Merrion Family Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Wilmington, DE EIN: 26-3374889 Website

The Merrion Family Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Established in 2009 and designated as a 501(c)(3) organization, the foundation operates as a philanthropic entity supporting various charitable causes across the United States.

Key facts about Merrion Family Foundation

EIN: 26-3374889
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $604,590
Grants made (2024): 134
Average grant: $4,512
Median grant: $2,000
New grantees (estimate): 25% first-time grantees (29 of 115, 2024)
Total assets: $9,005,958
Primary geography: New Mexico (73% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Who Merrion Family Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Merrion Family Foundation's 134 itemized 2024 grants were New Mexico (73%), Colorado (13%) and Arizona (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Farmington, NM (53 grants), Albuquerque, NM (12 grants), Phoenix, AZ (5 grants) and Aztec, NM (5 grants). 46% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Event" (15 grants).

Is Merrion Family Foundation open to new grantees?

25%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 29 of 115 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $2K; repeat grants $6K. How we count

Medians: $1K first-time, $3K repeat.

72% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−3%). Method
In 2024 it paid out 123% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$9.0M

+6.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$605K

-29.6% YoY

Grant Count

134

+8.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$5K

-35.4% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Merrion Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $520K 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 has not publicly provided a formal mission statement. However, based on grant activity, the foundation supports initiatives in education, human services, and philanthropy. Grant recipients have included educational institutions, religious organizations, and community development projects.

Grantmaking

The foundation is an active grantmaker with a distributed funding approach:

Grant Range

**: Awards typically range from $25,000 to $50,000, with recent notable grants including $50,000 to San Juan College Foundation for an Energy Museum Wing and $50,000 to Catholic Diocese of Pueblo Foundation for a capital campaign

Grant Types

**: The foundation has supported educational enhancementscapital campaignsand community initiatives

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds projects across multiple U.S. states and regions, with documented giving in:

Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming

The foundation has demonstrated particular activity in the Southwest region, with notable grants to organizations in New Mexico and Colorado.

Grant Distribution by State

New Mexico $443K (73%)

Colorado $76K (13%)

Arizona $38K (6%)

Utah $17K (3%)

District of Columbia $10K (2%)

All other $19K (3%)

Share of all 134 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

Arizona California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Illinois Indiana Maryland North Carolina New Mexico New York Oklahoma Tennessee Texas Utah Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Cities

FarmingtonAlbuquerqueDurangoPhoenixFort AtkinsonAztecGallupPuebloPark CitySalt Lake CtySan DiegoWashingtonNashvilleGoldenKirtlandTellurideNew YorkSanta FeSocorroBoone

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2024:

Total Assets: $9,005,958
Total Revenue: $1,249,317
Total Expenses: $731,496
Net Income: $517,821
Total Liabilities: $0

As of December 2023:

Total Assets: $8,487,637
Total Revenue: $432,360
Total Expenses: $980,147
Investment Income: $217,081

The foundation's revenue is primarily derived from investment income and gains on asset sales rather than contributions.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$9,005,958	$8,487,637	$9,034,924
Revenue	$1,249,317	$432,360	$-172,047
Expenses	$731,496	$980,147	$1,064,949
Qualifying Distributions	$640,945	$894,323	$962,173
Net Investment Income	$1,226,976	$462,098	$228,267
Distributable Amount	$520,161	$484,214	$513,678

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 2, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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

548 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Sacred Heart Catholic Church ($57,000 across 3 grants), San Juan College Foundation ($52,000 across 2 grants), Catholic Diocese of Pueblo Foundation Inc ($50,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF PUEBLO FOUNDATION INC Pueblo, CO	Sharing our Faith - Shaping our Future	$50,000
SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH Farmington, NM	Good Shepherd Priests' Retirement Fund for 2024	$50,000
SAN JUAN COLLEGE FOUNDATION Farmington, NM	Energy Museum Wing	$50,000
FARMINGTON HIGH SCHOOL Farmington, NM	Enhance Education fund	$25,000
SAN JUAN COUNTY LIFE SKILLS FOUNDATION Kirtland, NM	The First Tee Program	$25,000
FOUR CORNERS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION Farmington, NM	General & Unrestricted	$21,500
NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION INC Phoenix, AZ	Charitable Event	$20,000
PRESBYTERIAN MEDICAL SERVICES Santa Fe, NM	Festival of Trees Sponsor	$20,000
CONVICTED BY CHRIST Bloomfield, NM	General & Unrestricted	$15,000
NAVAJO UNITED METHODIST CENTER Farmington, NM	New Beginnings House of Hope	$15,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

President: T Greg Merrion (also serves as director and secretary)
Staffing: The foundation operates with volunteer leadership; all listed personnel work without compensation
Structure: The foundation includes several vice presidents in addition to the president

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Brittany KM Bleichrodt	VP	—	—
Samantha M Higgins	VP	—	—
Anne M Merrion	VP	—	—
Hannah J Merrion	VP	—	—
Molly J Merrion	VP	—	—
Ryan G Merrion	VP	—	—
Sara L Merrion	VP	—	—
T Greg Merrion	Pres, Dir, Sec	—	—
Tori M Walsh	VP	—	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

The foundation has been active in supporting educational and religious institutions, with recent grants supporting museum development, capital campaigns for diocesan initiatives, and educational enhancement programs at secondary schools.

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Merrion Family Foundation fund?

How do I apply for a grant from Merrion Family Foundation?

The foundation is an active grantmaker with a distributed funding approach: • **Recent Grant Activity**: Made 83 grants in 2023, totaling approximately $447,330 in grants distributed • **Grant Range**: Awards typically range from $25,000 to $50,000, with recent notable grants including $50,000 to San Juan College Foundation for an Energy Museum Wing and $50,000 to Catholic Diocese of Pueblo Foundation for a capital campaign • **Grant Types**: The foundation has supported educational enhancement…

Where does Merrion Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation funds projects across multiple U.S. states and regions, with documented giving in: Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming The foundation has demonstrated particular activity in the Southwest region, with notable grants to organizations in New Mexico and Colorado.

What size grants does Merrion Family Foundation award?

In 2024, Merrion Family Foundation awarded 134 grants totaling $605K — an average of about $5K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Merrion Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Merrion Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $520K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.