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John A. McNeice Jr. Charitable Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.4M
Grant Range
$25K - $0.3M
Decision Time
3mo

John A. McNeice Jr. Charitable Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4,418,950 (2025)
  • Total Assets: $73.2 million
  • Grant Range: $25,000 - $350,000
  • Median Grant: $200,000
  • Geographic Focus: Massachusetts (rarely funds outside the state)
  • Decision Time: Quarterly review cycles

Contact Details

  • Website: mcneicefoundation.org
  • Phone: 617-248-4045
  • Address: c/o Choate, PO Box 961019, Boston, MA 02196-1019
  • EIN: 04-3371560

Overview

The John A. McNeice Jr. Charitable Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1997 in Massachusetts. Founded by John A. McNeice Jr., former CEO and Chairman of the Colonial Group of mutual funds, and his wife Margarete, the foundation continues their legacy of Catholic philanthropy in the Boston area.

John McNeice was a Boston College graduate (Class of 1954) and served on the boards of numerous Catholic organizations including Boston College, Boston College High School, and the Archdiocese of Boston Finance Council. He was known as a devout Catholic and daily communicant. John passed away on April 11, 2021, and Margarete passed away on December 19, 2017.

Today, the foundation is led by their daughter, Margarete Anne McNeice Portanova, who serves as Executive Director and continues her father's philanthropic vision. The foundation has significantly grown its grantmaking in recent years, from 7 awards in 2023 to 27 awards in 2025, with total giving of nearly $4.5 million.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates a single general grant program with awards typically ranging from $25,000 to $350,000. Notable recent grants include:

  • Transformational Grants ($1M+): Major endowment gifts to Catholic educational institutions (e.g., $3 million to Boston College High School, $1 million to Montrose School)
  • Standard Grants ($25,000 - $350,000): Annual support for Catholic charities, schools, and churches

Priority Areas

The foundation makes distributions primarily to support:

  1. The Catholic Faith and Mission of the Catholic Church - Supporting parishes, diocesan initiatives, and Catholic organizations
  2. Education of Young People - Both spiritual and intellectual development, with strong emphasis on Catholic schools
  3. Those Unable to Support Themselves - Charitable organizations serving vulnerable populations

The foundation has shown particular affinity for:

  • Catholic schools in Massachusetts (especially those with character education and leadership programs)
  • Organizations with existing relationships to the foundation
  • Institutions that align with the McNeice family's values of hard work, strong faith, and honesty

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations located outside Massachusetts (grants are "rarely paid" to out-of-state entities)
  • Non-Catholic or secular organizations (primary focus is Roman Catholic Church-related)
  • Organizations without clear, immediate plans for using granted funds
  • Applicants lacking clean and compliant financial reports, budgets, and tax records

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

NameRoleCompensation
Margarete A. PortanovaTrustee/Executive Director$61,836 + $36,262 benefits
Cameron CaseyTrusteeUnpaid (1 hr/week)
John Shaughnessy Jr.TrusteeUnpaid (1 hr/week)
George AshurTrusteeUnpaid (1 hr/week)
Edward G. CaseyTrusteeUnpaid (1 hr/week)

Leadership Quotes

Margarete McNeice Portanova on the foundation's purpose:

"This gift marks recognition of institutions supporting Catholic faith in every aspect of our life."

On the $1 million Montrose School grant:

"It is my honor to be able to grant this gift through my father's foundation. His ultimate gift to me was the joy I received in fulfilling his dream."

On the $3 million Boston College High School grant:

"We at the McNeice Foundation...are honored to be able to help fund this center. My father often referred to his attending BC High as the turning point in his life."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The foundation operates a two-stage application process:

Stage 1 - Preliminary Application:

  1. Request or download the preliminary application from the foundation's website (mcneicefoundation.org)
  2. Complete and return the application by the end of the first month in the application cycle
  3. Trustees and advisors review all preliminary applications

Stage 2 - Final Application (By Invitation Only):

  1. If selected from preliminary review, applicants receive an invitation to submit a final application
  2. Only invited applicants may submit final applications

Application Cycles

The foundation reviews preliminary applications on a quarterly basis:

  • Cycle 1: October - January
  • Cycle 2: April - July

Decision Timeline

Decisions are made within the quarterly review cycles. Preliminary applications submitted by month-end are reviewed in that cycle, with invitations for final applications extended to selected applicants.

Success Factors for Application

Applicants must demonstrate:

  • Clear and immediate intentions for using granted funds
  • Clean and compliant financial reports
  • Sound budgets and tax records
  • Alignment with the foundation's three primary goals

Application Success Factors

Based on the foundation's documented preferences and recent grantmaking patterns:

Strong Alignment with Catholic Mission: The foundation prioritizes organizations that embody Catholic values. As Executive Director Margarete Portanova stated, they seek to support "institutions supporting Catholic faith in every aspect of our life."

Existing Relationships Matter: Montrose School's successful $1 million grant came through "an existing relationship with the McNeice Foundation, which had made donations to Montrose in the past." Building a relationship before seeking major grants appears advantageous.

Character and Leadership Programs: The Montrose grant specifically acknowledged the school's "nationally recognized immersive character and leadership program," suggesting the foundation values demonstrated impact in youth development.

Clear Financial Accountability: The foundation explicitly requires "clean and compliant financial reports, budgets, and tax records." Financial transparency is essential.

Endowment and Sustainability: Recent major grants have focused heavily on endowment building (e.g., the John and Margarete McNeice Endowed Fund at Montrose), suggesting the foundation values long-term institutional sustainability.

Massachusetts Location: Grants are "rarely paid to organizations located outside Massachusetts." Being based in Massachusetts is nearly essential.

Recent Notable Grants

RecipientAmountPurpose
Boston College High School$3,000,000John A. '50 and Margarete McNeice Center for Ignatian Identity and Formation
Montrose School$1,000,000Endowment and tuition assistance
Cardinal Spellman High School$350,000General support
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church$350,000General support
Boston College$250,000General support
Servants of Christ Ministries$120,000General support

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Catholic identity is essential - This foundation exclusively supports Catholic organizations. Secular organizations should not apply.

  2. Massachusetts focus is strict - Out-of-state organizations are very rarely funded. Massachusetts-based Catholic organizations have by far the best prospects.

  3. Build relationships first - The foundation appears to favor organizations with existing relationships. Consider starting with smaller asks or introductions before pursuing major grants.

  4. Two-stage process requires patience - Preliminary applications are screened before invitations for full applications are issued. Not all preliminaries advance.

  5. Demonstrate financial health - Clean financial records, budgets, and tax compliance are explicitly required. Ensure organizational finances are in order before applying.

  6. Emphasize youth education - The foundation has particular affinity for Catholic schools and youth development programs, especially those with strong character education components.

  7. Think endowment - Major recent gifts have focused on creating endowed funds for long-term sustainability. Framing requests around endowment support may resonate.

References

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