The John Merck Fund
The John Merck Fund was a private foundation based in Harrison, New York. Serena Merck established it in 1970 to improve care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The fund closed its doors in 2022 after five decades of grantmaking; its 2022 filing is marked as its final return, so it appears to have wound down and stopped grantmaking.
The John Merck Fund at a glance
In short: The John Merck Fund gave $1.9M across 2 grants in 2022 (avg $944K), mostly in Massachusetts. Source: 2022 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2022)
- $1,888,165
- -68.6% vs 2021
- Grants made (2022)
- 2
- -97.6% vs 2021
- Average grant
- $944,083
- +1217.1% vs 2021
- Median grant
- $944,083
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (100% of itemized 2022 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2022 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2022; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The John Merck Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation stated that it made contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. This describes its stated policy; the fund appears to have wound down and stopped grantmaking.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Pkfod Llp 500 Mamaroneck Aven, Harrison, NY 10528
Phone: (212) 286-2600
Website: https://jmfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The John Merck Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2022
The largest 2022 recipient was Merck Family Fund ($1.9M). Together the top 2 received $1.9M.
Grant Size Distribution
173 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 70 grants of 173 (40%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2022 went to recipients in Massachusetts. The fund’s website describes its climate and clean energy grantmaking as focused in New England, including state-level work, and identifies regional food systems as a final-period funding area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2022 grant dollars across all 2 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The John Merck Fund gives
- In 2022 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2022, annual grant giving ranged from $1.9M (2022) to $10.9M (2020). In 2022 it made 2 grants totaling $1.9M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Merck Family Fund Boston, MA | To Support Charitable Activities. | $1,862,165 |
| Conservation Law Foundation Boston, MA | To enable slingshot to build people power, working side-by-side with community members to tackle local pollution threats while building long-term leaders for the environmental and social just movements | $26,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The fund’s filing type is Form 990-PF.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | — | $60,768 | $2,603,301 | $1,888,165 | 2 | $2,511,802 | — | $109,840 |
| 2021 | $2,665,462 | $1,331,718 | $6,972,496 | $6,020,875 | 84 | $6,938,434 | $1,274,970 | $349,071 |
| 2020 | $9,250,212 | $3,400,932 | $12,078,376 | $10,928,000 | 87 | — | $2,877,828 | $740,551 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The John Merck Fund reported a distributable amount of $110K for 2022 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The fund’s founding aim was to improve the care of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Over its history, it also supported work in climate and clean energy, farm and food, health and environment, disarmament, human rights, job opportunities, and reproductive rights.
Its 2022 grants included support for the Conservation Law Foundation. The grantee describes its mission as protecting New England’s environment for the benefit of people and future generations, using law, science, and markets to preserve and restore natural resources, build healthy and resilient communities, and sustain a vibrant economy.
Grantmaking
In 2022, the fund reported two grants totaling $1,888,165. The grants ranged from $26,000 to $1,862,165, with a median of $944,082. The larger grant went to the Merck Family Fund in Boston, Massachusetts: $1,862,165 for “charitable activities.” The Conservation Law Foundation in Boston received $26,000 to support its Slingshot work with community members on local pollution threats and long-term leadership for environmental and social justice movements.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2022 filing lists Francis W. Hatch III as trustee and chair. Serena Whitridge is listed as trustee, treasurer, and secretary. It also lists several trustees whose service was through January 2022: Olivia H. Farr, Robert H. Gardiner, George Hatch, Ruth Hennig, Roger McFadden, Frederica Perera, William Roberts, and Anne Stetson, who was trustee and treasurer.
The John Merck Fund is led by Christine James See Statement, Former Secretary & Executive Director on the 2022 filing; 2 of 12 officers listed in 2022 are compensated.
Officers on the 2022 filing
Christine James See Statement
Former Secretary & Executive Director
New on the 2022 filing
$72K (2022)
Francis W. Hatch III
Trustee & Chair
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Anne Stetson
Trustee & Treasurer -
Trustee & Treasurer → Trustee & Treasurer -, 2022
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Frederica Perera
Trustee -
Trustee → Trustee -, 2022
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
George Hatch
Trustee -
Trustee → Trustee -, 2022
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Olivia H. Farr
Trustee -
Trustee → Trustee -, 2022
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Robert H. Gardiner
Trustee -
Trustee → Trustee -, 2022
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roger McFadden
Trustee -
Trustee → Trustee -, 2022
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ruth Hennig
Trustee -
Trustee → Trustee -, 2022
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Serena Whitridge
Trustee, Treasurer & Secretary
Trustee → Trustee, Treasurer & Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
William Roberts
Trustee -
Trustee → Trustee -, 2022
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Stockford - Dir Of Operations
Assistant Secretary
Assistant Treasurer → Assistant Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
35 hrs/week
$188K (2020) → $274K (2022)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Christine James (2020–2021) — Secretary & Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2022. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2022 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2022 filing was $274K, to Nancy Stockford - DIR of Operations (Assistant Secretary). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The John Merck Fund
How much does The John Merck Fund give each year?
The John Merck Fund gave $1.9M across 2 grants in 2022, according to its 2022 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2021 it gave $6.0M across 84 grants.
What does The John Merck Fund fund?
The fund’s founding aim was to improve the care of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Over its history, it also supported work in climate and clean energy, farm and food, health and environment, disarmament, human rights, job opportunities, and reproductive rights. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The John Merck Fund?
The foundation stated that it made 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 ↑
Where does The John Merck Fund make grants?
All grant dollars reported for 2022 went to recipients in Massachusetts. The fund’s website describes its climate and clean energy grantmaking as focused in New England, including state-level work, and identifies regional food systems as a final-period funding area.
How much is The John Merck Fund required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2022, The John Merck Fund reported a distributable amount of $110K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The John Merck Fund's EIN?
The John Merck Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7082558. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2022.
Does The John Merck Fund 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 2020–2022
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The John Merck Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-john-merck-fund-morg_29d23934b3134a47a37250c61d40924f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237082558_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The John Merck Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-john-merck-fund-morg_29d23934b3134a47a37250c61d40924f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 John Merck Fund'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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