Murphy Family Foundation Grant

Murphy Family Foundation Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Murphy Family Foundation
Last Updated: January 16, 2026

Summary

The Murphy Family Foundation, established in 1986, focuses on combating poverty in the greater Cleveland area. It primarily supports organizations that provide food, shelter, and educational services to the disadvantaged. The foundation's mission stems from a long-standing commitment by the Murphy family, who have been involved in manufacturing specialty chemical products for generations. While it has a strict policy on grantmaking, it may consider proposals outside its primary mission based on individual family interests.

Overview

The Murphy Family Foundation was established in 1986. It is funded exclusively by contributions from branches of the Murlan J. and Margaret S. Murphy family of Cleveland, Ohio, which for four generations has been engaged in the manufacture of specialty chemical products including: Murphy’s Oil Soap, through the Murphy-Phoenix Company, founded in 1890 and now a subsidiary of the Colgate-Palmolive Company; industrial lubricants, through JTM Products, Inc. Solon, Ohio, founded in 1991; and concrete coatings and sealants, through the ChemMasters Company, Madison, Ohio, founded in 1987. Mission Statement The Murphy Family Foundation considers its primary mission to be the support of viable programs addressing the problems and causes of poverty in the greater Cleveland area. More specifically, the Murphy Family Foundation’s grantmaking is primarily to those organizations providing food for the hungry, shelter for the homeless and educational support services for the disadvantaged.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Foundation policy requires a one-year hiatus in grantmaking to any organization that has received grants for three consecutive years.

Ineligibility

The Foundation does not consider health or disability related programs or programs in support of the arts to be part of its primary mission.Notwithstanding the above, the Murphy Family Foundation maintains a reserve fund for additional grants which may fall outside the area of the defined primary mission. Its grantmaking in those areas often will reflect the personal interests of individual family members.