, MO	CHARITABLE	$10,000
Blair House Foundation Washington, DC	CHARTIABLE	$20,000
BOTAR Kansas City, MO	CHARITABLE	$5,000
Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County West Palm Beach, FL	CHARITABLE	$10,000
Breast Cancer Research Foundation New York, NY	CHARITABLE	$10,000
Children's Mercy Kansas City Kansas City, MO	CHARITABLE	$56,000
Crossroads Charter Schools Kansas City, MO	CHARITABLE	$5,000
Downtown Council of Kansas City Kansas City, MO	CHARITABLE	$10,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Michael A. Merriman — President/Treasurer
Marybeth M. Sotos — Vice President/Secretary
Edward L. Merriman — Vice President

All listed personnel serve without compensation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
MICHAEL A MERRIMAN	PRESIDENT/TREASURER	—	—
MARYBETH M SOTOS	VICE PRESIDENT/SECRETARY	—	—
EDWARD L MERRIMAN	VICE PRESIDENT	—	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Merriman Foundation fund?

The foundation funds charitable, religious, and research organizations. Primary funding focus areas include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Community Health • Health and Medical initiatives • Health and Wellness • School Health • Faith-based initiatives

How do I apply for a grant from Merriman Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** The foundation made 31 grants in 2023. Typical grant awards range from $500 to $1,779,068. **Recent Notable Grants (2023):** • Pembroke Hill School: $1,000,000 (Charitable/building fund) • Saint Luke's Foundation: $321,000 (Charitable/research) • Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: $50,000 (Charitable/arts/education) **Grant Median:** $7,500 **Grant Maximum:** $1,000,000

Where does Merriman Foundation make grants?

The foundation's grantmaking focuses primarily on Missouri, Florida, and Texas, though it has also made grants to organizations in Washington, DC.

What size grants does Merriman Foundation award?

In 2024, Merriman Foundation awarded 37 grants totaling $3.9M — an average of about $105K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Merriman Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Merriman Foundation reported a distributable amount of $999K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.