The Paul & Elisabeth Merage | Foundation Profile

GrantBay analyzes IRS Form 990-PF data to help grant seekers find fit funders like The Paul & Elisabeth Merage. Data shown is extracted from Form 990-PF filings.

EIN: 68-0529692

Foundation Overview

Based in Newport Beach, CA, The Paul & Elisabeth Merage has awarded 77 grants totaling $15,985,425 to organizations in California and Nevada. Individual grants range from $3,800 to $1,700,000, with a median award of $50,000.

Latest Tax Year
2023
Total Giving (all years)
$15,985,425
Total Assets
$44,450,281
Median Grant (all grants)
$50,000

Latest Form 990-PF Snapshot

Total Grants
9
Median Grant
$50,000
% No Significant Change
0% (vs previous year)
Data extracted from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Last filing year: February 2026

Foundation Intelligence

Advanced analytics and strategic insights to help nonprofit organizations assess grant opportunities and optimize their application strategies

New Applicant Friendliness
Balanced Approach: 33%

3 of 9 recipients (33%) were new grantees. Foundation maintains loyal partnerships while remaining open to qualified new applicants with strong proposals.

Geographic Focus
California

99% of all grants are concentrated in California, demonstrating highly focused geographic giving. This foundation prioritizes deep community impact in its primary service area. Within California, funding concentrates in Irvine (55%), Newport Beach (13%), Costa Mesa (9%).

Funding Trajectory
+9%

Stable funding levels with 9% change over 7 years indicate consistent grant-making capacity and predictable philanthropic resources. This stability suggests reliable ongoing funding opportunities.

Program Areas
General Purposes + Education

Dual focus on general purposes (83%) and education, indicating strategic concentration in complementary program areas.

Where is The Money Going?

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Grants & Funding

Analyzing past grantees provides valuable insights into The Paul & Elisabeth Merage's funding preferences, organizational priorities, and grant making patterns. This historical data helps potential applicants understand the foundation's strategic focus and identify successful funding approaches.

Name Amount Location Purpose Year
Choc Foundation $50,000 Orange, CA, US General Operating 2023
Hoag Foundation $50,000 Newport Beach, CA, US General Operating 2023
Jewish Community Center Of Orange County $42,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2023
Orange County Community Foundation $1,301,500 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2023
Orange County Museum Of Art $123,000 Costa Mesa, CA, US General Operating 2023
Pacific Symphony $48,500 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2023
Second Harvest Food Bank $75,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2023
Simbelle Productions $300,000 Newport Beach, CA, US General Operating 2023
Uci Foundation $50,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2023
El Sol Academy Foundation $50,000 Santa Ana, CA, US General Operating 2022
Festival Of Arts Of Laguna Beach $5,000 Laguna Beach, CA, US General Operating 2022
Jewish Community Center Of Orange County $25,750 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2022
Orange County Community Foundation $1,700,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2022
Orange County Museum Of Art $128,000 Costa Mesa, CA, US General Operating 2022
Pacific Symphony $50,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2022
Second Harvest Food Bank $75,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2022
Uci Foundation $50,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2022
University Synagogue $5,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2022
El Sol Academy Foundation $50,000 Santa Ana, CA, US General Operating 2022
Festival Of Arts Of Laguna Beach $5,000 Laguna Beach, CA, US General Operating 2022
Jewish Community Center Of Orange County $25,750 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2022
Orange County Community Foundation $1,700,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2022
Orange County Museum Of Art $128,000 Costa Mesa, CA, US General Operating 2022
Pacific Symphony $50,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2022
Second Harvest Food Bank $75,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2022
Uci Foundation $50,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2022
University Synagogue $5,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2022
C4l Kids Foundations Inc $80,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2021
El Sol Academy Foundation $25,000 Santa Ana, CA, US General Operating 2021
Jewish Community Center Of Orange County $12,875 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2021
Orange County Museum Of Art $24,000 Newport Beach, CA, US General Operating 2021
Pacific Symphony $50,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2021
Segerstrom Center For The Arts $145,500 Costa Mesa, CA, US General Operating 2021
The Merage Institute $215,000 Newport Beach, CA, US General Operations 2021
Uc Irvine Shaping The Future Campaign $1,550,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operating 2021
C4l Kids Foundations Inc $80,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2020
El Sol Academy Foundation $55,000 Santa Ana, CA, US General Operations 2020
Festival Of Arts Of Laguna Beach $5,000 Laguna Beach, CA, US General Operations 2020
International Star Gifts $14,750 Las Vegas, NV, US General Operations 2020
Jewish Community Center Of Orange County $12,875 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2020
Orange County Music And Dance Inc $50,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2020
Pacific Symphony $48,200 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2020
Second Harvest Food Bank Of Orange County $100,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2020
Segerstrom Center For The Arts $3,800 Costa Mesa, CA, US General Operations 2020
St Mary's $100,500 Aliso Viejo, CA, US Imagine More Campaign 2020
The Merage Institute $500,000 Newport Beach, CA, US General Operations 2020
Uc Irvine Shaping The Future Campaign $1,000,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2020
C4l Kids Foundations Inc $80,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2018
El Sol Academy Foundation $25,000 Santa Ana, CA, US General Operations 2018
Jewish Community Center Of Orange County $25,875 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2018
Orange County Museum Of Art $23,200 Newport Beach, CA, US General Operations 2018
Pacific Symphony $47,500 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2018
Sage Hill School $150,000 Newport Coast, CA, US General Operations 2018
Second Harvest Food Bank $30,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2018
St Mary's $99,750 Aliso Viejo, CA, US General Operations 2018
The Merage Institute $400,000 Newport Beach, CA, US General Operations 2018
University Of California Irvine Foundation $1,011,400 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2018
University Synagogue $10,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2018
C4l Kids' Foundation Inc $80,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2017
Merage Jewish Community Center Of Orange County $35,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2017
Orange County Museum Of Art $4,700 Newport Beach, CA, US General Operations 2017
Sage Hill School $200,000 Newport Coast, CA, US General Operations 2017
Second Harvest Food Bank $30,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2017
Segerstrom Center For The Arts $58,100 Costa Mesa, CA, US General Operations 2017
St Margarets Episcopal School $50,000 San Juan Capistrano, CA, US General Operations 2017
The Key Worldwide Foundation $400,000 Sacramento, CA, US General Operations 2017
The Merage Institute $540,000 Newport Beach, CA, US General Operations 2017
Uc Irvine Shaping The Future Campaign $511,400 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2017
University Synagogue $10,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2017
The Uci Foundation $1,022,800 Irvine, CA, US To Promote Research And Educational Programs. 2016
The Merage Institute $500,000 Newport Beach, CA, US General Operations 2016
University Synagogue $48,200 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2016
Jewish Community Center Of Orange C $12,500 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2016
St Margarets Episcopal School $50,000 Palm Desert, CA, US General Operations 2016
Second Harvest Food Bank $30,000 Irvine, CA, US General Operations 2016
Sage Hill School $150,000 Newport Coast, CA, US General Operations 2016
Segerstrom Center For The Arts $60,000 Costa Mesa, CA, US General Operations 2016

