The Mullen Family Foundation Inc
The Mullen Family Foundation Inc is a private foundation located in Chicago, Illinois, that supports innovation in lifelong learning, community engagement, and civic strength. Established in 2000, it describes itself as an Illinois private independent foundation; its office is in Palm Beach, Florida.
Key facts about The Mullen Family Foundation Inc
In short: The Mullen Family Foundation Inc gave $565K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $28K), mostly in Massachusetts. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 36-4270223
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $565,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- Average grant
- $28,250
- Median grant
- $10,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (6 of 20, 2025)
- Total assets
- $5,956,825
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (50% of itemized 2025 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, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$6.0M
+2.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$565K
+56.5% YoY
Grant Count
20
+17.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$28K
+33.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Mullen Family Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $344K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Mullen Family Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 20 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $19K; repeat grants $32K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $18K repeat.
- 55% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 162% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 164% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s mission is to support innovation in lifelong learning, community engagement, and civic strength. Its program areas include “Educating the Influencers,” innovative K–12 education approaches, evolving higher education, co-curricular education, and civic, community, and democracy support.
Its grantees include educational, civic, cultural, and community organizations. For example, Nantucket Golf Club Foundation says it supports local charitable organizations and education scholarship programs; Wake Forest University describes its work as including undergraduate, graduate, and professional education; and Palm Beach Day Academy describes its program as educating students in an academically challenging and compassion-rich environment. The Society of the Four Arts says it enriches the Palm Beach County community through educational and cultural programs, while Palm Beach Civic Association says it works to inform, educate, and engage residents on local civic issues.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation made 20 grants totaling $565,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $125,000, with a median of $10,000. Its largest grants included $125,000 to Nantucket Cottage Hospital, $100,000 to Vanderbilt University, $75,000 to Robin Hood Foundation, and $50,000 each to Boston University, Nantucket Golf Club Foundation, and Represent Us. The listed grant purposes were “general purposes.”
The foundation made 17 grants totaling $361,000 in 2024 and 11 grants totaling $238,015 in 2023.
How to Apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with The Mullen Family Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grants went to organizations in multiple states. Massachusetts accounted for 50% of grant dollars, Tennessee 18%, New York 15%, Florida 7%, and Michigan 4%. Listed 2025 recipients were also located in North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $94K (2021) to $565K (2025). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $565K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Nantucket Cottage Hospital ($125K). Together the top 10 received $520K.
Grant Size Distribution
73 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 62 grants of 73 (85%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Nantucket Cottage Hospital Nantucket, MA | General Purposes | $125,000 |
| Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | General Purposes | $100,000 |
| Robin Hood Foundation New York, NY | General Purposes | $75,000 |
| Boston University Boston, MA | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| Nantucket Golf Club Foundation Siasconset, MA | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| Represent US Florence, MA | General Purposes | $50,000 |
| University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI | General Purposes | $25,000 |
| Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC | General Purposes | $25,000 |
| Palm Beach Civic Association Inc Palm Beach, FL | General Purposes | $10,000 |
| Palm Beach Day Academy West Palm Beach, FL | General Purposes | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $565,000 | 20 |
| 2024 | $361,000 | 17 |
| 2023 | $238,015 | 11 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,956,825 | $5,795,361 | $3,787,926 |
| Revenue | $803,491 | $2,416,084 | $24,111 |
| Expenses | $642,027 | $408,649 | $335,255 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $565,000 | $361,010 | $238,025 |
| Net Investment Income | $726,464 | $368,445 | $92,510 |
| Distributable Amount | $344,338 | $295,562 | $198,224 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS January 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS January 11, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS January 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 21, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 8, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS November 19, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Timothy R Mullen as president, treasurer, and director; Alicia C Mullen as vice president, secretary, and director; Mary L Mullen and Joseph Mullen as directors; and Louis S Harrison as assistant secretary.
The Mullen Family Foundation Inc is led by Timothy R. Mullen, President, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2019; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Timothy R. Mullen
President, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alicia C. Mullen
Vice President, Secretary & Director
On filings since 2019
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph Mullen
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Mary L. Mullen
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Louis S. Harrison
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 333 W Wacker Drive 1700, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 332-1111
Website: https://mullenfdn.org
Frequently asked questions about The Mullen Family Foundation Inc
How much does The Mullen Family Foundation Inc give each year?
The Mullen Family Foundation Inc gave $565K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $361K across 17 grants.
What is The Mullen Family Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Mullen Family Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $28,250, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Mullen Family Foundation Inc that year got $19K on average.
Where does The Mullen Family Foundation Inc give grants?
The Mullen Family Foundation Inc gives mostly in Massachusetts: 50% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Tennessee (18%) and New York (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Palm Beach, FL (3 grants), Nantucket, MA (2 grants), New York, NY (2 grants) and Siasconset, MA (2 grants).
Does The Mullen Family Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Mullen Family Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (20 of 20) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Mullen Family Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Mullen Family Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Nantucket Cottage Hospital ($125,000), Vanderbilt University ($100,000) and Robin Hood Foundation ($75,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 53% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Mullen Family Foundation Inc?
The Mullen Family Foundation Inc reported $6.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $565K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $344K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Mullen Family Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s mission is to support innovation in lifelong learning, community engagement, and civic strength. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Mullen Family Foundation Inc?
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 Mullen Family Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Mullen Family Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4270223. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Mullen Family Foundation Inc 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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