The Meeker Rom Family Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on place-based conservation and local community infrastructure in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, directing substantial, unrestricted support to a leading regional land-conservation group and a large capital/building gift to a San Juan Island public library. Their grants indicate an interest in preserving regional open space and strengthening small island civic institutions through tangible, often capital-oriented funding. The foundation appears to favor a small number of strategic, high-value awards rather than many small gifts.
A $50,000 grant to Friends of the San Juan Island Library for the San Juan Island Public Library Building Fund signals one of The Meeker Rom Family Foundation’s clearest priorities: place-based investment in civic and conservation infrastructure. Alongside that capital support, the foundation has backed regional land conservation through Forterra Nw with $40,000 awards in both 2024 and 2025, indicating repeated support for the same environmental organization rather than isolated gifts. Its giving also reaches beyond infrastructure into education, arts, and public-interest work. Recent awards include scholarship support at Boston University, Seattle University, New York University, and the University of Minnesota Foundation, plus unrestricted grants to organizations such as the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The pattern suggests a family foundation that mixes project-specific funding with general support, while maintaining a strong connection to conservation, island community institutions, and named scholarship funds. Individual support is part of the portfolio as well, consistent with a broader grantmaking approach that includes both institutions and people.
In conservation, the foundation gave $40,000 to Forterra Nw for general and unrestricted support in 2025, after a matching $40,000 award in 2024. That repeated funding aligns with its interest in land and forest conservation in the Pacific Northwest. For library and community infrastructure, it granted $50,000 to Friends of the San Juan Island Library for the San Juan Island Public Library Building Fund. A separate $13,250 award to San Juan Community Home Trust for general and unrestricted support shows attention to island-based civic organizations as well. The foundation also funds education through scholarship gifts. Examples include $30,000 to Trustees of Boston University for the College of Fine Arts' School of Music Scholarship Fund, $30,000 to Seattle University for the Lisa E. Brodoff Endowed Scholarship, and $25,000 to New York University for the William N Rom MD, MPH Climate Change Fellows scholarship fund.
Typical gifts cluster at a modest-to-midrange level: the p25 is $2,500, the median is $5,000, and the p75 is $8,000. The recent-grants list also shows a small number of larger awards, including $40,000, $50,000, and multiple $15,000 gifts. Recipients appear across multiple years, including Forterra Nw, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, University of Minnesota Foundation, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Inc, and League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, which points to recurring relationships rather than one-time support. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and gives to individuals as well as organizations.
$377K
$5.1M
$861K
$486K
Most grants fall between $3K and $8K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$8K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Concentrated and strategic: few (3) relatively large grants totaling $130k, with repeat funding to the same conservation organization and a one-off significant capital grant to a local library. Preference for high-impact, place-based gifts and flexible general support rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: Forterra (Forterra NW), Friends of the San Juan Island Library
Grantmaking is national, with the highest concentration of recipients in New York. Recent grants also land in Washington, Minnesota, and the Pacific Northwest, especially Seattle and Friday Harbor. Named recipient cities in the recent list include New York, Seattle, Friday Harbor, Boston, Minneapolis, Washington, Fairfield, Bend, and Santa Barbara. All recent grants shown go to U.S. recipients.
Its recent grants show support for conservation groups, public libraries and community trusts, universities and scholarship funds, arts institutions, and select public-interest organizations. Recurring recipients include Forterra Nw, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the University of Minnesota Foundation.
Yes. Forterra Nw received $40,000 in both 2024 and 2025. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, University of Minnesota Foundation, Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Art Club Inc, and League of Conservation Voters Education Fund also each appear more than once in the recent-grants list.
The typical grant-size distribution is p25 $2,500, median $5,000, and p75 $8,000. Recent grants also include larger awards such as $15,000, $20,000, $30,000, $40,000, and $50,000.
Its grants go nationally, with New York as the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities include New York, Seattle, Friday Harbor, Boston, Minneapolis, Washington, Fairfield, Bend, and Santa Barbara.
