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Oliver B Merlyn Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Oliver B Merlyn Foundation

Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.

$244k
Granted FY2025still arriving
9
Grants FY2025still arriving
1
States reached
$68k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0176% classified

What it funded, over time

Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2025.

Health$615kPublic Safety & Disaster$458kEnvironment$52kAnimals$48kHuman Services$26kHousing & Shelter$21kInternational$2kPhilanthropy$2kOther$0
02FY2025 · 9 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k2 grants · $4k
  • $10k–50k5 grants · $112k
  • $50k–250k2 grants · $128k
$20,000
Median grant
1
States reached
$964k
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
MERCY FLIGHT CENTRAL$68,067
GLENVILLE HILL FIRE DIST$60,000
WYOMING COUNTY EMER RESP TEAM$33,396
PERINTON VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE$26,000
MERCY FLIGHT CENTRAL$20,000
BEUKENDAAL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPT$17,359
LOLLYPOP FARM$15,000
PAWLING COMMUNITY CENTER$2,000
CASTLETON PRESERVATION TRUST$2,000
02The need
03

Does the money reach high-need areas?

Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.

show:

Its human-services grants (FY19–22, $15k) land where the poverty rate runs at 13%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 93% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 10%LAUGHING AT MY NIGHTMARE: $2k → 11%RIP MEDICAL DEBT: $1k → 9%RIP MEDICAL DEBT: $10k → 13%COLETTE LOUISE TISDAHL FOUNDATION: $2k → 14%0%20%40%50%more need →
grant to an above-average-need area below average· circle size = grant amount
How this is measured
Matched: human-services grants are those whose grantee’s IRS cause code is Human Services. Placed by people below the poverty line in the grantee’s ZIP, averaged from the tracts in that ZIP.

Which US states its grants reach

IL
NY
MA
OR
IA
PA
CA
VA
TN
NC
TX
How this is measured
US grants placed by each grantee’s ZIP, which can differ from where services are delivered. Need from public data (U.S. Census/ACS, CDC PLACES, Eviction Lab, USDA), shown as context about the area, never attributed to the funder’s giving.
03Its grantees
repeat funding

Who it funds again

Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.

76%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$960k · 17 repeat orgs$295k to everyone else

Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +90% since the first grant, against +31% for those funded once.

17 repeat relationships: 3 still active in FY2025, 14 since wound down; 5 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

17
51

Total granted

$960k
$180k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+90%
+31%

Still filing today

35%
25%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 53% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $115k went to new ones.

50%100%’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
RenewedFirst-time

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

’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
HealthHuman ServicesPublic Safety & DisasterCommunity ImprovementInternationalAnimalsOther
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.

Backed again, and grew

  • MF
    MERCY FLIGHT CENTRAL INC
    8× · 2017–2025 · $493k · revenue +90%
  • PV
    PERINTON VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE CORPS
    3× · 2023–2025 · $76k · revenue +30%
  • TH
    THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF ROCHESTER & MONROE COUNTY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO
    2× · 2024–2025 · $45k · revenue +24%

Funded once

  • MF
    MERCY FLIGHT INCgraduated
    one grant, 2017 · $33k · revenue +107%
  • IA
    Irondequoit Ambulance Incgraduated
    one grant, 2018 · $25k · revenue +123%
  • MF
    MERCY FLIGHT CENTRAL FOUNDATION
    one grant, 2024 · $20k
How this is measured

Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.

04Its field

Closest unfunded matches

The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.

1
Sidney Fire Department Inc

The health and safety of our communities providing emergency services and safety training

Public Safety & Disaster
2
Maine Emergency Squad Inc

Our mission is to provide exceptional Advanced Life Support and medical care to our communities in Upstate New York. As a proud 501(c)3 non-profit organization, we serve the Town of Maine, Town of Nanticoke, the Village and Town of Newark…

Public Safety & Disaster
3
Cape Vincent Ambulance Squad Inc

Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Service

Health
4
Littleton Volunteer Fire Department Inc

Provide fire and rescue services to the citizens of our fire district

Public Safety & Disaster
5
Varna Volunteer Fire Company

The varna volunteer fire co inc's mission is to provide fire, rescue and emergency response to the varna , ny and surrounding community.

