Thomas & Dorothy Leavey Foundation
The Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation is an independent private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1952 by Thomas E. Leavey and his wife Dorothy E. Risley Leavey, co-founders of Farmers Insurance Group, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The foundation has distributed more than $200 million to institutions and charitable causes throughout its history.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$342.2M
+7.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$14.6M
+1.0% YoY
Grant Count
185
-4.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$79K
+5.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's giving primarily supports:
- Hospitals and medical research
- Higher and secondary education
- Catholic church groups
- Education and STEM education initiatives
- Historic preservation
The foundation also provides scholarships to children of employees of Farmers Group, Inc., through an IRS-approved scholarship program based on merit and need. The scholarship program serves approximately 40,000 employees and agents of Farmers Insurance Group, with recipients selected by an independent selection committee.
Grantmaking
The foundation appears open to applications, as indicated by the absence of a "preselected only" restriction in recent filings.
Grant Range
$3,000 to $1,600,000
Average Grant
$299
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports initiatives across numerous states and cities throughout the United States, with particular activity in:
- California
- New York
- Michigan
- Illinois
- Florida
- Massachusetts
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- New Jersey
Major cities receiving support include Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Fiscal Year 2024:
- Total Assets: $342,188,121
- Total Revenue: $34,717,617
- Total Expenses: $10,777,345
- Net Income: $23,940,272
- Net Assets: $320,014,871
- Total Liabilities: $22,200,000
The foundation ranks in the top 1% of foundations by asset size (#590 of 159,550 foundations nationally).
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $342,188,121 | $317,952,872 | $292,227,952 |
| Revenue | $34,717,617 | $15,152,768 | $22,601,820 |
| Expenses | $10,777,345 | $17,416,982 | $13,624,478 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $15,271,965 | $14,990,764 | $14,490,778 |
| Net Investment Income | $32,548,278 | $12,010,229 | $15,809,178 |
| Distributable Amount | $16,061,239 | $14,923,126 | $15,068,310 |
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
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board and Staff:
- Kathleen L. McCarthy – Chairman
- Jacqueline Powers Doud – Trustee
- Louis Castruccio – Trustee
- Jeffrey Kearns – Trustee
- Mark Lemons – Trustee
- Colleen Pennell – Trustee
- Thomas Lemons – Trustee
- John McCarthy – Trustee
- Michael McCarthy – Trustee
- Kathleen Duncan – Trustee
- Karen Hollins – Trustee
- Brad Lemons – Trustee
- Rita Denlea – Staff
Most trustees serve on an as-needed basis with minimal or no compensation. Rita Denlea serves as full-time staff at $201,000 annual compensation.
Kathleen L. McCarthy is the daughter of Dorothy and Thomas E. Leavey and currently chairs the foundation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KATHLEEN L MCCARTHY | CHAIRMAN, AS NEEDED | 5 | — |
| JACQUELINE POWERS DOUD | TRUSTEE, AS NEEDED | 5 | $2,400 |
| LOUIS CASTRUCCIO | TRUSTEE, AS NEEDED | 5 | $2,400 |
| MARK LEMONS | TRUSTEE, AS NEEDED | 1 | — |
| JEFFREY KEARNS | TRUSTEE, AS NEEDED | 1 | $2,400 |
| COLLEEN PENNELL | TRUSTEE, AS NEEDED | 1 | — |
| THOMAS LEMONS | TRUSTEE, AS NEEDED | 1 | — |
| JOHN MCCARTHY | TRUSTEE, AS NEEDED | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL MCCARTHY | TRUSTEE, AS NEEDED | 1 | — |
| KATHLEEN DUNCAN | TRUSTEE, AS NEEDED | 1 | — |
| KAREN HOLLINS | TRUSTEE, AS NEEDED | 1 | — |
| BRAD LEMONS | TRUSTEE, AS NEEDED | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
In a significant recent grant, the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation awarded $25 million to Loyola Marymount University in support of a new engineering innovation complex. This represented the largest capital gift in LMU's history. The gift was announced by Kathleen McCarthy Kostlan, daughter of the foundation's founders.
LMU Receives $25 Million from the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation inThe foundation has also supported notable recipients including Santa Clara University, Georgetown University, the University of Southern California, St. John's Health Center, California Hospital Medical Center, Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, the United Negro College Fund, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles County Music Center. The foundation previously donated $10 million to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for cathedral construction.
LMU Receives $25 Million from the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation in**Contact Information:**
Address: 10100 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 610, Los Angeles, CA 90067-4110
Telephone: 310-551-9936
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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