Sabrina Merage Foundation
The Sabrina Merage Foundation is a private foundation based in Englewood, Colorado. Its 2025 filing lists grants to organizations including documentary and public-media groups, a Jewish young-adult community organization, a policy foundation, and a philanthropic public charity.
Sabrina Merage Foundation at a glance
In short: Sabrina Merage Foundation gave $340K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $34K), mostly in California. 40% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $340,460
- +9.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +42.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $34,046
- -23.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $16,250
- Total assets
- $16,014,375
- +3.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (4 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (69% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Sabrina Merage Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states in its 2024 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 18 Inverness Place East, Englewood, CO 80112
Phone: (303) 789-2664
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sabrina Merage Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Afterimage Public Media ($125K). Together the top 10 received $340K.
Grant Size Distribution
35 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 21 grants of 35 (60%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grants went to recipients in several states and Washington, DC. By share of grant dollars, California accounted for 69%, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC each accounted for 15%, and New Jersey accounted for 1%. Louisiana is listed at 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Sabrina Merage Foundation open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 10 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $39K; repeat grants $31K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $26K repeat.
- 40% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 70% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 51% 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 (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $49K (2021) to $340K (2025). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $340K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Afterimage Public Media San Francisco, CA | General operations | $125,000 |
| Moishe House DBA MEM Global Encinitas, CA | General Operations | $80,000 |
| National Philanthropic Trust Jenkintown, PA | Donor Advised Fund. | $50,000 |
| New America Foundation Washington, DC | General operations | $50,000 |
| Prop 8 Films Marina del Rey, CA | For use for the documentary film Shuffle's impact campaign | $30,000 |
| Old Chester Films LLC Montclair, NJ | Cover reasonable travel-related expenses for film participants with ther attendance at film festival in NYC | $2,500 |
| Lowland Kids Films LLC Montegut, LA | Cover reasonable travel-related expenses for film participants with ther attendance at film festival in NYC | $1,200 |
| Visionary Women Beverly Hills, CA | General Operations | $1,000 |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Cen New York, NY | General Support | $500 |
| Sharsheret Inc Teaneck, NJ | Sharsheret West Coast Dash - General Event Support | $260 |
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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 | $16,014,375 | $1,112,237 | $593,111 | $340,460 | 10 | $575,500 | $1,102,608 | $1,119,640 |
| 2024 | $15,486,932 | $10,629,858 | $632,883 | $311,000 | 7 | $616,934 | $568,744 | $830,035 |
| 2023 | $5,487,937 | $485,317 | $461,077 | $239,100 | 7 | $443,383 | $477,026 | $382,987 |
| 2022 | $5,470,517 | $580,594 | $425,523 | $200,100 | 6 | $417,042 | $570,450 | $401,843 |
| 2021 | $5,451,052 | $215,812 | $80,838 | $48,555 | 5 | — | $198,519 | $420,489 |
| 2020 | $5,300,523 | $2,277,262 | $327,115 | $218,821 | 12 | — | $196,438 | $286,239 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sabrina Merage Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.1M for 2025 — 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 available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants included general operating support, a donor-advised fund contribution, support for a documentary film impact campaign, and travel-related expenses for film participants attending a festival.
The grantees describe their own work in varied terms. Afterimage Public Media says it produces documentary film and television projects and community engagement programs about educational and public-interest matters. Moishe House says it supports Jewish community, learning, and leadership for young adults. New America Foundation describes its work as renewing America and addressing challenges and opportunities related to technological and social change. National Philanthropic Trust says it provides philanthropic expertise to help donors and institutions realize their philanthropic aspirations.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $340,460. Grant amounts ranged from $260 to $125,000, with a median of $16,250. Its largest grants were $125,000 to Afterimage Public Media and $80,000 to Moishe House. It gave $50,000 each to National Philanthropic Trust and New America Foundation, and $30,000 to Prop 8 Films for the impact campaign for the documentary film *Shuffle*.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Sabrina Naim as President, David Merage as Chairman, Laura Merage as Vice President, Michael Niyompong as Executive Director, Sue Renner as Secretary, and Rob Nelson as Treasurer.
Sabrina Merage Foundation is led by Michael Niyompong, Executive Director on every filing since 2024; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael Niyompong
Executive Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sabrina Naim
President
Director → President, 2025
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Merage
Chairman
Secretary → President, 2024
President → Chairman, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Merage
Vice President
President → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rob Nelson
Treasurer
Vice President → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sue Renner
Secretary
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Sabrina Merage (2020–2023) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Sabrina Merage Foundation
How much does Sabrina Merage Foundation give each year?
Sabrina Merage Foundation gave $340K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $311K across 7 grants.
What is Sabrina Merage Foundation's typical grant size?
Sabrina Merage Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $16,250, and its average grant was $34,046, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sabrina Merage Foundation that year got $39K on average.
Where does Sabrina Merage Foundation give grants?
Sabrina Merage Foundation gives mostly in California: 69% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (15%) and District of Columbia (15%).
Does Sabrina Merage Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 60% of Sabrina Merage Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (6 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sabrina Merage Foundation's largest grantees?
Sabrina Merage Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Afterimage Public Media ($125,000), Moishe House DBA MEM Global ($80,000) and National Philanthropic Trust ($50,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 75% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Sabrina Merage Foundation?
Sabrina Merage Foundation reported $16.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $576K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (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 Sabrina Merage Foundation fund?
The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2025 grants included general operating support, a donor-advised fund contribution, support for a documentary film impact campaign, and travel-related expenses for film participants attending a festival. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sabrina Merage Foundation?
The foundation states in its 2024 filing that it 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 Sabrina Merage Foundation's EIN?
Sabrina Merage Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0601805. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Sabrina Merage 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 27, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Sabrina Merage Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sabrina Merage Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sabrina-merage-foundation-morg_0c8f83ffdfa547e19ec8b12893c8a3d7
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_260601805_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sabrina Merage Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sabrina-merage-foundation-morg_0c8f83ffdfa547e19ec8b12893c8a3d7},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Sabrina Merage 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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