The Dunleavy Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests and works by invitation only, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered and should not be the first step.
- It says it looks for people and organisations already making a positive difference who want to do more, in areas such as educational programmes, vocational support, public-service initiatives and social enterprises, so your work should fit that description.
- Half of its 11 grants to organisations across the two filings were $1,000,000 or less, and the median grant was $1,000,000, so a request should be sized against that rather than assumed to be small.
- In the filing, 67% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in the year before, so it appears to rely heavily on existing grantees.
- No geographic focus is stated, and the filings show grants mainly in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, which is a pattern to note rather than a rule about who may apply.
Overview
The Dunleavy Foundation is a US private foundation based in Boston, MA.
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 foundation invests in organisations, people and ideas that promote a sense of purpose, self-reliance, impactful leadership and lasting benefit to society. It partners with people and groups helping individuals, organisations and communities find meaning through work, including educational programmes, vocational support, public-service initiatives and social enterprises. Its support is intended to build resilience, strength and independence. It backs leadership development across organisations and circumstances, looking for people and organisations already making a positive difference and wanting to do more. It also funds and advises organisations with a vision for a better future, aiming to build durable systems, foster innovation and deepen the capacity of people and organisations committed to human flourishing. Its approach is to use well-placed resources for continual, incremental, transformational and sustainable improvement in people's lives.
Themes
- Sense of purpose
- Self-reliance
- Impactful leadership
- Lasting benefit
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 67% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 11 grants to organisations were $1,000,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The foundation looks for people and organisations already making a positive difference who want to do more.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 68% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 67% of grant dollars went to organisations The Dunleavy Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 68% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 5 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $1M (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- National Philanthropic Trust · General contribution$7,715,1992024 tax year
- President and Fellows of Harvard College · General contribution$3,000,0002024 tax year
- Navy SEAL Foundation · General contribution$1,000,0002024 tax year
- Rise and Shine · General contribution$500,0002024 tax year
- University Of NC At Chapel Hill · General contribution$5,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Katherine K Dunleavy — Director
- Keith R Dunleavy — Director, President and CEO
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $3,411,616 | $0 | $242,563,555 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $12,248,593 | $12,000,000 | $264,460,194 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $12,661,671 | $12,220,199 | $310,318,617 | 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.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Dunleavy Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Boston, MA
- dunleavyfoundation.org
Applying to The Dunleavy Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Boston, MA
- dunleavyfoundation.org