Boyle Family Foundation

The Boyle Family Foundation operates as a tightly managed family philanthropy, governed entirely by seven members of the Boyle family — Kevin (President), Theresa (Secretary), Patricia Wheeler (Treasurer), and directors Brian, Michael, Karen Conboy, and Caroline Salina — all serving without any compensation. This volunteer leadership structure means decision-making is personal, relationship-driven, and reflects the family's own values rather than a formal strategic framework with professional program officers or RFP cycles.

The foundation's giving philosophy is anchored in four clear pillars visible from the grantee portfolio: Catholic faith and Catholic-affiliated institutions, medical research (particularly diabetes, cardiac care, and pediatric health), youth development through Boys & Girls Club-model organizations, and hunger and food relief. These themes are not stated on a formal grant guidelines page — the listed website (https://boyle.com/) actually belongs to an unaffiliated Memphis real estate company — but emerge unmistakably from the 104 tracked grant relationships spanning 2022-2024.

The foundation holds a formal designation of preselected only, meaning it does not accept unsolicited applications through any portal, form, or formal process. This is the single most important fact for any prospective grantseeker: the path to funding runs entirely through relationships with Boyle family members, not through an application submission. First-time contacts should not expect a formal LOI or proposal submission path to be offered; instead, they should pursue introductions through shared institutional affiliations — Jesuit educational networks, Chicago-area healthcare boards, or Boys & Girls Clubs of America chapters.

Despite the invitation-only structure, the foundation shows a strong pattern of deep, ongoing support to its grantees. Twenty-nine of the top 50 recipients by total dollars show multi-grant relationships, indicating the foundation returns to the same organizations across consecutive annual cycles once a relationship is established. New entrants to the grantee pool tend to appear at lower amounts ($8,000-$15,000), with support scaling over time as trust builds. First-time prospective grantees should aim to establish authentic connection well before any ask, demonstrate alignment with the family's Catholic and civic values, and position themselves as long-term institutional partners rather than project-based applicants.

The Boyle Family Foundation has demonstrated consistent, accelerating grantmaking across more than a decade of IRS filings. Total grants paid grew from $158,000 in FY2011 to $785,000 in FY2020, then surged to $1,010,000 in FY2022 before settling at $962,505 in FY2023. The FY2024 filing published June 2025 shows charitable disbursements of approximately $1,054,225 across 51 grants.

Grant size profile: The range spans $1,000 to $110,000, with a median of $15,000 and a dataset average of approximately $18,966. This distribution reflects a two-tier portfolio: a core group of major institutional relationships receiving $50,000-$110,000 (medical research centers, flagship hospitals, leading Boys & Girls Club affiliates), and a broader community tier of $5,000-$25,000 gifts to Catholic schools, parishes, food banks, and veterans causes.

Program area breakdown (approximate, based on top-50 grantee analysis): - Medical research and healthcare: ~35% (Kovler Diabetes Center $110,000, JDRF $100,000, St. Jude Children's $100,000, cardiac research $70,000, Lustgarten Foundation $65,000, Loyola University Health System $65,000, Mayo Clinic $50,000, Riley's Children's Foundation $20,000) - Youth development (Boys & Girls Clubs and similar): ~20% (Valentine B&GC $110,000, Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago $102,500, Lyn Treece B&GC $54,500, Madison Square B&GC $26,000, Bartlett McCartin B&GC $10,000) - Catholic education and institutions: ~15% (St. Isaac Jogues $60,000, St. Ignatius $55,000, DePaul University $45,000, Holy Cross $35,000, Pope John Paul II Prep $30,000) - Addiction treatment: ~8% (Hazelden Foundation $75,000, The Retreat $40,000) - Hunger relief and food security: ~6% (Greater Chicago Food Depository $50,000, Second Harvest $49,000) - Military/veterans: ~3% (Navy SEAL Fund $30,000, Semper Fi Fund $30,000)

Geographic concentration: Illinois leads with 45 of 104 tracked grant relationships (43%), followed by Minnesota and New York at 14 each (13% apiece), Tennessee at 7 (7%), and Virginia at 6 (6%). Total foundation assets have grown 202% — from $6.2M in 2011 to $18.7M in 2024 — driven by consistent annual contributions of approximately $1.1M per year plus strong investment income ($855,251 net in FY2023 alone).

The five peer foundations identified in the Boyle Family Foundation dataset share nearly identical asset profiles (all within $20,000 of one another, clustered at $18.67-$18.68M) and are all classified under NTEE code T22Z (Family Foundation). All operate as private non-operating foundations without disclosed application portals.

