The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc
The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Reno, Nevada. Its 2025 grants supported organizations in Nevada, Hawaii, and Virginia, including organizations working in youth development, research, the arts, culture, and legal aid.
The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc gave $2.8M across 15 grants in 2025 (avg $187K), mostly in Nevada. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,805,000
- -26.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 15
- -31.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $187,000
- +8.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $250,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (4 of 15, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Nevada (73% 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 The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc
- Contact
Application contact: Michael J Melarkey
Mailing address: 165 West Liberty 110, Reno, NV 89501
Phone: (775) 221-8004
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was First Tee of Northern Nevada ($600K). Together the top 10 received $2.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
86 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 55 grants of 86 (64%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 73% of grant dollars went to recipients in Nevada, 18% to Hawaii, and 9% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 15 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $131K; repeat grants $207K. How we count
Medians: $133K first-time, $250K repeat.
- 53% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 142% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 427% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $899K (2020) to $3.8M (2024). In 2025 it made 15 grants totaling $2.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| First Tee of Northern Nevada Reno, NV | Construction project support | $600,000 |
| Desert Research Institute Reno, NV | Innovation Reasearch Program Endowment | $500,000 |
| Nevada Museum of Art Reno, NV | General Operations & Endowment | $350,000 |
| Artown Reno, NV | Program Support | $265,000 |
| Bishop Museum Honolulu, HI | Program Support | $250,000 |
| Boys and Girls Club Truckee Meadows Reno, NV | General Operations | $250,000 |
| Hawaii Justice Foundation Honolulu, HI | Endowment | $250,000 |
| The Nature Conservatory Arlington, VA | Program Support | $250,000 |
| Big Brother and Sisters of Northern Nevada Reno, NV | Mentoring Program | $20,000 |
| PBS Reno Reno, NV | Operational Support | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | $1,642,182 | $3,169,176 | $2,805,000 | 15 | $2,954,949 | $1,484,803 | $691,454 |
| 2024 | $15,648,494 | $2,515,088 | $4,092,033 | $3,805,000 | 22 | $3,919,269 | $2,384,997 | $822,374 |
| 2023 | $17,855,592 | $829,314 | $1,423,417 | $1,177,500 | 13 | $1,282,281 | $697,909 | $903,160 |
| 2022 | $17,345,507 | $1,318,443 | $1,433,944 | $1,160,000 | 20 | $1,274,224 | $1,175,089 | $993,676 |
| 2021 | $21,242,733 | $1,308,121 | $1,608,583 | $1,342,500 | 16 | — | $1,161,725 | $1,446,970 |
| 2020 | $16,961,894 | $676,462 | $1,128,537 | $899,000 | 21 | — | $533,510 | $852,055 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $691K 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 foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, The First Tee of Northern Nevada says its mission is to provide educational programs that build character and promote healthy choices through golf. The Nevada Museum of Art describes itself as a forum for creative ideas and a cultural resource for the community, while Artown says it works to strengthen Reno’s arts industry and civic identity. The Hawaii Justice Foundation says it provides legal aid to people in poverty and works to improve the administration of justice.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 15 grants totaling $2,805,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $600,000, with a median of $250,000. Among the largest grants were $600,000 to The First Tee of Northern Nevada for construction project support; $500,000 to Desert Research Institute for its Innovation Research Program Endowment; $350,000 to the Nevada Museum of Art for general operations and endowment; and $265,000 to Artown for program support. Other grants of $250,000 each went to Bishop Museum for program support, Boys and an individual recipient for general operations, Hawaii Justice Foundation for endowment, and The Nature Conservancy for program support.
The foundation’s filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. How to apply: Applications should be in writing and include the type of organization, its purpose, and the nature and purpose of the grant request. The filing names Michael J Melarkey as the application contact and states there are no restrictions on awards.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael J Melarkey as President and Gregory Ferraro as Trustee.
The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc is led by Michael J Melarkey, President on every filing since 2020; all 2 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael J Melarkey
President
On filings since 2020
16 hrs/week
$50K (2020) → $118K (2025)
Gregory Ferraro
Trustee
On filings since 2021
8 hrs/week
$40K (2021) → $50K (2025)
Former officers (3)
- Former: Dick Gilbert partial year (2024) — Secretary
- Former: Dick Gilbert (2020–2023) — Secretary
- Former: G. Dan Morgan (2020) — Trustee
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $118K, to Michael J Melarkey (President). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc
How much does The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc give each year?
The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc gave $2.8M across 15 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $3.8M across 22 grants.
What is The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $250,000, and its average grant was $187,000, across 15 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc that year got $131K on average.
Where does The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc give grants?
The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc gives mostly in Nevada: 73% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Hawaii (18%) and Virginia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Reno, NV (12 grants) and Honolulu, HI (2 grants).
Does The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 20% of The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (3 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (4 grants).
Who are The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include First Tee of Northern Nevada ($600,000), Desert Research Institute ($500,000) and Nevada Museum of Art ($350,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 52% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
What does The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc fund?
No foundation mission is stated in the available information. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, The First Tee of Northern Nevada says its mission is to provide educational programs that build character and promote healthy choices through golf. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc?
The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
How much is The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $691K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 88-0241424. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 26, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 19, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 22, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 17, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-bretzlaff-foundation-inc-morg_bb6593dcf12f4175a416b2fc338b88a5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_880241424_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-bretzlaff-foundation-inc-morg_bb6593dcf12f4175a416b2fc338b88a5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 The Bretzlaff Foundation Inc'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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