Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation
The Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation is a private foundation based in Chillicothe, Missouri. Its 2025 grants went to organizations in Missouri, with many of the largest awards designated for community development and education.
Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation at a glance
In short: Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation gave $478K across 38 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Missouri. 11% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $478,085
- +82.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 38
- +18.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $12,581
- +53.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,700
- Total assets
- $6,563,045
- -2.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (4 of 38, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Missouri (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Mervyn W Jenkins 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: PO Box 228, Chillicothe, MO 64601
Phone: (660) 646-0627
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Concerned Christians for the Community ($88K). Together the top 10 received $381K.
Grant Size Distribution
147 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 135 grants of 147 (92%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in Missouri. Many listed recipients are based in Chillicothe and nearby Missouri communities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 38 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 38 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $4K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 66% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $260K (2023) to $985K (2021). In 2025 it made 38 grants totaling $478K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Concerned Christians for the Community Chillicothe, MO | Community Development | $87,500 |
| Carroll County Area YMCA Carrollton, MO | Community Development | $71,000 |
| Chillicothe Mission Chillicothe, MO | Community Development | $50,000 |
| City of Chillicothe Chillicothe, MO | Community Development | $42,000 |
| Grand River Area Family YMCA Chillicothe, MO | Community Development | $31,020 |
| My Hometown - Carrollton Carrollton, MO | Community Development | $30,000 |
| Livingston County Educational and Housing Council Chillicothe, MO | Education and Community Development | $25,148 |
| Chillicothe R-II School District Chillicothe, MO | Education | $19,687 |
| Dawn Fire Fighters Association Dawn, MO | Community Development | $13,750 |
| North Missouri Center for Youth and Families Chillicothe, MO | Community Development | $11,000 |
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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 | $6,563,045 | $390,482 | $562,221 | $478,085 | 38 | $535,370 | $366,806 | $563,440 |
| 2024 | $6,734,784 | $363,789 | $340,637 | $262,133 | 32 | $311,274 | $343,491 | $522,184 |
| 2023 | $6,711,632 | $474,080 | $331,859 | $259,582 | 24 | $307,206 | $450,717 | $455,064 |
| 2022 | $6,569,411 | $255,581 | $359,179 | $288,000 | 25 | $332,808 | $236,700 | $462,537 |
| 2021 | $6,673,009 | $413,126 | $1,048,733 | $984,750 | 28 | $1,029,544 | $394,935 | $488,091 |
| 2020 | $7,133,842 | $262,796 | $460,909 | $393,406 | 23 | — | $244,451 | $424,062 |
| 2019 | $7,331,955 | $311,015 | $385,481 | $328,028 | 30 | — | $292,470 | $422,096 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation reported a distributable amount of $563K 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 support for community development and education. The supported organizations describe a range of activities: Grand River Area Family YMCA says it works to improve physical, mental, social, moral, and educational conditions; Hope Haven Industries says it provides meaningful employment for people with disabilities; and Saving KidSight says it provides children’s vision screenings and follow-up services for families.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation awarded 38 grants totaling $478,085. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $87,500, with a median of $4,700. Among the largest awards were $87,500 to Concerned Christians for the Community, $71,000 to Carroll County Area YMCA, $50,000 to Chillicothe Mission, and $42,000 to the City of Chillicothe. Other recipients included Grand River Area Family YMCA ($31,020), My Hometown - Carrollton ($30,000), Livingston County Educational and Housing Council ($25,148), and Chillicothe R-II School District ($19,687).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The officers and directors listed on the 2025 filing are Robert Cowherd, president; Garth Greener, vice-president; Tim Childers, secretary; Charles Bigler, treasurer; and John Marcolla and Mary Dooley, directors.
Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation is led by Robert Cowherd, President on every filing since 2019; all 6 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Robert Cowherd
President
On filings since 2019
3.5 hrs/week
$8K (2019) → $10K (2025)
John Marcolla
Director
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
$8K (2019) → $10K (2025)
Mary Dooley
Director
On filings since 2024
1.5 hrs/week
$10K (2025)
Charles Bigler
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
$8K (2019) → $10K (2025)
Garth Greener
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
$8K (2019) → $10K (2025)
Tim Childers
Secretary
On filings since 2019
1.5 hrs/week
$8K (2019) → $10K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $10K, to Robert Cowherd (President). 6 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation
How much does Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation give each year?
Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation gave $478K across 38 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $262K across 32 grants.
What is Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation's typical grant size?
Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $4,700, and its average grant was $12,581, across 38 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Where does Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation give grants?
Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation gives mostly in Missouri: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Chillicothe, MO (26 grants), Carrollton, MO (3 grants), Norborne, MO (3 grants) and Ludlow, MO (2 grants).
Does Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 38 grants with a stated purpose on Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community Development" (18 grants) and "Education" (8 grants).
Who are Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation's largest grantees?
Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Concerned Christians for the Community ($87,500), Carroll County Area YMCA ($71,000) and Chillicothe Mission ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation?
Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation reported $6.6M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $535K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $563K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included support for community development and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Mervyn W Jenkins 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 Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation's EIN?
Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-1897857. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 22, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 9, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 8, 2024)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 7, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/mervyn-w-jenkins-foundation-morg_8d7369902bfe4fa18bf10b404488383e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_431897857_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Mervyn W Jenkins Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/mervyn-w-jenkins-foundation-morg_8d7369902bfe4fa18bf10b404488383e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Mervyn W Jenkins 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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