← Back to US Funders Directory

McDonnell Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$0.6M
Grant Range
$16K - $1.2M

McDonnell Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: ~$16,250 - $565,000 (varies significantly by year)
  • Total Assets: $128.1 million (2023)
  • Grant Range: $16,250 - $1,153,644
  • Geographic Focus: Memphis, Tennessee and Shelby County
  • Application Status: Does not accept unsolicited applications

Contact Details

  • Address: 700 Colonial Road, Suite 109, Memphis, TN 38117-5191
  • Tax ID (EIN): 46-1448238
  • Tax Status: 501(c)(3) Private Foundation

Note: This foundation does not have a public website and does not accept unsolicited requests for funding.

Overview

The McDonnell Family Foundation is a private family foundation based in Memphis, Tennessee, established in 2014. The foundation experienced dramatic growth in 2023, increasing its assets from approximately $1.2 million to $128.1 million following a major contribution of $125.1 million. The foundation was established by the late Michael "Mike" McDonnell (1939-2021), a Yale-educated Memphis native who was part of a prominent Memphis family with deep roots in the city's philanthropic community.

The foundation's mission focuses on empowering change and delivering hope to the most vulnerable, with a particular emphasis on supporting children. The family believes in the dignity of every human being and child, and seeks to resource partners who help deliver children out of hopelessness, peril, and injustice. The foundation primarily supports organizations in the Memphis area, with a focus on education, religious institutions, women's health, and arts and culture.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Based on historical giving, the foundation has supported:

  • Educational Scholarships: $1,034,393 to Memphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust (2020-2022)
  • Community Foundations: $1,153,644 to Community Foundation of Greater Memphis (2022)
  • Higher Education: $164,858 to University of Memphis (2021-2022)
  • Women's Health: $199,828 to A Step Ahead Foundation (2020-2021)
  • Religious Institutions: $100,000+ to Church of the Holy Communion (ongoing)
  • Arts & Culture: $96,996 to Dixon Gallery & Gardens (2021)

Priority Areas

  • Educational access and scholarships, particularly for K-12 students from lower-income families
  • Religious institutions (Episcopal church community)
  • Women's reproductive health and family planning services
  • Arts, culture, and museums
  • Community development through donor-advised funds

What They Don't Fund

  • The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations
  • Unsolicited requests for funds are not accepted
  • Organizations outside the Memphis/Shelby County area (based on historical giving patterns)

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

  • McNeal Bond McDonnell - Distribution Committee (son of founder Michael McDonnell)
  • Irene McDonnell Ayotte - Distribution Committee (daughter of founder)
  • Mary McDonnell Schell - Distribution Committee, Trustee (daughter of founder)
  • Michael Keeney - Trustee

All board members serve without compensation. The foundation is a true family enterprise, with Michael McDonnell's three children now directing the foundation's philanthropic activities following his passing in 2021.

Family Philanthropic Involvement

The McDonnell family maintains a significant presence in Memphis philanthropy beyond the foundation, including personal donations to organizations like ARTSmemphis at the $25,000+ level.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation has explicitly indicated that it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grants are made at the discretion of the family trustees based on their personal knowledge of and relationships with recipient organizations.

Getting on Their Radar

For organizations seeking support from the McDonnell Family Foundation, relationship building is essential:

  1. Episcopal Church Connection: The Church of the Holy Communion has been a consistent recipient, suggesting involvement in the Episcopal community may create connection opportunities. The church is located at 4645 Walnut Grove Rd, Memphis, and offers multiple weekly services.

  2. Memphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust (M.O.S.T.): The foundation has shown strong commitment to educational access. Organizations working in K-12 education in Memphis may find alignment through MOST, which offers the "McDonnell Scholarship" - a merit-based award named after the family.

  3. Community Foundation of Greater Memphis: The foundation has made significant grants through the CFGM, which may serve as an intermediary or provide visibility to the family.

  4. Arts Community: The family's personal giving to ARTSmemphis and foundation grants to Dixon Gallery & Gardens indicate involvement in Memphis's arts community.

  5. A Step Ahead Foundation: Organizations working in women's health and reproductive services may find alignment through this shared grantee.

Decision Timeline

Grant decisions appear to be made on a discretionary basis by the family trustees. There are no published deadlines or decision cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable for unsolicited requests. Existing grantees appear to receive multi-year support based on historical patterns (e.g., repeated grants to Church of the Holy Communion, Memphis Opportunity Scholarship Trust).

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, "success" is about becoming a preselected organization through relationship building:

  1. Geographic Focus: The foundation's giving is concentrated in Memphis and Shelby County. Organizations must have a strong local presence.

  2. Mission Alignment: Organizations working with vulnerable children and families, particularly around education and opportunity, align with the foundation's stated values.

  3. Trusted Networks: Grantees tend to be established Memphis institutions with long track records, such as Church of the Holy Communion (founded 1939), MOST (serving 400+ students annually), and Dixon Gallery & Gardens (founded 1976).

  4. Personal Connections: Given the family governance structure, personal relationships with the McDonnell family members appear to be the primary pathway to funding.

  5. Episcopal/Faith Connections: The family's ongoing support of Church of the Holy Communion suggests openness to faith-based organizations, particularly within the Episcopal tradition.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This is an invitation-only foundation - the foundation explicitly does not accept unsolicited requests for funds
  • Focus on relationship building - becoming a preselected organization requires personal connections with the McDonnell family
  • Memphis focus - all documented grantees are Memphis-area organizations
  • Education is a priority - the foundation has shown particular interest in educational access and scholarships for children from lower-income families
  • Consider intermediaries - the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis has received significant grants and may provide a pathway to visibility
  • Long-term partnerships - once selected, organizations appear to receive sustained, multi-year support
  • Recent wealth transfer - the $125 million contribution in 2023 suggests potential for significantly larger grants in coming years as the foundation deploys these new assets

References

← Back to US Funders Directory