Duniry Foundation (Egan Family Charitable Foundation)

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $1,419,800 (2023)
• Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
• Decision Time: Not applicable (no public application process)
• Grant Range: Data not publicly available
• Median Grant: Data not publicly available
• Total Assets: $27.3 million (2023)
• Geographic Focus: Primarily Rhode Island and Massachusetts, with occasional grants to Connecticut, New York, and California (based on third-party sources)

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 $27.3 million as of 2023, the foundation distributed approximately $1.4 million in grants in 2023 to preselected charitable organisations. The foundation is run by 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 organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

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

Recent Grant Activity (2023):

• Total grants distributed: $1,419,800
• Historical grants paid: 2022: $1,457,703; 2021: $1,147,088

Priority Areas

Based on available information, the foundation prioritises:

Youth Development and Education

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

Arts, Culture, and Libraries

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

Geographic Focus

• Rhode Island (particularly Newport County)
• Massachusetts
• Connecticut, New York, California (occasional grants)

The specific geographic distribution is based on third-party sources and grant patterns.

What They Don't Fund

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

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by trustees who serve without compensation. Based on available regulatory filings, the foundation operates with minimal trustee time commitment and 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 organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

All grants are awarded through trustee discretion to organisations 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 organisations.

Success Rates

Not applicable for unsolicited applications, as none are accepted.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable. Organisations 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 available information about their grantmaking patterns reveals the following about organisations that receive funding:

Recipient Characteristics:

• Long-term relationships: The foundation awards multiple grants to the same organisations year after year, including Boys and Girls Club of Newport County, Redwood Library and Athenaeum, Providence College, and Fairfield University
• Newport County connections: Based on third-party sources, a significant portion of grants go to Rhode Island organisations, particularly in Newport County, suggesting strong personal or geographic ties to this area
• Educational focus: Both youth development organisations and higher education institutions receive substantial multi-year support
• Established institutions: Recipients are well-established organisations with proven track records rather than new or experimental programmes
• Higher education and youth development: These two sectors receive substantial support, particularly institutions in Rhode Island and Massachusetts

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 organisations preselected by trustees
• Strong Rhode Island focus: Based on third-party sources, organisations in Newport County, Rhode Island, particularly education and youth development organisations, receive significant funding
• Long-term relationships matter: Repeated, substantial grants to the same organisations (Boys and Girls Club, Redwood Library, Providence College, Fairfield University) indicate the foundation builds sustained partnerships
• 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

• Grantmakers.io Profile - Duniry Foundation - Accessed December 15, 2025
• Duniry Foundation | Cause IQ Profile - Accessed December 15, 2025
• The Share Way - Egan Family Charitable Foundation Profile - Accessed December 15, 2025
• IRS Form 990-PF filings for tax years 2021-2023, accessed through ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
• Foundation Directory Online profile (Candid) for Duniry Foundation, EIN 046746970