The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation
THE MORTON MENDES CHARITABLE is a private foundation based in Westport Island, Maine. It made 17 grants totaling $21,870 in 2024, including grants to organizations working with farmed animals, horses and dogs, wildlife, and housing.
The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation gave $22K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $1K), mostly in Maine. 47% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $21,870
- +23.3% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- -15.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $1,286
- +45.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $375
- Total assets
- $258,226
- -16.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 47% first-time grantees (8 of 17, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Maine (55% 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 Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 188 Main Road, Westport Island, ME 04578
Phone: (440) 376-5358
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Natural Horsemanship Center ($7K). Together the top 10 received $21K.
Grant Size Distribution
77 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 77 grants of 77 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 55% of grant dollars went to recipients in Maine, 23% to Maryland, 5% each to Georgia, Oregon, and Pennsylvania, and the remainder to recipients in other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
47%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 17 grantees (47%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $987; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $288 first-time, $500 repeat.
- 47% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+10%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 144% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $16K (2020) to $22K (2024). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $22K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Horsemanship Center Portland, ME | General Operation | $6,850 |
| Darrowby Farm Sanctuary Jefferson, ME | General Operation | $5,000 |
| Gentle Giant Draft Horse Rescue Mount Airy, MD | General Operation | $4,420 |
| Little Long Ears Donkey Rescue New Oxford, PA | General Operation | $1,000 |
| Iron Dog Foundation McDonough, GA | General Operation | $1,000 |
| Friends of Paul Bunyan Foundation Salem, OR | General Operation | $1,000 |
| Project K-9 Dog Heroes Frederick, MD | General Operation | $650 |
| The Cloud Foundation Colorado Springs, CO | General Operation | $500 |
| Saint Joseph Indian School Chamberlain, SD | General Operation | $375 |
| ASPCA New York, NY | General Operation | $200 |
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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 | $258,226 | $18,559 | $24,069 | $21,870 | 17 | $21,870 | $16,394 | $15,135 |
| 2023 | $307,355 | $21,728 | $19,789 | $17,735 | 20 | $17,735 | $15,254 | $14,094 |
| 2022 | $308,767 | $21,505 | $23,386 | $21,658 | 16 | $21,658 | $19,777 | $14,866 |
| 2021 | $313,115 | $20,240 | $21,666 | $19,840 | 13 | $19,840 | $18,414 | $15,140 |
| 2020 | $318,235 | $23,291 | $18,088 | $16,333 | 11 | — | $21,536 | $12,856 |
| 2019 | $316,069 | $-22,088 | $21,332 | $19,548 | 17 | — | $23,955 | $17,362 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $15K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to charitable organizations including farm-animal sanctuaries and horse and dog rescue organizations. Darrowby Farm Sanctuary describes its mission as providing a safe, lifelong home for farmed animals and educating people about ways of living with animals without using them for food or forced labor. The Cloud Foundation says it works to prevent the extinction of Cloud’s herd and protect other wild horse herds on public lands. Defenders of Wildlife describes its mission as protecting native animals and plants in their natural communities. Habitat for Humanity says it seeks to eliminate poverty housing and make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.
Grantmaking
The foundation made 17 grants totaling $21,870 in 2024. Grant amounts ranged from $100 to $6,850, with a median of $375. The largest grants were $6,850 to Natural Horsemanship Center and $5,000 to Darrowby Farm Sanctuary, both for general operation. Other notable grants included $4,420 to Gentle Giant Draft Horse Rescue, $1,000 each to Little Long Ears Donkey Rescue, Iron Dog Foundation, and Friends of Paul Bunyan Foundation, and $650 to Project K-9 Dog Heroes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Morton R Mendes as president, Peggy Stern as secretary, Scott Mendes as treasurer, and Patricia M Mendes as vice president.
The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation is led by Morton R. Mendes, President on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Morton R. Mendes
President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Patricia M. Mendes
Vice President
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Peggy Stern
Secretary
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Mendes
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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 Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation
How much does The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation give each year?
The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation gave $22K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $18K across 20 grants.
What is The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $375, and its average grant was $1,286, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation that year got $987 on average.
Where does The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation give grants?
The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Maine: 55% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Maryland (23%) and Georgia (5%).
Does The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (17 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Natural Horsemanship Center ($6,850), Darrowby Farm Sanctuary ($5,000) and Gentle Giant Draft Horse Rescue ($4,420), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 74% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation?
The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation reported $258K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $22K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $15K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to charitable organizations including farm-animal sanctuaries and horse and dog rescue organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation's EIN?
The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1787457. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Does The Morton Mendes Charitable 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 3, 2021)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 2, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 23, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work The Morton Mendes Charitable Foundation funds
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