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Sabrina Merage Foundation at a glance

· Private foundation

Sabrina Merage Foundation

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.

$340k
Granted FY2025still arriving
10
Grants FY2025still arriving
6
States reached
$125k
Largest
01What it fundsRead
02The needRead
03Its granteesRead
04Its fieldRead
05Through PlinthRead
01What it funds
0197% classified

What it funded, over time

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

Philanthropy$667kArts & Culture$495kPublic Benefit$200kReligion$193kScience & Tech$80kHuman Services$55kEducation$30kInternational$8kOther$0
02FY2025 · 10 grants

Where the money goes

Grants by size, and the largest recipients.

By grant size · FY2025

  • Under $10k5 grants · $5k
  • $10k–50k1 grant · $30k
  • $50k–250k4 grants · $305k
$30,000
Median grant
6
States reached
$16M
Total assets
Largest grants
RecipientAmount
Afterimage Public Media$125,000
Moishe House DBA MEM Global$80,000
New America Foundation$50,000
National Philanthropic Trust$50,000
Prop 8 Films$30,000
Old Chester Films LLC$2,500
Lowland Kids Films LLC$1,200
Visionary Women$1,000
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Cen$500
Sharsheret Inc$260
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 (FY20–25, $5k) land where the poverty rate runs at 14%, against an area that typically sits at 10%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.

area typical 10%Visonary Women: $1k → 14%Visonary Women: $1k → 14%Visionary Women: $1k → 14%Visionary Women: $1k → 14%Visonary Women: $1k → 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

MN
NY
PA
NJ
CA
UT
CO
DE
DC
LA
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.

59%of every dollar goes to organizations it has funded before.
$864k · 11 repeat orgs$597k to everyone else

11 repeat relationships: 4 still active in FY2025, 7 since wound down; 5 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).

How the two cohorts compare

Re-uppedFunded once

Organizations

11
22

Total granted

$864k
$361k

Median revenue growth · since first grant

+24%
+31%

Still filing today

64%
55%

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2025, 19% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $236k 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
PhilanthropyHealthArts & CultureInternationalFood & NutritionReligionOther
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

  • MH
    MOISHE HOUSE
    5× · 2018–2024 · $143k · revenue +32%
  • The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc
    2× · 2017–2018 · $8k · revenue +24%
  • VW
    VISIONARY WOMEN
    5× · 2020–2025 · $5k · revenue +241%

Funded once

  • LM
    Lemonada Media Inc
    one grant, 2022 · $100k
  • IG
    Individual grant recipient
    one grant, 2020 · $60k
  • VF
    Vent Film LLC
    one grant, 2024 · $50k
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
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Inc

The mission of dfci is to provide expert, compassionate, and equitable care to children, adults, and their families, while advancing the understanding, diagnosis, treatment, cure, and prevention of cancer and related diseases. we train new…

Health
2
The Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Fdn Group

Susan g. komen 's mission is to save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities & investing in breakthrough research to prevent & cure breast cancer.

—
3
Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles

We steward $1.5 billion in charitable assets through donor-advised funds, endowments, and other giving vehicles. partnering with 1,400 individuals, families, and organizations, we build enduring legacies and multigenerational impact. in…

Philanthropy
4
The Goldenberg Family Foundation
Philanthropy
5
The Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Inc

Susan g. komen has an unmatched, comprehensive 360-degree approach to fighting breast cancer across all fronts and supporting millions of people in the u.s. and in countries worldwide. we advocate for policies to protect patients, drive…

Health
6
The Conversationalist
—
7
Berggruen Institute
Education
8
New York Genome Center Inc

Operate a state-of-the-art, world-class genomic research center that creates and uses advanced genomics to understand the genetic basis of disease. for more information, see schedule o.

Health
9
Wexner Foundation
—
10
Breakthrough Energy Foundation

Working with our world-class network of innovators, business and industry leaders, and policy experts, we accelerate the innovation of climate technologies at every stage - from discovery to development to deployment.

Public Benefit
11
Jewish Federation Council of Greater La

Based on jewish values, the jewish federation of greater los angeles convenes and leads the community and leverages its resources to assure the continuity of the jewish people, support a secure state of israel, care for jews in need here…

Philanthropy
12
Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation

The samuel waxman cancer research foundation (the "foundation") funds innovative research to bring faster cures to patients. in addition to supporting ongoing collaborative research in specific cancers, our scientists are investigating the…

—
How this is measured
The grantee most central to the portfolio’s shape is Mile High United Way Inc; the most unlike its peers is Black Cube. 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

24 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. 24 of the 41 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.

