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William J. and Dorothy K. O'Neill Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$5.3M
Grant Range
$20K - $0.2M

William J. and Dorothy K. O'Neill Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $5,294,010 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $113.8 million (FY17)
  • Grant Range: $20,000 - $200,000
  • Geographic Focus: Multi-regional (Washington DC, Orlando FL, Hawaii, New York City, Maryland, Cleveland/Cuyahoga County OH, Houston TX, Vermont)
  • Application Method: No public application process (invitation only/strategic partnerships)

Contact Details

Address: 7575 Northcliff Ave., Suite 205, Cleveland, Ohio 44144

Phone: 216-831-4134

Email: lperkul@oneill-foundation.org

Website: www.oneill-foundation.org

Overview

The William J. and Dorothy K. O'Neill Foundation was established in 1987 by Mrs. Dorothy K. O'Neill and her eldest son, William J. O'Neill, Jr., following the death of William J. O'Neill Sr. The O'Neill family wealth originated from trucking, leasing, and transportation companies started in the 1940s and 1950s, which were consolidated as Leaseway Transportation Corp. and taken public in 1961. Since its founding, the foundation has distributed over $30 million and currently allocates between $5.5 million and $7 million annually. The foundation maintains a dual mission: making impactful grants to strengthen families and communities while keeping an extended family of over 100 members actively engaged across six branches in the grantmaking process. In 2022, following a comprehensive strategic planning process, the foundation ended its Responsive Grantmaking Program and transitioned to a more strategic, invitation-only approach.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Deep Impact Grantmaking (DIG)

  • Larger multiyear grants targeting particular issues
  • Designed to build intergenerational wellbeing and prosperity
  • Uses the Ascend at the Aspen Institute's 2-Gen framework
  • Focuses on disrupting cycles of multigenerational family poverty
  • Grant amounts: $150,000 - $200,000 for multiyear support
  • Invitation only

Strategic Partnership Grants

  • Following the end of Responsive Grantmaking in 2022, the foundation now works through strategic partnerships
  • Generally one-time awards addressing specific organizational needs
  • Historical grant range: $20,000 - $50,000 for responsive grants
  • Current focus on larger strategic investments

Family Interest Grantmaking

  • NextGen programs for youth under 21 and young adults aged 21-30
  • Family-championed issue areas selected annually
  • Focuses on animals, environmental conservation, education, and health

Priority Areas

Health & Well-Being

  • Behavioral health and addiction services
  • Primary and preventative health care for whole families
  • Maternal health programs (historical focus on "Positively Moms" initiative)
  • Healthy lifestyles promotion
  • Special needs populations support
  • Whole-family health approaches from prenatal through elder care

Educational Success

  • Early childhood enrichment programs
  • Family literacy initiatives
  • Career advancement and job training
  • Programs supporting families at each life stage
  • Two-generation educational approaches

Homelessness

  • Homelessness prevention programs
  • Housing stabilization services
  • Permanent housing options
  • Family-centered housing solutions

What They Don't Fund

The foundation specifically serves communities where O'Neill family members live and are engaged, limiting geographic scope to: Washington DC, Orlando FL, Hawaii's Big Island, New York City, Annapolis/Anne Arundel County MD, Baltimore MD, Cleveland/Cuyahoga County OH, Houston TX, and areas of Vermont. Organizations outside these regions are not eligible.

Governance and Leadership

Board Structure

The foundation maintains a unique family governance structure with six trustees, one representing each of the six O'Neill family branches. This structure ensures multi-generational family engagement while maintaining professional grantmaking standards.

Key Leadership:

  • Kelly Sweeney McShane - Board Chair
  • Tim O'Neill - Board Trustee and former Board President (youngest of Bill's five siblings)
  • Mary France Walker - Board Trustee (youngest trustee at 31, representing "Gen 4," the fourth generation)
  • Leslie Perkul - President and CEO

Leadership Insights

Leslie Perkul, President and CEO on the foundation's approach: "We have a specific, deep-impact grantmaking approach" based on frameworks examining children and the adults in their lives.

Tim O'Neill, Board Trustee on the foundation's evolution: "My brother Bill, the oldest, is a very organized person, so that approach didn't last long," referring to early informal giving practices that evolved into structured grantmaking after 1992.

Sara O'Neill Sullivan, Consultant on family engagement philosophy: "We could make great grants without family involvement, but you need family participation to cultivate great citizens." This reflects recognition that wealth transfer requires developing responsible stewardship across generations.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The William J. and Dorothy K. O'Neill Foundation does not have a public application process. After a comprehensive strategic planning process in 2022, foundation trustees decided to end the Responsive Grantmaking Program, which had previously offered two competitive grantmaking cycles per year.

