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Maurice J & Jane M Cunniffe Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$1.7M

Maurice J & Jane M Cunniffe Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $1,739,852 (2023)
  • Number of Grants: 9 awards (2023)
  • Foundation Type: Private Foundation
  • Geographic Focus: Information not publicly available
  • Founded: 1996

Contact Details

Foundation Address: Greenwich, CT
EIN: 06-1458464

Note: No website, public email, or phone number is available for this foundation.

Overview

The Maurice J & Jane M Cunniffe Foundation Inc was established in August 1996 as a private 501(c)(3) foundation. Based in Greenwich, Connecticut, the foundation distributed approximately $1.74 million in grants across 9 awards in 2023. The foundation is named after Maurice J. Cunniffe and his late wife Jane Margaret Charles Cunniffe, who passed away in 2008 after 51 years of marriage.

While specific information about the foundation's grantmaking priorities is not publicly available, the Cunniffe family has demonstrated strong philanthropic interests, particularly in education and the arts. Maurice Cunniffe (Fordham College '54) and his second wife Carolyn Dursi Cunniffe are major philanthropists to Fordham University, having donated over $120 million total, including a record $100 million gift for STEM education. This suggests that education may be a priority area for the family's charitable giving.

Funding Priorities

Grant Information

Limited public information is available about specific grant programs or funding priorities. The foundation made 9 grants totaling $1,739,852 in 2023. Detailed information about grant recipients and amounts would be found in the foundation's Form 990-PF filings.

Priority Areas

Specific priority areas are not publicly disclosed. However, based on the Cunniffe family's broader philanthropic activities, potential areas of interest may include:

  • Education (particularly higher education and merit scholarships)
  • Arts and cultural institutions
  • Organizations serving Connecticut and New York

Note: These are inferred from family giving patterns and not confirmed foundation priorities.

What They Don't Fund

Not publicly disclosed.

Governance and Leadership

Leadership information for the foundation is not publicly available through standard nonprofit databases. The foundation files annual Form 990-PF returns with the IRS, which would contain trustee information.

Family Background: Maurice J. Cunniffe is the son of Irish immigrants who grew up in the Bronx. He earned a degree in physics from Fordham College, followed by graduate studies in economics and finance at NYU. He had successful careers as a scientist, McKinsey consultant, investment banker, and entrepreneur. His late wife Jane Margaret Charles Cunniffe (1934-2008) was a graduate of St. Elizabeth's College in New Jersey and was associated with prestigious art institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian Museum of American Art.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. As a small private family foundation, the Maurice J & Jane M Cunniffe Foundation typically makes grants based on trustee discretion rather than through an open application process.

There is no website, public email address, or application portal available for prospective grantees.

Getting on Their Radar

No specific information is available about how this foundation identifies grant recipients. As with many small family foundations, grants are likely made to organizations already known to the trustees or identified through their personal networks and interests.

Given the private nature of this foundation and absence of public application materials, organizations seeking funding should focus on other foundations with open application processes unless they have a direct connection to the Cunniffe family.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This is a small, private family foundation without a public application process
  • The foundation distributed approximately $1.74 million across 9 grants in 2023
  • No website or public contact information is available
  • Grants are likely made at trustee discretion to organizations within the family's network
  • The Cunniffe family has demonstrated strong interest in education (particularly higher education) and arts/cultural institutions through their personal philanthropy
  • Organizations without existing connections to the foundation should pursue other funding opportunities with more accessible application processes

References

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