The Merrick Family Foundation
The Merrick Family Foundation is a private family foundation in Ridley Park, PA that provides grants to children and young adults who have experienced unforeseen hardships. The site lists grant ranges ($250–$30,000), an application PDF, and contact/address details. It also publishes beneficiaries and events information.
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
Small or mid-sized organizations (or individual hardship cases) providing direct services, scholarships, or event-based support for children and young adults who have experienced unforeseen hardships, especially with a local or regional connection to PA/NJ/MD.
Good Fit
- • Programs that provide direct financial assistance, medical support, scholarships, or event-based services for children and youth.
- • Requests sized in the low thousands (typical grant amounts observed) or occasional scholarship awards up to the stated maximum.
- • A clear local or regional presence in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, or Maryland.
- • A concise written request that explains an unforeseen hardship and specific use of funds.
Geography
Grants are concentrated in the foundation's home state (about 60% of dollars) but recipients in New Jersey and Maryland also received funding, producing a multi-state regional footprint.
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows 11 distinct recipients spanning charities, foundations and occasional individual hardship payments, with turnover across years and several new grantees observed, indicating a broad and varied recipient set for a micro family foundation.
New Applicants
The foundation publishes an application PDF and submission instructions and the latest year included seven new recipients, so there is strong behavioral and procedural evidence that unfamiliar applicants can enter the portfolio.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
