The Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation concentrates its giving on New York–based cultural and community institutions, with a clear tilt toward the performing arts and Jewish communal life. Most dollars are concentrated in a handful of repeat grantees (several organizations received multiple gifts), and the foundation also makes occasional gifts to health-related causes such as diabetes research. Its pattern suggests local, institution-focused philanthropy favoring long-standing relationships over broad small-scale giving.
Concentrated giving to a small set of recurring grantees—multiple grants to the same organizations—favoring mid‑to‑large gifts rather than many small, one‑off donations.
Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc C/o Abigail Merrill gives repeatedly to a small group of New York cultural and Jewish institutions, with The New Group receiving the largest recent gift at $53,500 in 2025. That repeat pattern is visible across several years: the foundation returned to The New Group in 2023 and 2024 as well, and it also made multiple gifts to Central Synagogue, Broadway Cares, and Whbpac. Alongside performing arts support, the foundation backs congregational Jewish life and selected medical charities, including diabetes research and hospital-based care. Its recent record shows a local grantmaker that favors established organizations and recurring relationships rather than a wide spread of one-time awards. Most grants are modest, but the foundation also makes larger awards in the tens of thousands when it supports core operating needs at named institutions. The portfolio includes New York theatre, synagogue, health, and civic organizations, with a smaller number of grants outside the city proper. Recent recipients also include Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, Rube Goldberg Inc, and The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey.
In performing arts, Julia & Gilbert Merrill Foundation Inc C/o Abigail Merrill supported The New Group with $45,000 in 2024 and $34,700 in 2024, and also gave $2,000 to The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey in 2024. Broadway Cares received $25,000 in 2024, $25,000 in 2023, $15,000 in 2024, and $10,000 in 2025, showing repeated support for Broadway-related social services. In Jewish communal giving, Central Synagogue received $31,850 in 2025, $26,800 in 2024, $22,250 in 2023, and $21,850 in 2024. The foundation also supported community-based causes with $2,500 to Citizens NYC in 2024. Medical giving appears through diabetes and hospital work: Diabetes Research Institute Fd received four $20,000 grants across 2023, 2024, and 2025, while Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital received $15,000, $13,000, $10,000, and $5,000 across 2023-2025.
Typical grant size is small, with a p25 of $500, a median of $1,000, and a p75 of $14,000. The recent record still includes several larger awards in the $20,000-$53,500 range, suggesting a mix of smaller community gifts and larger institutional support. The foundation appears to fund on an annual or ad hoc basis rather than through a formal program tied to individuals, and the same recipients show up across multiple years, including several repeat gifts to the same organizations. The available profile also identifies the foundation as making unrestricted general operating support and broad-based, non-designated charitable grants.
$676K
$3.1M
$201K
$192K
Most grants fall between $500 and $14K, with a median of $1K.
25th Percentile
$500
Median
$1K
75th Percentile
$14K
About 84% of grants go to recipients in MA.
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Notable grantees: The New Group, WHBPAC, Central Synagogue, Broadway Cares, Diabetes Research Institute Foundation
Grantmaking is local and heavily concentrated in New York. 84% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, NY, and the top state by grant count is MA, indicating that where the foundation gives most often is not the same as its headquarters. New York City recipients dominate the recent list, including The New Group, Central Synagogue, Broadway Cares, Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital, and Citizens NYC. Outside New York City, recent grants reached Westhampton, NY, Riverhead, NY, and Florham Park, NJ.
The recent grants show a strong emphasis on New York performing arts organizations, Jewish congregational institutions, and selected health-related charities. The New Group, Broadway Cares, Central Synagogue, and Diabetes Research Institute Fd each received repeated support across multiple years.
Yes. The New Group received gifts in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Central Synagogue received multiple gifts across 2023-2025; Broadway Cares also appears in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Diabetes Research Institute Fd received four $20,000 grants over 2023-2025.
The typical award is small: p25 is $500, median is $1,000, and p75 is $14,000. The recent list also shows larger outliers, including a $53,500 grant and several awards in the $20,000-$31,850 range.
The foundation gives locally, with 84% of grants going to recipients in New York. New York City institutions account for many of the named recipients, while a smaller share goes to places such as Westhampton and Riverhead in New York and Florham Park, New Jersey.
