The Francis and Kathleen Rooney Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2006 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Based at 5601 South 122nd East Avenue in Tulsa, the foundation operates as a corporate foundation with a focus on strategic philanthropic giving across education, higher education, healthcare, and democratic institutions.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$48.0M
+30.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.0M
-69.0% YoY
Grant Count
12
-7.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$331K
-66.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Francis and Kathleen Rooney reported a distributable amount of $1.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's grantmaking priorities include:
- Catholic Education — Supporting Catholic educational institutions
- Higher Education — Funding universities and academic initiatives
- Healthcare — Supporting healthcare institutions and initiatives
- Democratic Institutions — Strengthening democratic principles and governance
- Philanthropy and Grantmaking — Supporting philanthropic infrastructure
The foundation's work reflects a commitment to strengthening democratic principles within the context of Catholic social teaching.
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates through preselected grantmaking.
Grant Range
$985,216
Average Grant
$985,216
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds nationally with emphasis on:
- Oklahoma
- Florida
- Indiana
- Texas
- Washington, D.C.
- Maryland
- New York
Specific cities where the foundation has funded projects include Arlington, Ave Maria, Baltimore, Dallas, Fort Myers, Houston, Huntington, Naples, New York, North Bethesda, Notre Dame, Stillwater, Tulsa, and Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2023):
- Total assets: $36.75 million
- Total revenues: $11.33 million
- Total expenses: $14.06 million
- Total grants, contributions: $9.0 million
- Investment income and dividends: $1.27 million
Financial Trends: The foundation experienced significant revenue growth from 2022 to 2023, with grants and contributions increasing 800% year-over-year (from $1.0 million in 2022 to $9.0 million in 2023).
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $47,999,366 | $36,750,390 | $37,016,791 |
| Revenue | $15,311,202 | $11,332,914 | $3,628,026 |
| Expenses | $5,200,953 | $14,060,514 | $2,841,127 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,970,402 | $12,814,101 | $1,610,071 |
| Net Investment Income | $8,399,350 | $1,051,125 | $1,373,213 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,789,445 | $1,744,145 | $1,754,457 |
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
71 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Naples Community Hospital Inc ($1,500,000), Oklahoma State University Foundation ($675,000), Medal of Honor Museum Foundation ($400,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY INC AVE MARIA, FL | GENERAL SUPPORT | $100,000 |
| BELLA MENTE QUANTUM RACING ASSOCIATION MINNEAPOLIS, MN | GENERAL SUPPORT | $100,000 |
| CONSORTIUM OF CATHOLIC ACADEMIES WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL SUPPORT | $200,000 |
| MEDAL OF HONOR MUSEUM FOUNDATION ARLINGTON, TX | GENERAL SUPPORT | $400,000 |
| NAPLES BOTANICAL GARDEN INC NAPLES, FL | GENERAL SUPPORT | $20,000 |
| NAPLES COMMUNITY HOSPITAL INC NAPLES, FL | GENERAL SUPPORT | $1,500,000 |
| NAPLES HISTORICAL SOCIETY FOUNDATION NAPLES, FL | GENERAL SUPPORT | $70,000 |
| OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION STILLWATER, OK | GENERAL SUPPORT | $675,000 |
| THE GEORGE W BUSH FOUNDATION DALLAS, TX | GENERAL SUPPORT | $250,000 |
| THE METROPOLITAN CLUB PRESERVATION FOUNDATION WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL SUPPORT | $5,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is led by a volunteer board with no paid staff:
- Kathleen C. Rooney — President/Director
- Kathleen D. Rooney — Treasurer/Director
- Michael Collins Rooney — General Counsel/Secretary/Director
- Brynn Hunt — Secretary/Director
All board members serve without compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KATHLEEN C ROONEY | PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KATHLEEN D ROONEY | TREASURER/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL COLLINS ROONEY | GENERAL COUNSEL/SECRETARY/DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BRYNN HUNT | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation made a landmark $55 million gift to the University of Notre Dame to endow the Rooney Democracy Institute, formerly known as the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy. This transformative gift aims to strengthen Notre Dame's leadership as a national and global center for democracy scholarship and as a convener of bipartisan dialogue about the future of democratic governance. The gift will enable generations of students and scholars to engage with political challenges and opportunities in the context of democratic principles.
$55 million gift from Francis and Kathleen Rooney for the Rooney DemocracyThe foundation has also provided additional support to Notre Dame's democracy-focused work, demonstrating a sustained commitment to strengthening democratic institutions and civil discourse.
$10 million Rooney Foundation gift to support Center for American DemocracySubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Francis and Kathleen Rooney fund?
The foundation's grantmaking priorities include: • **Catholic Education** — Supporting Catholic educational institutions • **Higher Education** — Funding universities and academic initiatives • **Healthcare** — Supporting healthcare institutions and initiatives • **Democratic Institutions** — Strengthening democratic principles and governance • **Philanthropy and Grantmaking** — Supporting philanthropic infrastructure The foundation's work reflects a commitment to strengthening democratic princ…
How do I apply for a grant from The Francis and Kathleen Rooney?
**Grant Activity (2023):** • Annual giving: $12.8 million • Number of grants: 12-13 grants • Average grant size: $985,216 • Grant range: $50,000 to $55,000,000+ • Total assets: $36.75 million **Application Process:** The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and operates through preselected grantmaking. **Recent Notable Grants:** • Naples Community Hospital: $10,000,000 (2023) • Oklahoma State University Foundation: $675,000 (2023) • National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation: $400…
Where does The Francis and Kathleen Rooney make grants?
The foundation funds nationally with emphasis on: • Oklahoma • Florida • Indiana • Texas • Washington, D.C. • Maryland • New York Specific cities where the foundation has funded projects include Arlington, Ave Maria, Baltimore, Dallas, Fort Myers, Houston, Huntington, Naples, New York, North Bethesda, Notre Dame, Stillwater, Tulsa, and Washington.
What size grants does The Francis and Kathleen Rooney award?
In 2024, The Francis and Kathleen Rooney awarded 12 grants totaling $4.0M — an average of about $331K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Francis and Kathleen Rooney required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Francis and Kathleen Rooney reported a distributable amount of $1.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Francis and Kathleen Rooney's EIN?
The Francis and Kathleen Rooney's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5524633. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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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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