Connolly Family Foundation Inc.

The Connolly Family Foundation Inc. is a tightly controlled, family-run private foundation that operates entirely by preselection — it makes no grants to organizations that have not already been identified and approved by the Connolly family. This is not a foundation with a public application portal, an annual RFP cycle, or an open submission window. Understanding this reality is the single most important strategic insight for any organization considering an approach.

The foundation was established in November 2013 by John L. Connolly, who serves as President and Director, alongside family members John L. Connolly Jr. (Treasurer), Catherine Greer Connolly (Vice President), and Anne Muller (Secretary). All officers serve without compensation, characteristic of a deeply personal philanthropic vehicle. The foundation is professionally administered by Foundation Source, a leading foundation management firm — the Wilmington, Delaware address on all IRS filings reflects Foundation Source's offices, not a family office or program staff.

The Connolly family's giving philosophy centers on long-term, relationship-driven support. The most telling evidence: Washington & Lee University has received 16 separate grants totaling $1,057,000 — including dedicated funding for the 'JL Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship' — and Tulane University has received $771,431 across four grants for the 'Connolly Family Business Management Minor Endowed Fund.' These are legacy investments tied directly to the family's educational identity. Similarly, the foundation has supported the same Atlanta-based organizations across multiple consecutive years (typically 3–4 grants per recipient), indicating a stable, relationship-first portfolio that does not turn over frequently.

For organizations outside the current portfolio, the realistic path to funding runs through the network, not a proposal. This means cultivating relationships with current grantees — particularly anchor institutions like W&L and Tulane — or engaging with Atlanta-area organizations already in the Connolly portfolio. The foundation's own application instructions are documented as non-existent in IRS filings; there is no formal process because none is needed for a preselected model. First-time applicants should focus all energy on identifying and activating personal connections to the Connolly family or their closest institutional partners before attempting any kind of outreach.

The Connolly Family Foundation's giving history reveals a two-tier structure: substantial anchor commitments to named educational endowments, and a consistent mid-tier portfolio of Atlanta-area nonprofits receiving multi-year annual support.

Financial trajectory: Assets have grown from $16.3M (FY2020) to $32.1M (FY2025), nearly doubling in five years. Despite this asset growth, annual grants paid have remained relatively stable: $602,200 (2020), $1,161,358 (2021), $1,011,357 (2022), and approximately $1.11M in FY2025 (per ProPublica). Historical peak giving was $1,793,521 in FY2014 on a then-larger asset base of $23.6M. The foundation's effective payout rate in recent years (~3.4% of assets) is notably conservative given the IRS minimum distribution requirement of 5% for private foundations.

Grant size distribution: Based on 167 documented grants totaling $4,495,431 across the top 50 grantee relationships: average grant $26,919; median approximately $15,000 (per Grantmakers.io); smallest documented grant $2,500 (Cherokee Art Endowment); largest single award $231,000 (Washington & Lee, FY2024). Typical annual support for established Atlanta community partners runs $10,000–$50,000/year, with six organizations receiving $100,000+ in cumulative multi-year funding.

Geographic breakdown (167 documented grants): Georgia (primarily Atlanta metro): 114 grants, 68% of portfolio. Virginia: 22 grants, 13% — almost entirely W&L University. New Jersey/Atlantic County: 6 grants, 4%. Kentucky: 6 grants, 4%. Massachusetts, Louisiana, Colorado, Missouri, North Carolina: 2–4 grants each.

Program area breakdown by total documented dollars: Higher Education Endowments (W&L + Tulane combined): ~$1.83M, approximately 41% of documented giving. Social Services and Human Services (City of Refuge, Year Up, Covenant House, Atlanta Union Mission, Bobby Dodd Institute): ~$900K, ~20%. Health and Mental Health (Georgia Alzheimer's Foundation, George West Mental Health Foundation, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation): ~$310K, ~7%. Youth Development and Sports (Soccer in the Streets, Atlanta Urban Squash, Camp Twin Lakes, Boys & Girls Clubs): ~$285K, ~6%. Arts and Culture (Atlanta Opera, Atlanta Historical Society): ~$215K, ~5%. Criminal Justice Reform (Georgia Justice Project, Jonathan Project, No Longer Bound): ~$425K, ~9%.

