The Flatley Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1982 by the late Thomas J. Flatley, an Irish immigrant who arrived in the United States in 1950 with $32 and built a commercial real estate empire. Flatley founded The Flatley Company, a major commercial real estate development firm in the Northeast that has owned and managed over 24 million square feet of real estate, including offices, industrial spaces, apartments, shopping centers, hotels, and healthcare facilities. The foundation was created with $200 million from his real estate fortune.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$691.0M
+4.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$32.8M
-10.5% YoY
Grant Count
159
+8.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$206K
-17.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Flatley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $39.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation gives primarily for:
- Catholic Education (approximately 30-40% of giving): K-12 schools and higher education institutions
- Healthcare
- Human Services
- Roman Catholic Organizations
The foundation also operates the Flatley Discovery Lab, a branch created to carry out charitable activities of the foundation. The Discovery Lab conducts in-house research dedicated to discovering a cure for cystic fibrosis through drug discovery research and development.
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. It operates on a preselected-only basis, making contributions exclusively to pre-selected charitable organizations. The foundation has limited staffing and makes grants by invitation only through pre-existing relationships.
Grant Range
$10,000 - $500,000 (most common grant: $100,000)
Average Grant
amount: $202,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in:
- Greater Boston, Massachusetts (primary focus)
- New Hampshire (some support)
- New York (some support)
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets:
- $690,996,869 (2024)
- $680,733,810 (2023)
- $658.9 million (2023, alternate source)
- Total assets have grown from $501.8 million in 2011 to $691 million in 2024
Annual Giving:
- $32,765,264 (2024)
- $36,618,882 (2023)
- $36.6 million (2023, alternate source)
- $23.9 million (2021)
- Grantmaking activity was highest in 2022 with $61.2 million distributed across 310 grants
Annual Income:
- $69,555,080 (2024)
- $826 million (reported annual income)
Total Expenses:
- $37,479,981 (2024)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $690,996,869 | $658,916,412 | $680,733,810 |
| Revenue | $69,555,080 | $18,148,673 | $-15,458,032 |
| Expenses | $37,479,981 | $39,964,185 | $34,302,537 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $33,258,945 | $37,076,321 | $31,071,884 |
| Net Investment Income | $64,362,494 | $13,899,744 | $11,210,809 |
| Distributable Amount | $39,787,693 | $35,081,089 | $36,570,392 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Boston College ($5,000,000), Aceing Autism Inc ($1,500,000), Americares Inc ($1,000,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ACADEMY OF NOTRE DAME TYNGSBORO, MA | SCHOLARSHIPS | $100,000 |
| ACEING AUTISM INC LOS ANGELES, CA | UNRESTRICTED | $1,500,000 |
| AMERICAN IRELAND FUND BOSTON, MA | CANCER FUND FOR CHILDREN | $100,000 |
| AMERICARES INC STAMFORD, CT | U.S. & EL SALVADOR CLINICS | $1,000,000 |
| AMERICARES INC STAMFORD, CT | HURRICANE HELENE | $1,000,000 |
| AMERICARES INC STAMFORD, CT | U.S. HEALTH COMMUNITY CLINICS | $500,000 |
| ARC OF THE SOUTH SHORE HINGHAM, MA | UNRESTRICTED | $250,000 |
| ARCHBISHOP WILLIAMS HIGH SCHOOL BRAINTREE, MA | SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT | $100,000 |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON BRAINTREE, MA | REGINA CLERI RETIREMENT FUND | $25,000 |
| AUSTIN PREPARATORY SCHOOL READING, MA | SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT | $100,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is governed by Thomas Flatley's children:
- John J. Flatley - Trustee (20 hours/week, no compensation)
- Daniel T. Flatley - Trustee (20 hours/week, no compensation); currently steers the foundation
- Mary Margaret Flatley Darling - Trustee (20 hours/week, no compensation)
The foundation has no paid staff.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOHN J FLATLEY | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
| DANIEL T FLATLEY | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
| MARY MARGARET DARLING | TRUSTEE | 20 | — |
Contact Information
Address: 45 Braintree Hill Office Park, Suite 300, Braintree, MA 02184-8754
Phone: 781-849-5100
Website: None (the foundation maintains a deliberately low public profile and does not maintain a public website)
The foundation does not provide public contact information for grant inquiries and operates exclusively through pre-existing relationships.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Flatley Foundation fund?
The foundation gives primarily for: • **Catholic Education** (approximately 30-40% of giving): K-12 schools and higher education institutions • **Healthcare** • **Human Services** • **Roman Catholic Organizations** The foundation also operates the **Flatley Discovery Lab**, a branch created to carry out charitable activities of the foundation. The Discovery Lab conducts in-house research dedicated to discovering a cure for cystic fibrosis through drug discovery research and development.
How do I apply for a grant from The Flatley Foundation?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Grant range: $10,000 - $500,000 (most common grant: $100,000) • Individual grants have ranged from $1,000 to $5 million in exceptional cases • Median grant amount: $100,000 • Average grant amount: $202,000 **Application Process:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. It operates on a preselected-only basis, making contributions exclusively to pre-selected charitable organizations. The foundation has limited staffing and makes grants by invitation…
Where does The Flatley Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking is concentrated in: • **Greater Boston, Massachusetts** (primary focus) • **New Hampshire** (some support) • **New York** (some support)
What size grants does The Flatley Foundation award?
In 2024, The Flatley Foundation awarded 159 grants totaling $32.8M — an average of about $206K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Flatley Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Flatley Foundation reported a distributable amount of $39.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Flatley Foundation's EIN?
The Flatley Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-2763837. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Flatley Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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