Skip to content

Massachusetts · Private foundation

Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc

Its FY2025 filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and did not take unsolicited requests; check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.

$829k
Granted FY2025(still arriving)
77
Grants FY2025
63
Organizations funded FY2024
32%
First-time grantees FY2024
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2025
$5,000
Largest grant, FY2025
$100,000
Organizations funded a year
56 to 77
FY2020 to FY2024
States reached, FY2025
17
Total assets, FY2025
$360k
Applications
Preselected organizations only
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2024, 32% of the organizations Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc funded were first-time grantees, receiving 34% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 66% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $245k went to new ones.

50%100%’21’22’23’24
RenewedFirst-time

Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant

’21’22’23’24
Arts & CultureEnvironmentInternationalHuman ServicesEducationHealthOther
How this is measured
First-time means a grantee’s first year in the filing window; renewed means funded in an earlier year too. The renewed share climbs naturally as a portfolio matures, so the signal is a year that bucks it (a wave of new grantees). The earliest year is left-censored: relationships that predate the data read as new. Theme is the grantee’s IRS cause.
The numbers by year
Fiscal yearOrganizations fundedTo those organizationsFirst-time grantees
FY2025still arriving76$819k34%
FY202463$727k32%
FY202374$720k32%
FY202277$806k47%
FY202156$402k38%
FY202066$402kn/a
93% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2020 to 2025.

Arts & Culture$1.1MCivil Rights$441kEnvironment$370kInternational$367kFood & Nutrition$294kHealth$198kEducation$180kHuman Services$148kOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

ME
VT
NH
MT
MN
IL
WI
MI
NY
MA
OR
PA
CT
RI
CA
UT
VA
MD
AR
NC
DC
MS
AL
TX
FL

Top grantees

Largest recipients by total granted, FY2020 to FY2025, and the share of each one’s budget the grants supplied at peak.

