The Melville Foundation
The Melville Foundation is a private foundation based in North Palm Beach, Florida. Its 2024 filing lists 72 charitable grants.
The Melville Foundation at a glance
In short: The Melville Foundation gave $2.0M across 72 grants in 2024 (avg $28K), mostly in Virginia. 10% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,022,043
- +65.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 72
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $28,084
- +65.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $25,940,504
- +1.8% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (7 of 72, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (67% 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 Melville Foundation
- 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: 11556 Turtle Beach Road, North Palm Beach, FL 33408
Phone: (303) 250-7883
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Melville Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Darden School Foundation ($913K). Together the top 10 received $1.7M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($3,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
392 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 365 grants of 392 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 67% of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia, 16% to New York, 9% to Florida, 4% to Colorado, and 2% to Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 72 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Melville Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 72 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $12K; repeat grants $30K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 88% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 49% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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 $1.2M (2020) to $2.8M (2022). In 2024 it made 72 grants totaling $2.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Darden School Foundation Charlottesville, VA | Charitable Grant | $913,275 |
| UVA Health System Development Charlottseville, VA | Charitable Grant | $256,186 |
| New York Botanical Gardens Bronx, NY | Charitable Grant | $203,182 |
| Heterodox Academy New York, NY | Charitable Grant | $50,000 |
| Lost Tree Chapel North Palm Beach, FL | Charitable Grant | $50,000 |
| Lost Tree Villiage Charitable Found North Palm Beachg, FL | Charitable Grant | $50,000 |
| Success Academy Charter School New York, NY | Charitable Grant | $50,000 |
| Kent School Cherry Hills Villiage, CO | Charitable Grant | $30,000 |
| The Jefferson Trust (Duncan Burn) Charlottseville, VA | Charitable Grant | $30,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Martin County Hobe Sound, FL | Charitable Grant | $25,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $25,940,504 | $1,607,828 | $2,593,977 | $2,022,043 | 72 | $2,022,043 | $1,035,894 | $2,129,626 |
| 2023 | $25,472,842 | $5,415,489 | $1,577,136 | $1,220,980 | 72 | $1,220,980 | $3,116,983 | $1,384,480 |
| 2022 | $23,159,671 | $6,370 | $3,211,511 | $2,755,900 | 84 | $2,755,900 | $213,853 | $2,116,899 |
| 2021 | $31,078,726 | $9,502,272 | $1,548,155 | $1,352,540 | 84 | $1,352,540 | $3,923,179 | $1,938,474 |
| 2020 | $28,503,384 | $1,357,277 | $1,352,119 | $1,159,775 | 80 | — | $1,164,933 | $1,583,902 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Melville Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Its 2024 grantees include educational, youth-serving, cultural, health, and community organizations. For example, Heterodox Academy describes its mission as improving research and education in universities through open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement. Boys & Girls Club of Martin County says it works to help young people reach their full potential and succeed in school and beyond. The Denver Botanic Gardens describes its mission as connecting people with plants, especially those from the Rocky Mountain region and similar regions. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not stated programs of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 72 grants totaling $2,022,043. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $913,275, with a median grant of $5,000. Its largest reported awards included $913,275 to Darden School Foundation, $256,186 to UVA Health System Development, and $203,182 to New York Botanical Gardens. Other listed grants included $50,000 each to Heterodox Academy, Lost Tree Chapel, Lost Tree Village Charitable Foundation, and Success Academy Charter School.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Harry Burn III and Jean Burn as trustees.
The Melville Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Harry Burn III
Trustee
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Jean Burn
Trustee
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Harry Burn Iii Co The Melville Fdn (2020–2021) — Trustee
- Former: Jean Burn Co The Melville Fdn (2020–2021) — Trustee
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 Melville Foundation
How much does The Melville Foundation give each year?
The Melville Foundation gave $2.0M across 72 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.2M across 72 grants.
What is The Melville Foundation's typical grant size?
The Melville Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $28,084, across 72 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Melville Foundation that year got $12K on average.
Where does The Melville Foundation give grants?
The Melville Foundation gives mostly in Virginia: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (16%) and Florida (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were Charlottseville, VA (10 grants), Charlottesville, VA (8 grants), Richmond, VA (7 grants) and New Canaan, CT (6 grants).
Does The Melville Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 72 grants with a stated purpose on The Melville Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Grant" (71 grants).
Who are The Melville Foundation's largest grantees?
The Melville Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Darden School Foundation ($913,275), UVA Health System Development ($256,186) and New York Botanical Gardens ($203,182), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($3,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 68% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Melville Foundation?
The Melville Foundation reported $25.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Melville Foundation fund?
Its 2024 grantees include educational, youth-serving, cultural, health, and community organizations. For example, Heterodox Academy describes its mission as improving research and education in universities through open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Melville Foundation?
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 Melville Foundation's EIN?
The Melville Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 22-2777140. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Melville 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 October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Melville Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Melville Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-melville-foundation-morg_b9ace06eb12a44918db7301f0420444c
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_222777140_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Melville Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-melville-foundation-morg_b9ace06eb12a44918db7301f0420444c},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 Melville 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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