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Mulva Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$19.8M
Grant Range
Up to $75.0M00
00

Mulva Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $19,800,000 (2022 data)
  • Total Assets: $400,712,170 (2022)
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (no public application process)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Grant Range: Grants range from small amounts to multi-million dollar commitments (up to $75 million in recent years)
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Texas (especially Austin and Houston), with some support for Wisconsin institutions

Contact Details

Foundation Information:

  • EIN: 203221183
  • Location: Austin, TX
  • Founded: 2005

Note: No public website, email, or phone number available for grant inquiries.

Overview

The Mulva Family Foundation was established in 2005 by James J. Mulva, former Chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips (2002-2012) and Phillips Petroleum Company (1999-2002), and his wife Miriam B. Mulva. James Mulva earned his BBA (1968) and MBA (1969) from the University of Texas at Austin's McCombs School of Business and was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the University in 2005. Miriam Mulva is a graduate of St. Norbert College near Green Bay, Wisconsin. With total assets exceeding $400 million and annual grant distributions of approximately $19.8 million, the foundation focuses on medicine, education, youth programs, and the Catholic Church. The Mulvas are known for their transformative philanthropy toward their alma maters, with their giving to UT Austin starting with a $100 gift in 1986 and growing to some of the largest donations in the university's history. The foundation operates as a private family foundation making strategic grants primarily through trustee discretion rather than open application processes.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Mulva Family Foundation does not operate formal grant programs with standardized amounts or application cycles. Instead, the foundation makes strategic philanthropic investments, often in the form of multi-year pledges to select institutions.

Major Grant Commitments (Recent Examples):

  • Neuroscience and Medical Research: $50 million to create the Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences at Dell Medical School (UT Austin), with initial focus on Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke, and bipolar disorder
  • Cancer Research: $25 million to MD Anderson Cancer Center for melanoma and prostate cancer research
  • Higher Education Infrastructure: $60 million multi-year pledge to UT Austin's McCombs School of Business and Cockrell School of Engineering
  • Liberal Arts Education: $15 million for the Liberal Arts Building at UT Austin, including space for ROTC programs
  • Arts and Culture: $50 million commitment to a cultural center in De Pere, Wisconsin

Priority Areas

Medicine and Healthcare:

  • Neuroscience research and patient care
  • Cancer research (melanoma and prostate cancer)
  • Medical facility development

Higher Education:

  • Business school programs
  • Engineering education
  • Liberal arts programs
  • ROTC programs

Youth Programs:

  • Youth development initiatives (specific programs not publicly detailed)

Catholic Church:

  • Support for Catholic institutions and programs (specific grants not publicly detailed)

What They Don't Fund

Information about explicit exclusions is not publicly available. However, based on the foundation's giving pattern, they appear to focus exclusively on:

  • Institutions with which the Mulva family has personal connections (particularly their alma maters)
  • Major research universities and medical centers
  • Catholic institutions
  • Arts and cultural organizations in their home communities

Governance and Leadership

Board Members (all serving without compensation):

  • James J. Mulva - President and Founder; Former Chairman and CEO of ConocoPhillips; UT Austin Distinguished Alumnus
  • Miriam B. Mulva - Director and Co-Founder; St. Norbert College alumna
  • Stephen Mulva - Director (son)
  • Jonathan Mulva - Director (son)
  • Patrick Mulva - Director (son)
  • Harvey L. Black Jr. - Secretary

The foundation is governed by the Mulva family, with three of James and Miriam's sons serving as directors. This family-centered governance structure reflects the foundation's private nature and its focus on causes personally meaningful to the Mulva family.

Quote from James Mulva (regarding the $75 million UT gift): "Miriam and I are blessed to have the resources to give back to the institutions that helped us succeed in life. We hope this gift will help advance cures for diseases that affect so many families, including our own."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Mulva Family Foundation operates as a private family foundation that makes grants through trustee discretion and invitation only. Grants are typically awarded to institutions with which the Mulva family has established relationships, particularly their alma maters (University of Texas at Austin and St. Norbert College) and major medical research institutions in Texas.

The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals and does not maintain a public website or application portal. Grant decisions are made by the family board based on their philanthropic priorities and personal connections to institutions.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made at the discretion of the foundation's board without a formal application or review timeline.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept public applications, the following factors explain their grant-making approach:

Personal Connection to the Mulva Family: The foundation's giving pattern shows strong preference for institutions with which the family has direct personal connections. James Mulva's alma mater (UT Austin) and Miriam Mulva's alma mater (St. Norbert College) have received the majority of publicly announced major gifts.

Alignment with Family Values: As stated in foundation records, the primary initiatives are "medicine, education, youth and the Catholic Church." Successful grants align with these core values.

Transformative Impact Potential: The foundation makes large, strategic gifts designed to have significant, lasting impact. Recent grants have funded major facilities (the Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences), endowed programs, and advanced cutting-edge research.

Geographic Focus: While the foundation is based in Austin, TX, it primarily supports Texas institutions (particularly in Austin and Houston) and Wisconsin institutions (connected to the family's roots in Green Bay).

Medical Research Priority: Recent major gifts demonstrate strong interest in advancing medical research, particularly in neuroscience (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke, bipolar disorder) and cancer (melanoma and prostate cancer).

Educational Excellence: The foundation supports premier educational institutions, particularly programs in business, engineering, and liberal arts at UT Austin.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited grant proposals. Grant writers cannot apply directly for funding.

  • Relationship-Based Giving: Grants are made to institutions with established relationships to the Mulva family, particularly their alma maters and institutions in Texas and Wisconsin.

  • Large, Strategic Gifts: The foundation makes transformative gifts (often $10 million+) rather than numerous small grants. They focus on major impact through significant financial commitments.

  • Priority Areas: Medicine (especially neuroscience and cancer research), higher education (business, engineering, liberal arts), youth programs, and Catholic Church institutions are the stated priorities.

  • Family-Driven Decisions: With family members comprising the entire board, grant decisions reflect the personal values and interests of James and Miriam Mulva and their sons.

  • Texas Focus: While the foundation is registered in Texas and focuses heavily on University of Texas institutions, they also support organizations in Wisconsin (the Mulvas' home state).

  • Multi-Year Commitments: The foundation often makes multi-year pledges rather than one-time grants, suggesting they prefer long-term partnerships with recipient institutions.

References

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