Show all 155 grantees
All grantees of Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
James Merrill House Foundation$320,000326%
Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition Inc$245,00061%
Company One Inc$137,50062%
Boston Lyric Opera Company$130,00050%
Infact DBA Corporate Accountability$120,00021%
Catskills Agrarian Alliance Inc$115,00032%
Medecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc$107,00050%
International Planned Parenthood Federation Western Hemisphere Region$81,00060%
Sustainable Harvest International$65,00062%
United Help Ukraine Inc$65,00040%
Tupelo Press Inc$60,000211%
Fuller Craft Museum Inc$55,00023%
Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance$54,00060%
Massachusetts Communities Action Network Inc$40,00032%
Rainforest Foundation Inc$40,00030%
Engenderhealth Inc$39,00060%
Partners in Health a Nonprofit Corporation$37,00060%
Central Square Theater Inc$37,00051%
Project Against Violent Encounters$36,50062%
Razom Inc$35,00030%
The Trust for Public Land$34,00060%
Cape Cod Modern House Trust$34,00012%
Trustees of Boston University$33,00030%
World Monuments Fund Inc$31,00060%
Greater Things$30,0001n/a
On the Rise Inc$30,00031%
Institute for Public Affairs$29,00061%
Durham Crisis Response Center$28,00040%
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of New Hampshire$28,00031%
Journalism Development Network Inc$27,00040%
Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship Inc$26,50023%
Arts Alive Inc$25,20026%
The Monadnock Conservancy$25,00031%
Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice Inc$25,00034%
The Commonwealth School Inc$25,00010%
Sustainable Markets Foundation$25,00010%
Emmett Till Interpretive Center$25,00021%
Project Right$24,00040%
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Inc$24,00040%
International Rescue Committee INC$22,00030%
Medical Debt Resolution Inc$21,00030%
State Democracy Project$20,00020%
Earthjustice$20,00050%
Non-Event Inc$20,000416%
Farm and Wilderness Foundation Inc$20,00010%
Planned Parenthood of Northern New England Inc$19,00020%
United South End Settlements$17,50020%
Rutland County Humane Society Inc$17,00041%
Greater Boston Food Bank Inc$17,00040%
Guardian Angels for Soldier's Pet$16,0004n/a
Historic Harrisville Inc$15,50021%
The 1833 Society$15,00016%
Actors' Shakespeare Project$15,00021%
Golden Thread Productions$15,00012%
Huntington Theatre Co Inc$15,00020%
Red Bull Theater Inc$15,00011%
New Hampshire Public Radio Inc$14,00010%
Center for Justice & Accountability$14,00030%
Monadnock Music$13,00026%
New England Forestry Foundation Inc$13,00020%
Childrens Education Center of the Islands$13,00023%
Friends of the Everglades Inc$13,00040%
Global Investigative Journalism Network Inc$13,00030%
Worcester Free Library$11,00025%
Food for Free Committee Inc$11,00040%
Hubbard Hall Projects Inc$10,50061%
Leleka Foundation$10,00010%
Syrian American Medical Society Foundation$10,00010%
Protez Foundation$10,00010%
Lgbtq Senior Housing Inc$10,0001n/a
Global Empowerment Mission Inc$10,00010%
United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York Inc$10,00010%
Bay Area Nonviolent Communication$10,0001n/a
StageSource Inc$10,00022%
Marian and Edward Macdowell Inc$10,00010%
Emerson College$10,00020%
Hudson Headwaters Health Network$10,00020%
International Labor Rights Forum$9,00050%
Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy$8,00020%
Hancock Depot Association Inc$8,0001n/a
Barre Center for Buddhist Studies Inc$7,50020%
Southern Poverty Law Center Inc$7,00020%
Gay Men's Health Crisis Inc$7,00020%
Catalyst Inc$6,00010%
Armenian Assembly of America Inc$6,00020%
Media Alliance Inc$5,50031%
More Than Words Inc$5,50020%
WGBH Educational Foundation$5,00010%
Anti-Defamation League$5,00010%
Transcultural Exchange$5,0001n/a
Friends of Project Renew$5,00013%
Harris Center for Conservation Education Inc$5,00020%
Parents Families & Friends of Lesb- Ians &Gays Inc Pflag Greater Boston$5,00011%
Haymarket People's Fund Inc$5,00010%
Glbtq Legal Advocates & Defenders Inc$5,00010%
Trinity Boston Connects Inc$5,00010%
Sphinx Organization Inc$5,00010%
Equal Justice Initiative$5,00010%
Global Justice Center$5,00010%
Massachusetts Peace Action Inc$5,0001n/a
Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program Inc$5,00010%
Waging Peace in Vietnam Education Fund$5,0001n/a
The Cultural Landscape Foundation$5,00010%
Native Arts and Cultures Foundation Inc$5,0001n/a
The Colonial Theatre$5,00010%
Deep South Today$5,00010%
Feeding America$5,00010%
Fenway Community Health Center Inc$5,00010%
Regenerate Your Authentic Nature Inc$5,00011%
Rosie's Place Inc$4,00010%
Music from Salem Inc$4,00017%
Music on Norway Pond$4,00022%
Journeys in Education Inc$3,50021%
Shelburne Farms$3,50010%
Girls Incorporated of Boston and Lynn$3,00010%
Institute for Local Self Reliance$3,00010%
Carnegie Public Library Endowment Fund Inc$3,0001n/a
New Hampshire Community Loan Fund Inc$3,00010%
Griot Arts Inc$3,00010%
World Poetry Books$3,0001n/a
Pine Street Inn Inc$3,00020%
COWASS North America Incorporated$3,00021%
Monadnock Area Transitional Shelter$3,00021%
Bagly Inc$2,50010%
Women's Lunch Place Inc$2,50010%
Humane World for Animals Inc$2,50010%
Romero Institute$2,50010%
Insight Meditation Society Inc$2,5001n/a
Somerville Homeless Coalition Inc$2,50010%
Vermont Farmers Market Education Center$2,50010%
Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House$2,00010%
ACLU Foundation of Massachusetts Inc$2,00010%
Affordable Homeownership Foundation Inc$2,00010%
Silver Lining Mentoring Inc$2,00010%
Merrimack Repertory Theatre Inc$2,00010%
Share Foundation$2,00020%
NAACP Legal Defense & Educ Fund Inc$2,00010%
Barn Raising Media Inc$2,00011%
Community Housing and Resources Inc$2,00010%
Lee County Homeless Coalition Inc$2,00011%
Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson Inc$2,0001n/a
The New York Times Communities Fund$2,00010%
Ensemble Mik Nawooj$1,5001n/a
The Park Theatre Inc$1,50010%
Oaxaca Youth Empowerment Inc$1,50010%
Public Citizen Inc$1,00010%
The Memory Project Inc$1,00010%
Oxfam-America Inc$1,00010%
Bayou Preservation Association Inc$1,000283%
New England Amateur Skating Foundation Inc$1,00010%
Fish of Sanibel-Captiva Inc$1,00010%
Amnesty International of the USA Inc$1,00010%
United States Association for UNHCR$1,00010%
William J Brennan Center for Justice Inc$1,00010%
Peterborough Players Inc$50010%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 38 recipients with no EIN on record ($711k), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc supplied at least a quarter of the budget for 2 of its grantees at some point. The chart plots its 141 largest grantees; load-bearing ones sit top left.

