John P. Murphy Foundation

Private foundation · EIN 34-6528308 · since 1962murphykulas.org·Cleveland, Cuyahoga County·Updated 13 October 2026

At a glance

$2.4M

Annual giving, 2024 tax year

From the Form 990-PF filing

$1,500 to $70,000

Grant range

From grants in the 990-PF filings

$15,000

Typical grant (median)

76 grants in the latest filing

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

If your work is in Cuyahoga County, especially Greater Cleveland, and falls within arts and culture, community or higher education, the foundation is worth approaching.
Nonprofit organisations outside Northeast Ohio, individuals and for-profit corporations should not apply, and nor should anyone seeking endowments, debt reduction, staff salaries, or special event sponsorships or tickets.
About 8 in 10 grants fall between $1,500 and $70,000, with a median of $12,500, so a request in that range is a sensible starting point, though its largest grant was $400,000, so that band is typical rather than a ceiling.
It prefers direct programme and service costs closely related to your mission over general operating support, expects your request to be an equitable share of your total budget, and wants it in line with your recent grant history.
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so contact the Foundation offices first to confirm eligibility and obtain the form, and ask about its support history, since 96% of its grant dollars in the most recent filing went to groups it had also funded in the two earlier filings.

Overview

John P. Murphy Foundation is a US private foundation based in Cleveland, OH.

What they fund

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

The John P. Murphy Foundation frames its priorities as arts and culture, community, and higher education in Northeast Ohio. It supports artistic and cultural institutions and organisations contributing directly to quality of life in Greater Cleveland, especially downtown. Its education giving focuses on higher education, including area colleges, universities and other accredited educational institutions. Eligible applicants are 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporations in good standing, and nonprofit organisations and institutions within Cuyahoga County and, to a lesser extent, its contiguous counties. Its guidelines cover programmes and services and select capital campaigns, preferring direct costs closely related to an applicant’s mission over general operating support.

Themes

Arts and culture
Community
Higher education

Geographic Focus

Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Priority: Greater Cleveland area.

What They Don't Fund

Individuals or for-profit corporations
Nonprofit organizations outside of Northeast Ohio
Local chapters of national nonprofit organizations
Endowments
Debt reduction or elimination
Program-related investments or loans
Salaries or other forms of compensation for staff or independent contractors
Special events sponsorships or the purchase of tickets or tables

How to apply

Qualified nonprofit organisations can obtain the application form and instructions for completing and submitting it by contacting Grants Manager Christine Porter at the Foundation offices.

Application success factors

Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 96% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 233 grants to organisations were $12,500 or less.

What the foundation says:

The Trustees strongly prefer direct programme and service costs closely related to the applicant’s mission and are less inclined to fund general operating support.
The requested amount should be an equitable share of the total budget, alongside similar support from other sources, including foundations.
Requests should be in line with the organisation’s recent history of grants.
For capital campaigns, the Trustees assess the project’s impact on the organisation and the community it serves, including how it advances the organisation’s mission and benefits the community.
Applicants should contact the Foundation offices to check their organisation’s eligibility and obtain the application form and instructions.

Where grants go

From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.

Grant dollars by state

Ohio99%

Washington<1%

New York<1%

The largest single recipient received 10% of grant dollars to organisations.
In tax year 2024, 96% of grant dollars went to organisations John P. Murphy Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
3% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.

Grants

76 grants in the latest filing analysed · median $15,000

How much do they typically give?

Share of 76 grants in tax year 2024 by size

$1k–$2.5k13%

$2.5k–$5k8%

$5k–$10k12%

$10k–$25k34%

$25k–$50k13%

$50k–$100k13%

$100k–$250k5%

$250k–$500k1%

Median $15,000 (tax year 2024)

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

Cleveland Clinic Foundation · Programmatic support
$355,0002024 tax year
Musical Arts Association · Programmatic support
$243,0002024 tax year
Cleveland Institute of Music · Programmatic support
$170,0002024 tax year
Kent State University Foundation · Programmatic support
$122,5002024 tax year
Cuyahoga Community College Foundation · Programmatic support
$100,0002024 tax year
Greater Cleveland Media Development Corporation · Programmatic support
$80,0002024 tax year
City Club of Cleveland · Programmatic support
$75,5002024 tax year
Salvation Army · Programmatic support
$75,0002024 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

Officers and directors

Lou Grasso — VP / Trustee / Secretary
Frederick G Stueber — VP / Trustee
Leslie Resnik — VP / Trustee
John F O'Brien — VP / Trustee
Nancy Mccann — President / Treasurer / Trustee
Richard J Clark — VP / Trustee
Patricia Brownell — VP / Trustee

From the latest Form 990-PF filing

3 years of tax filings

Year	Total expenses	Grants paid	Assets	Filing document
2022 tax year	$3,486,418	$2,021,000	$48,723,097	Filing for 2022 tax year
2023 tax year	$3,806,988	$2,484,600	$52,308,197	Filing for 2023 tax year
2024 tax year	$3,757,062	$2,402,000	$54,087,314	Filing for 2024 tax year

Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.