0
Load-bearing (≥25% of a budget)
3
Early backer (in before they grew)
24/24
Grantees still filing
18/24
Grew since first funded

Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee

JPM Charitable Giving Fund: $377,020 · OtherJPM Charitable Giving FundLemonada Media Inc: $100,000 · OtherLemonada Media IncNEW AMERICA FOUNDATION: $100,000 · OtherNEW AMERICA FOUNDATIONMoishe House DBA MEM Global: $80,000 · OtherMoishe House DBA MEM GlobalLowland Kids Films LLC: $76,200 · OtherLowland Kids Films LLCIndividual grant recipient: $60,000 · OtherIndividual grant recipientOld Chester Films LLC: $52,500 · OtherVent Film LLC: $50,000 · OtherThe Free Press: $50,000 · OtherSugarcane Film LLC: $37,069 · Other+17 more: $84,705 · Other+17 moreNATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST: $280,000 · PhilanthropyNATIONAL PHILANTHROPI…JEWISHColorado: $50,000 · PhilanthropyJEWISHColorado+4 more: $6,500 · PhilanthropyAFTERIMAGE PUBLIC MEDIA: $125,000 · Arts & CultureAFTERIMAGE PUB…Sundance Institute: $95,000 · Arts & CultureSundance Insti…+1 more: $5,000 · Arts & CultureMOISHE HOUSE: $142,545 · ReligionMOISHE HO…The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc: $8,000 · InternationalWORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN INC: $526 · InternationalTED FOUNDATION INC: $7,000 · Community ImprovementVISIONARY WOMEN: $5,000 · Human Services
Other$1,067,494Philanthropy$336,500Arts & Culture$225,000Religion$142,545International$8,526Community Improvement$7,000Human Services$5,000

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

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetNATIONAL PHILANTHROPIC TRUST: $280,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetMOISHE HOUSE: $142,545 over 5y, 0.4% of budgetNEW AMERICA FOUNDATION: $100,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetSundance Institute: $95,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetJEWISHColorado: $50,000 over 1y, 0.4% of budgetBLACK CUBE: $25,000 over 1y, 5.7% of budgetThe American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Inc: $8,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetTED FOUNDATION INC: $7,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetMILE HIGH UNITED WAY INC: $5,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetVISIONARY WOMEN: $5,000 over 5y, 0.2% of budgetRedline: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetTHE RON FINLEY PROJECT: $4,000 over 2y, 2.3% of budgetCEDARS-SINAI MEDICAL CENTER: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetJewish Federation of Greater Houston: $1,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCITY HARVEST INC: $790 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetWORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN INC: $526 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetAugies Quest to Cure ALS Inc: $505 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetCONCERN FOUNDATION: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetTHE BRIANNA KUPFER FOUNDATION: $500 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetJEWISH FUNDERS NETWORK: $500 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBROADWAY CARESEQUITY FIGHTS AIDS INC: $300 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetBLOOD CANCER UNITED INC: $150 over 1y, 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.

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.

David and Laura Merag…Silicon Valley Commun…National Philanthropi…Fidelity Investments …Donor Advised Charita…Amazonsmile Foundation
David and Laura Merage FoundationCO13.6× affinity4 shared granteesties to 5 of 5Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: David and Laura Merage Foundation · Silicon Valley Community Foundation · National Philanthropic Trust · Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund · Donor Advised Charitable Giving Inc · 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 Sabrina Merage Foundation funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from Sabrina Merage Foundation. Bigger dots raise more.

2024
’20’21’22’23’24’25
no gov · 00%1%3%6%10%funder's share of their income ↑0%3%5%8%10%share of the org’s income from government →median 4%
  • Sharsheret Inc: 4% of income from government
no gov moneyreceives it· size = income
0get no government money at all
5report government grants on their 990 we could not trace to a source (not plotted)
0rely on government for over half their income
⤢ axis zoomed · 0–10%
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 Sabrina Merage Foundation?

Find your warmest path to Sabrina Merage 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 41 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