Funding Amount

Not stated

Deadline

Deadline not published

Grant Type

Foundation

Can we apply?

Check your organization against each line. Taken from the listing; confirm with the funder's guidelines.

Other requirements

  • Foundation policy requires a one-year hiatus in grantmaking to any organization that has received grants for three consecutive years.

Not eligible / not funded

  • Not eligible: The Foundation does not consider health or disability related programs or programs in support of the arts to be part of its primary mission.
  • Not eligible: 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.
  • Not eligible: Its grantmaking in those areas often will reflect the personal interests of individual family members.

Overview

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.

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.
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

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.

What Murphy Family Foundation actually gave

Source: IRS Form 990-PF, 2025

Grants in 2025
83
Total given
$451K
Median grant
$5,000
Range
$1,000–$20K
  • By dollars: Ohio 89%, New York 3%, Maryland 2%. Top recipient cities: Cleveland, OH; New York, NY; Mentor, OH.
  • 100% of grants with a stated purpose were for general or operating support.
  • 34% of recipients were new grantees, not repeat recipients.

Example grants

  • Joseph's Home · Cleveland, OH

    General fund

    $20K

  • Malachi House · Cleveland, OH

    General fund

    $20K

  • Salvation Army · Cleveland, OH

    General fund

    $20K

  • Greater Cleveland Foodbank · Cleveland, OH

    General fund

    $13K

  • Resource Cleveland · Cleveland, OH

    General fund

    $11K

IRS Form 990-PF, 2025. Amounts as reported by the funder. Full 990 history →

Focus Areas & Funding Uses

Fields of Work

  • Nonprofits
  • Poverty alleviation
  • Hunger
  • Homeless
  • Education
  • Food security
  • Foundation

Categories

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