Skip to content
Nonprofiteer
← THE MERCHANTS FUND OF PHILADELPHIA

Form 990 for tax year 2025

Filed by THE MERCHANTS FUND OF PHILADELPHIA.

Totals

Total revenue
$2,185,121
Total expenses
$2,290,619
Contributions and grants received
$1,673,875
Grants paid
$1,580,824
Program service revenue
$0
Investment income
$511,246
Other revenue
$0
Total assets, end of year
$19,969,980
Total liabilities, end of year
$249,749
Net assets or fund balances, end of year
$19,720,231
Program services expenses (Part IX)
$1,949,384
Management and general expenses
$199,367
Fundraising expenses
$141,868
Program service expenses (Part III)
$1,949,384

Program services were 85.1% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Revenue

Part VIII, the statement of revenue.

  • 1e · Government grants (contributions)

    $1,556,389

  • 1f · All other contributions, gifts and grants

    $117,486

  • 3 · Investment income

    total $511,246 · excluded $511,246

  • 4 · Income from investment of tax-exempt bond proceeds

    total $0

  • 5 · Royalties

    total $0

  • 6c · Rental income or loss

    real property $0 · personal property $0

  • 6d · Net rental income or loss

    total $0

  • 7d · Net gain or loss

    total $0

  • 8a · Fundraising events: gross income

    $0

  • 8b · Fundraising events: direct expenses

    $0

  • 8c · Net income from fundraising events

    total $0

  • 9a · Gaming: gross income

    $0

  • 9b · Gaming: direct expenses

    $0

  • 9c · Net income from gaming

    total $0

  • 10a · Gross sales of inventory

    $0

  • 10b · Cost of goods sold

    $0

  • 10c · Net income from sales of inventory

    total $0

  • 11e · Other revenue, total

    $0

Functional expenses

Part IX, the statement of functional expenses.

  • 1 · Grants to domestic organizations and governments

    total $1,550,857 · program services $1,550,857

  • 2 · Grants to domestic individuals

    total $29,967 · program services $29,967

  • 3 · Grants to foreign organizations and individuals

    total $0

  • 4 · Benefits paid to or for members

    total $0

  • 5 · Compensation of officers, directors and key employees

    total $199,005 · program services $112,504 · management and general $43,948 · fundraising $42,553

  • 6 · Compensation of disqualified persons

    total $0

  • 7 · Other salaries and wages

    total $136,154 · program services $76,973 · management and general $30,068 · fundraising $29,113

  • 8 · Pension plan contributions

    total $1,856 · program services $1,049 · management and general $410 · fundraising $397

  • 9 · Other employee benefits

    total $9,753 · program services $5,514 · management and general $2,154 · fundraising $2,085

  • 10 · Payroll taxes

    total $24,819 · program services $14,030 · management and general $5,481 · fundraising $5,308

  • 11a · Fees: management

    total $0

  • 11b · Fees: legal

    total $1,312 · management and general $1,312

  • 11c · Fees: accounting

    total $20,355 · management and general $20,355

  • 11d · Fees: lobbying

    total $0

  • 11e · Fees: professional fundraising services

    total $50,500 · fundraising $50,500

  • 11f · Fees: investment management

    total $62,667 · management and general $62,667

  • 11g · Fees: other

    total $114,257 · program services $102,873 · management and general $6,756 · fundraising $4,628

  • 12 · Advertising and promotion

    total $0

  • 13 · Office expenses

    total $27,576 · program services $18,188 · management and general $4,802 · fundraising $4,586

  • 14 · Information technology

    total $19,357 · program services $15,205 · management and general $4,126 · fundraising $26

  • 15 · Royalties

    total $0

  • 16 · Occupancy

    total $25,591 · program services $10,920 · management and general $13,219 · fundraising $1,452

  • 17 · Travel

    total $10,997 · program services $10,437 · management and general $207 · fundraising $353

  • 18 · Travel or entertainment for public officials

    total $0

  • 19 · Conferences, conventions and meetings

    total $0

  • 20 · Interest

    total $0

  • 21 · Payments to affiliates

    total $0

  • 22 · Depreciation, depletion and amortization

    total $0

  • 23 · Insurance

    total $5,596 · program services $867 · management and general $3,862 · fundraising $867

Balance sheet

Part X, book values.

