The Merriman Foundation concentrates its giving into a small number of large grants focused on private education, faith-based causes, youth development, and healthcare. It funds both K–12 and higher education institutions, supports Catholic and other religious organizations, and backs community health and youth-serving nonprofits. Grants are sizable and often made more than once to the same recipients, indicating long-term, relationship-driven support rather than broad dispersal.
Merriman Foundation’s recent giving is marked by a handful of very large, repeated grants to a small circle of institutions, especially in Kansas City. The single largest award in the record is $1,779,068 to Boy Scouts of America - Heart of America Council in 2023, followed by a $1,250,000 grant to The Catholic Community Foundation the same year. Those awards point to a pattern of relationship-based support rather than broad, one-time dispersal. The foundation also backed education at a high level, including $1,000,000 grants to Pembroke Hill School in both 2023 and 2024, and $1,000,000 grants to SMU Cox School of Business in 2023 and 2024. Across the recent record, it supports private and independent schools, university business education, Catholic and other faith-based organizations, youth-serving groups, healthcare foundations, and selected arts institutions. Its grant list includes both operating-style charitable gifts and restricted-purpose awards tied to building funds, research, and education. Several recipients appear more than once, which suggests a continuing funding relationship with organizations that fit the foundation’s priorities.
Education is one of Merriman Foundation’s clearest themes. It gave $1,000,000 to Pembroke Hill School in 2024 for Building Fund support and another $1,000,000 to Pembroke Hill School in 2023 for a religious-purpose grant. It also made $1,000,000 grants to SMU Cox School of Business in both 2023 and 2024, including one for Research and one for Building Fund support. Faith-based giving is another visible area. The Catholic Community Foundation received $1,250,000 in 2023. Smaller religious grants also went to St Andrew's Espicopal Church and SMU for a charitable religious-purpose grant. Healthcare appears through grants to St Lukes Hospital Foundation Inc in 2023 and 2024, with one grant labeled Research. The foundation also supported community and youth-serving institutions such as Boy Scouts of America - Heart of America Council and Heart of America Council BSA.
Merriman Foundation’s typical grant size is $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $5,000 at the median, and $25,000 at the 75th percentile. The distribution shows a long tail of very large awards alongside many smaller gifts. The recent record also shows repeat support to the same organizations across 2023 and 2024, including Pembroke Hill School, SMU Cox School of Business, St Lukes Hospital Foundation Inc, the American Red Cross, and Society of Four Arts. The foundation is not a donor-advised fund or an individual-giving vehicle; it is a private foundation and does not make program-related investments.
$3.3M
$4.9M
$5.4M
$3.7M
Most grants fall between $5K and $25K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$25K
About 4% of grants go to recipients in MO.
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small set of repeat grantees; relationship-driven multi-year or multi-grant commitments rather than many small grants across diverse organizations.
Notable grantees: Pembroke Hill School, SMU Cox School of Business, Boy Scouts of America - Heart of America Council, The Catholic Community Foundation, St. Luke’s Hospital Foundation Inc
Merriman Foundation gives nationally, but its grants are heavily concentrated in Missouri, with Kansas City appearing most often in the recent record. Kansas City recipients include Boy Scouts of America - Heart of America Council, The Catholic Community Foundation, Pembroke Hill School, St Lukes Hospital Foundation Inc, Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Lyric Opera KC, and Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Outside Missouri, recent grants reached Dallas, Rochester, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach, Westwood, Washington, DC, and Oxford, OH. Recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, DC, accounted for 4% of grants.
Recent grants show support for private education, faith-based organizations, youth development groups, healthcare foundations, and arts institutions. Named recipients include Pembroke Hill School, The Catholic Community Foundation, Boy Scouts of America - Heart of America Council, St Lukes Hospital Foundation Inc, and Nelson Atkins Museum of Art.
Yes. The record includes repeat grants in 2023 and 2024 to Pembroke Hill School, SMU Cox School of Business, St Lukes Hospital Foundation Inc, the American Red Cross, and Society of Four Arts, which points to ongoing relationships with selected grantees.
The typical grant size is $5,000 at the 25th percentile and median, with $25,000 at the 75th percentile. The overall record also includes much larger awards, including seven-figure grants to several institutions.
Missouri is the top state by grant count, and Kansas City appears frequently in the recent grants list. The foundation’s giving is national overall, but many of the named recipients are Kansas City organizations.
