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Florida · Private foundation

The Merz Family 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.

$687k
Granted FY2025(still arriving)
33
Grants FY2025
32
Organizations funded FY2024
19%
First-time grantees FY2024
Read the full brief
Median grant, FY2025
$10,000
Largest grant, FY2025
$127,500
Organizations funded a year
32 to 52
FY2020 to FY2024
States reached, FY2025
11
Total assets, FY2025
$2.9M
Applications
Preselected organizations only
Per its most recent filing; check its own site

How open it is to new grantees

In FY2024, 19% of the organizations The Merz Family Foundation funded were first-time grantees, receiving 9% of its grant dollars.

New vs renewed · share of each year

In FY2024, 91% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $38k 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
HealthEducationArts & CultureAnimalsHuman ServicesYouth DevelopmentOther
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 arriving31$567k16%
FY202432$441k19%
FY202335$251k17%
FY202252$278k27%
FY202135$300k31%
FY202046$240kn/a
95% classified

What it funded, over time

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

Health$1.2MEnvironment$351kEducation$256kHuman Services$200kAnimals$172kScience & Tech$98kArts & Culture$84kRecreation & Sports$83kOther$0

Where its grants go

Grant dollars by states, across the years we hold.

Which US states its grants reach

NH
WA
MN
WI
NY
MA
PA
NJ
CT
CA
CO
MO
VA
MD
DE
KS
AR
TN
NC
LA
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 61 grantees
All grantees of The Merz Family Foundation by total granted
GranteeTotal grantedYearsShare of their budget
Willistown Conservation Trust Inc$343,00063%
Zoological Society of Philadelphia$143,00060%
Misty Meadows Mitey Riders Inc$135,00064%
Genesis Rehabilitation Hospital Inc$105,00030%
The Franklin Institute$97,50060%
Episcopal Academy$82,50060%
Lankenau Medical Center Foundation$80,00040%
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia$60,00050%
Quinnipiac University$53,00040%
Harlem Lacrosse and Leadership Corporation$52,50060%
Children's Specialized Hospital Foundation Inc$51,00040%
Paoli Memorial Hospital Foundation$47,50051%
Gary Sinise Foundation$45,00030%
The Genesis Health Foundation Inc$40,00022%
American Cancer Society Inc$29,00050%
Baptist Health Foundation Inc$29,00020%
The Agnes Irwin School$28,50060%
Drexel University$20,00040%
Musicians on Call Inc$20,00020%
Historic Sugartown Incorporated$17,70042%
Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals$15,00010%
Chester County Food Bank$14,50050%
Bethesda Hospital Foundation Inc$14,00030%
Charity Global Inc$13,00010%
Philabundance$12,00050%
Creativets$10,00011%
Main Line Health Inc$10,00020%
American Heart Association Inc$8,50030%
Haverford School$8,00040%
Trustees of the College of the Holy Cross$6,50020%
The Barn at Spring Brook Farm Inc$6,50021%
The Florida Coalition for Preservation Inc$5,50032%
The Piston Foundation Inc$5,00011%
The Bryn Mawr Hospital Foundation$5,00010%
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts$4,80020%
Philadelphia Orchestra Association$4,50020%
Rpm Foundation$4,00012%
Philadelphia Museum of Art$3,00020%
Hope Partnership for Education$3,00010%
American Kidney Fund Inc$3,00020%
Pottstown Cluster of Religious Communiti$3,00030%
Experience Camps$3,00010%
Wayne Art Center$3,00040%
Wounded Warrior Project Inc$2,50030%
Habitat for Humanity of Chester County$2,50030%
The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology$2,50030%
Country Club of Fl Scholarship Foundation Inc$2,00021%
New England College$2,00020%
The Administrators of the Tulane Educational Fund$2,00020%
Greener Partners$1,80010%
Caridad Center Inc$1,00010%
LCH Health and Community Services$1,00010%
Brandywine Valley Spca$1,00010%
The Billfish Foundation Inc$1,00010%
United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey$1,00010%
Gettysburg College$1,00010%
Waterorg$1,00010%
Warrior Dog Foundation$1,00010%
Marine Toys for Tots Foundation$80020%
Stratford Hall$50010%
Plumsteadville Volunteer Fire Company$40020%

What it could do for these grantees

Plus 27 recipients with no EIN on record ($406k), not named here.

Where it is load-bearing

Each grantee by its size and the share of its budget The Merz Family Foundation supplied at peak.

