The Meer Family Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Oak Park, MI EIN: 38-3442773

The Meer Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Oak Park, Michigan. Its 2025 grants included substantial support for Michigan organizations, including Yeshiva Beth Yehudah and Yeshiva Gedolah Ateres Mordechai.

The Meer Family Foundation at a glance

In short: The Meer Family Foundation gave $376K across 69 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Michigan. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$375,770
+42.9% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
69
+7.8% vs 2024
Average grant
$5,446
+32.6% vs 2024
Median grant
$420
Total assets
$5,493,585
-1.6% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
22% first-time grantees (15 of 68, 2025)
Primary geography
Michigan (82% 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 Meer Family Foundation

Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to Apply

The foundation states on its 2025 filing that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Contact

Mailing address: 26081 Stratford Place, Oak Park, MI 48237-1029
Phone: (248) 968-4790

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who The Meer Family Foundation funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Yeshiva Beth Yehudah: $150KYeshiva Beth Yehudah$150KYeshiva Gedolah Ateres Mordechai: $121KYeshiva Gedolah AteresMordechai$121KKollel Institute of Greater Detroit: $15KKollel Institute of GreaterDetroit$15KDarch Torah Yes: $15KDarch Torah Yes$15KIsrael Chesed Center: $10KIsrael Chesed Center$10KTzedak's Enhancement Program (TEP): $8KTzedak's Enhancement Program(TEP)$8KDetroit Chesed Project: $7KDetroit Chesed Project$7KMatan B'seter: $5KMatan B'seter$5KBais Chabad Torah Center: $5KBais Chabad Torah Center$5KGuard Your Eyes: $5KGuard Your Eyes$5K

The largest 2025 recipient was Yeshiva Beth Yehudah ($150K). Together the top 10 received $341K.

Grant Size Distribution

402 grants across all recorded years

395<$50K4$50–100K3$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 395 grants of 402 (98%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The 2025 filing reports that Michigan recipients received 82% of grant dollars and New York recipients received 9%. Maryland received 2% and New Jersey 1%; 4% is listed for an unspecified recipient state. Named 2025 recipients were also located in these states, including Yeshiva Beth Yehudah in Southfield, Michigan, and Israel Chesed Center in Lawrence, New York.

Grant Distribution by State

19states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 69 itemized grants.

Cities

BrooklynOak ParkSouthfieldNew YorkLakewoodWest BloomfieldMonseyWashingtonAirmontSuffernFarmington HillsSpring ValleyChicagoDenverScrantonStaten IslandBrooklyn New YorkLawrenceSilver SpringBaltimore

Is The Meer Family Foundation open to new grantees?

22%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 15 of 68 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $907; repeat grants $7K. How we count

Medians: $180 first-time, $500 repeat.

  • 56% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving grew 20% from 2022 to 2025. Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 110% 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

$0$100K$200K$300K$400K47 grants2019 38 grants2020 85 grants2021 99 grants2022 85 grants2023 64 grants2024 69 grants2025

From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $36K (2020) to $376K (2025). In 2025 it made 69 grants totaling $376K.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah Southfield, MIGeneral Use.$150,000
Yeshiva Gedolah Ateres Mordechai Oak Park, MIGeneral Use$120,900
Kollel Institute of Greater Detroit Oak Park, MIGeneral Use.$15,460
Darch Torah Yes General Use.$15,100
Israel Chesed Center Lawrence, NYGeneral Use.$10,000
Tzedak's Enhancement Program (TEP) Oak Park, MIGeneral Use.$8,015
Detroit Chesed Project Southfield, NYGeneral Use.$6,500
Matan B'seter Southfield, MIGeneral Use.$5,100
Bais Chabad Torah Center West Bloomfield, MIGeneral Use$5,000
Guard Your Eyes Baltimore, MDGeneral Use$5,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$5,493,585$313,827$403,916$375,77069$375,770$286,340$342,650
2024$5,583,674$199,297$286,470$262,93364$262,933$173,927$315,771
2023$5,670,847$113,972$161,346$140,38285$140,382$97,763$270,428
2022$5,718,221$162,089$332,641$312,93199$312,931$149,778$266,692
2021$5,888,773$2,069,743$153,927$142,31985$142,319$164,034$269,374
2020$3,972,957$3,999,701$37,391$35,79638—$82$8,550
2019$10,647$49,516$39,633$35,79847——$166

