Merck Family Fund
Accepts applications
Merck Family Fund is a private foundation in Boston, Massachusetts. In tax year 2024 it gave $4.6 million in 87 grants; the typical grant was $35,000 and the largest $130,000. It accepts applications; its filing gives the instructions below.
From its IRS Form 990-PF for tax year 2024.
- Grants paid, 2024$4.6 million
- Number of grants87
- Typical grant$35,000
- Largest grant$130,000
- Assets$64.1 million
- New grantees20%
Giving in 2024 was up from $2.7 million the year before.
20% of its 2024 grantees had not received a grant from it the year before, a mix of repeat and new grantees.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants paid | Number of grants | Assets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $2.7 million | 85 | $62.4 million |
| 2024 | $4.6 million | 87 | $64.1 million |
How to apply
| Contact | Merck Family Fund Attn James Maguir 131 Dartmouth Street Suite 301, Boston, MA 02116-5297 |
|---|---|
| Phone or email | (781) 789-6516 |
| What to submit | Step 1 - letter of inquiry using the online application; step 2 - full proposal using the online application system |
| Deadlines | February 1 and august 1 |
| Restrictions | Grants made only to organizations that are tax exempt |
What Merck Family Fund funds
Where it gives
Its grants went to recipients in 15 states, the most to Massachusetts.
| State | Grants | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 26 | $811,525 |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | $674,481 |
| New York | 14 | $545,000 |
| North Carolina | 10 | $387,500 |
| District of Columbia | 6 | $138,330 |
| California | 2 | $133,000 |
| Maine | 2 | $105,000 |
| New Hampshire | 2 | $85,000 |
| Vermont | 1 | $80,000 |
| Maryland | 1 | $50,000 |
Grants paid in 2024
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Tides Foundation | Community food funders | $130,000 |
| Clean Energy Group Inc | Mobilizing corporate energy users to increase energy efficiency | $80,000 |
| Acadia Center | Endorsing energy efficiency and protecting public health in the southeast | $75,000 |
| New York Lawyers for the Public Interest | General support | $75,000 |
| Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia | Bushwick grows community farm | $70,000 |
| Dogwood Alliance | Our forests aren't fuel | $60,000 |
| Farm School NYC | Building civic engagement within the nyc urban agriculture & food justice community | $60,000 |
| Blueprint NC | General support | $50,000 |
| Casa Pennsylvania | Defending democracy | $50,000 |
| Conservation Law Foundation | Advancing state-based decarbonization strategies | $50,000 |
| El Pueblo | Leveraging efficiency for nonprofits and rural on-bill financing to speed an energy transition | $50,000 |
| Groundwork USA | Growing youth leaders through job training and urban farming | $50,000 |
| Ma Voter Table | Addressing climate change through land conservation | $50,000 |
| Make the Road Pa | General support. | $50,000 |
| National Vote at Home Institute | National vote at home institute | $50,000 |
| NC Climate Justice Collective | General support | $50,000 |
| Neighborhood Gardens Trust | Peak coalition | $50,000 |
| New England Grassroots Environment Fund | General support | $50,000 |
| North Carolina Black Alliance | Urban herbal plant project | $50,000 |
| One Pennsylvania United | Empowering young climate leaders to advocate for energy efficiency in the northeast | $50,000 |
| Pennsylvania Voice | The urban agriculture release plan event | $50,000 |
| Power | Red hook farms - an urban youth farm in red hook, brooklyn | $50,000 |
| Southern Alliance for Clean Energy | General support | $50,000 |
| Southern Coalition for Social Justice | The food projects youth programs | $50,000 |
| Southern Environmental Law Center | Ny renews coalition-wide climate justice regrants | $50,000 |
| United Community Centers | Philadelphia land justice coalition | $50,000 |
| American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy | Aquatic biodiversity, environmental justice, and climate resilience in the tennessee river basin | $40,000 |
| Green Guerillas | Black urban farmers conference | $40,000 |
| Ma Food System Collaborative | Youth-led agriculture and local food sovereignty at the sankofa community farm at bartram's garden | $40,000 |
| Urban Farming Institute | Growing youth & resident power | $40,000 |
| Coastal Conservation League | Centering equity in energy efficiency | $35,000 |
| Equity Advocates | Membership grant | $35,000 |
| Everett Community Growers | Biofuels environmental accountability project | $35,000 |
| Gardening the Community | Membership grant | $35,000 |
| Green City Force | General support | $35,000 |
| Greenroots | General support | $35,000 |
| Groundwork Lawrence | Green city force (gcf) service corps and eco-hubs | $35,000 |
| Groundwork Somerville | Green guerillas youth empowerment pipeline | $35,000 |
| Groundwork Somerville | Black urban farmers conference | $35,000 |
| Groundwork Southcoast | Achieving food sovereignty through urban agriculture and youth leadership | $35,000 |
Officers and trustees
- George Whitridge
- Katharine Matys
- Serena Whitridge
- Frederick Morgan Whitridge
- Nathaniel Chamberlin
- Oona Coy
- Ian Hatch
- Wilhelm Merck
- Wilhelm Merck Jr
- Ruth Goldman
- James A Maguire
Questions people ask
Does Merck Family Fund accept grant applications?
Yes. Its latest IRS filing says it accepts applications, with this on deadlines: February 1 and august 1.
How much does Merck Family Fund give?
$4.6 million in tax year 2024, across 87 grants, with a typical grant of $35,000.
Who runs Merck Family Fund?
Its 2024 filing lists George Whitridge (Trustee, President), Katharine Matys (Trustee, Vice President), Serena Whitridge (Trustee, Secretary) and Frederick Morgan Whitridge (Trustee, Treasurer) among 11 officers and trustees.
What does Merck Family Fund fund?
Based on its grants, mainly environment and conservation, food and hunger and community development.