The Merle S Cahn Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker MADISON, WI EIN: 46-5353484

The Merle S Cahn Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, based in MADISON, WI. IRS filing data is available from 2021 through 2024. In 2024, it awarded 16 grants totaling $640K.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

Annual Giving

$640K

+0.8% YoY

Grant Count

16

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$40K

+0.8% YoY

About The Merle S Cahn Foundation

Based on IRS filings

The Merle S Cahn Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, based in MADISON, WI. IRS filing data is available from 2021 through 2024. In 2024, it awarded 16 grants totaling $640K.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

8states

Cities

BEVERLY HILLSENCINOLEWISTONMANHATTAN BEACHNEW YORKNORTHHAMPTONPHILADELPHIASCOTTSDALESILVER SPRINGSUNIONDALEWASHINGTON

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$0.275$0.55$0.8250000000000001$1.12021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
Distributable Amount

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$161K$322K$482K$643K19 grants202119 grants202216 grants202316 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

AMERICAN FRIENDS OF HEBR…$125KCANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE$125KFISCHER CENTER FOR ALZHE…$125KAM COMMITTEE FOR THE WEI…$80KVALLEY OF THE SUN JEWISH…$50KAMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DI…$20KHIAS$20KAMERICAN FRIENDS OF PARE…$17KT'RUAH$17KNEW ISRAEL FUND$16K

Grant Size Distribution

70 grants across all recorded years

50<$50K8$50–100K12$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include American Friends of Hebrew Universi ($125,000), Cancer Research Institute ($125,000), Fischer Center for Alzheimer Resear ($125,000).

RecipientPurposeAmount
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF PARENTS CIRCLE NEW YORK, NYCHARITABLE DONATION$17,000
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF HEBREW UNIVERSI NEW YORK, NYCHARITABLE DONATION$125,000
AMERICAN JEWISH JOINT DIST COMMITTE NEW YORK, NYCHARITABLE DONATION$20,000
AMERICANS FOR PEACE NOW WASHINGTON, DCCHARITABLE DONATION$5,000
CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE NEW YORK, NYCHARITABLE DONATION$125,000
FISCHER CENTER FOR ALZHEIMER RESEAR NEW YORK, NYCHARITABLE DONATION$125,000
HIAS SILVER SPRINGS, MDCHARITABLE DONATION$20,000
NPR FOUNDATION WASHINGTON, DCCHARITABLE DONATION$10,000
AM COMMITTEE FOR THE WEIZMANN INST NEW YORK, NYCHARITABLE DONATION$80,000
VALLEY OF THE SUN JEWISH COMMUNITY SCOTTSDALE, AZCHARITABLE DONATION$50,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
CHARLES B VETZNERTrustee2
STEPHEN M VETZNERTrustee0.25

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Merle S Cahn Foundation?

The Merle S Cahn Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, based in MADISON, WI. It holds — in total assets as of 2024.

Where does The Merle S Cahn Foundation operate?

The Merle S Cahn Foundation has awarded grants in Arizona, California, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New York, Pennsylvania.

What size grants does The Merle S Cahn Foundation award?

In 2024, The Merle S Cahn Foundation awarded 16 grants totaling $640K — an average of about $40K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

What is The Merle S Cahn Foundation's EIN?

The Merle S Cahn Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-5353484. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.

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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.

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