Current Grantmaking Approach:

  • Grants are awarded through invitation only
  • The foundation identifies potential partners through strategic planning and relationship building
  • Focus on deep-impact partnerships rather than broad responsive grantmaking
  • Organizations are typically invited to apply based on alignment with foundation priorities and family member engagement in specific communities

Previous Application Process (for context): Prior to 2022, the foundation operated a Responsive Grantmaking Program that allowed organizations to request up to 10% of their total operating budget (maximum $50,000), with average grant sizes around $25,000. In 2019, they had already begun restricting applications to previous grantees who had received funding since 2013.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation operates primarily through strategic partnerships and family member engagement in their served communities. Based on the foundation's documented approach:

Family Member Connections: The foundation explicitly serves "communities where O'Neill family members live and are engaged in the work of the Foundation." Organizations that work in these communities and have connections to O'Neill family members may be identified for potential partnership.

Strategic Initiative Alignment: The foundation conducts comprehensive strategic planning processes that identify specific initiatives. For example, their shift to 2-Gen approaches and the Deep Impact Grantmaking program emerged from such planning. Organizations working in alignment with these strategic directions may be invited to participate.

Previous Grantee Relationships: Organizations that received grants prior to 2022 may continue to be considered for funding, particularly if they demonstrate impact in the foundation's priority areas.

Direct Contact: While there is no formal application process, organizations may contact Leslie Perkul, President and CEO, at lperkul@oneill-foundation.org or 216-831-4134 to inquire about potential partnership opportunities. However, there is no guarantee of response or invitation to apply.

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly available, as grants are made through strategic planning rather than fixed cycles. The foundation's transition away from responsive grantmaking means that partnerships are developed through ongoing strategic conversations rather than defined application deadlines.

Success Rates

Historical Data (Responsive Grantmaking era):

  • 2023: 222 grants awarded totaling $5,294,010
  • 2021: 286 grants awarded totaling $6,725,065
  • 2018: 179 grants awarded

Success rate percentages for the previous application process are not publicly available. With the end of public applications, this metric is no longer applicable.

Reapplication Policy

Given the invitation-only nature of current grantmaking, there is no formal reapplication process. Partnerships are developed strategically based on foundation priorities and family member engagement in served communities.

Application Success Factors

Strategic Alignment with 2-Gen Framework

The foundation has made a significant strategic commitment to two-generation approaches based on the Ascend at the Aspen Institute framework. Organizations that demonstrate:

  • Integration of services for children and their caregivers
  • Whole-family approaches that address needs of both generations simultaneously
  • Evidence-based strategies for disrupting multigenerational poverty cycles
  • Ability to advance 2-Gen practice in the foundation's target communities

Demonstrated Impact Examples

Recent Funded Organizations (2023):

  • Mercy Center Inc (Bronx, NY) - $200,000 for general operating support
  • Literacy Partners (New York, NY) - $150,000 for general operating support
  • Community of Hope (Washington, DC) - $150,000 for general operating support
  • Center for Urban Families (Baltimore, MD) - $150,000 for general operating support
  • West Hawaii Community Health Center - $43,000
  • Care Alliance Health Center - $35,000
  • Children's Health Fund - $40,000

These examples demonstrate the foundation's preference for:

  • Organizations providing comprehensive family services
  • Programs addressing health, education, and housing needs
  • Established nonprofits with proven track records
  • Geographic presence in O'Neill family communities

Historical Strategic Initiatives

Understanding the foundation's evolution helps identify what resonates with their approach:

  • 1994-2011: Focused impact giving on fatherhood initiatives in Cleveland and Cincinnati
  • 2011-2014+: "Positively Moms" initiative ($1.5 million over three years) reducing stress for pregnant women and new mothers through home-visiting programs in Ohio and Hawaii
  • 2018-present: Deep Impact Grantmaking using 2-Gen framework

Family Engagement Factor

The foundation explicitly values family member involvement in grantmaking. Organizations that:

  • Operate in communities where O'Neill family members live and are engaged
  • Can demonstrate connection to or relevance for O'Neill family member interests
  • Align with the six family-championed issue areas selected annually

May have stronger likelihood of being identified for partnership.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Applications: The foundation ended responsive grantmaking in 2022 and now operates exclusively through invitation and strategic partnerships. Do not submit unsolicited proposals.

  • 2-Gen Framework is Central: The foundation has made a deep commitment to two-generation approaches. Any organization hoping to partner must demonstrate how they serve both children and the adults in their lives together, not in isolation.

  • Geographic Limitations Matter: The foundation only serves communities where O'Neill family members live and are engaged. Organizations outside Washington DC, Orlando FL, Hawaii, New York City, Maryland, Cleveland/Cuyahoga County OH, Houston TX, and Vermont should not pursue this funder.

  • Larger Strategic Investments: The foundation has shifted from many smaller responsive grants ($25,000-$50,000) to fewer, larger strategic investments ($150,000-$200,000), often multiyear. They are looking for deep impact rather than broad reach.

  • Family Foundation Culture: With over 100 O'Neill family members engaged across six branches, this foundation values multi-generational engagement and responsible stewardship. Understanding their family foundation culture and history may be valuable if invited to partnership conversations.

  • Relationship-Based Grantmaking: Connection through previous grants, family member awareness, or strategic initiative alignment appears to be the pathway to funding rather than competitive application processes.

  • Whole-Family Service Integration: Organizations that can demonstrate integrated services addressing health, education, and housing needs for entire family units align best with the foundation's current strategic direction.

References

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