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Duniry Foundation

Annual Giving
$1.5M
Grant Range
$8K - $0.8M

Duniry Foundation (Egan Family Charitable Foundation)

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $1,541,064 (FY 2024)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (no public application process)
  • Grant Range: $8,000 - $778,064
  • Median Grant: $25,000
  • Total Assets: $42.4 million (2023)
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Rhode Island and Massachusetts, with occasional grants to Connecticut, New York, and California

Contact Details

Address: PO Box 961019, Boston, MA 02196

Phone: (617) 248-5255

Note: This foundation does not accept unsolicited applications or requests for funding.

Overview

The Duniry Foundation, formally known as the Egan Family Charitable Foundation, was established in 1994 and operates as a private non-operating foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. With total assets of $42.4 million as of 2023, the foundation distributed approximately $1.6 million in grants annually to preselected charitable organizations. The foundation is run by two trustees with minimal administrative overhead and no paid staff, allowing nearly all resources to go directly to grantmaking. The foundation focuses primarily on education, youth development, and cultural institutions, with a strong geographic concentration in Newport County, Rhode Island, and the Greater Boston area. The foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates on an invitation-only basis with no formal grant programs or application cycles. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees to organizations they have identified and selected. Grant sizes vary significantly based on the relationship with the organization and the specific project needs.

Recent Grant Activity (2023):

  • Made 16 grants totaling $1.6 million
  • Grant range: $8,000 - $778,064
  • Median grant size: $25,000

Priority Areas

Based on actual grants awarded, the foundation prioritizes:

Youth Development and Education

  • Youth clubs and organizations (Boys and Girls Clubs)
  • Higher education institutions (Providence College, Fairfield University)
  • Educational programs and scholarships

Arts, Culture, and Libraries

  • Historic libraries and cultural institutions (Redwood Library and Athenaeum)
  • Cultural preservation organizations

Geographic Focus

  • Rhode Island (particularly Newport County): 50% of grants
  • Massachusetts: 31% of grants
  • Connecticut, New York, California: Occasional grants

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications from any organizations. All funding goes to organizations preselected by the trustees.

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by two trustees who serve without compensation:

  • William P. Egan - Trustee (1 hour/week, $0 compensation)
  • Charles A. Cheever - Trustee (1 hour/week, $0 compensation)

Additional leadership mentioned in filings includes Dassori F. Davis Jr. as a trustee in some years.

The foundation operates with zero full-time employees, functioning as a lean, trustee-directed grantmaking entity.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The Duniry Foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

All grants are awarded through trustee discretion to organizations with which the foundation has pre-existing relationships. The trustees identify beneficiaries based on their personal knowledge, connections, and philanthropic interests rather than through a competitive application process.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable. Grants are awarded throughout the year at the trustees' discretion to preselected organizations.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications, as none are accepted.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable. Organizations cannot submit initial applications, so reapplication is not possible through a formal process.

Application Success Factors

Since the foundation does not accept applications, there are no application success factors in the traditional sense. However, reviewing their grantmaking patterns reveals the following about organizations that receive funding:

Recipient Characteristics:

  • Long-term relationships: The foundation awards multiple grants to the same organizations year after year (e.g., Boys and Girls Club of Newport County received $778,064 and $524,300 in 2023 alone; Redwood Library received three separate grants totaling $530,000)
  • Newport County connections: Half of all grants go to Rhode Island organizations, particularly in Newport County, suggesting strong personal or geographic ties to this area
  • Educational focus: Both youth development organizations and higher education institutions receive substantial multi-year support
  • Established institutions: Recipients are well-established organizations with proven track records rather than new or experimental programs
  • Varied grant sizes: The foundation is comfortable with grants ranging from $8,000 to nearly $800,000, suggesting they tailor support to specific organizational needs and projects

Major Recipients Include:

  • Boys and Girls Club of Newport County: $778,064 and $524,300
  • Providence College: $400,000 and $300,000
  • Redwood Library and Athenaeum: $260,000, $135,000, and $135,000
  • Fairfield University: $210,000 and $200,000

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No unsolicited applications accepted: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant application channels
  • Invitation-only grantmaking: All funding goes to organizations preselected by trustees William P. Egan and Charles A. Cheever
  • Strong Rhode Island focus: Organizations in Newport County, Rhode Island, particularly education and youth development organizations, receive the majority of funding
  • Long-term relationships matter: Repeated, substantial grants to the same organizations (Boys and Girls Club, Redwood Library, Providence College, Fairfield University) indicate the foundation builds sustained partnerships
  • Flexible grant sizing: Grants range from $8,000 to $778,064 with a median of $25,000, showing willingness to provide both modest and transformational support
  • Higher education and youth development: These two sectors receive the most substantial support, particularly institutions in Rhode Island and Massachusetts
  • Lean operations: With no staff and minimal trustee time commitment, this is a family foundation making strategic gifts to causes close to the trustees' hearts

References

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