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Meer Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $343K 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 went to organizations including yeshivas, community organizations, and charitable organizations. Matan B’Seter describes its mission as providing critical financial aid to people in need in the Metropolitan Detroit Jewish community. Yad Yisroel describes its work as providing general welfare, emergency assistance, and Jewish education through programs including schools, camps, and food programs. Friends of Bikur Cholim Ezrat Achim says it supports the charitable activities of Ezrat Achim in Beit Shemesh, Israel.

Grantmaking

In 2025, the foundation reported 69 grants totaling $375,770. Grant amounts ranged from $18 to $150,000, with a median of $420. In 2024, it reported 64 grants totaling $262,933; in 2023, it reported 85 grants totaling $140,382.

The largest reported 2025 grants included $150,000 to Yeshiva Beth Yehudah in Southfield, Michigan; $120,900 to Yeshiva Gedolah Ateres Mordechai in Oak Park, Michigan; $15,460 to Kollel Institute of Greater Detroit in Oak Park; and $15,100 to Darch Torah Yes. Other reported grants included $10,000 to Israel Chesed Center in Lawrence, New York, and $8,015 to Tzedak’s Enhancement Program in Oak Park. Matan B’Seter received $5,100; Yad Yisroel received $1,800; Friends of Bikur Cholim Ezrat Achim received $750; and Shinun Vchazarah Inc received $700.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Sondra Meer is listed as president, treasurer, and secretary on the 2025 filing.

The Meer Family Foundation is led by Sondra Meer, President, Treasurer & Secretary since 2025 (on filings since 2019) — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Sondra Meer

    President, Treasurer & Secretary

    Secretary → President, Treasurer & Secretary, 2025

    On filings since 2019

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Robert D. Meer (2019–2024) — President & Treasurer

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 Meer Family Foundation

How much does The Meer Family Foundation give each year?

The Meer Family Foundation gave $376K across 69 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $263K across 64 grants.

What is The Meer Family Foundation's typical grant size?

The Meer Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $420, and its average grant was $5,446, across 69 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Meer Family Foundation that year got $907 on average.

Where does The Meer Family Foundation give grants?

The Meer Family Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Brooklyn, NY (21 grants), Oak Park, MI (11 grants), Southfield, MI (4 grants) and New York, NY (4 grants).

Does The Meer Family Foundation give general operating support?

Yes: 100% of The Meer Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (69 of 69) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Who are The Meer Family Foundation's largest grantees?

The Meer Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Yeshiva Beth Yehudah ($150,000), Yeshiva Gedolah Ateres Mordechai ($120,900) and Kollel Institute of Greater Detroit ($15,460), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 76% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is The Meer Family Foundation?

The Meer Family Foundation reported $5.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $376K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $343K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).

What does The Meer Family Foundation fund?

No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including yeshivas, community organizations, and charitable organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The Meer Family Foundation?

The foundation states on its 2025 filing that it 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 The Meer Family Foundation's EIN?

The Meer Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 38-3442773. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.

Does The Meer Family Foundation 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

(8)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 15, 2020)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 10, 2024)
  6. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
  7. Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
  8. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). The Meer Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-meer-family-foundation-morg_4677915686964348a3c490cbca4a954a

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_383442773_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{The Meer Family Foundation funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-meer-family-foundation-morg_4677915686964348a3c490cbca4a954a},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 Meer Family Foundation'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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