Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family
Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family is a private foundation based in Houston, Texas. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations working in areas including domestic and sexual violence services, Jewish community life, reproductive health, food access, education, and journalism.
Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family at a glance
In short: Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family gave $482K across 29 grants in 2024 (avg $17K), mostly in Texas. 45% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $482,350
- -3.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 29
- +38.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $16,633
- -30.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $5,466,541
- -5.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (13 of 29, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Texas (64% 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 Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family
- 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: 709 E 8Th Street, Houston, TX 77007
Phone: (713) 542-4397
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Houston Area Women's Center ($77K). Together the top 10 received $408K.
Grant Size Distribution
84 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 68 grants of 84 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, recipients in Texas received 64% of grant dollars, those in Washington, DC, received 18%, Colorado recipients received 13%, and New York recipients received 5%. The filing also lists 0% for Louisiana.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 29 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 13 of 29 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $24K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 48% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 77% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 140% 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 $420K (2022) to $2.1M (2021). In 2024 it made 29 grants totaling $482K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Houston Area Women's Center Dallas, TX | General Funds | $76,640 |
| Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston Houston, TX | General Funds | $70,500 |
| Boulder Jewish Community Center Boulder, CO | General Funds | $60,000 |
| New Leaders Council (NLC) Washington, DC | General Funds | $53,780 |
| Jewish Federation-Greater Houston Houston, TX | General Funds | $27,000 |
| Center for Reproductive Rights New York, NY | General Funds | $25,000 |
| National Partnership for Women & Families Washington, DC | General Funds | $25,000 |
| Houston Jewish Community Foundation Houston, TX | General Funds | $25,000 |
| Promise Village Academy LLC Houston, TX | General Funds | $24,600 |
| Target Hunger Houston, TX | General Funds | $20,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,466,541 | $200,010 | $504,941 | $482,350 | 29 | $488,993 | $202,907 | $350,260 |
| 2023 | $5,764,444 | $163,056 | $532,641 | $501,479 | 21 | $512,332 | $194,825 | $332,978 |
| 2022 | $6,128,815 | $192,570 | $529,341 | $420,465 | 14 | $443,272 | $173,552 | $356,180 |
| 2021 | $6,474,218 | $6,265,583 | $2,146,991 | $2,116,100 | 12 | $2,125,979 | $4,949,211 | $196,339 |
| 2020 | $2,370,833 | $491,967 | $480,464 | $470,100 | 8 | — | $179,613 | $152,041 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family reported a distributable amount of $350K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants include support for organizations whose own missions address a range of community needs. The Houston Area Women’s Center says it works to end domestic and sexual violence through advocacy, counseling, education, shelter, and support services. Target Hunger says it works to alleviate hunger and its root causes in Houston neighborhoods. Planned Parenthood describes its mission as providing accessible reproductive health services and evidence-based resources.
Other 2024 recipients include the Houston Jewish Community Foundation, which describes its work as stewarding charitable funds for qualified organizations and promoting tzedakah; Promise Village Academy, which says it aims to establish an academy in rural Tanzania to reduce generational poverty; and The 19th News, which says it produces journalism serving women and LGBTQ+ people.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 29 grants totaling $482,350. Grants ranged from $50 to $76,640, with a median of $5,000. The largest reported grants included Houston Area Women’s Center ($76,640), Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston ($70,500), Boulder Jewish Community Center ($60,000), New Leaders Council ($53,780), Jewish Federation-Greater Houston ($27,000), Center for Reproductive Rights ($25,000), National Partnership for Women & Families ($25,000), and Houston Jewish Community Foundation ($25,000).
Other listed awards included Promise Village Academy ($24,600), Target Hunger ($20,000), Planned Parenthood ($15,000), and The 19th News ($15,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Gerald Merfish, Sheralyn M. Merfish, Brett M. Merfish, and Beth M. Merfish as co-trustees.
Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Beth M. Merfish
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Brett M. Merfish
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Gerald Merfish
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sheralyn M. Merfish
Co-Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family
How much does Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family give each year?
Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family gave $482K across 29 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $501K across 21 grants.
What is Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family's typical grant size?
Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $16,633, across 29 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family that year got $7K on average.
Where does Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family give grants?
Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family gives mostly in Texas: 64% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (18%) and Colorado (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Houston, TX (13 grants), Washington, DC (4 grants), Boulder, CO (2 grants) and Austin, TX (2 grants).
Does Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (29 of 29) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family's largest grantees?
Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family's largest 2024 grantees include Houston Area Women's Center ($76,640), Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center of Houston ($70,500) and Boulder Jewish Community Center ($60,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 43% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family?
Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family reported $5.5M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $489K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $350K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants include support for organizations whose own missions address a range of community needs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family?
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 Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family's EIN?
Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-4050182. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/sherry-and-gerald-merfish-family-morg_30bc09b95b8f412bb7540a38301e081f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_464050182_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Sherry \& Gerald Merfish Family funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/sherry-and-gerald-merfish-family-morg_30bc09b95b8f412bb7540a38301e081f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. 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 Sherry & Gerald Merfish Family'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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