The Merle S Cahn Foundation
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 2025. In 2025, it awarded 17 grants totaling $675K.
Key facts about The Merle S Cahn Foundation
- EIN
- 46-5353484
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $675,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- Average grant
- $39,706
- Median grant
- $20,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 59% first-time grantees (10 of 17, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (81% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who The Merle S Cahn Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Merle S Cahn Foundation's 17 itemized 2025 grants were New York (81%) and Arizona (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (9 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants). None of its 17 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (17 grants).
Is The Merle S Cahn Foundation open to new grantees?
59%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 17 grantees (59%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $46K; repeat grants $31K. How we count
Medians: $23K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 41% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+5%). Method
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2021–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with The Merle S Cahn Foundation
- How to evaluate The Merle S Cahn Foundation as a funder
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$675K
+5.5% YoY
Grant Count
17
+6.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$40K
-0.7% 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 2025. In 2025, it awarded 17 grants totaling $675K.
Focus Areas
Ready to take the next step with The Merle S Cahn Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 17 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
87 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include Afhu ($125,000), Cancer Research Institute ($125,000), Fisher Cetner for Alzheimers ($125,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AFHU New York, NY | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $125,000 |
| CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE New York, NY | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $125,000 |
| FISHER CETNER FOR ALZHEIMERS New York, NY | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $125,000 |
| AM COM WEIZMANN INST OF SC New York, NY | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $85,000 |
| VALLEY OF THE SUN JCC Scottsdale, AZ | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $50,000 |
| NEW ISRAEL FUND Philadelphia, PA | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF PARENTS New York, NY | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| TRUAH New York, NY | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| ASSN JEWISH JDC New York, NY | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $20,000 |
| HIAS Washington, DC | PROGRAM SUPPORT | $20,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles B Vetzner | Trustee | 2 | — |
| Stephen M Vetzner | Trustee | 0.25 | — |
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 2025.
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 Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania.
What size grants does The Merle S Cahn Foundation award?
In 2025, The Merle S Cahn Foundation awarded 17 grants totaling $675K — 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 2021–2025.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.