O'connell Family Foundation Incorporated
The organization is a private foundation dedicated to supporting various charitable causes, with a strong emphasis on education. It provides funding primarily to educational institutions, including universities and high schools, as well as community service organizations and conservation groups. The foundation's mission reflects a commitment to enhancing educational opportunities and supporting community initiatives, particularly those that serve Jewish populations. Its grantmaking activities are diverse, with a notable focus on cash contributions to aid recipient organizations in fulfilling their exempt functions.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
Established educational institutions, private schools, or well‑connected community organizations—especially those with existing relationships or referrals and programs aligned with education, community service, or local conservation.
Good Fit
- • A university, private K–12 school, or established nonprofit with institutional track record.
- • Located in or serving Rhode Island, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, or nearby states.
- • Has an existing relationship, board-level contact, or referral to foundation leadership.
- • Projects that can be supported by a single large discretionary grant or multi-thousand-dollar gifts.
Geography
Grants in the latest year were made to organizations in five states, showing a regional, multi-state footprint; however about 78% of 2024 dollars went to a single recipient in Rhode Island, so financial reach is regionally concentrated.
Recipient Variety
Fifteen distinct recipients were funded in 2024 across education, conservation and community causes, indicating a numerically broad recipient set even though dollars were heavily concentrated in one large award.
New Applicants
The foundation explicitly indicates grants are to preselected recipients and no public application route or contact details were found; although many new organizations appear in the latest year, direct evidence of an open application process is absent, so unfamiliar applicants are unlikely to enter without an introduction.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
