Meraux Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The Meraux Foundation funds work in land use, education, environment, economic development, arts and culture and community resilience, with the aim of improving quality of life in St. Bernard, so your proposal should sit clearly within one of these themes.
- No geographic focus is stated, though its filings show grants mainly in Louisiana.
- Most grants are modest: about 8 in 10 of its 144 grants fall between $975 and $60,000, the median grant is $5,000, and half of its 144 grants were $5,000 or less, so pitch a request in that range unless you have strong reason to think otherwise; a named scholarship programme is funded at $1,000.
- This foundation makes contributions only to preselected organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests, so organisations that have not been invited should not apply cold; if you are selected, you will be asked to submit a written request stating your purpose, name, contact person and requested amount.
- Only 15% of its grant dollars went to organisations it had also funded in the two prior years, so it is not purely relationship-led with existing grantees, but given the invitation-only process, the best route in is to build a relationship or be identified by the foundation rather than to write in speculatively.
Overview
Meraux Foundation is a US private foundation based in Violet, LA.
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 Meraux Foundation focuses its strategy on land use, education, environment, economic development, arts and culture, and community resilience, with the guiding aim of improving quality of life in St. Bernard. Its programmes connect land development with education, environmental work, arts and culture, and efforts to prepare for disasters, adapt to change and support recovery. It makes targeted recovery and resilience grants and brings people and organisations together around parish issues. Its education work includes scholarships for public-school students and wider learning initiatives. Through creative placemaking, it uses arts and culture to support economic development and livability, while investing in artists and community resilience.
Themes
- Land use
- Education
- Environment
- Economic development
- Arts and culture
- Community resilience
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Louisiana.
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests. A selected organisation submits a written request stating its purpose, name, contact person and requested amount; a grant application is available upon request.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2025 filing, 15% 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 144 grants to organisations were $5,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2023–2025.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 38% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2025, 15% of grant dollars went to organisations Meraux Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- <1% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 41 grants in tax year 2025 by size
Median $8,000 (tax year 2025)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- World War II Museum New Orleans · Donated 916-926 magazine st properties in new orleans on 2/6/2025$2,655,0002025 tax year
- World War II Museum New Orleans · Donated 906-912 magazine st properties in new orleans on 2/6/2025$1,065,0002025 tax year
- WYES-TV - Greater New Orleans Education Television Foundation · Donation$125,0002025 tax year
- Community Center of St Bernard · Donation$91,0002025 tax year
- Goat in the Road Productions · Donation$70,3252025 tax year
- Hamline University · Donation$59,8002025 tax year
- NOCCA Institute · Donation$50,0002025 tax year
- Louisiana State University AgCenter · Donation$47,6192025 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Christopher Haines — Treasurer
- William Haines — Vice-President
- Erica Beck — Recording Secretary
- Sidney D Torres III — Secretary
- Floyd Gue — Senior Vice-President
- Rita Gue — President / Chairwoman
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 tax year | $5,721,872 | $2,598,286 | $100,462,270 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $6,448,128 | $3,086,632 | $103,609,323 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
| 2025 tax year | $8,409,742 | $4,650,357 | $101,124,532 | 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.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
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Applying to Meraux Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required