No. The profile indicates that it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grant record instead shows direct charitable grants to organizations.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE NEW GROUP | NEW YORK, NY | $53,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $31,850 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| WHBPAC | WESTHAMPTON, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE FD | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| BROADWAY CARES | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING HOSPITAL | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| EAST END HOSPICE CAMP GOOD GRIEF | WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY | $1,500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| MOORE COLLEGE OF ART | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $1,000 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $600 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| LITERARY NETWORK OF SOUTH BERKSHIRE | LEE, MA | $500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSESCHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| BIDAWEE | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| QUOGUE FIRE DEPARTMENT | QUOGUE, NY | $300 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSESCHARITABLE PURPOSESCHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| FRIENDS OF WESTHAMPTON AMBULANCE | WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY | $100 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSESCHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| QUOGUE VILLAGE PBA | QUOGUE, NY | $100 | 2025 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| THE NEW GROUP | NEW YORK, NY | $45,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| WHBPAC | WESTHAMPTON, NY | $35,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| THE NEW GROUP | NEW YORK, NY | $34,700 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| WHBPAC | WESTHAMPTON, NY | $31,800 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $26,800 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| BROADWAY CARES | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $21,850 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE FD | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE FD | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING HOSPITAL | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| BROADWAY CARES | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING HOSPITAL | NEW YORK, NY | $13,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| RUBE GOLDBERG INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| MCC THEATER | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSESCHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| PECONIC BAY MEDICAL CENTER | RIVERHEAD, NY | $3,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| SOCIETY OF ILLUSTATORS | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CITIZENS NYC | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY | FLORHAM PARK, NJ | $2,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| CITY MEAL ON WHEELS | NEW YORK, NY | $1,088 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| RUBE GOLDBERG INC | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| BIDAWEE | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| PETA | NORFOLK, VA | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| BIDAWEE | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| ASCPA AMERICA SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO AMIMALS | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| HUMANE SOCIETY INTL | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| UJA FEDERATION OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| QUOGUE LIBRARY SOCIETY | QUOGUE, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| PETA | NORFOLK, VA | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE | PORT WASHINGTON, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE | PORT WASHINGTON, NY | $1,000 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| QUOGUE FIRE DEPARTMENT | QUOGUE, NY | $650 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSESCHARITABLE PURPOSESCHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| MOORE COLLEGE OF ART | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $500 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| MOORE COLLEGE OF ART | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $500 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| FARM SANCTUARY | WATKINS GLEN, NY | $500 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
| EAST END HOSPICE CAMP GOOD GRIEF | WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY | $500 | 2024 | CHARITABLE PURPOSES |
THE NEW GROUP
$53,500CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE
$31,850CHARITABLE PURPOSES
WHBPAC
$30,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE FD
$20,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
BROADWAY CARES
$10,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING HOSPITAL
$5,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
EAST END HOSPICE CAMP GOOD GRIEF
CHARITABLE PURPOSES
MOORE COLLEGE OF ART
$1,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
$600CHARITABLE PURPOSES
LITERARY NETWORK OF SOUTH BERKSHIRE
$500CHARITABLE PURPOSESCHARITABLE PURPOSES
BIDAWEE
$500CHARITABLE PURPOSES
QUOGUE FIRE DEPARTMENT
$300CHARITABLE PURPOSESCHARITABLE PURPOSESCHARITABLE PURPOSES
FRIENDS OF WESTHAMPTON AMBULANCE
$100CHARITABLE PURPOSESCHARITABLE PURPOSES
QUOGUE VILLAGE PBA
$100CHARITABLE PURPOSES
THE NEW GROUP
$45,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
WHBPAC
$35,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
THE NEW GROUP
$34,700CHARITABLE PURPOSES
WHBPAC
$31,800CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE
$26,800CHARITABLE PURPOSES
BROADWAY CARES
$25,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CENTRAL SYNAGOGUE
$21,850CHARITABLE PURPOSES
DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE FD
$20,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
DIABETES RESEARCH INSTITUTE FD
$20,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING HOSPITAL
$15,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
BROADWAY CARES
$15,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
MEMORIAL SLOAN KETTERING HOSPITAL
$13,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
RUBE GOLDBERG INC
$5,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
MCC THEATER
$5,000CHARITABLE PURPOSESCHARITABLE PURPOSES
PECONIC BAY MEDICAL CENTER
$3,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
SOCIETY OF ILLUSTATORS
$3,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CITIZENS NYC
$2,500CHARITABLE PURPOSES
THE SHAKESPEARE THEATRE OF NEW JERSEY
$2,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
CITY MEAL ON WHEELS
$1,088CHARITABLE PURPOSES
RUBE GOLDBERG INC
$1,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
BIDAWEE
$1,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
PETA
$1,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
BIDAWEE
$1,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
ASCPA AMERICA SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO AMIMALS
$1,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
HUMANE SOCIETY INTL
$1,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
UJA FEDERATION OF NEW YORK
$1,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
QUOGUE LIBRARY SOCIETY
$1,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS
$1,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
PETA
$1,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE
$1,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE
$1,000CHARITABLE PURPOSES
QUOGUE FIRE DEPARTMENT
$650CHARITABLE PURPOSESCHARITABLE PURPOSESCHARITABLE PURPOSES
MOORE COLLEGE OF ART
$500CHARITABLE PURPOSES
MOORE COLLEGE OF ART
$500CHARITABLE PURPOSES
FARM SANCTUARY
$500CHARITABLE PURPOSES
EAST END HOSPICE CAMP GOOD GRIEF
$500CHARITABLE PURPOSES