Merwin Foundation

ERIE, PA EIN: 25-6060860

The Merwin Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in Pennsylvania and designated as a 501(c)(3) organization. The foundation has been tax-exempt since August 1957 and is located in Erie, PA at 2200 Asbury Road.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$6.5M

+3.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$399K

+5.3% YoY

Grant Count

-20.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$25K

+31.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Merwin Foundation reported a distributable amount of $399K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

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

Grantmaking

The foundation distributed $378,500 in grants during 2023. The foundation operates as a private grantmaking foundation and maintains an active grantmaking program.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

Pennsylvania $1.5M (88%)

Ohio $200K (11%)

Florida $2K (0%)

States

Florida Ohio Pennsylvania

Cities

ClevelandErieHarrisburgTampa

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Based on the most recent 2023 IRS Form 990 filing:

Total Assets: $6,252,808
Total Giving: $378,500
Annual Revenue: $391,000
Annual Expenses: $434,000
Total Liabilities: $0

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$6,496,853	$6,252,808	$6,295,560
Revenue	$697,753	$391,344	$401,256
Expenses	$453,708	$434,096	$182,616
Qualifying Distributions	$398,500	$378,500	$118,500
Net Investment Income	$630,731	$356,689	$352,860
Distributable Amount	$399,218	$344,849	$347,281

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

75 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Erie Zoological Society ($100,000), Success Through Sport ($60,000), Erie Philharmonic ($40,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ERIE PHILHARMONIC ERIE, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$40,000
WEST LAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT ERIE, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$1,500
ACES ERIE, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$15,000
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION ERIE, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$10,000
BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB ERIE, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$30,000
CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER ERIE, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$20,000
ERIE CITY MISSION ERIE, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$30,000
MEALS ON WHEELS ERIE ERIE, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$20,000
NEIGHBORHOOD ART HOUSE ERIE, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$15,000
SIGHT CENTER OF NW PA ERIE, PA	UNRESTRICTED	$20,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
RICHARD A MERWIN	PRES./TREAS/	1	—
JAMES R WALCZAK	ASST SEC/DIR	0.5	—
JAMES E SPODEN	SEC/DIR	0.5	—

Contact Information

Phone: 814-833-9881
Address: 2200 Asbury Road, Erie, PA 16506
EIN: 25-6060860

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for a grant from Merwin Foundation?

The foundation distributed $378,500 in grants during 2023. The foundation operates as a private grantmaking foundation and maintains an active grantmaking program.

What size grants does Merwin Foundation award?

In 2024, Merwin Foundation awarded 16 grants totaling $399K — an average of about $25K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

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

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Merwin Foundation reported a distributable amount of $399K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.