The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser

Private foundation · Grantmaker Potomac, MD EIN: 31-1713864

The Louis Messer and Helen Messer is a private foundation based in Potomac, Maryland. It supports charitable organizations through grants; its 2023 filing says it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.

Key facts about The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser

In short: The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser gave $72K across 14 grants in 2023 (avg $5K), top state Maryland. 64% of 2023 grantees were new. Source: 2023 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
31-1713864
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2023
Annual giving (2023)
$72,000
Grants made (2023)
14
Average grant
$5,143
Median grant
$4,500
New grantees (estimate)
64% first-time grantees (9 of 14, 2023)
Total assets
$1,181,010
Primary geography
Maryland (29% of itemized 2023 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2023; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2023 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.2M

-3.8% YoY

Annual Giving

$72K

+200.0% YoY

Grant Count

14

+133.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$5K

+28.6% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser reported a distributable amount of $66K for 2023 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Is The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser open to new grantees?

64%

first-time grantees, 2023

In 2023, 9 of 14 grantees (64%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $5K. How we count

Medians: $5K first-time, $4K repeat.

  • 7% of 2023 grantees were also funded in 2022. Method
  • Giving grew 112% from 2020 to 2023. Method
  • In 2023 it paid out 109% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2023). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2023 grants went to organizations working in areas including health care, gender equality, medical care, civil liberties, immigrant rights, humanitarian aid, animal welfare, and support for military families.

Fisher House Foundation, which received $7,000 in 2023, says its mission includes constructing and furnishing Fisher Houses and other facilities to temporarily house families and loved ones visiting military personnel, as well as providing financial assistance to service members, veterans, and their families.

Grantmaking

In 2023, the foundation made 14 grants totaling $72,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, with a median grant of $4,500. Notable grants included $10,000 each to Planned Parenthood and Hadassah Foundation; $7,000 each to the American Heart Association, Doctors Without Borders, and Fisher House Foundation; and $6,000 to Shriners Hospital for Children.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The 2023 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Maryland (29%) and Washington, DC (26%), followed by New York (18%), Virginia (10%), and Pennsylvania (8%). These figures describe recipient locations.

Grant Distribution by State

10states

Share of 2023 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.

Cities

New YorkWashingtonBaltimoreRockvilleWorchesterArlingtonSpartaTampaChicagoLos AngelesRobbinsvilleRockville CenterJacksonvilleLivingstonOlneyPhilidelphiaPrincetonSilver SpringSpringfield

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$50K$100K$150K23 grants2019 9 grants2020 19 grants2021 6 grants2022 14 grants2023

From 2019 to 2023, annual grant giving ranged from $24K (2022) to $134K (2019). In 2023 it made 14 grants totaling $72K.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2023

Planned Parenthood: $10KPlanned Parenthood$10KHadassah Foundation: $10KHadassah Foundation$10KAmerican Heart Association: $7KAmerican Heart Association$7KDoctors Without Borders: $7KDoctors Without Borders$7KFisher House Foundation: $7KFisher House Foundation$7KShriners Hospital for Children: $6KShriners Hospital for Children$6KACLU Foundation: $5KACLU Foundation$5KNat'l Immigration Law Ctr: $4KNat'l Immigration Law Ctr$4KParkinson's Foundation: $4KParkinson's Foundation$4KUNICEF: $4KUNICEF$4K

The largest 2023 recipient was Planned Parenthood ($10K). Together the top 10 received $64K.

Grant Size Distribution

71 grants across all recorded years

71<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 71 grants of 71 (100%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Planned Parenthood Washington, DCProvide Heath Care to Women$10,000
Hadassah Foundation Rockville, MDAdvancing Gender Equality$10,000
American Heart Association Arlington, VAPrevent Heart Disease$7,000
Doctors Without Borders New York, NYProvide Medical Care to Third World$7,000
Fisher House Foundation Rockville, MDProvide Housing for Families of Vets$7,000
Shriners Hospital for Children Philidelphia, PAProvide Medical Help for Children$6,000
ACLU Foundation New York, NYProtect Individual Liberties$5,000
Nat'l Immigration Law Ctr Los Angeles, CADefending Rights of Immigrants$4,000
Parkinson's Foundation Olney, MDCure and Treatment for Disease$4,000
UNICEF Washington, DCProvide Humanitarian Aid for Childre$4,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Assets Revenue Expenses Grants
2023 $1,181,010 $42,447 $88,765 $72,000 (14 grants)
2022 $1,228,220 $19,925 $43,193 $24,000 (6 grants)
2021 $1,230,875 $218,829 $139,496 $120,000 (19 grants)
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$100K$200K$300K2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Metric202320222021
Total Assets$1,181,010$1,228,220$1,230,875
Revenue$42,447$19,925$218,829
Expenses$88,765$43,193$139,496
Qualifying Distributions$72,000$24,000$120,000
Net Investment Income$25,682$31,423$218,829
Distributable Amount$65,921$67,892$74,542

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 22, 2020)
  2. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2023

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2023 filing lists Dr. Michael Glasser, David Feder, and Stanley J Gulkin as trustees.

The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser's 2023 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2023 report compensation.

Officers on the 2023 filing

  • David Feder

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Michael Glasser

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Stanley J. Gulkin

    Trustee

    On filings since 2019

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2023. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Mailing address: 11205 Angus Place, Potomac, MD 20854
Phone: (301) 275-1717

Frequently asked questions about The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser

How much does The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser give each year?

The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser gave $72K across 14 grants in 2023, according to its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2022 it gave $24K across 6 grants.

What is The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser's typical grant size?

The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser's median grant in 2023 was $4,500, and its average grant was $5,143, across 14 grants on its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser that year got $5K on average.

Where does The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser give grants?

The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser's top state is Maryland, with 29% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were District of Columbia (26%) and New York (18%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (4 grants), New York, NY (3 grants) and Rockville, MD (2 grants).

Does The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser give general operating support?

Not in 2023: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser's 2023 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.

Who are The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser's largest grantees?

The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser's largest 2023 grantees include Planned Parenthood ($10,000), Hadassah Foundation ($10,000) and American Heart Association ($7,000), according to its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2023 grant dollars.

How large is The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser?

The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2023 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $72K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $66K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser fund?

The available information does not state a mission for the foundation. Its 2023 grants went to organizations working in areas including health care, gender equality, medical care, civil liberties, immigrant rights, humanitarian aid, animal welfare, and support for military families. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser?

The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser's EIN?

The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 31-1713864. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2023.

Does The Louis Messer and Helen Messer Charitable Foundation C/O M Glasser 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.

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