The recipient country distribution shows all recent grants in the United States: 57 grants, or 100.0%.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMU Athletics | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2026 | Charitable - Athletics |
| SMU School of Business | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2026 | Charitable - Education |
| Heart of America Council BSA | Kansas City, MO | $585,000 | 2026 | Charitable |
| St Lukes Hospital Foundation | Kansas City, MO | $300,000 | 2026 | Charitable - Research |
| The Garden Club of Palm Beach 1928 | Palm Beach, FL | $150,000 | 2026 | Charitable |
| Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $50,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE - Medical Research |
| Nelson Gallery Foundation | Kansas City, MO | $50,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE - ART |
| United Way Greater Kansas City | Kansas City, MO | $20,000 | 2026 | Charitable |
| Blair House Foundation | Washington, DC | $20,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Alcuin School | Dallas, TX | $20,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Welcome House Inc | Kansas City, MO | $10,000 | 2026 | Charitable |
| Society of the Four Arts | Plam Beach, MO | $10,000 | 2026 | Charitable |
| Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach | Palm Beach, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County | West Palm Beach, FL | $10,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Crossroads Charter Schools | Kansas City, MO | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Kansas City Rep Gala | Kansas City, MO | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| White House Historical Association | Washington, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | Charitable |
| Kansas City Streetcar Authority | Kansas City, MO | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Chapel & York US Foundation Inc - KEW | New, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| The Jewel Ball | Kansas City, MO | $5,000 | 2026 | Charitable |
| BOTAR | Kansas City, MO | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Palm Beach County Sheriff's Foundation | West Palm Beach, FL | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Livingston's Way | Palm Beach, FL | $5,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Kansas City Art Institute | Kansas City, MO | $3,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Hats Off to Mothers | N Kansas City, MO | $3,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Colorectal Cancer Alliance | Washington, DC | $2,500 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Pheasants Forever | St Paul, MN | $2,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Metropolitan Energy Center Inc | Kansas City, MO | $1,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Palm Beach County History Museum | West Palm Beach, FL | $1,000 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| American Red Cross | Washington, DC | $555 | 2026 | CHARITABLE |
| Sheffield Place | Kansas City, MO | $500 | 2026 | Charitable |
| Pembroke Hill School | Kansas City, MO | $1,050,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| SMU Athletics | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Charitable - Athletics |
| SMU School of Business | Dallas, TX | $1,000,000 | 2025 | Charitable - Education |
| St Lukes Hospital Foundation | Kansas City, MO | $271,000 | 2025 | Charitable - Research |
| Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts | Kansas City, MO | $100,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE - Arts |
| Children's Mercy Kansas City | Kansas City, MO | $56,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League | West Palm Beach, FL | $55,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Mayo Clinic | Rochester, MN | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE - Medical Research |
| Alcuin School | Dallas, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Nelson Atkins Museum of Art | Kansas City, MO | $50,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE - Art |
| Heart of America Council BSA | Kansas City, MO | $30,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Blair House Foundation | Washington, DC | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARTIABLE |
| American Royal Association | Kansas City, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Hats Off to Mothers | N Kansas City, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach | Palm Beach, FL | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| St Andrew's Episcopal Chruch | Kansas City, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable - Religion |
| Kemper Museum | Kansas City, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
| Society of the Four Arts | Plam Beach, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | Charitable |
| Downtown Council of Kansas City | Kansas City, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE |
SMU Athletics
$1,000,000Charitable - Athletics
SMU School of Business
$1,000,000Charitable - Education
Heart of America Council BSA
$585,000Charitable
St Lukes Hospital Foundation
$300,000Charitable - Research
The Garden Club of Palm Beach 1928
$150,000Charitable
Mayo Clinic
$50,000CHARITABLE - Medical Research
Nelson Gallery Foundation
$50,000CHARITABLE - ART
Kansas City Rep Gala
$5,000CHARITABLE
Kansas City Streetcar Authority
$5,000CHARITABLE
The Jewel Ball
$5,000Charitable
BOTAR
$5,000CHARITABLE
Livingston's Way
$5,000CHARITABLE
Kansas City Art Institute
$3,000CHARITABLE
Hats Off to Mothers
$3,000CHARITABLE
Pheasants Forever
$2,000CHARITABLE
Metropolitan Energy Center Inc
$1,000CHARITABLE
Palm Beach County History Museum
$1,000CHARITABLE
SMU Athletics
$1,000,000Charitable - Athletics
SMU School of Business
$1,000,000Charitable - Education
St Lukes Hospital Foundation
$271,000Charitable - Research
Children's Mercy Kansas City
$56,000CHARITABLE
Mayo Clinic
$50,000CHARITABLE - Medical Research
Nelson Atkins Museum of Art
$50,000CHARITABLE - Art
Heart of America Council BSA
$30,000Charitable
Hats Off to Mothers
$10,000CHARITABLE
St Andrew's Episcopal Chruch
$10,000Charitable - Religion
Kemper Museum
$10,000CHARITABLE
Downtown Council of Kansas City
$10,000CHARITABLE