The Boyle Family Foundation stands apart from its peer set in one critical respect: the volume and diversity of its publicly documented grantee relationships. With 104 tracked grants across 10 states totaling $1.97M in the available dataset, it has one of the most active and diversified grantmaking records among comparably sized family foundations. Most peer foundations in this asset tier lack accessible public websites or grant directories, making benchmarking difficult.

The foundation's annual giving rate of approximately 5.5-5.8% of total assets is consistent with the IRS minimum distribution requirement of 5% for private foundations, reflecting disciplined stewardship. Its per-grant average of ~$19,000 positions it as a mid-tier regional funder relative to national peers, competitive for organizations seeking relationships in the $15,000-$50,000 grant range.

No press releases, public announcements, or leadership changes have been publicly issued by the Boyle Family Foundation in 2025 or 2026. The foundation maintains no active public website under its name — the URL listed in IRS filings (https://boyle.com/) redirects to Boyle Investment Company, a Memphis-based commercial real estate firm with no affiliation to the Chicago philanthropic entity.

The most recent confirmed data point is the FY2024 Form 990-PF, published June 2025 via ProPublica's Nonprofit Explorer. That filing shows total assets of $18,679,989, revenue of $2,227,886 (up from $2,039,776 in FY2023), and charitable disbursements of approximately $1,054,225. The number of grants disbursed was 51 in FY2024. Notably, asset sales generated 40.5% of FY2024 revenue ($901,573), a higher share than typical prior years, suggesting portfolio rebalancing.

Financial trends from FY2011 through FY2024 show the foundation has grown steadily without major structural changes: volunteer family governance persists, officer compensation has remained $0 across all filings, and annual contributions received have held near $1.1M per year across 13 years of available data.

The seven-member board — spanning multiple surname variations (Boyle, Boyle Wheeler, Boyle Conboy, Boyle Salina) — suggests at least two to three generations of family involvement, with Kevin Boyle holding the President role consistently. The absence of leadership transitions or program announcements signals a stable, multigenerational institution with no visible strategic pivot underway.

Because the Boyle Family Foundation makes contributions exclusively to preselected organizations, conventional grant application strategies do not apply. The guidance below is specific to how organizations can realistically position themselves for invitation into this foundation's portfolio.

Establish relationship before any ask. The Boyle family's network is traceable through a set of Chicago-area institutions: Jesuit schools (St. Ignatius College Prep, DePaul University, College of Holy Cross, Fenwick High School), Chicago-area Boys & Girls Club boards, the University of Chicago medical complex (Kovler Diabetes Center, cardiac research), and South Side Catholic parish communities. The foundation's address at 1133 W 35th Street places it in Chicago's Bridgeport neighborhood. Board members and senior leaders of current grantees — particularly Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, Greater Chicago Food Depository, and Loyola University Health System — are the most natural introduction points.

Emphasize general operating support, not project funding. The purpose field on every one of the 104 tracked grants reads "GENERAL SUPPORT" (with one exception for the Greater Chicago Food Depository noted as "FOOD DEPOSITORY"). The foundation trusts its grantees as organizations, not as project vehicles. Introductory conversations should emphasize organizational mission, financial stability, and long-term community impact — not a specific program deliverable or grant-funded initiative.

Lead with medical or youth alignment. The two highest-value pathways into the portfolio are medical research (diabetes, cardiac, pediatric oncology) and youth development (Boys & Girls Club model). Organizations in either category with Chicago or Minnesota ties have the highest success probability based on existing relationship concentration.

Catholic institutional identity is a meaningful differentiator. Seven of the top 25 grantees by total dollars are explicitly Catholic-affiliated. If your organization has a Catholic founding, Catholic constituency, or formal ties to a diocese, Catholic Charities, or Jesuit network, make that explicit in any introductory communication.

Contact protocol. No application portal, deadline, or formal review cycle is publicly disclosed. The only listed contact is % Patrick J Boyle, 1133 W 35th Street, Chicago, IL 60609-1447, phone (773) 927-6622. A brief, personalized letter of introduction — not a full proposal — is the appropriate first outreach format. Avoid generic cold outreach; reference a shared grantee, institution, or community connection. Allow 4-6 weeks before following up.

Stewardship for existing grantees. Organizations already in the portfolio should send concise annual impact updates (one page maximum). Most repeat grantees show modest annual increases of 5-15% per cycle; avoid requesting large grant increases until a multi-year pattern is established.