The Merancas Foundation

• The Merancas Foundation funds local nonprofits in the metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Trenton, New Jersey, working in education (from early childhood through adult career education aimed at economic mobility), affordable housing (from emergency shelter to permanent solutions) and wellbeing (inter-connective services for individuals, families and communities facing socio-economic hardship), so check your work sits within one of these themes and places before applying.
• A realistic request is in the region of $25,000 to $200,000, with the median grant at $60,000, so a modest, sustaining single-year request of this size is the most common pattern, though a small number of instalment grants have supported capital or specific financing needs.
• Apply through an Are We a Match request on the foundation's grant portal, with partner grant requests due by 15 February for the spring cycle or 15 August for the fall cycle, so plan well ahead of these fixed deadlines.
• With 97% of grant dollars going to organisations already funded in the two prior filings, the foundation looks relationship-led and fairly concentrated on existing partners, so new applicants should expect it to take persistence and should be ready for staff to arrange a meeting or site visit.
• Applicants must hold 501(c)(3) status in good standing with an active charitable solicitation licence and must file a full Form 990 (postcard and 990-EZ filers are ineligible), and the foundation does not fund grants to individuals, political organisations, arts organisations, fraternal organisations, civic organisations, sponsorships, events, grants to other foundations, or programmes that promote, require participation in, or serve as a gateway to any specific religious beliefs.

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

• Central Piedmont Community College · Fostering economic independence thro
  $1,800,0002025 tax year
• Roof Above · Roof above general operating support
  $1,100,0002025 tax year
• American Red Cross · American red cross disaster relief-r
  $1,000,0002025 tax year
• Foundation for the Carolinas · Caps scholarship-schloarship funds f
  $900,0002025 tax year
• Ywca Central Carolinas · Grounds for change: affordable housi
  $625,0002025 tax year
• Planned Parenthood South Atlantic · Charlotte reproductive and sexual he
  $500,0002025 tax year
• Freedom School Partners · 2025 freedom school summer program-s
  $400,0002025 tax year
• Thompson Child and Family Focus · Thompson prevention & mental health
  $250,0002025 tax year

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

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.