Merck Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 22-6028476 · since 1959merck.com/company-overview/sustainability/philanthropy/merck-foundation·International·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$29.1M

Annual giving, 2025 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$25,000 to $500k

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$149k

Typical grant (median)

74 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

A mix of rolling and fixed deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

The filing shows a health focus (cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and community health), so a request that clearly fits one of these themes is the best match.
Requests are weighed against its priorities, Merck's interests, facility locations and employee concerns, so show how your work connects to these and show a sound programme, competent leadership and the ability to achieve your objectives.
Its typical grants run from about $25,000 to $500,000, with a median of about $120,000, and about 45% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had funded before, so a modest first request made with care suits a small charity.
Review its grant application guidelines and submit through its online grants management system.
Do not apply if your organisation is a political, labor or sectarian group, or if you are seeking an endowment, publication, media production, scholarship, fellowship or individual support outside its programmes.

Overview

Merck Foundation is a US private foundation based in Rahway, NJ.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2025, TY2024, TY2023) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The Merck Foundation says it advances access to health through innovative programmes and partnerships intended to improve health and well-being around the world. It invests in programmes that improve healthcare quality and address barriers to care for people living with cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and HIV/AIDS. Its community grants seek to enhance the health and well-being of communities where Merck employees live and work. The Foundation identifies health and community as its focus areas and eligible nonprofit organisations and innovative programmes as recipients of its support. Its approach therefore combines health-focused partnerships with community grants, aiming to improve access to care and strengthen community well-being.

Themes

Cancer care
Cardiovascular care
Diabetes care
HIV/AIDS care
Community health

Geographic Focus

Priority: Around the world.

What They Don't Fund

Political, labor or sectarian groups
Endowments, publications or media productions
Scholarships, fellowships or individuals, except within Foundation programs

How to apply

For proposals, applicants are directed to review the grant application guidelines and submit through the online grants management system.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 45% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 or TY2024 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2023, TY2024 and TY2025 filings, half of its 205 grants to organisations were about $120,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

The Foundation aligns support with its health and community focus areas and innovative programmes.
Requests are evaluated for relevance to the Foundation’s priorities, Merck’s interests, facility locations and employee concerns.
Requests should show a sound programme, competent leadership and the ability to accomplish objectives.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.

Grant dollars by state

New Jersey24%

Maryland10%

New Mexico7%

Pennsylvania6%

District of Columbia5%

Virginia3%

6 other states: 11%

Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 35%

The largest single recipient received 17% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2025, 45% of grant dollars went to organisations Merck Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
25% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Norway).

Grants

74 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $149k

How much do they typically give?

Share of 74 grants in tax year 2025 by size

$25k–$50k30%

$50k–$100k12%

$100k–$250k18%

$250k–$500k30%

$500k–$1M5%

$1M and over5%

Median $149k (tax year 2025)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Partnership for Giving Matching Gifts · Contribution provided
$10,113,8922025 tax year
The Childrens Inn at NIH · Contribution provided
$2,800,0002025 tax year
University of New MexicoExempt · Contribution provided
$1,899,5662025 tax year
United Nations Foundation · Contribution provided
$1,000,0002025 tax year
American Cancer Society · Contribution provided
$790,8512025 tax year
Medical College of Virginia Foundation · Contribution provided
$657,5732025 tax year
Johns Hopkins University · Contribution provided
$627,8692025 tax year
American National Red Cross · Contribution provided
$600,0002025 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Walker Mark — Assistant Treasurer
Wildasin Anthony — Assistant Secretary
Swartwood Robert — Assistant Treasurer
Melissa Leonard — Treasurer
Hardy Leslie — Executive Vice President
Gary Henningsen — Vice President Tax
Filderman Jon — Vice President
Ettelman Karen — Assistant Secretary
Dillane Timothy — Assistant Treasurer
Allison Goldberg — President
Grez Kelly E W — Secretary
Zachary Jennifer — Chairperson of the Board

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2023 tax year	$26,068,342	$24,333,666	$316,231,990	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$26,363,826	$25,376,354	$328,259,324	Filing for 2024 tax year
2025 tax year	$30,083,750	$29,088,762	$337,872,981	Filing for 2025 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.