25%50%75%100%$1.0M$10M$100Mgrantee revenue →↑ funder's share of their budgetWillistown Conservation Trust Inc: $343,000 over 6y, 3.0% of budgetZoological Society of Philadelphia: $143,000 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetMisty Meadows Mitey Riders Inc: $135,000 over 6y, 4.1% of budgetGenesis Rehabilitation Hospital Inc: $105,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetThe Franklin Institute: $97,500 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetEpiscopal Academy: $82,500 over 6y, 0.1% of budgetLankenau Medical Center Foundation: $80,000 over 4y, 0.2% of budgetThe Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: $60,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetQuinnipiac University: $53,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetHarlem Lacrosse and Leadership Corporation: $52,500 over 6y, 0.2% of budgetChildren's Specialized Hospital Foundation Inc: $51,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetPaoli Memorial Hospital Foundation: $47,500 over 5y, 0.5% of budgetGary Sinise Foundation: $45,000 over 3y, 0.2% of budgetThe Genesis Health Foundation Inc: $40,000 over 2y, 2.0% of budgetAmerican Cancer Society Inc: $29,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetBaptist Health Foundation Inc: $29,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetThe Agnes Irwin School: $28,500 over 6y, 0.0% of budgetDrexel University: $20,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetMusicians on Call Inc: $20,000 over 2y, 0.2% of budgetHistoric Sugartown Incorporated: $17,700 over 4y, 2.4% of budgetPennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals: $15,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetChester County Food Bank: $14,500 over 5y, 0.1% of budgetBethesda Hospital Foundation Inc: $14,000 over 3y, 0.1% of budgetCharity Global Inc: $13,000 over 1y, 0.0% of budgetPhilabundance: $12,000 over 5y, 0.0% of budgetCreativets: $10,000 over 1y, 1.5% of budgetMain Line Health Inc: $10,000 over 2y, 0.1% of budgetAmerican Heart Association Inc: $8,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetHaverford School: $8,000 over 4y, 0.0% of budgetTrustees of the College of the Holy Cross: $6,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetThe Barn at Spring Brook Farm Inc: $6,500 over 2y, 1.2% of budgetThe Florida Coalition for Preservation Inc: $5,500 over 3y, 1.8% of budgetThe Piston Foundation Inc: $5,000 over 1y, 1.2% of budgetThe Bryn Mawr Hospital Foundation: $5,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetPennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts: $4,800 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetPhiladelphia Orchestra Association: $4,500 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetRpm Foundation: $4,000 over 1y, 1.8% of budgetPhiladelphia Museum of Art: $3,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetHope Partnership for Education: $3,000 over 1y, 0.2% of budgetAmerican Kidney Fund Inc: $3,000 over 2y, 0.0% of budgetPottstown Cluster of Religious Communiti: $3,000 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetExperience Camps: $3,000 over 1y, 0.1% of budgetWayne Art Center: $3,000 over 4y, 0.1% of budgetWounded Warrior Project Inc: $2,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetHabitat for Humanity of Chester County: $2,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetThe Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology: $2,500 over 3y, 0.0% of budgetCountry Club of Fl Scholarship Foundation Inc: $2,000 over 2y, 0.8% of budgetNew England College: $2,000 over 2y, 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 61.

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.

Chester County Community FoundationPA23.7× affinity9 shared granteesties to 11 of 11Hover any node to trace its alignments.Compare side by side →

Open a dossier: Chester County Community Foundation · Hamilton Family Foundation · Claneil Foundation Inc · E Murdoch Family Foundation · Chubb Charitable Foundation · Ethel D Colket Foundation · The William Penn Foundation · The Philadelphia Foundation · First Cornerstone Foundation Inc-Ima · Connelly Foundation · United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey · Simkiss Family 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 The Merz Family Foundation with peer funders

About The Merz Family Foundation

How much does The Merz Family Foundation give?
The Merz Family Foundation reported 33 grants totaling $686,500 in its FY2025 IRS filing. It funded between 32 and 52 organizations a year over FY2020 to FY2024.
What does The Merz Family Foundation fund?
By grant dollars over FY2020 to FY2025, its largest causes are Health (44%), Environment (13%), Education (9%).
Who are The Merz Family Foundation's largest grantees?
By total granted over FY2020 to FY2025: Willistown Conservation Trust Inc ($343k), Zoological Society of Philadelphia ($143k), Misty Meadows Mitey Riders Inc ($135k).
Does The Merz Family Foundation fund new organizations?
In FY2024, 19% of the organizations it funded were first-time grantees.
Does The Merz Family Foundation 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 The Merz Family Foundation?
Its strongest co-funders, measured against what their size predicts, include Chester County Community Foundation, Hamilton Family Foundation, Claneil Foundation Inc.
Where is The Merz Family Foundation based?
The Merz Family Foundation is based in FL.

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 90 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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