25%50%75%100%$10k$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetJames Merrill House Foundation: $320,000 over 3y, 26% of budgetMassachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition Inc: $245,000 over 6y, 1.4% of budgetCompany One Inc: $137,500 over 6y, 2.2% of budgetBoston Lyric Opera Company: $130,000 over 5y, 0.5% of budgetInfact DBA Corporate Accountability: $120,000 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetCatskills Agrarian Alliance Inc: $115,000 over 3y, 2.0% of budgetMedecins Sans Frontieres USA Inc: $107,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetInternational Planned Parenthood Federation Western Hemisphere Region: $81,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetSustainable Harvest International: $65,000 over 6y, 1.6% of budgetUnited Help Ukraine Inc: $65,000 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetTupelo Press Inc: $60,000 over 2y, 11% of budgetFuller Craft Museum Inc: $55,000 over 2y, 3.3% of budgetSouthern Utah Wilderness Alliance: $54,000 over 6y, 0.3% of budgetMassachusetts Communities Action Network Inc: $40,000 over 3y, 1.8% of budgetRainforest Foundation Inc: $40,000 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetEngenderhealth Inc: $39,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetPartners in Health a Nonprofit Corporation: $37,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetCentral Square Theater Inc: $37,000 over 5y, 0.7% of budgetProject Against Violent Encounters: $36,500 over 6y, 2.0% of budgetRazom Inc: $35,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetThe Trust for Public Land: $34,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetCape Cod Modern House Trust: $34,000 over 1y, 2.1% of budgetTrustees of Boston University: $33,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetWorld Monuments Fund Inc: $31,000 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetOn the Rise Inc: $30,000 over 3y, 0.6% of budgetInstitute for Public Affairs: $29,000 over 6y, 0.8% of budgetDurham Crisis Response Center: $28,000 over 4y, 0.4% of budgetAmerican Civil Liberties Union Foundation of New Hampshire: $28,000 over 3y, 0.6% of budgetJournalism Development Network Inc: $27,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetCenter for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship Inc: $26,500 over 2y, 3.0% of budgetArts Alive Inc: $25,200 over 2y, 6.2% of budgetThe Monadnock Conservancy: $25,000 over 3y, 0.5% of budgetStudent Clinic for Immigrant Justice Inc: $25,000 over 3y, 3.6% of budgetThe Commonwealth School Inc: $25,000 over 1y, 0.3% of budgetSustainable Markets Foundation: $25,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetEmmett Till Interpretive Center: $25,000 over 2y, 1.1% of budgetProject Right: $24,000 over 4y, 0.4% of budgetPlanned Parenthood of Greater New York Inc: $24,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetInternational Rescue Committee INC: $22,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetMedical Debt Resolution Inc: $21,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetState Democracy Project: $20,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetEarthjustice: $20,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetNon-Event Inc: $20,000 over 4y, 16% of budgetFarm and Wilderness Foundation Inc: $20,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetPlanned Parenthood of Northern New England Inc: $19,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetUnited South End Settlements: $17,500 over 2y, 0.3% of budgetRutland County Humane Society Inc: $17,000 over 4y, 0.5% of budgetGreater Boston Food Bank Inc: $17,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budget

Tap a dot to name the grantee.