Yes. The foundation is marked as funding individuals, and its recent grants include scholarship support for named funds at Boston University, Seattle University, New York University, and the University of Minnesota Foundation.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORTERRA NW | SEATTLE, WA | $35,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES | MONTPELIER, VT | $30,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| EARTHJUSTICE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| ALCHEMY ART CENTER | FRIDAY HARBOR, WA | $20,000 | 2026 | In support of the artist-in-residence program |
| UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA FOUNDATION | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $15,000 | 2026 | Humphrey School for William and Holly Rom Climate and Health Policy Fellowship |
| THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CATHARINE LORILLARD WOLFE ART CLUB INC | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA FOUNDATION | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $10,000 | 2026 | To support the Dr. William and Holly Rom Fellowship in Climate Change Policy in the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs |
| CHRONICLE SEASON OF SHARING FUND | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE CARL SCHURZ PARK CONSERVANCY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $8,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CORAL RESTORATION FOUNDATION INC | TAVERNIER, FL | $7,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SAN JUAN ISLANDS MUSEUM OF ART | FRIDAY HARBOR, WA | $7,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| FOUNTAIN HOUSE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $7,000 | 2026 | Art gallery and arts scholarship fund |
| NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN | BRONX, NY | $5,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| UNICEF USA IMPACT FUND FOR CHILDREN INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN INCORPORATED | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| EVERY ORG | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | Defending Our Neighbors Fund |
| NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| JOYCE L SOBEL FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER | FRIDAY HARBOR, WA | $5,000 | 2026 | Fresh Bucks Program |
| CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| AUTHORS GUILD FDN INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| MINNESOTA CENTER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY | SAINT PAUL, MN | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| PTA CALIFORNIA CONGRESS OF PARENTS TEACHERS & STUD | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | Sunset Elementary PTA |
| Love Elementary | Alameda, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | Love Elementary programs designed to address the needs of diverse racial groups |
| KUOW-PUGET SOUND PUBLIC RADIO | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| WNET | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE ASPEN INSTITUTE | ASPEN, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2026 | Mills College Art Museum at Northeastern University |
| ANDERSON RANCH ARTS FOUNDATION | SNOWMASS VLG, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| LEGAL VOICE | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| FRIDAY HARBOR FOOD BANK | FRIDAY HARBOR, WA | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| KQED INC | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SEATTLE ARTS AND LECTURES INC | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2026 | Writers in the Schools program |
| FRIENDS OF THE BOUNDARY WATERS WILDERNESS | SAINT PAUL, MN | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND INCORPORATED | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CONSERVATION LANDS FOUNDATION | DURANGO, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CALIFORNIA POETS IN THE SCHOOL | SANTA ROSA, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | School Programs |
| NEW YORK LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS EDUCATION F | NEW YORK, NY | $3,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| TIDES CENTER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $3,000 | 2026 | for "ClimateVoice - 1505" overseen by the Tides Center |
| ACADEMY OF AMERICAN POETS INCORPORATED | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| WOODLAND PARK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY | SEATTLE, WA | $3,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | BOSTON, MA | $3,000 | 2026 | The Mills Institute Fund |
| GRAND MARAIS ARTS INC | GRAND MARAIS, MN | $3,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CITY HARVEST INC | BROOKLYN, NY | $3,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| INNER SUNSET PARK NEIGHBORS | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $2,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| RYE ART CENTER INC | RYE, NY | $2,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| ELY FOLK SCHOOL | ELY, MN | $2,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| ARTS IGNITE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
ALCHEMY ART CENTER
$20,000In support of the artist-in-residence program
Humphrey School for William and Holly Rom Climate and Health Policy Fellowship
CATHARINE LORILLARD WOLFE ART CLUB INC
$10,000General & Unrestricted
To support the Dr. William and Holly Rom Fellowship in Climate Change Policy in the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs
SAN JUAN ISLANDS MUSEUM OF ART
$7,500General & Unrestricted
EVERY ORG
$5,000Defending Our Neighbors Fund
JOYCE L SOBEL FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER
$5,000Fresh Bucks Program
NEW YORK PUBLIC RADIO
$5,000General & Unrestricted
AUTHORS GUILD FDN INC
$5,000General & Unrestricted
PTA CALIFORNIA CONGRESS OF PARENTS TEACHERS & STUD
$5,000Sunset Elementary PTA
Love Elementary
$5,000Love Elementary programs designed to address the needs of diverse racial groups
WNET
$5,000General & Unrestricted
THE ASPEN INSTITUTE
$5,000General & Unrestricted
ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND INCORPORATED
$5,000General & Unrestricted
CALIFORNIA POETS IN THE SCHOOL
$5,000School Programs
TIDES CENTER
$3,000for "ClimateVoice - 1505" overseen by the Tides Center
ACADEMY OF AMERICAN POETS INCORPORATED
$3,000General & Unrestricted
GRAND MARAIS ARTS INC
$3,000General & Unrestricted
INNER SUNSET PARK NEIGHBORS
$2,500General & Unrestricted
RYE ART CENTER INC
$2,000General & Unrestricted
ELY FOLK SCHOOL
$2,000General & Unrestricted
ARTS IGNITE INC
$2,000General & Unrestricted