Murphy Family Foundation
The Murphy Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Solon, Ohio. Established in 1986, it is funded exclusively by contributions from branches of the Murlan J. and Margaret S. Murphy family.
Murphy Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Murphy Family Foundation gave $451K across 83 grants in 2025 (avg $5K), mostly in Ohio. 34% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $451,400
- +4.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 83
- +18.6% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $5,439
- -12.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $6,460,013
- -0.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 34% first-time grantees (28 of 83, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Ohio (89% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Murphy Family Foundation
- How to Apply
The foundation’s guidelines and its 2025 filing state that applicants should submit one copy of a thorough organizational description, including history; the most recent audited financial report; a board of trustees…
The foundation’s guidelines and its 2025 filing state that applicants should submit one copy of a thorough organizational description, including history; the most recent audited financial report; a board of trustees list; a thorough description of need, including project budget and evaluation plans; lists of foundations that provided past support and are currently being approached for the project; and the organization’s most recent IRS Form 990. The filing states that applicants must be certified 501(c)(3) organizations. The foundation requires a one-year hiatus in grantmaking to an organization after it has received grants for three consecutive years.
- Review Cycle
- February 28, June 30, and September 30 each year.
- Deadline
- February 28, June 30, and September 30 each year.
- Contact
Application contact: Paul J Murphy
Mailing address: 31025 Carter Street, Solon, OH 44139
Phone: (216) 831-7320
Website: https://murphyfamilyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Murphy Family Foundation
Who Murphy Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Joseph's Home ($20K). Together the top 10 received $134K.
Grant Size Distribution
346 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 346 grants of 346 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation identifies the greater Cleveland area as its primary geographic focus. In filing year 2025, Ohio recipients received 89% of grant dollars; New York received 3%, Maryland 2%, Virginia 2%, and Pennsylvania 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 83 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Murphy Family Foundation open to new grantees?
34%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 28 of 83 grantees (34%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $7K. How we count
Medians: $1K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 48% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 83% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $396K (2022) to $597K (2020). In 2025 it made 83 grants totaling $451K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph's Home Cleveland, OH | General Fund | $20,000 |
| Malachi House Cleveland, OH | General Fund | $20,000 |
| Salvation Army Cleveland, OH | General Fund | $20,000 |
| Greater Cleveland Foodbank Cleveland, OH | General Fund | $13,000 |
| Resource Cleveland Cleveland, OH | General Fund | $11,000 |
| Habitat for Humanity Cleveland, OH | General Fund | $10,000 |
| House of Champions Cleveland, OH | General Fund | $10,000 |
| Jals Inc DBA Doors of Hope Geauga Middlefield, OH | General Fund | $10,000 |
| Journey Center for Safety & Healing Cleveland, OH | General Fund | $10,000 |
| Lakewood Community Services Center Lakewood, OH | General Fund | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Murphy Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Figures are from the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,460,013 | $531,283 | $571,466 | $451,400 | 83 | $451,400 | $427,319 | $546,737 |
| 2024 | $6,498,903 | $549,972 | $545,940 | $432,600 | 70 | $432,600 | $454,370 | $498,135 |
| 2023 | $6,498,571 | $222,989 | $499,255 | $404,450 | 64 | $404,450 | $222,989 | $434,786 |
| 2022 | $6,774,837 | $141,219 | $495,400 | $396,069 | 59 | $396,069 | $167,454 | $438,946 |
| 2021 | $7,129,018 | $307,373 | $592,991 | $489,600 | 70 | $489,600 | $307,373 | $481,507 |
| 2020 | $8,236,011 | $1,761,473 | $657,308 | $596,600 | 80 | — | $1,247,513 | $384,472 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Murphy Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $547K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation states that its primary mission is addressing the problems and causes of poverty in greater Cleveland, especially through food, shelter, and educational support. It does not consider health- or disability-related programs or arts programs part of its primary mission, though its reserve fund may support work outside the primary mission.
Examples of 2025 grantees illustrate the kinds of organizations it supports. Joseph and Mary’s Home says it provides a caring environment for people without resources who have acute medical needs. House of Champions describes its work as free after-school programming, including homework help, for at-risk children. Lakewood Community Services Center says it provides basic-needs assistance, personalized resources, and referrals to support self-sufficiency. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 83 grants totaling $451,400. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $20,000, with a median of $5,000. Among the largest awards were $20,000 each to Joseph’s Home, Malachi House, and the Salvation Army; $13,000 to Greater Cleveland Foodbank; and $11,000 to Resource Cleveland. Other listed awards included $10,000 each to Habitat for Humanity, House of Champions, JALS Inc. DBA Doors of Hope Geauga, Journey Center for Safety & Healing, Lakewood Community Services Center, LegalWorks, and Partners in Health. The filing lists the stated purposes of these grants as “general fund.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Murlan J. Murphy Jr., Raymond M. Murphy, Brian F. Murphy, and Rita M. Carfagna as trustees; Paul J. Murphy as secretary and treasurer; and Melody Murphy as president. The foundation’s website identifies its president as Melody Murphy Thomas and lists Rita Murphy Carfagna as a trustee.
Murphy Family Foundation is led by Melody Murphy, President on every filing since 2022; none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Melody Murphy
President
On filings since 2022
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brian F. Murphy
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Murlan J. Murphy Jr.
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Raymond M. Murphy
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rita M. Carfagna
Trustee
Secretary → Trustee, 2022
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Paul J. Murphy
Secretary & Treasurer
Trustee → Secretary & Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Murphy Family Foundation
How much does Murphy Family Foundation give each year?
Murphy Family Foundation gave $451K across 83 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $433K across 70 grants.
What is Murphy Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Murphy Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $5,439, across 83 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Murphy Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does Murphy Family Foundation give grants?
Murphy Family Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 89% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Cleveland, OH (46 grants), New York, NY (2 grants), Mentor, OH (2 grants) and Cleveland HTS, OH (2 grants).
Does Murphy Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Murphy Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (83 of 83) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Murphy Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Murphy Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Joseph's Home ($20,000), Malachi House ($20,000) and Salvation Army ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 13% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Murphy Family Foundation?
Murphy Family Foundation reported $6.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $451K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $547K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Murphy Family Foundation fund?
The foundation states that its primary mission is addressing the problems and causes of poverty in greater Cleveland, especially through food, shelter, and educational support. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Murphy Family Foundation?
The foundation’s guidelines and its 2025 filing state that applicants should submit one copy of a thorough organizational description, including history; the most recent audited financial report; a board of trustees… Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Murphy Family Foundation's EIN?
Murphy Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1526161. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Murphy Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Murphy Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/murphy-family-foundation-morg_131311f91a74432bab690353fb1771d0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_341526161_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Murphy Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/murphy-family-foundation-morg_131311f91a74432bab690353fb1771d0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Murphy Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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