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The Walsh Foundation

Annual Giving
$11.7M

The Walsh Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $11.7 million (2024)
  • Total Assets: $186.4 million (2024)
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
  • Geographic Focus: Chicago, IL area with focus on Catholic institutions and local communities
  • Foundation Type: Private independent foundation (company-sponsored)

Contact Details

Address: 190 S. LaSalle St., Suite 1700, Chicago, IL 60603-3496

Phone: (312) 346-4101

Website: www.walshgroup.com/ourcompany.html

EIN: 36-3994447

Overview

The Walsh Foundation was established in 1990 by brothers Matthew M. Walsh and Daniel J. Walsh, co-chairmen of The Walsh Group, one of Chicago's and the nation's most successful construction companies founded in 1898. With total assets of $186.4 million and annual charitable disbursements of $11.7 million (2024), the foundation serves as the charitable arm of the Walsh family's commitment to giving back to the communities in which they work and live. The foundation operates as a private independent foundation, supporting nonprofit organizations involved with arts and culture, education, social services, and Catholic institutions. The Walsh Foundation was created specifically to encourage inner-city minority and female students to study and intern in the construction and engineering fields, while also providing major grants annually to educational, church, and civic charities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Walsh Foundation operates as a private foundation with trustee-directed grantmaking. While specific grant programs and amounts are not publicly advertised, the foundation distribursed $11.7 million in charitable grants in 2024.

Priority Areas

Arts and Culture: Support for cultural organizations and initiatives

Education:

  • Scholarship and internship programs for inner-city minority and female students pursuing construction and engineering careers
  • Support for Catholic educational institutions, including major gifts to institutions like St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago and the University of Notre Dame

Social Services: Support for organizations providing social services to communities

Catholic Institutions:

  • Catholic churches and schools
  • Catholic charitable organizations
  • Examples include support for institutions like Mercy Home

What They Don't Fund

Information about explicit funding exclusions is not publicly available. As a private foundation focused on the Chicago area with emphasis on Catholic institutions and construction/engineering education, grants outside these areas appear less common.

Governance and Leadership

Key Personnel

Matthew M. Walsh - CEO

  • Co-Chairman of The Walsh Group
  • Life member of the board of trustees of St. Ignatius College Prep
  • Board member of Children's Memorial Hospital
  • Graduate of St. Ignatius College Prep
  • Matthew and his wife Joyce have been major benefactors to the University of Notre Dame, including a historic $150 million gift to the School of Architecture (renamed the Matthew and Joyce Walsh School of Architecture)

Daniel J. Walsh - President

  • Co-Chairman of The Walsh Group
  • Graduate of St. Ignatius College Prep
  • Co-founder of The Walsh Foundation with his brother Matthew in 1990

Joyce S. Walsh - Treasurer/Director

  • Volunteer leader with Saint Ignatius College Prep
  • Major philanthropist alongside her husband Matthew

Patricia R. Walsh - Secretary/Director

E. Bryan Dunigan - Director

All listed officers serve without compensation, consistent with typical private family foundation governance.

Foundation Philosophy

According to information about the foundation's establishment, Matthew Walsh helped establish The Walsh Foundation to "annually provide major grants to the many educational, church and civic charities with all profits coming from The Walsh Group earnings." The brothers created the foundation specifically to encourage inner-city minority and female students to study and intern in construction and engineering fields.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Walsh Foundation does not have a public application process. As a private independent foundation, grants are awarded at the discretion of the board of trustees. The foundation does not maintain public grant guidelines, application forms, or published deadlines.

Grant decisions are made by the foundation's board of directors, which consists primarily of members of the Walsh family and close associates. The foundation appears to identify and support organizations through pre-existing relationships, particularly with Catholic institutions, educational organizations in Chicago, and organizations connected to the construction industry.

Getting on Their Radar

St. Ignatius College Prep Connection: Both Matthew and Daniel Walsh are graduates and long-time supporters of St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago. Matthew is a life member of the board of trustees. Organizations connected to this institution or similar Catholic educational institutions may have stronger connections to the foundation.

Construction and Engineering Education Focus: The foundation was specifically created to support inner-city minority and female students in construction and engineering fields. Organizations working in this space, particularly in the Chicago area, align with the foundation's founding mission.

Catholic Institutional Networks: Given the Walsh family's strong commitment to Catholic institutions (evidenced by major gifts to Notre Dame, St. Ignatius, and other Catholic organizations), building relationships within Chicago's Catholic institutional network may provide pathways to foundation awareness.

Walsh Group Corporate Connections: As a company-sponsored foundation funded by The Walsh Group's profits, organizations that work with The Walsh Group on community initiatives or that serve communities where The Walsh Group operates projects may have opportunities for relationship building.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly disclosed. As a private foundation with trustee-directed grantmaking, decisions are made at the discretion of the board without fixed cycles.

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 The Walsh Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional "application success factors" do not apply. However, organizations that have received support from the foundation typically share these characteristics:

Catholic Institutional Affiliation: The foundation has demonstrated strong support for Catholic churches, schools, and charitable organizations, particularly in the Chicago area.

Connection to Construction/Engineering Education: Organizations that provide scholarships, internships, or educational opportunities for minority and female students in construction and engineering fields align with the foundation's founding mission, established in 1990 specifically for this purpose.

Chicago Area Focus: The foundation supports organizations in communities where The Walsh Group works and lives, with a strong emphasis on Chicago-area institutions.

Educational Mission: Beyond Catholic education, the foundation supports educational institutions and programs, as evidenced by major gifts to institutions like the University of Notre Dame and St. Ignatius College Prep.

Social Service Delivery: Organizations providing social services to underserved communities align with the foundation's stated priorities.

Pre-existing Relationships: The foundation's grantmaking appears to flow through established relationships with the Walsh family, Walsh Group corporate connections, and institutional networks in which the trustees participate.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: The Walsh Foundation operates through trustee discretion and does not accept unsolicited proposals. Traditional grant-seeking strategies will not be effective.

  • Relationship-Driven Grantmaking: Success depends on having connections to the Walsh family, The Walsh Group, or institutions where the Walshes serve in leadership roles (such as St. Ignatius College Prep, University of Notre Dame, or Children's Memorial Hospital).

  • Substantial Assets: With $186.4 million in assets and $11.7 million in annual giving, the foundation has significant resources, but access is limited to organizations within their networks.

  • Mission Alignment Critical: Organizations supporting inner-city minority and female students in construction/engineering, Catholic institutions, or Chicago-area educational and social service organizations are most aligned with the foundation's priorities.

  • Family Foundation Structure: All trustees are family members or close associates serving without compensation, indicating this is a private family foundation rather than a staffed institutional funder.

  • Corporate Connection: As a company-sponsored foundation funded by Walsh Group profits, the foundation's priorities likely align with the construction company's community engagement and workforce development goals.

  • Major Donor Capacity: The Walsh family's gifts to Notre Dame ($150 million for the School of Architecture) demonstrate capacity for transformational philanthropy, though such gifts may be personal rather than through the foundation.

References

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