  • 1 · Cash, non-interest-bearing

    beginning of year $179,384 · end of year $396,581

  • 2 · Savings and temporary cash investments

    beginning of year $706,035 · end of year $479,676

  • 3 · Pledges and grants receivable

    beginning of year $265,654 · end of year $125,000

  • 4 · Accounts receivable

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 5 · Loans and receivables from officers and key people

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 6 · Loans and receivables from disqualified persons

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 7 · Other notes and loans receivable

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 8 · Inventories for sale or use

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 9 · Prepaid expenses and deferred charges

    beginning of year $84,938 · end of year $76,496

  • 10c · Land, buildings and equipment, net

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 11 · Investments: publicly traded securities

    beginning of year $8,691,442 · end of year $9,824,577

  • 12 · Investments: other securities

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 13 · Investments: program-related

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 14 · Intangible assets

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 15 · Other assets

    beginning of year $8,222,865 · end of year $9,067,650

  • 17 · Accounts payable and accrued expenses

    beginning of year $1,144 · end of year $0

  • 18 · Grants payable

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 19 · Deferred revenue

    beginning of year $156,139 · end of year $249,749

  • 20 · Tax-exempt bond liabilities

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 21 · Escrow or custodial account liability

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 22 · Loans and payables to officers and key people

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 23 · Secured mortgages and notes payable

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 24 · Unsecured notes and loans payable

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 25 · Other liabilities

    beginning of year $0 · end of year $0

  • 27 · Net assets without donor restrictions

    beginning of year $9,504,516 · end of year $10,427,581

  • 28 · Net assets with donor restrictions

    beginning of year $8,488,519 · end of year $9,292,650

Mission and programs · 2025

Mission

THE MERCHANTS FUND PROVIDES GRANTS AND OTHER SUPPORT TO MERCHANTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES IN PHILADELPHIA.

Activities or mission (Part I)

TO PROVIDE GRANTS AND OTHER SUPPORT TO MERCHANTS AND SMALL BUSINESSES IN PHILADELPHIA.

  • MAKE DIRECT GRANTS TO BUSINESSES, SUPPORTING RETIRED MERCHANTS THROUGH OUR LEGACY PROGRAM, AND OFFERING "BEYOND THE GRANT" SERVICES THAT PROVIDE COACHING AND OTHER BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES.

    Expenses $1,949,384 · Grants $1,580,824

As filed on the 2025 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

  • Jill Fink

    EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

    Total calculated
    $199,005
    From this org
    $179,432
    From related orgs
    $0
    Other
    $19,573
    Hours/week
    40

    Schedule J breakdown matched by us

    Base
    $179,432
    Bonus
    $0
    Other
    $0
    Deferred
    $8,972
    Nontaxable benefits
    $10,601
    Filer's total
    $199,005
  • Kersey Azocar

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Tom Ginsberg

    Board Vice President

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Peter Gonzales

    BOARD CHAIR

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Bruce Hotaling

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • James Johnson-Piett

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Vanessa Lowe

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Seulky McInneshin

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Carey Morgan

    TREASURER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Shawn Nesbit

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Samantha Porter

    SECRETARY

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Elbert Sampson

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Shalimar Thomas

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Joanna Winchester

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Ana Lisa Yoder

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1
  • Adnan Zulfiqar

    BOARD MEMBER

    Total calculated
    $0
    Hours/week
    1

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Answered yes

  • 3 · Compensation committee
  • 3 · Form 990 of other organizations
  • 3 · Compensation survey or study
  • 3 · Approval by the board or compensation committee

Answered no

  • 4a · Severance or change-of-control payment
  • 4b · Supplemental nonqualified retirement plan
  • 4c · Equity-based compensation arrangement
  • 5a · Pay contingent on this organization's revenues
  • 5b · Pay contingent on a related organization's revenues
  • 6a · Pay contingent on this organization's net earnings
  • 6b · Pay contingent on a related organization's net earnings
  • 7 · Other non-fixed payments
  • 8 · Paid under the initial-contract exception

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

  • PLANT AND PEOPLE

    $26,100

    EMERGENCY

  • COFFEE TEA & COMPANY

    $22,500

    DISCRETIONARY

  • ANA GROCERY STORE INC

    $20,000

    EMERGENCY

  • AFFORDABLE LEGAL CENTER LLC

    $20,000

    EMERGENCY

  • ANGRY ROOSTER LLC

    $20,000

    EMERGENCY

  • ARTRAGEOUS BRUSH & FLOW

    $20,000

    EMERGENCY

  • BAKE'N BACON

    $20,000

    EMERGENCY

  • COTTMAN PRODUCE INC

    $20,000

    EMERGENCY

  • FRANK VANS AUTO TAG LLC

    $20,000

    EMERGENCY

  • GALAXY FURNITURE HOME INC

    $20,000

    EMERGENCY

The 10 largest by cash amount. The API serves every itemized grant.

Provenance

Return type
form_990
Tax year
2025
Filed
15 May 2026
IRS schema version
2025v4.2
Source object
202642309349303364

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

The source document this was parsed from is served over the API, which is where bulk and document access live.