The Mellen Foundation Inc
The Mellen Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. In its 2024 filing, it reported 14 grants totaling $169,500 to charitable organizations in several states.
The Mellen Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Mellen Foundation Inc gave $170K across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $12K), mostly in California. 43% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $169,500
- +115.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- -51.7% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,107
- +345.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,000
- Total assets
- $1,870,556
- -4.2% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 43% first-time grantees (6 of 14, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (61% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Mellen Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 31 St James Ave 740, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: (617) 933-3620
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Mellen Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was UCLA Jules Stein Institute ($50K). Together the top 10 received $166K.
Grant Size Distribution
105 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 102 grants of 105 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 61% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 31% to recipients in Utah. Connecticut received 4%, while Colorado and New York each received 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Mellen Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
43%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 6 of 14 grantees (43%) 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. First grants averaged $26K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $26K first-time, $2K repeat.
- 57% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 104% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $79K (2023) to $170K (2024). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $170K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| UCLA Jules Stein Institute Los Angeles, CA | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Benjamin Eye Institute West Hollywood, CA | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Summit Land Conservancy Park City, UT | General Purpose | $50,000 |
| Delancy St Foundation San Francisco, CA | General Purpose | $3,000 |
| Weber State University Ogden, UT | General Purpose | $3,000 |
| Warrior Story Field Niwot, CO | General Purpose | $2,500 |
| Grace Institute New York, NY | General Purpose | $2,500 |
| Home for the Brave Bridgeport, CT | General Purpose | $1,500 |
| Monroe EMS Monroe, CT | General Purpose | $1,500 |
| Friends of the Library Monroe CT Monroe, CT | General Purpose | $1,500 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,870,556 | $105,310 | $187,292 | $169,500 | 14 | $169,500 | $87,518 | $157,571 |
| 2023 | $1,952,538 | $183,433 | $103,485 | $78,750 | 29 | $79,284 | $63,282 | $139,839 |
| 2022 | $1,872,590 | $71,533 | $21,793 | — | — | $2,925 | $55,215 | $136,193 |
| 2021 | $1,823,788 | $149,398 | $105,733 | $83,250 | 32 | $83,250 | $125,905 | $147,397 |
| 2020 | $1,781,600 | $155,697 | $97,401 | $84,000 | 30 | — | $44,103 | $126,765 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Mellen Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $158K for 2024 — 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 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Summit Land Conservancy says it works with Utah communities to conserve land and water for people and nature. Grace Institute says it provides financial support to New York City job-training programs that help women achieve sustained, gainful employment, with particular attention to the ongoing operation and viability of Grace Institute of New York.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave 14 grants totaling $169,500. Grant amounts ranged from $750 to $50,000, with a median of $2,000. Among the listed grants, UCLA Jules Stein Institute, Benjamin Eye Institute, and Summit Land Conservancy each received $50,000. Other listed recipients included Delancy St Foundation ($3,000), Weber State University ($3,000), Warrior Story Field ($2,500), Grace Institute ($2,500), Home for the Brave ($1,500), Monroe EMS ($1,500), Friends of the Library Monroe CT ($1,500), Monroe Food Pantry ($1,250), and Jewish Family Services ($1,000). The listed grants state “general purpose” as their purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Diane Mellen as president; Job Guzman as secretary/treasurer; and Stacey Stone, Lonnie Hodge, and Joanna Charnes as directors.
The Mellen Foundation Inc is led by Diane Mellen, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Diane Mellen
President
On filings since 2020
8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joanna Charnes
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lonnie Hodge
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stacey Stone
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Job Guzman
Secretary & Treasurer
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: David Zieff (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Neil Mellen (2020–2023) — Secretary & Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Mellen Foundation Inc
How much does The Mellen Foundation Inc give each year?
The Mellen Foundation Inc gave $170K across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $79K across 29 grants.
What is The Mellen Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Mellen Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $2,000, and its average grant was $12,107, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Mellen Foundation Inc that year got $26K on average.
Where does The Mellen Foundation Inc give grants?
The Mellen Foundation Inc gives mostly in California: 61% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Utah (31%). The most frequent recipient cities were Monroe, CT (4 grants).
Does The Mellen Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Mellen Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Mellen Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Mellen Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include UCLA Jules Stein Institute ($50,000), Benjamin Eye Institute ($50,000) and Summit Land Conservancy ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 88% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Mellen Foundation Inc?
The Mellen Foundation Inc reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $170K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $158K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Mellen Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied purposes. For example, Summit Land Conservancy says it works with Utah communities to conserve land and water for people and nature. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Mellen Foundation Inc?
The foundation states 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 Mellen Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Mellen Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2778847. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Mellen 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Mellen Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-mellen-foundation-inc-morg_cc0672ca354647058298b1079928d1e5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_222778847_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Mellen Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-mellen-foundation-inc-morg_cc0672ca354647058298b1079928d1e5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Mellen 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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