The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia
The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia is a public charity based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that provides grants and other support to Philadelphia merchants and small businesses. Founded in 1854, it says its work includes flexible capital, grantmaking, business coaching, and support for retired merchants through its Legacy Program.
The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia at a glance
In short: The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia gave $1.4M across 104 grants in 2025 (avg $13K), mostly in Pennsylvania. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,399,928
- +196.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 104
- +89.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $13,461
- +56.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $11,049
- Total assets
- $19,969,980
- +10.0% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia
- How to Apply
-
Use the program’s eligibility questions and application process on the fund’s grant pages. Stabilization applicants should review the eligibility checklist and reference materials; the fund recommends speaking with a coach if they have questions.
- Next open deadline
- December 31, 2026 (Emergency SNAP Relief Grants)
- Contact
Mailing address: 1617 Jfk Blvd Suite 2042, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1833
Phone: (215) 399-1339
Website: https://merchantsfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia
Who The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Plant and People ($26K). Together the top 10 received $209K.
Grant Size Distribution
326 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 324 grants of 326 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund’s grant programs serve businesses located in Philadelphia. All grant dollars itemized in the 2025 filing went to recipients in Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 104 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $178K (2021) to $2.0M (2020). In 2025 it made 104 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Plant and People Philadelphia, PA | Emergency | $26,100 |
| Coffee Tea & Company Philadelphia, PA | Discretionary | $22,500 |
| Affordable Legal Center LLC Philadelphia, PA | Emergency | $20,000 |
| Angry Rooster LLC Philadelphia, PA | Emergency | $20,000 |
| Artrageous Brush & Flow Philadelphia, PA | Emergency | $20,000 |
| Bake'n Bacon Philadelphia, PA | Emergency | $20,000 |
| Cottman Produce Inc Philadelphia, PA | Emergency | $20,000 |
| Frank Vans Auto Tag LLC Philadelphia, PA | Emergency | $20,000 |
| Galaxy Furniture Home Inc Philadelphia, PA | Emergency | $20,000 |
| Hunting Park Tire Shop Inc Philadelphia, PA | Emergency | $20,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Amounts are reported by filing year.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $19,969,980 | $2,185,121 | $2,290,619 | $1,399,928 | 104 | $511,246 | — |
| 2024 | $18,150,318 | $1,845,017 | $1,145,083 | $471,898 | 55 | $896,453 | — |
| 2023 | $16,227,053 | $1,632,137 | $1,771,946 | $1,243,472 | 105 | $440,812 | — |
| 2022 | $14,303,804 | $540,760 | $1,100,033 | $614,500 | 47 | $382,508 | — |
| 2021 | $18,136,342 | $1,417,216 | $1,120,471 | $178,258 | 15 | $856,916 | — |
| 2020 | $16,703,121 | $1,912,991 | $2,319,013 | $2,002,633 | 256 | $187,260 | $759,035 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s mission is “Catalyzing economic mobility for small businesses through capital and coaching.” Its stated vision is a Philadelphia where merchants can access resources and support to build wealth for their families and communities.
Its grant programs support Philadelphia small businesses with projects to stabilize or grow operations, or with qualifying emergencies that disrupt operations. The fund also describes individualized business coaching and other business support for grantees.
Grantmaking
The 2025 filing lists 104 grants totaling $1,399,928. Grant amounts ranged from $5,143 to $26,100, with a median of $11,049. The largest listed grant was $26,100 to Plant and People for an emergency. Other large listed grants included $22,500 to Coffee Tea & Company for discretionary purposes and $20,000 each to several Philadelphia businesses, including Affordable Legal Center LLC, Angry Rooster LLC, Artrageous Brush & Flow, and Bake’n Bacon, for emergency purposes.
The fund’s website describes two grant programs. Stabilization Grants support specific projects or assets intended to help a business grow or overcome an obstacle limiting its ability to operate at full capacity. They are offered twice a year. Applicants must operate an independently owned business in Philadelphia, have been in operation for at least two years, and have annual sales between $50,000 and $750,000, among other requirements. The business must have a publicly accessible storefront or physical location, demonstrate financial need, and meet tax, licensing, and permit requirements. Businesses that have applied for a Stabilization Grant in the past year or received one within the past 24 months are ineligible. The fund excludes certain business types, including nonprofits and some professional services.
Emergency Grants offer up to $20,000 for qualifying events such as fire, natural disaster, extreme physical vandalism, utility failure, or highly disruptive public works projects. Eligible businesses must be located in Philadelphia, independently owned and operated, have a storefront or physical location, meet tax and licensing requirements, have annual revenue of $1.5 million or less, and demonstrate financial need. The fund prioritizes historically undercapitalized small and micro businesses unable to withstand prolonged revenue loss, as well as businesses with annual revenue below $500,000. Some business types, including nonprofits and certain professional services, are excluded.
The website says applicants can begin by answering eligibility questions and, if eligible, continue to the application. It recommends a free 15-minute coaching call for help with eligibility or the application. The site describes Emergency Grants as currently open.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jill Fink as Executive Director; Peter Gonzales as Board Chair; Tom Ginsberg as Board Vice President; Carey Morgan as Treasurer; and Kersey Azocar, Bruce Hotaling, James Johnson-Piett, Vanessa Lowe, Seulky McInneshin, and Shawn Nesbit as board members.
The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia is led by Jill C. Fink, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 16 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jill C. Fink
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$148K (2020) → $179K (2025)
Peter Gonzales
Board Chair
Board President → President, 2024
President → Board Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ana Lisa Yoder
Board Member
Board Vice President → Vice President, 2024
Vice President → Board Member, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bruce Hotaling
Board Member
Director → Board Chair, 2021
Board Chair → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
James Johnson-Piett
Board Member
Director → Board Treasurer, 2021
Board Treasurer → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kersey Azocar
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shalimar Thomas
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shawn Nesbit
Board Member
Director → Board Member, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Adnan Zulfiqar
Board Member
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carey Morgan
Treasurer
Board Member → Board Treasurer, 2023
Board Treasurer → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Samantha Porter
Secretary
Board Member → Board Secretary, 2023
Board Secretary → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Ginsberg
Board Vice President
Board Member → Board Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Elbert Sampson
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joanna Winchester
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Seulky McInneshin
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Vanessa Lowe
Board Member
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (7)
- Former: Melissa Kim (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Steven King Sr. (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Dafan Zhang (2021–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Michael Banks (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Andy Toy (2021–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Andrew Toy (2020) — Director
- Former: Yocasta Lora (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $179K, to Jill Fink (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia
How much does The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia give each year?
The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia gave $1.4M across 104 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $472K across 55 grants.
What is The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia's typical grant size?
The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia's median grant in 2025 was $11,049, and its average grant was $13,461, across 104 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia give grants?
The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (103 grants).
Does The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 104 grants with a stated purpose on The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Emergency" (73 grants), "Stabilization" (25 grants) and "Discretionary" (4 grants).
Who are The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia's largest grantees?
The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia's largest 2025 grantees include Plant and People ($26,100), Coffee Tea & Company ($22,500) and Affordable Legal Center LLC ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 5% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia?
The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia reported $20.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.2M.
What does The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia fund?
The organization’s mission is “Catalyzing economic mobility for small businesses through capital and coaching.” Its stated vision is a Philadelphia where merchants can access resources and support to build wealth for their families and communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia?
Use the program’s eligibility questions and application process on the fund’s grant pages. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia's EIN?
The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-1584975. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 1, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 19, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 12, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS June 26, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 18, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 19, 2022)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Merchants Fund of Philadelphia's focus areas in our free grants database
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