The foundation prioritizes Catholic faith-based education and local social services in the Kansas City area, funneling substantial support to Catholic colleges, seminarian formation, parish programs, and youth services. Grants are often large and targeted to a small set of repeat grantees, emphasizing scholarships, institutional support, and religious education rather than a broad mix of causes. The foundation’s identity is distinctly Catholic and regionally focused, partnering with higher education institutions and parish-affiliated organizations to advance education and clergy formation.
A defining feature of Catherin V Merrill Foundation Co Christine Demareah Elvin Knight is its sustained support for Catholic education and formation in the Kansas City area. The largest recent awards include $140,000 to Don Bosco Centers and another $140,000 to the Bishop Sullivan Center Seminarian Fund, alongside repeated six-figure support for Benedictine College and Rockhurst University Scholarship. That pattern points to a funder that backs institutions central to Catholic undergraduate education, clergy preparation, and parish-based service. Recent grants also show attention to local religious life and related social services, with support for organizations such as St Michael the Archangel, St Peters Social Services, and Foundation for Inclusive Religious Education. The grants are targeted and recurring rather than broad and diffuse, with several recipients appearing in multiple years. Across the recent list, the foundation’s giving reflects a consistent preference for charitable uses tied to education, religious formation, and community support within a regional network of Catholic organizations.
In Catholic undergraduate education, the foundation gave $125,000 to Benedictine College in 2025 for charitable uses of the organization, and $100,000 to Rockhurst University Scholarship in 2025 for the same purpose. Seminary and clergy formation is another clear theme: Bishop Sullivan Center Seminarian Fund received $140,000 in 2023. Parish-linked support also appears in the grants to St Michael the Archangel, which received $75,000 in 2025, and St Peters Social Services, which received $50,000 in 2024. The foundation also backed inclusive religious education through a $75,000 grant to Foundation for Inclusive Religious Education in 2023. These grants show a mix of higher education, formation, and parish-oriented charitable work.
Typical grant size is substantial: the 25th percentile is $50,000, the median is $62,500, and the 75th percentile is $100,000. The recent record suggests a recurring pattern, with several recipients appearing in multiple years, including Don Bosco Centers, Benedictine College, Rockhurst University Scholarship, St Michael the Archangel, St Peters Social Services, and Foundation for Inclusive Religious Education. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and does not fund individuals. Grants in the recent list are described as charitable uses of the organization, and the pattern is consistent with unrestricted or general-support style funding.
$440K
$12.5M
$323K
$508K
Most grants fall between $50K and $100K, with a median of $63K.
25th Percentile
$50K
Median
$63K
75th Percentile
$100K
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small number of repeat, locally based Catholic institutions; mix of multi-year or repeated commitments focused on scholarships, seminary funding, and parish/program support rather than many small, one-off gifts.
Notable grantees: Benedictine College, Rockhurst University Scholarship, Don Bosco Centers, St. Michael the Archangel, Bishop Sullivan Center Seminarian Fund
Grantmaking is strongly centered in Missouri, which accounts for 75% of grants in the HQ state, with Kansas also represented through Atchison and Overland Park. Kansas City appears repeatedly as a recipient location, including Don Bosco Centers, Rockhurst University Scholarship, Foundation for Inclusive Religious Education, St Peters Social Services, Bright Futures Fund, and Bishop Sullivan Food Pantry. Other Missouri recipient cities in the recent list include Lees Summit. All recent grants in the data went to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants show a strong emphasis on Catholic education, clergy formation, and parish-linked community support. Examples include Benedictine College and Rockhurst University Scholarship for undergraduate education, the Bishop Sullivan Center Seminarian Fund for seminarian support, and parish-affiliated organizations such as St Michael the Archangel and St Peters Social Services.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Don Bosco Centers, Benedictine College, Rockhurst University Scholarship, St Michael the Archangel, St Peters Social Services, and Foundation for Inclusive Religious Education. The pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards.
The grant-size distribution is relatively high: the 25th percentile is $50,000, the median is $62,500, and the 75th percentile is $100,000. Recent awards also include several six-figure grants, such as $125,000 and $140,000 awards.
The foundation gives regionally, with 75% of grants going to recipients in Missouri. Kansas is also represented, especially through Atchison and Overland Park. The recipient list is entirely U.S.-based in the recent data.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DON BOSCO CENTERS | KANSAS CITY, MO | $140,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BENEDICTINE COLLEGE | ATCHISON, KS | $125,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP | KANSAS CITY, MO | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL | OVERLAND PARK, KS | $75,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| DON BOSCO CENTERS | KANSAS CITY, MO | $125,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BENEDICTINE COLLEGE | ATCHISON, KS | $100,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP | KANSAS CITY, MO | $100,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL | OVERLAND PARK, KS | $75,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| FOUNDATION FOR INCLUSIVE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION | KANSAS CITY, MO | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ST PETERS SOCIAL SERVICES | KANSAS CITY, MO | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| OUR LADY OF THE PRESENTATION | LEES SUMMIT, MO | $10,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BISHOP SULLIVAN CENTER SEMINARIAN FUND | KANSAS CITY, MO | $140,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BENEDICTINE COLLEGE | ATCHISON, KS | $100,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP | KANSAS CITY, MO | $100,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| FOUNDATION FOR INCLUSIVE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION | KANSAS CITY, MO | $75,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| AVILA COLLEGE | KANSAS CITY, MO | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ST PETERS SOCIAL SERVICES | KANSAS CITY, MO | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL | OVERLAND PARK, KS | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BRIGHT FUTURES FUND | KANSAS CITY, MO | $8,500 | 2023 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
| BISHOP SULLIVAN FOOD PANTRY | KANSAS CITY, MO | $7,500 | 2023 | CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION |
DON BOSCO CENTERS
$140,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
BENEDICTINE COLLEGE
$125,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
$100,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL
$75,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
DON BOSCO CENTERS
$125,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
$100,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL
$75,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
FOUNDATION FOR INCLUSIVE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
$50,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
ST PETERS SOCIAL SERVICES
$50,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
OUR LADY OF THE PRESENTATION
$10,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
BISHOP SULLIVAN CENTER SEMINARIAN FUND
$140,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
ROCKHURST UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP
$100,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
FOUNDATION FOR INCLUSIVE RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
$75,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
ST PETERS SOCIAL SERVICES
$50,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
ST MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL
$50,000CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION
BISHOP SULLIVAN FOOD PANTRY
$7,500CHARITABLE USES OF THE ORGANIZATION