How this is measured
Share of budget is the funder’s grant in a year over the grantee’s total revenue that year, at its highest across the years we hold; revenue is from all sources. Only grantees confirmed against their own filings, whose grants do not exceed their revenue, are plotted: the largest 141.

Nonprofits that may fit its grantmaking

Co-funders

Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.

Boston Foundation IncMA43.9× affinity35 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Boston Foundation Inc · New Hampshire Charitable Foundation · Eastern Bank Foundation · Plummer Fdn-Cash · Alchemy Foundation · The Kingsbury Fund · The Memton Fund Inc · The Ford Foundation · Cummings Foundation Grants Inc (Fka Oneworld Boston Inc) · Cambridge Savings Charitable Foundation Inc · The Eppes - Jefferson Foundation Inc · Barr Foundation

How this is measured
Affinity is a Gamma-Poisson posterior co-funding rate, re-centered on the typical rate, so thin evidence shrinks toward no signal. Overlap is association, not proof of shared intent.

Compare Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc with peer funders

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc?

Find your warmest path to Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc through trustees and officers whose names appear on both boards. Search for your organization and Plinth traces the shortest route it can evidence.

Each link is a name appearing on two organizations’ public IRS 990 filings, matched on that name and, where the filings support it, on location. A same-state match has geographic support, which is a second matching feature rather than confirmation that the two are one person; a cross-state one is the likeliest to be two people who share a name. Every hop shows its tier, low-confidence and distant paths are held back rather than guessed, and it is worth confirming the person before you use the introduction.

About Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc

How much does Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc give?
Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc reported 77 grants totaling $828,500 in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 56 and 77 organizations a year over FY2020 to FY2024.
What does Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc fund?
By grant dollars over FY2020 to FY2025, its largest causes are Arts & Culture (28%), Civil Rights (11%), Environment (9%).
Who are Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2020 to FY2025: James Merrill House Foundation ($320k), Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition Inc ($245k), Company One Inc ($138k).
Does Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc fund new organizations?
In FY2024, 32% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc accept unsolicited applications?
Its most recent filing reports that it funds preselected organizations and does not take unsolicited requests. Check the foundation's own site before ruling it out.
Which funders back the same organizations as Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Boston Foundation Inc, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, Eastern Bank Foundation.
Where is Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc based?
Merrill Family Charitable Foundation Inc is based in MA.

On method. Every financial figure here is read from IRS e-file XML, the funder’s own 990/990-PF, and from the multi-year returns of the 196 grantees we resolved, each linked to its source. Grantee outcomes are each organization’s own program-service reporting (Form 990, Part III), read as association with funding, never as caused by it. Low-confidence name matches are suppressed rather than guessed. How we build these →

How this is measured
Each figure carries one of six labels. Filed is what the funder reported on its return. Official is another government record about an organization, such as a federal award or a charity register, joined by name where no shared identifier exists. Resolved is an identity we worked out where the filing named a recipient without an EIN, kept only above a measured confidence threshold. Computed is arithmetic over those, like themes, portfolio clusters and co-funder strength. Context is a statistic about a place rather than about an organization, which is what the need overlay is: it describes the area a grantee’s address sits in, not where its work lands. Inferred is drawn by a model from text, like the partnerships read out of public news and organization websites. Each is labeled where it appears.

Generated from the IRS Form 990-PF e-file return for fiscal year 2025, released 2025. Filings run roughly 12 to 24 months behind; figures are dated accordingly.

Source object · view filing

Play a game based on Merrill Family’s filings →

More from the funding graph