The OShea Foundation
The O'Shea Foundation is a private foundation based in Hillsborough, California. Established in 1958 by John and Carole O'Shea, it supports community-based organizations working in education and social outreach.
The OShea Foundation at a glance
In short: The OShea Foundation gave $471K across 27 grants in 2025 (avg $17K), mostly in California. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $470,950
- +24.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 27
- +8.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $17,443
- +15.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $5,748,185
- -0.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (6 of 27, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (84% 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 The OShea Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 1005 Jackling Drive, Hillsborough, CA 94010
Phone: (415) 983-0500
Website: https://osheafoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The OShea Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was De Marillac Academy ($77K). Together the top 10 received $377K.
Grant Size Distribution
129 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 118 grants of 129 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 84% of grant dollars went to recipients in California and 16% to recipients in New York. The foundation’s website identifies its particular interest in faith-based independent educational institutions serving disadvantaged and underserved communities.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 27 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The OShea Foundation open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 27 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $21K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+6%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 93% 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 $360K (2020) to $471K (2025). In 2025 it made 27 grants totaling $471K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| De Marillac Academy San Francisco, CA | To further charitable purposes in the community. | $76,950 |
| Come to Believe Network New York, NY | To further charitable purposes in the community. | $75,000 |
| St Peter School San Francisco, CA | To further charitable purposes in the community. | $55,000 |
| ICA Cristo Rey Academy San Francisco, CA | To further charitable purposes in the community | $50,000 |
| St Vincent de Paul - San Francisco San Francisco, CA | To further charitable purposes in the community. | $35,000 |
| St Ignatius Parish San Francisco, CA | To further charitable purposes in the community. | $25,000 |
| St Anthony Foundation San Francisco, CA | To further charitable purposes in the community. | $20,000 |
| Riordan High School San Francisco, CA | To further charitable purposes in the community | $15,000 |
| Salesian Boys Club San Francisco, CA | To further charitable purposes in the community. | $15,000 |
| Mercy Housing of California San Francisco, CA | To further charitable purposes in the community. | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The OShea Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $5,748,185 | $525,557 | $570,789 | $470,950 | 27 | $477,353 | $434,121 | $513,738 |
| 2024 | $5,793,417 | $241,593 | $470,436 | $377,250 | 25 | $383,160 | $155,317 | $475,646 |
| 2023 | $6,022,260 | $339,812 | $547,710 | $466,500 | 24 | $478,300 | $270,402 | $420,355 |
| 2022 | $6,230,158 | $452,629 | $517,721 | $442,500 | 28 | $443,200 | $394,392 | $442,241 |
| 2021 | $6,295,250 | $949,745 | $447,897 | $381,000 | 25 | — | $887,893 | $447,717 |
| 2020 | $5,793,402 | $281,811 | $398,722 | $360,000 | 22 | — | $248,056 | $383,347 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The OShea Foundation reported a distributable amount of $514K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated purpose is to assist community-based organizations engaged in education and social outreach, with a particular interest in faith-based independent education for students from disadvantaged and underserved communities.
Its 2025 grantees illustrate a range of supported work. For example, Salesian Boys and Girls Club describes its mission as providing spiritual, educational, and athletic activities for young people. Holy Family Day Home says it provides early childhood education and family support services. The Affordability Project describes its work as providing affordable housing for public service providers and their families in the Bay Area and surrounding counties.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 27 grants totaling $470,950. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $76,950, with a median of $10,000.
Among the largest 2025 grants were $76,950 to De Marillac Academy, $75,000 to Come to Believe Network, $55,000 to St Peter School, $50,000 to ICA Cristo Rey Academy, and $35,000 to St Vincent de Paul - San Francisco. The filing describes the purpose of these grants as furthering charitable purposes in the community.
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its stated process is limited to those preselected organizations; no application materials or deadlines are specified.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Shealagh Meehan and Alicia Donahue as co-presidents. Directors listed are Molly Meehan, Georgia Johnson, Samantha Silvia Geno, EJ Silvia, and Jane Meehan.
The OShea Foundation is led by Shealagh Meehan, Co-President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Shealagh Meehan
Co-President
Vice President & Treasurer → Co-President, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alicia Donahue
Co-President
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
EJ Silvia
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jane Meehan
Director
Secretary → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Molly Meehan
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Samantha Silvia Geno
Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Georgia Johnson
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Alicia Donahue Silvia (2020–2021) — Vice President
- Former: Dolores Donahue (2020–2021) — President
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 The OShea Foundation
How much does The OShea Foundation give each year?
The OShea Foundation gave $471K across 27 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $377K across 25 grants.
What is The OShea Foundation's typical grant size?
The OShea Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $17,443, across 27 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The OShea Foundation that year got $6K on average.
Where does The OShea Foundation give grants?
The OShea Foundation gives mostly in California: 84% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (16 grants) and Burlingame, CA (2 grants).
Who are The OShea Foundation's largest grantees?
The OShea Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include De Marillac Academy ($76,950), Come to Believe Network ($75,000) and St Peter School ($55,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 44% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The OShea Foundation?
The OShea Foundation reported $5.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $477K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $514K (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 OShea Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated purpose is to assist community-based organizations engaged in education and social outreach, with a particular interest in faith-based independent education for students from disadvantaged and underserved communities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The OShea Foundation?
The OShea Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines. Check osheafoundation.org for any change to that policy.
What is The OShea Foundation's EIN?
The OShea Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-6084555. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The OShea 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 October 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 July 20, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Browse active grant opportunities in The OShea Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The OShea Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-oshea-foundation-morg_6760e2bceec44d2483f7ba71f54b5703
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_946084555_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The OShea Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-oshea-foundation-morg_6760e2bceec44d2483f7ba71f54b5703},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 The OShea 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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