Esther And Harold Mertz Foundation

The Esther and Harold Mertz Foundation is a private independent foundation rooted in a deeply personal giving philosophy shaped by its late founders. Esther Mertz's guiding principle — "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" — defines what the foundation rewards: programs that build self-sufficiency, restore independence, and create lasting change rather than simple handouts. Applicants who frame their work through this lens of empowerment will resonate far more than those emphasizing service delivery alone.

The foundation concentrates its open-application grants overwhelmingly in New York (34 of 55 tracked grants), with secondary clusters in South Dakota (7) and Florida (5). Organizations operating in these geographies, particularly in New York City where the foundation has funded Restore NYC, Hope for New York, Back on My Feet, and several faith-based ministries, are best positioned for the general grant cycle. Florida organizations benefited from personal connections to Mrs. Mertz's Sarasota years.

The most critical eligibility filter is government financing: the foundation explicitly states it will not fund organizations that receive government or municipal support. This is a hard disqualifier. Organizations that are entirely privately funded — through individual donors, church networks, or earned revenue — align far better with the foundation's values of independence.

Faith-based affiliation is a consistent thread across grantees. Hope for New York, Freedom Alliance, and a number of smaller NYC ministry organizations share explicitly Christian missions. While secular organizations have received grants (America's VetDogs, Back on My Feet), the foundation's founding documents and published mission language skew toward faith-driven compassion models.

First-time applicants should understand that the foundation's stated process — complete written application, 30-day review, quarterly check issuance — is relatively streamlined. However, the budget is currently fully allocated as of early 2026, so outreach should be timed for when the window reopens. There is no formal LOI stage; applications go directly to the full written submission reviewed by the board of directors, which includes Executive Director Mirta Tanjeloff and five board members including long-tenured Direction Advisor Nancy L. Close.

The Esther and Harold Mertz Foundation's giving is among the most volatile of any major U.S. private foundation in its asset class. Annual grants paid have swung between $1.1M (FY2022) and $57.4M (FY2020) within a five-year window — driven not by programmatic changes but by sporadic mega-gifts to a single cause.

Stripping out the two outlier grants (the $47.7M Southwest Florida Water Management District land donation in FY2021 and the $52.1M Tunnels to Towers grant in FY2024), the foundation's recurring programmatic giving runs at roughly $1.5M-$3M per year, distributed among 10-15 organizations in grants of $10,000-$120,000.

Among tracked grantees (55 total, $124M cumulative), the median grant size is $40,000 and the average is $882,791 — but that average is entirely distorted by the mega-gifts. The realistic operating grant range for new applicants is $10,000-$120,000, with multi-year relationships occasionally building to $250,000-$400,000 (as seen with Freedom Alliance and Hope for New York).

By cause area, military and veteran services dominate at the top tier: Tunnels to Towers ($53.4M combined), Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation ($8.65M), Freedom Alliance ($1.7M), and America's VetDogs ($115,000) collectively represent over 85% of total documented giving. Faith-based social services in New York City account for the majority of recurring small-to-mid grants, including Hope for New York ($2M across 4 grants), Restore NYC ($150,000), and a $200,000 bundle disbursed through Hope for New York to 13 sub-organizations. Disability services (Guide Dog Foundation, Helen Keller Services) and homelessness programs (Back on My Feet) are consistent secondary priorities.

Geographic giving by grant count: New York (62%), South Dakota (13%), Florida (9%), Virginia (9%), Pennsylvania (7%). Dollar-weighted, Florida dominates due to the water management land gift.

The Esther and Harold Mertz Foundation sits within a cohort of similarly-sized private independent foundations (~$660-680M in assets) classified under NTEE T22 (Private Grantmaking Foundations). These peers share a comparable balance sheet but differ sharply in transparency, focus, and application accessibility.

Among this peer cohort, the Mertz Foundation is distinctive in two ways: it is the only one with a publicly accessible website and application process (even if currently closed), and it is the only one with documented year-over-year 990 data showing the mechanics of its giving. Most peers in this asset tier operate by invitation or disclose nothing about their application process. This relative openness makes Mertz one of the more accessible mega-foundations in its class — when the budget window is open.

The most significant recent development is the $52,143,750 grant to Tunnels to Towers documented in the FY2024 990-PF filing, submitted November 17, 2025. This single disbursement — larger than many foundations give in a decade — reflects the Mertz Foundation's pattern of making transformational gifts to causes with personal meaning to the founding family, particularly the memory of 9/11 first responders.

As a direct consequence of this mega-grant, the foundation's website now carries a prominent notice that its charitable contribution budget has been fully allocated and no applications are being accepted. No timeline for reopening has been announced as of March 2026.

The FY2024 filing also confirms Nancy L. Close's ongoing role as Direction Advisor with compensation of $945,000 — a consistent figure across five consecutive years, though peaking at $1,502,763 in FY2020 when the foundation's giving was at its highest. Mirta Tanjeloff continues as Executive Director and primary contact (mtanjeloff@mertzfoundation.org).

No leadership changes, new program announcements, or strategic pivots were identified in web research for 2025-2026. The foundation maintains a minimal public profile, with no press releases, social media presence, or published annual reports beyond the mandatory 990 filings. Its last major non-Tunnels-to-Towers activity was the $47.7M land donation to Southwest Florida Water Management District, recorded in FY2020/2021 filings.

Wait for the budget window to reopen. As of March 2026, the foundation is not accepting applications. Check mertzfoundation.org weekly — there is no mailing list, no press release system, and no advance notice. The budget has historically reopened within 12-18 months after a large disbursement cycle.

Lead with self-sufficiency, not need. The foundation's founding philosophy explicitly rejects pure welfare models. Frame your program around teaching skills, building capacity, and creating independence — not simply delivering services. Proposals that describe measurable outcomes (jobs obtained, housing secured, sobriety maintained) will outperform those focused on throughput numbers.

Confirm your government funding status before applying. The FAQ makes this a hard requirement: organizations receiving government or municipal financing are ineligible. If your organization accepts any federal, state, or city grants, you will be disqualified. Faith communities, private nonprofit networks, and donation-funded organizations are well-suited.

Align with the five priority areas explicitly. The foundation funds: (1) hunger relief, (2) medical services for the uninsured, (3) educational opportunities for youth, (4) recreational access for disadvantaged youth, and (5) faith-based outreach. Use this exact language in your proposal — don't make the reviewer infer alignment.

Military and veteran angles open doors at every scale. From $10,000 disability service grants to $52M landmark gifts, the foundation's deepest emotional commitment is to those who served. If your organization has any veteran-serving or first-responder-serving component, lead with it.

Prepare for a site visit. The FAQ notes site visits may be required before final approval. Budget time for a Sioux Falls, SD or New York-area visit. Have your program staff available to walk reviewers through operations.

Submit a complete package on first contact. The foundation attempts 30-day turnaround — but only if the application contains all required information. Missing a single element (board roster, two years of financials, IRS letter) will delay the clock. Send everything together.