Foundations Similar to The Paul & Elisabeth Merage

Discover 5 foundations with comparable assets ($44,230,530-$44,639,307), similar grant patterns, and geographic focus in CA that may also align with your organization's funding needs and grant seeking strategy.

Foundation Name Total Assets Typical Grant Size Service Area Similarity Match

EIN: 20-3846597 | 627 grants awarded
$44,447,969
(≈ Similar)
$50,000
median grant
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Same state
100%
Excellent match

EIN: 82-3458443 | 211 grants awarded
$44,425,882
(≈ Similar)
$25,000
median grant
San Francisco, CA
Same state
100%
Excellent match

EIN: 80-0162835 | 251 grants awarded
$44,573,366
(≈ Similar)
$25,000
median grant
Santa Monica, CA
Same state
100%
Excellent match

EIN: 20-3875601 | 98 grants awarded
$44,639,307
(≈ Similar)
$75,000
median grant
Lafayette, CA
Same state
100%
Excellent match

EIN: 46-6117991 | 332 grants awarded
$44,230,530
(≈ Similar)
$50,000
median grant
Irvine, CA
Same state
100%
Excellent match

Contact Information

Official contact details for The Paul & Elisabeth Merage as registered with the IRS. These details are essential for grant applications, correspondence, and due diligence processes.

EIN 68-0529692
Website N/A
Address 660 NEWPORT CENTER DRIVE 1300 Newport Beach, CA 92660-0000

Key People (3)

Board members, trustees, and key staff who oversee The Paul & Elisabeth Merage's grant making decisions and strategic direction. Understanding leadership composition can provide insights into foundation priorities and potential networking opportunities.

Pres/director Michelle Merage
Director Elisabeth Merage
Chairman Of The Board Paul Merage

Forms 990-PF

IRS Form 990-PF filings provide comprehensive financial information, grant details, and operational data. These documents are essential resources for understanding foundation capacity, giving patterns, and strategic priorities.

Form 990-PF Research Tips
  • Review Part XV for detailed grant recipient information and funding purposes
  • Check Part I for total assets, annual giving amounts, and payout requirements
  • Examine Part VIII for key personnel compensation and board structure
  • Look for trends across multiple years to understand giving patterns

About This Foundation Profile

This comprehensive foundation profile for The Paul & Elisabeth Merage is powered by Grant Bay's advanced foundation research platform. Our system analyzes IRS Form 990-PF filings, grant histories, and philanthropic patterns to provide nonprofit organizations with actionable intelligence for grant seeking success.

Data Sources & Accuracy

All information is derived from official IRS filings and public records. Grant Bay processes thousands of Form 990-PF documents to extract grant details, financial data, and organizational information. Data accuracy depends on foundation reporting quality and IRS filing completeness.

Research Applications

Use this profile for prospect research, grant strategy development, application preparation, and relationship building. Combine this data with additional research on foundation priorities, application processes, and board member backgrounds for comprehensive grant seeking strategies.

Data Currency: Last updated February 2026 based on IRS Form 990-PF filings. Foundation information reflects most recent available tax year data.