The McSweeney Foundation Inc
The McSweeney Foundation Inc is a private foundation located in Utica, New York, that makes contributions to charitable organizations. Its 2025 filing states that it contributes only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
The McSweeney Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The McSweeney Foundation Inc gave $83K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $6K), mostly in New York. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $83,000
- -41.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,929
- -41.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $4,000
- Total assets
- $786,309
- -1.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (96% 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 The McSweeney Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 291 Genesee St Co Mike Fitzgerald, Utica, NY 13501
Phone: (315) 724-2145
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The McSweeney Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lewis County General Hospital Foundation ($22K). Together the top 10 received $71K.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 69 grants of 71 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 96% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 4% to recipients in Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The McSweeney Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 14 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. How we count
- 100% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 28% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 177% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $40K (2019) to $141K (2024). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $83K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lewis County General Hospital Foundation Lowville, NY | General Contribution | $22,000 |
| Red Cross Watertown, NY | General Contribution | $10,000 |
| Lewis County Historical Society Lowville, NY | General Contribution | $8,000 |
| Abigail's Athletes Inc Sauquoit, NY | General Contribution | $5,000 |
| Lewis County Humane Society Lowville, NY | General Contribution | $5,000 |
| St Peters Church Lowville, NY | General Contribution | $5,000 |
| Care Net of Norther New York Lowville, NY | General Contribution | $4,000 |
| Care Net Pregnancy Center of CNY Utica, NY | General Contribution | $4,000 |
| Lowville Rural Cemetery Association Lowville, NY | General Contribution | $4,000 |
| The Arc Oneida-Lewis Chapter Utica, NY | General Contribution | $4,000 |
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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 | $786,309 | $75,960 | $86,046 | $83,000 | 14 | $83,000 | $75,960 | $46,963 |
| 2024 | $796,395 | $130,057 | $142,035 | $141,000 | 14 | $141,000 | $130,057 | $46,717 |
| 2023 | $815,873 | $30,767 | $116,725 | $115,000 | 15 | $115,000 | $30,767 | $48,768 |
| 2022 | $894,331 | $-8,961 | $68,789 | $65,000 | 14 | $65,000 | $20,866 | $54,382 |
| 2021 | $972,081 | $156,355 | $88,229 | $85,000 | 14 | $85,000 | $155,510 | $56,012 |
| 2020 | $903,955 | $66,647 | $77,897 | $76,000 | 14 | — | $65,892 | $54,749 |
| 2019 | $915,205 | $45,541 | $41,484 | $40,000 | 12 | — | $44,310 | $50,627 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The McSweeney Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $47K 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 mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included contributions to organizations such as a hospital foundation, the Red Cross, a historical society, a humane society, churches, and libraries. The Lowville Free Library, which received $3,000, says its purpose is to provide literary and computer resources and services for the educational purposes of Lewis County residents and surrounding communities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 14 grants totaling $83,000. Grants ranged from $3,000 to $22,000, with a median grant of $4,000. Notable grants included $22,000 to Lewis County General Hospital Foundation, $10,000 to the Red Cross, and $8,000 to Lewis County Historical Society. Each was listed for a general contribution.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists L Michael Fitzgerald as treasurer, Edgar S K Merrell 3rd as president/secretary, and Rick L Nortz as vice president.
The McSweeney Foundation Inc is led by Edgar S. K. Merrell III, President & Secretary on every filing since 2019; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Edgar S. K. Merrell III
President & Secretary
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
L. Michael Fitzgerald
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rick L. Nortz
Vice President
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: W. Peter Nortz (2019–2020) — Trustee - Emeritus
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 The McSweeney Foundation Inc
How much does The McSweeney Foundation Inc give each year?
The McSweeney Foundation Inc gave $83K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $141K across 14 grants.
What is The McSweeney Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The McSweeney Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $4,000, and its average grant was $5,929, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The McSweeney Foundation Inc give grants?
The McSweeney Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 96% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Lowville, NY (8 grants) and Utica, NY (3 grants).
Does The McSweeney Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The McSweeney Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The McSweeney Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The McSweeney Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Lewis County General Hospital Foundation ($22,000), Red Cross ($10,000) and Lewis County Historical Society ($8,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The McSweeney Foundation Inc?
The McSweeney Foundation Inc reported $786K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $83K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $47K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The McSweeney Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants included contributions to organizations such as a hospital foundation, the Red Cross, a historical society, a humane society, churches, and libraries. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The McSweeney Foundation Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it 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 McSweeney Foundation Inc's EIN?
The McSweeney Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-3313677. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The McSweeney Foundation Inc 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 5, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 1, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The McSweeney Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-mcsweeney-foundation-inc-morg_ea377098c63c49829d5357af16d4ff2a
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_263313677_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The McSweeney Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-mcsweeney-foundation-inc-morg_ea377098c63c49829d5357af16d4ff2a},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 McSweeney 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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