Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation
The Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation is a private foundation based in Brooklyn, New York. Formed in 2011 at Mercedes Eichholz’s direction, it supports the arts in all their forms as a fundamental part of human life. The foundation’s website states that it has awarded more than $30 million in grants to more than 220 organizations in the United States and abroad since its inception.
Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation at a glance
In short: Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation gave $3.7M across 103 grants in 2024 (avg $36K), top state North Carolina. 24% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,741,945
- -22.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 103
- +8.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $36,330
- -28.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $71,274,573
- +2.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (24 of 98, 2024)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (24% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Grants are made at the discretion of the trustees.
- Contact
Mailing address: 2A Strong Place, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Phone: (917) 957-8642
Website: https://eichholzfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was National Gallery of Art ($500K). Together the top 10 received $2.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
496 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 409 grants of 496 (82%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation awards grants to organizations across the United States and abroad. In filing year 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars by recipient state went to North Carolina (24%), California (17%), New York (15%), Connecticut (14%), and Maryland (13%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 103 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 24 of 98 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $46K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 70% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−1%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 117% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $3.2M (2020) to $4.8M (2023). In 2024 it made 103 grants totaling $3.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| National Gallery of Art Landover, MD | General | $500,000 |
| Yale--David Geffen Yale School of Drama New Haven, CT | Program Endowment | $400,000 |
| Tides Center San Francisco, CA | One Nation One Project | $375,000 |
| University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC | Art Gallery Endowment | $300,000 |
| Artist Repertory Theater Portland, OR | Capital Campaign | $260,000 |
| Music Maker Foundation Hillsborough, NC | General | $155,000 |
| American Dance Festival Durham, NC | General | $110,000 |
| Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club Bronx, NY | Art Programs | $101,910 |
| Creative Network Astoria, NY | General | $100,000 |
| Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Assn Inc Arlington, VA | Leonardo Da Vinci Documentary | $100,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $71,274,573 | $3,729,365 | $4,722,774 | $3,741,945 | 103 | $4,088,067 | $2,999,962 | $3,489,797 |
| 2023 | $69,326,921 | $2,796,099 | $5,854,551 | $4,800,000 | 95 | $5,071,130 | $1,959,478 | $3,342,114 |
| 2022 | $67,043,985 | $1,080,218 | $5,620,536 | $4,037,500 | 111 | $4,304,176 | $138 | $3,565,717 |
| 2021 | $82,763,339 | $5,814,475 | $4,620,620 | $3,767,900 | 107 | $3,967,408 | $5,145,727 | $3,984,465 |
| 2020 | $78,284,750 | $2,521,903 | $4,153,910 | $3,184,115 | 80 | — | $2,430,734 | $3,463,590 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation reported a distributable amount of $3.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to support the arts in all their forms as a fundamental part of human life. Its website identifies visual arts, performing arts, and arts education as areas it funds.
Its 2024 grants illustrate a range of grantee missions. The National Gallery of Art says it welcomes people to explore and experience art, creativity, and shared humanity. Music Maker Foundation describes its work as supporting traditional American musicians and educating the public about musical traditions. American Dance Festival says it supports the creation of modern dance, preserves modern dance heritage, and builds audiences for the art form. Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club describes its mission as improving young people’s quality of life, while the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara says it supports students through college, graduate, and vocational school with information, advising, and scholarships.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the foundation made 103 grants totaling $3,741,945. Individual grants ranged from $500 to $500,000, with a median of $10,000. The foundation’s website describes its overall grant range as $2,500 to $5,000,000 and says grants are decided by trustees at quarterly meetings. Grants may be pledged over several years, made as challenge grants, or support new projects.
Among its largest 2024 grants were $500,000 to the National Gallery of Art for general purposes; $400,000 to Yale—David Geffen Yale School of Drama for a program endowment; $375,000 to Tides Center for One Nation One Project; $300,000 to the University of North Carolina for an art gallery endowment; and $260,000 to Artist Repertory Theater for a capital campaign. Other grants included $155,000 to Music Maker Foundation for general purposes, $110,000 to American Dance Festival for general purposes, and $101,910 to Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club for art programs.
The foundation began awarding Merci Grants in 2016 in honor of its founder’s nickname. These $100,000 grants are awarded at the discretion of two family trustees to small and mid-size organizations with which the foundation already has an established relationship, to support a special project or initiative.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Alexa Davidson Suskin as trustee and executive director. Trustees listed on that filing are Michael C. Davidson, Joan Davidson, Lyn E. Davidson, Roger A. Eichholz, Daniel Dunn, Paul N. Frimmer, Marc Suskin, and Natalie Dunn.
Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation is led by Alexa Davidson Suskin, Trustee & Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 9 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Alexa Davidson Suskin
Trustee & Executive Director
On filings since 2020
25 hrs/week
$150K (2020) → $200K (2024)
Daniel Dunn
Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joan Davidson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael C. Davidson
Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul N. Frimmer
Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roger A. Eichholz
Trustee
On filings since 2020
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marc Suskin
Trustee
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Natalie Dunn
Trustee
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lyn E. Davidson
Trustee
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Lyn E. Dunn (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Douglas McCartney (2020) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $200K, to Alexa Davidson Suskin (Trustee/Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation
How much does Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation give each year?
Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation gave $3.7M across 103 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.8M across 95 grants.
What is Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation's typical grant size?
Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $36,330, across 103 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation give grants?
Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation's top state is North Carolina, with 24% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (17%) and New York (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (20 grants), Portland, OR (9 grants), Durham, NC (8 grants) and Santa Barbara, CA (8 grants).
Does Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 67% of Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (69 of 103) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Art Programs" (6 grants), "Capital Campaign" (3 grants) and "Scholarship" (3 grants).
Who are Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation's largest grantees?
Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include National Gallery of Art ($500,000), Yale--David Geffen Yale School of Drama ($400,000) and Tides Center ($375,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation?
Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation reported $71.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $3.5M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to support the arts in all their forms as a fundamental part of human life. Its website identifies visual arts, performing arts, and arts education as areas it funds. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation's EIN?
Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-3670591. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Robert and Mercedes Eichholz 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/robert-and-mercedes-eichholz-foundation-morg_82b5d4d34cd8499c93b7cd61ebb385b3
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_453670591_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/robert-and-mercedes-eichholz-foundation-morg_82b5d4d34cd8499c93b7cd61ebb385b3},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Robert and Mercedes Eichholz 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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