Public Safety & Disaster
6
Granville Rescue Squad Inc

Provide medical asssitance and transportation to the sick and injured servingthe towns of granville and hebron ny. also serving some parts of rutland county vermont.

Health
7
Canterbury Volunteer Fire Company

Volunteer fire/ambulance services

—
8
Winchester Volunteer Fire Department

to prevent the loss of life and to control or reduce the loss of property by applying all of our knowledge and resources.

Public Safety & Disaster
9
Stony Brook Volunteer Fire Department

Provide fire protection and emergency medical services to the citizens of the Stony Brook fire district 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Public Safety & Disaster
10
Uniondale Volunteer Fire Company

Fire and ems protection

Public Safety & Disaster
11
Riceville Ambulance Service Inc

Provide volunteer ambulance service

Health
12
Queensbury Emergency Medical Svcs Inc

Provides emergency medical services to residents in the town of queensbury.

Health
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Mercy Flight Inc; the most unlike its peers is Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation. Resemblance is measured on each organization’s own IRS 990 mission text; it reflects how work is described, not its quality or impact.
04the grantee network

19 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2025.

Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.

How this is measured

Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2025, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 19 of the 73 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.

Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.

1
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
5
Early backer (in before they grew)
19/19
Grantees still filing
16/19
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

MERCY FLIGHT CENTER: $101,212 · OtherMERCY FLIGHT CENTERGLENVILLE HILL FIRE DEPT: $71,209 · OtherGLENVILLE HILL FIRE DEPTGLENVILLE HILL FIRE DIST: $60,000 · OtherGLENVILLE HILL FIRE DISTGLENVILLE HILL FIRE DISTRICT: $44,751 · OtherGLENVILLE HILL FIRE DISTRICTPORTER CORNERS VOL FIRE CO: $44,318 · OtherPORTER CORNERS VOL FIRE COWYOMING COUNTY EMER RESP TEAM: $33,396 · OtherWYOMING COUNTY EMER RESP TEAMMERCY FLIGHT INC: $32,915 · OtherMERCY FLIGHT INCMERCY FLIGHT CENTRAL FOUNDATION: $20,000 · Other+49 more: $119,358 · Other+49 moreMERCY FLIGHT CENTRAL INC: $493,315 · Community ImprovementMERCY FLIGHT CENTRAL INCPERINTON VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE CORPS: $76,000 · HealthPERINTON V…Irondequoit Ambulance Inc: $25,000 · HealthIrondequoi…EAST AREA VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY SERVICE INC: $19,000 · HealthEAST AREA …+2 more: $1,200 · HealthTHE HUMANE SOCIETY OF ROCHESTER & MONROE COUNTY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO: $45,000 · AnimalsGainesville Fire Dept Inc: $39,445 · Public Safety & Disaster+2 more: $1,000 · Public Safety & DisasterMEDICAL DEBT RESOLUTION INC: $11,000 · Human ServicesAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches: $10,000 · Human ServicesLAUGHING AT MY NIGHTMARE INC: $2,000 · Human ServicesCOLETTE LOUISE TISDAHL FOUNDATION: $2,000 · Human ServicesDIRECT RELIEF: $2,000 · InternationalSISKIYOU MOUNTAIN CLUB: $1,000 · Environment
Other$527,159Community Improvement$493,315Health$121,200Animals$45,000Public Safety & Disaster$40,445Human Services$25,000International$2,000Environment$1,000

Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing

25%50%75%100%$100k$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetMERCY FLIGHT CENTRAL INC: $493,315 over 8y, 0.8% of budgetPERINTON VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE CORPS: $76,000 over 3y, 0.7% of budgetTHE HUMANE SOCIETY OF ROCHESTER & MONROE COUNTY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO: $45,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetGainesville Fire Dept Inc: $39,445 over 3y, 42% of budgetMERCY FLIGHT INC: $32,915 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetIrondequoit Ambulance Inc: $25,000 over 1y, 1.6% of budgetEAST AREA VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY SERVICE INC: $19,000 over 1y, 1.2% of budgetMEDICAL DEBT RESOLUTION INC: $11,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetAmerican National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches: $10,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHero Labradors: $2,000 over 1y, 1.7% of budgetGLOW YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetLAUGHING AT MY NIGHTMARE INC: $2,000 over 1y, 0.6% of budgetCOLETTE LOUISE TISDAHL FOUNDATION: $2,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetDIRECT RELIEF: $2,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetHELDERBERG AMBULANCE SQUAD INC: $1,000 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetSISKIYOU MOUNTAIN CLUB: $1,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetVICTOR FIRE DEPARTMENT INC: $500 over 1y, 0.9% of budgetRINGGOLD FIRE COMPANY NUMBER ONE OF PULASKI NEW YORK: $500 over 1y, 0.5% of budgetVICTOR-FARMINGTON VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE CORPS INC: $200 over 2y, 0.0% of budget
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding

A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.

  • Who funds MERCY FLIGHT CENTRAL INC ↗
  • Who funds PERINTON VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE CORPS ↗
  • Who funds THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF ROCHESTER & MONROE COUNTY FOR THE PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO ↗
  • Who funds Gainesville Fire Dept Inc ↗
  • Who funds MERCY FLIGHT INC ↗
  • Who funds Irondequoit Ambulance Inc ↗
  • Who funds EAST AREA VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY SERVICE INC ↗
  • Who funds MEDICAL DEBT RESOLUTION INC ↗
  • Who funds American National Red Cross & Its Constituent Chapters and Branches ↗
  • Who funds Hero Labradors ↗
  • Who funds GLOW YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION INC ↗
  • Who funds LAUGHING AT MY NIGHTMARE INC ↗
  • Who funds COLETTE LOUISE TISDAHL FOUNDATION ↗
  • Who funds DIRECT RELIEF ↗
  • Who funds HELDERBERG AMBULANCE SQUAD INC ↗

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.

United Way of Greater…The Bank of America C…Donor Advised Charita…Fidelity Investments …Amazonsmile Foundation
United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes IncNY15.5× affinity5 shared granteesties to 4 of 4Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes Inc · The Bank of America Charitable Foundation Inc · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Amazonsmile 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.

How much its grantees rely on government

Each dot is one organization Oliver B Merlyn Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Oliver B Merlyn Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%3%13%28%50%funder's share of their income ↑0%23%45%68%90%share of the org’s income from government →median 22%
  • Siskiyou Mountain Club: 22% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
0get no government money at all
6report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–90%
typical government reliance, FY20–25
How this is measured
Government income is each org’s traced federal awards (USASpending grants and contracts) plus state payments (open checkbooks) as a share of its total revenue (IRS Form 990); the self-reported government-grant line (990 line 1e) is carried for cross-check: a grantee that reports government grants we could not trace to a source is left off the chart rather than shown as receiving none. An association, not a claim that a grant caused the public funding. Coverage is precision-first, a floor rather than a census; state records exist for 9 states, so a grantee outside them shows no state figure (dimmed) rather than a false zero. Federal award amounts are obligations, which can span years, so a single-year share is indicative. 990 filings lag 12 to 24 months.
05Through Plinth

Warm introductions · Powered by PlinthPlus

How do I get to Oliver B Merlyn Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Oliver B Merlyn Foundation 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.

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 73 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

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More from the funding graph

The unnamed billions
grants reported with no recipient in the public record
The regranting layer
51% of grant dollars land in the regranting layer
The DAF merry-go-round
$9.7B circulates between donor-advised funds
The endowment market
who holds foundation money, and what just moved
The camps
funders cluster by geography, not ideology
By state
where grant money is based, and what stays home