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Merit Spread Foundation
Merit Spread Foundation reported $11.7 million in revenue and $10.2 million in expenses for calendar year 2025. Of every $100 it spent, $65.78 went to program services, $4.84 to management and general costs and $29.38 to fundraising. Its largest source of revenue was contributions and grants: 99.9% of the total. Source: Form 990, 2025.
Where $100 of spending went
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part IX, line 25 · total expenses $10MFor context, the median across 1,001 covered philanthropy, voluntarism & grantmaking charities: $91.65 programs, $6.50 management, $1.85 fundraising (medians computed separately, so they may not sum to $100).
Where $100 of revenue came from
Calendar year 2025 · Form 990, Part VIII · total revenue $12MThe 990 scorecard · same measures for every charity, no grades
| Measure | 2025 | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Program services Part IX 25(B) ÷ 25(A) | 65.8% | 90.2% |
| Management & general Part IX 25(C) ÷ 25(A) | 4.8% | 6.4% |
| Fundraising Part IX 25(D) ÷ 25(A) | 29.4% | 1.8% |
| Fundraising cost per $1 of contributions Part IX 25(D) ÷ Part VIII 1h | $0.26 | $0.02 |
| Contributions & grants share of revenue Part VIII 1h ÷ 12 | 99.9% | 79.9% |
| Government grants share of revenue Part VIII 1e ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Program service revenue share Part VIII 2g ÷ 12 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Highest reported compensation Part VII-A, columns D–F | Not reported | $325,675 |
| Highest compensation as share of expenses Part VII-A ÷ Part IX 25(A) | Not reported | 1.56% |
| People paid over $100,000 Part VII, line 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Net assets, in months of expenses Part X 33(B) ÷ monthly expenses | 5.1 | 56.6 |
| Independent voting board members Part VI 1a–1b | 2 of 2 | 100.0% |
A median is context, not a target: hospitals, universities, food banks and grantmakers spend in very different ways. What these measures can and can't tell you.
What the money paid for, in its own words
2025 · Form 990, Part III · the three largest programs by expense3 years of filings
Form 990, Parts I, VII, IX and X · each row is that year's own filing, linkedGovernance answers, as filed
2025 · the organization's own yes/no answers; explanations, if any, are in Schedule O of the filing · what each means- Voting board members, and how many are independent Part VI, lines 1a–1b2 · 2 independent
- Audited financial statements Part XII 2bNo
- Conflict-of-interest policy Part VI 12aNo
- Whistleblower policy Part VI 13No
- Document retention policy Part VI 14No
- Independent process for top executive pay Part VI 15aNo
- Board given the 990 before filing Part VI 11aYes
- Family or business ties among insiders Part VI 2No
- Aware of a significant diversion of assets Part VI 5No
- Excess benefit transaction with an insider Part IV 25aNo
- Loans to or from insiders outstanding Part IV 26No
- Lobbying, or a 501(h) election in effect Part IV 4No
- Over $15,000 of professional fundraising services Part IV 18No
- Over $10,000 of activity outside the U.S. Part IV 14bNo
- Employees Part I, line 50
- Volunteers Part I, line 62
Private foundation grants it received
6 private foundations reported grants to Merit Spread Foundation totaling $178K on their tax year 2023 Form 990-PF returns. See which foundations, on WHOFUNDS.
Source: WHOFUNDS open grant graph, matched from Form 990-PF Part XV.
Correct a figure or respond
Every number above is copied from Merit Spread Foundation's own Form 990. If one doesn't match the filing, that's our error and we'll fix it. If you work for Merit Spread Foundation, you can publish a response that is linked from this page.
Share or embed this breakdown
Of every $100 Merit Spread Foundation spent in 2025, $65.78 went to programs. The full breakdown, from its IRS Form 990:
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Similar-sized charities in this cause
- Community Foundation for the Ohio ValleyWheeling, WV · revenue $12M · programs 76.4% · FY2025
- Community Foundation of Southern New MexicoLas Cruces, NM · revenue $12M · programs 93.9% · 2024
- Dagmar Dolby FundNovato, CA · revenue $12M · programs 98.2% · FY2025
- The Helen Diller Family FoundationSan Francisco, CA · revenue $12M · programs 98.8% · FY2025
- Park City Community FoundationPark City, UT · revenue $12M · programs 86.9% · 2024
All philanthropy, voluntarism & grantmaking charities · Largest charities in New York
Questions people ask
How much of Merit Spread Foundation's spending goes to programs?
In calendar year 2025, Merit Spread Foundation reported that 65.8% of its $10.2 million in expenses went to program services, 4.8% to management and general and 29.4% to fundraising (Form 990, Part IX).
Where does Merit Spread Foundation get its money?
Of $11.7 million in revenue in calendar year 2025, 99.9% came from contributions and grants and 0.0% from program service revenue (Form 990, Part VIII).
Is Merit Spread Foundation a registered charity?
The IRS lists EIN 37-2057617 as a 501(c)(3) organization (publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(a)(vi))), and its records show contributions as tax-deductible. Form 990 filings on record here cover tax years 2023, 2024, 2025. A filing shows what the organization reported; it doesn't by itself show whether a program works.
Sources
- 2025: Form 990 for calendar year 2025, object 202621539349300327 · read the filing · XML
- 2024: Form 990 for calendar year 2024, object 202501079349300620 · read the filing
- 2023: Form 990 for calendar year 2023, object 202433049349301413 · read the filing
All filings for EIN 37-2057617: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer · IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search. Figures are as the organization reported them; we have not audited them.