Mertz Gilmore Foundation
ActivePhilanthropy & VoluntarismFunds Individuals
About Mertz Gilmore Foundation
The Mertz Gilmore Foundation amplifies the power and creativity of communities working to build a more just, engaged, and vibrant society.
Focus Areas
Democracy and civic engagementCommunity power buildingNew York dance and performing artsClimate change / environmental justice
Who They Fund
state and local movement leaders/organizersvoters and communities affected by voter suppressionNYC artists and the dance communityrural communities in Georgiacommunity-based organizations and coalitions (e.g., NAACP, community foundations)
Funding Style
general operating support
About Mertz Gilmore Foundation
The Mertz Gilmore Foundation’s recent grantmaking shows a clear split between democracy infrastructure and New York dance. In 2025, it backed OpenSecrets with $200,000 for general support and gave New York Foundation for the Arts $98,000 for its Dance Award Program, illustrating how the foundation supports both civic watchdog work and the arts ecosystem. Across the grant list, its funding reaches voter protection, campaign finance reform, artist residency and presenter support, and climate justice organizing, with large awards alongside many mid-sized grants. The foundation’s democracy-related grants include support for organizations working on voting rights, election integrity, and movement-building. Its arts support centers New York City dance, including smaller companies, presenters of marginalized and emerging artists, and service organizations. Environmental grants also appear in the record, including support for climate and just-transition organizing. The foundation funds both national intermediaries and place-based groups, and its pattern suggests a mix of general support and project-specific funding tied to defined campaigns or programs.
What Mertz Gilmore Foundation Funds
In democracy and civic engagement, the foundation has supported election and campaign-finance work through grants such as $200,000 to Opensecrets for general support and $100,000 to the William J Brennan Jr Center for Justice Inc for the Brennan Center’s money in politics work. It has also funded voter protection and turnout-related efforts, including $125,000 to Activate 48 Education Fund for training and research for the Fair Elections Campaign. Its arts giving is centered on New York dance. The foundation gave $98,000 to New York Foundation for the Arts for the Dance Award Program and $130,000 to the Alliance of Artists Communities for the Artist Residency Program. In climate and environmental justice, it awarded $500,000 to Project South for the Gulf South Green New Deal Network and $75,000 to Chesapeake Climate Action Network for general support.
How Mertz Gilmore Foundation Gives
Typical grants sit in a middle range: the 25th percentile is $10,000, the median is $25,000, and the 75th percentile is $50,000. The recent list also shows larger strategic awards at $100,000 to $500,000. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including OpenSecrets, Proteus Fund, New York Foundation, Appalachian Voices, and Color of Change Education Fund, which points to repeat support rather than one-off grants. The foundation is a regular funder, not a donor-advised fund, and it makes direct grants; individuals are also supported. Application mode is not listed in the grant data.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$10.7M
Total Assets
$89.9M
Total Revenue
$3.7M
Total Expenses
$14.9M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $50K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$50K
Geographic Reach
Regional34 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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