The following table compares Connolly Family Foundation Inc. to its five closest peers by asset size, all classified under NTEE T22 (Private Grantmaking Foundations). Peer data reflects IRS 990 filings sourced from the Granted database.

Among these comparably-sized family foundations (~$29–32M in assets), Connolly stands out for the depth and specificity of its documented giving — particularly its named endowments at two universities and its sustained multi-year commitment to the same Atlanta-area nonprofits. Most peer foundations at this asset tier maintain similarly low public profiles with no open application processes.

Connolly's payout rate of approximately 3.4% ($1.1M on $32M assets in FY2025) is below the IRS minimum distribution requirement of 5% for private foundations. At its historical peak (FY2014: $2.2M on $23.6M in assets, a 9.4% payout rate), the foundation distributed at nearly triple its current rate relative to assets. This gap between asset growth and distribution growth suggests either conservative management or that significant non-grant expenditures (investment fees, administrative costs through Foundation Source) are counted toward the 5% requirement in a way not visible in grants-paid data alone.

The most recent publicly available financial data (ProPublica, fiscal year ending June 2025) shows the Connolly Family Foundation with net assets of $32.1 million, up from $29.6 million in FY2024 and $21.7 million in FY2023. Revenue in FY2025 reached $3.99 million, driven by contributions of $2.06 million (51.7% of revenue), asset sales of $900,000 (22.6%), and dividends of $837,000 (21.0%). Charitable disbursements for FY2025 were $1.11 million.

The FY2024 IRS 990 (Grantmakers.io) documents 37 grants with a median of $15,000 and a largest single award of approximately $193,000–$231,000. Notable grants in the most recent cycle include $231,000 to Washington & Lee University for the JL Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship chair position and multiple tranches of approximately $192,857 to the Tulane Educational Fund for the Connolly Family Business Management Minor Endowed Fund. The Atlanta Police Foundation, Atlanta Historical Society, and Atlanta Opera each received $100,000 in the most recent year tracked.

A leadership change is visible between recent annual filings: Anne Muller has replaced Leigh Z Connolly as Secretary, suggesting some evolution in the family's governance structure, though John L. Connolly, John L. Connolly Jr., and Catherine Greer Connolly remain in their longstanding roles.

No press releases, public announcements, new grant programs, or media coverage of the Connolly Family Foundation were found in 2025–2026 searches, consistent with the foundation's extremely low public profile. The foundation's website (connolly.org) did not return accessible content during research, suggesting it may be a private portal managed by Foundation Source rather than a public-facing site.

The foundational reality for any grant seeker: the Connolly Family Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. IRS filings state the foundation 'only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.' There is no application form, no submission portal, no RFP cycle, and no published deadline. Sending a cold proposal will not yield a grant — and may not reach anyone who can act on it, since the foundation is managed by Foundation Source, a third-party administrator.

If you are already in the network, here is what to emphasize:

• Lead with Atlanta geography and community embeddedness. Approximately 68% of all documented grants go to Georgia-based organizations, overwhelmingly in the Atlanta metro. Any pitch should foreground your Atlanta roots, community relationships, and local impact data.

• Frame around entrepreneurship, workforce, and opportunity. The foundation's largest investments — the JL Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship at W&L and the Connolly Family Business Management Minor at Tulane — reveal a core conviction around economic mobility through education and skills. Year Up Atlanta's 'Closing the Opportunity Divide' framing attracted $200,000 in repeat grants. Organizations should connect their work to earned economic mobility, not just service delivery.

• Reference criminal justice reform explicitly. The Georgia Justice Project ($200,000), Jonathan Project ($150,000), No Longer Bound ($75,000), and Georgia Alzheimer's Foundation ($200,000) represent substantial commitments to justice reform and reentry. This is an underpublicized priority area that appears durable across multiple years.

• Think in multi-year partnership terms. Every organization receiving $50,000+ has been funded 3–7 times. Proposal language should position your organization as a long-term civic partner, not a one-time project funder. The foundation does not respond to urgency-based appeals.

• Faith-rooted organizations have favorable standing. Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High School (4 grants, $100,000), Holy Spirit Church Atlanta (4 grants), and Sovereign Military Order of Malta grants indicate Catholic-affiliated or faith-rooted service organizations are well-received.

• Do not apply without Atlanta, W&L, or Tulane connection. Organizations without a geographic or alumni network tie to these anchors have no documented pathway into this portfolio.