The Mericos Foundation
The Mericos Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1980 and based in Pasadena, California. The foundation operates with limited staffing and focuses on philanthropic grantmaking across multiple sectors.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$56.3M
+11.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.1M
-8.6% YoY
Grant Count
100
+20.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$31K
-24.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Mericos Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.7M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's primary funding interests include:
- Education
- Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
- Human Services
- General operating support
- Health research initiatives (including Alzheimer's research and USH1B research)
- Scholarship endowments
- Program and equipment funding
Grantmaking
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in California, North Carolina, and Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of December 2023:
- Total Assets: $50,562,944
- Total Revenues: $627,204
- Total Expenses: $3,366,151
- Investment Income and Dividends: $189,594
As of December 2024:
- Total Assets: $56,321,023
Staffing:
- Number of employees: 0 (foundation operates with volunteer board members only)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $56,321,023 | $50,562,944 | $44,732,372 |
| Revenue | $896,407 | $627,204 | $729,442 |
| Expenses | $3,782,676 | $3,366,151 | $4,061,798 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,463,284 | $3,710,896 | $3,303,701 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,388,201 | $2,940,158 | $875,394 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,737,706 | $2,474,282 | $2,194,631 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Garrett's Space ($130,000), Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens ($100,000), Foodbank of Santa Barbara County ($100,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| I HAVE A DREAM FOUNDATION - LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES, CA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $5,000 |
| AID STILL REQUIRED SANTA MONICA, CA | EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN HAITI | $10,000 |
| ALTASEA AT THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES SAN PEDRO, CA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS BOONE, IA | HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF | $15,000 |
| ARCTIC ICE PROJECT REDWOOD CITY, CA | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $15,000 |
| BELOVED ASHEVILLE ASHEVILLE, NC | HURRICANE HELENE RELIEF | $20,000 |
| BOOK HARVEST DURHAM, NC | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $10,000 |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF LAKE COUNTY WAUKEGAN, IL | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT | $50,000 |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF METRO LOS ANGELES LOS ANGELES, CA | EXACT PATH AND COLLEGEBOUND/FUTURE PATHWAYS | $50,000 |
| BREAKTHROUGH T1D (FKA JDRF) HAGERSTOWN, MD | FOR THE "IMPROVING LIVES" AREA OF CONCERN FOR TYPE ONE DIABETES | $30,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation operates with a board of directors and limited paid staff. Key personnel include:
- Donna Coffin – President
- Pegine Grayson – Secretary/Executive Director
- David Dahl – Chief Financial Officer
- Arlo G Sorensen – Director
- Linda J Blinkenberg – Director
- Michael J Casey – Director
- Joanie Solaini – Director
- Brian Whittier – Director
- Donald Whittier – Director (began 1/1/24)
- Dominique Blokker – Director (began 1/1/24)
- Emily Dalquist – Director (began 1/1/24)
- Margaret Whittier-Ferguson – Director (began 1/1/24)
- Amelia Babcock – Director (began 1/1/24)
All board members work approximately 2 hours per week with no reported compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| DONNA COFFIN | PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
| PEGINE GRAYSON | SECRETARY/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| DAVID DAHL | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 2 | — |
| ARLO G SORENSEN | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| LINDA J BLINKENBERG | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MICHAEL J CASEY | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| JOANIE SOLAINI | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| BRIAN WHITTIER | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| DONALD WHITTIER | DIRECTOR (BEGIN 1/1/24) | 2 | — |
| DOMINIQUE BLOKKER | DIRECTOR (BEGIN 1/1/24) | 2 | — |
| EMILY DALQUIST | DIRECTOR (BEGIN 1/1/24) | 2 | — |
| MARGARET WHITTIER-FERGUSON | DIRECTOR (BEGIN 1/1/24) | 2 | — |
| AMELIA BABCOCK | DIRECTOR (BEGIN 1/1/24) | 2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has been active in supporting community organizations, particularly in the Santa Barbara County region. Recent grant activity includes support for youth development programs, educational initiatives, and scholarship endowments.
United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County ...Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Mericos Foundation fund?
The foundation's primary funding interests include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • General operating support • Health research initiatives (including Alzheimer's research and USH1B research) • Scholarship endowments • Program and equipment funding
How do I apply for a grant from The Mericos Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Made 61 grants in 2023 • Made 100 grants in 2024 • Typical award range: $2,500–$400,000 • Median grant amount: $19,000 **Recent Notable Grants (2023):** • United Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County: $400,000 (Scholarship Endowment) • Westmont College: $200,000 (Equipment and Program Start-Up Costs for New Bachelor of Science in Engineering) • Greater Horizons: $192,500 **Total Giving:** • 2023: $2,524,500+ (61 grants) • 2024: $3,098,250 (100 grants)
Where does The Mericos Foundation make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in California, North Carolina, and Illinois.
What size grants does The Mericos Foundation award?
In 2024, The Mericos Foundation awarded 100 grants totaling $3.1M — an average of about $31K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Mericos Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Mericos Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.7M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Mericos Foundation's EIN?
The Mericos Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3500491. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Mericos Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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