The McDonnell Family Foundation

Private foundation · Grantmaker Memphis, TN EIN: 46-1448238

The McDonnell Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Memphis, Tennessee. It makes grants to charitable organizations; its 2024 filing states that it contributes only to preselected organizations.

Key facts about The McDonnell Family Foundation

In short: The McDonnell Family Foundation gave $1.7M across 25 grants in 2024 (avg $67K), mostly in Tennessee. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

EIN
46-1448238
Latest 990 filing
Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024)
$1,675,210
Grants made (2024)
25
Average grant
$67,008
Median grant
$25,000
Total assets
$133,200,098
Primary geography
Tennessee (97% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Accepts unsolicited proposals
No
How to apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$133.2M

+4.0% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.7M

Grant Count

25

Avg Grant Size

$67K

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The McDonnell Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

How The McDonnell Family Foundation gives

  • Giving grew 304% from 2021 to 2024. Method
  • In 2024 it paid out 26% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method

From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. For example, Agape Child and Family Services says it is dedicated to providing children and families with healthy homes; ArtsMemphis says it supports the arts to strengthen the Memphis community; and Knowledge Quest says it equips youth and families through education, wellness, and economic mobility. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the foundation’s.

Grantmaking

In 2024, the foundation reported 25 grants totaling $1,675,210. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $955,210, with a median of $25,000. Its largest grants included $955,210 to the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis and $100,000 each to A Step Ahead Foundation, Porter Leath, and The Hospitality Hub. Other reported grants included $25,000 each to Agape Child and Family Services, All Memphis, ArtsMemphis, Christian Brothers University, City Year Memphis, Memphis Inter-Faith Coalition for Action and Hope, Mid-South Food Bank, and the National Bonsai Foundation.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

In 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in Tennessee, 2% to recipients in Washington, DC, and 1% to recipients in Connecticut.

Grant Distribution by State

4states

Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.

Cities

MemphisWashingtonEast JordanNew London

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$1M$2M$3M$4M5 grants2020 4 grants2021 4 grants2022 0 grants2023 25 grants2024

From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $290K (2020) to $3.3M (2022). In 2024 it made 25 grants totaling $1.7M.

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Community Foundation of Greater Memphis: $955KCommunity Foundation ofGreater Memphis$955KA Step Ahead Foundation: $100KA Step Ahead Foundation$100KPorter Leath: $100KPorter Leath$100KThe Hospitality Hub: $100KThe Hospitality Hub$100KAgape Child and Family Services: $25KAgape Child and FamilyServices$25KAll Memphis: $25KAll Memphis$25KArtsMemphis: $25KArtsMemphis$25KChristian Brothers University: $25KChristian Brothers University$25KCity Year Memphis: $25KCity Year Memphis$25KMemphis Inter-Faith Coalition for Action and Hope: $25KMemphis Inter-Faith Coalitionfor Action and Hope$25K

The largest 2024 recipient was Community Foundation of Greater Memphis ($955K). Together the top 10 received $1.4M.

Grant Size Distribution

38 grants across all recorded years

24<$50K4$50–100K6$100–250K$250–500K2$500K–1M2$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 24 grants of 38 (63%).

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Community Foundation of Greater Memphis Memphis, TNProgram Services$955,210
A Step Ahead Foundation Memphis, TNProgram Services$100,000
Porter Leath Memphis, TNProgram Services$100,000
The Hospitality Hub Memphis, TNProgram Services$100,000
Agape Child and Family Services Memphis, TNProgram Services$25,000
All Memphis Memphis, TNProgram Services$25,000
ArtsMemphis Memphis, TNProgram Services$25,000
Christian Brothers University Memphis, TNProgram Services$25,000
City Year Memphis Memphis, TNProgram Services$25,000
Memphis Inter-Faith Coalition for Action and Hope Memphis, TNProgram Services$25,000

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Filing year Grant total Grant count
2024 $1,675,210 25
2022 $3,288,965 4
2021 $414,398 4
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$50M$100M$150M2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$133,200,098$128,100,935$1,181,436
Revenue$6,905,617$127,398,317$115,142
Expenses$1,811,010$16,250$3,294,755
Qualifying Distributions$1,683,960$16,250$3,288,965
Net Investment Income$6,905,617$2,313,784$49,954
Distributable Amount$6,485,678$5,474,639$232,030

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 10, 2021)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 25, 2024)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2024 filing lists McNeal Bond McDonnell, Irene McDonnell Ayotte, and Mary McDonnell Schell on the Distribution Committee, and Michael Keeney as trustee.

The McDonnell Family Foundation's 2024 filing lists 4 officers; none of the 4 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.

Officers on the 2024 filing

  • Michael Keeney

    Trustee

    On filings since 2021

    No compensation reported

  • Irene McDonnell Ayotte

    Distribution Committee

    Distribution → Distribution Committee, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • Mary McDonnell Schell

    Distribution Committee

    Trustee & Dis → Distribution, 2021

    Distribution → Distribution Committee, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

  • McNeal Bond McDonnell

    Distribution Committee

    Distribution → Distribution Committee, 2024

    On filings since 2020

    No compensation reported

Former officers (1)
  • Former: Michael McDonnell (2020–2021) — Distribution · Filing note: Deceased

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.

Contact

Mailing address: 700 Colonial Road Suite 109, Memphis, TN 38117
Phone: (901) 529-5703

Frequently asked questions about The McDonnell Family Foundation

How much does The McDonnell Family Foundation give each year?

The McDonnell Family Foundation gave $1.7M across 25 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

What is The McDonnell Family Foundation's typical grant size?

The McDonnell Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $67,008, across 25 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.

Where does The McDonnell Family Foundation give grants?

The McDonnell Family Foundation gives mostly in Tennessee: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Memphis, TN (22 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).

Does The McDonnell Family Foundation give general operating support?

Not in 2024: none of the 25 grants with a stated purpose on The McDonnell Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Services" (25 grants).

Who are The McDonnell Family Foundation's largest grantees?

The McDonnell Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Community Foundation of Greater Memphis ($955,210), A Step Ahead Foundation ($100,000) and Porter Leath ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.

How large is The McDonnell Family Foundation?

The McDonnell Family Foundation reported $133.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.7M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6.5M (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 The McDonnell Family Foundation fund?

No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from The McDonnell Family Foundation?

The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is The McDonnell Family Foundation's EIN?

The McDonnell Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1448238. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.

Does The McDonnell Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?

No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑

Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.

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