Mcgraw Family Foundation

## Approach & Strategy

McGraw Family Foundation is a brand-new private family foundation in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, established by Gerard J. McGraw and Sean McGraw. The foundation received its IRS recognition in May 2025 and filed its first 990-PF for tax year 2024. It was funded with a single $4,000,010 contribution in 2024 — the founding endowment.

Key Finding — No Grants Made Yet: As of its first filing, the foundation has made zero grants. This is typical for a newly established foundation in its first year. Grantmaking may begin in 2025 or 2026 as the family develops its philanthropic priorities.

Preselected Only: The foundation explicitly checked the "preselected only" box on its 990-PF, indicating it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. This is a common stance for new family foundations that expect to direct giving to organizations where the family has personal relationships.

Website Mismatch: The website previously associated with this foundation in the database (mcgraw.org) belongs to the Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation — a large, separate Illinois-based wildlife conservation organization. The McGraw Family Foundation of Oklahoma City has no public website per IRS records.

Gerard and Sean McGraw: No additional public information was found linking this Oklahoma City family to specific philanthropic interests. The surname McGraw is common and no direct connection to nationally known McGraw philanthropic families was identified.

Prospecting Potential: Very low for now. The foundation has no established grantmaking history and explicitly declines applications. Monitor for 2025-2026 filings when grantmaking may begin.

## Funding Patterns

Year 1 Data Only (FY2024): - Contributions received: $4,000,010 (founding endowment) - Total giving: $0 (no grants in first year) - Distributions: $0 - Assets: $4,001,229

Expected Future Grantmaking: Based on typical private foundation payout rates (~5% minimum required distribution), the $4M endowment would support approximately $200,000 in annual grantmaking when fully operational. If the family follows a more active approach, actual giving could be higher.

Only One Filing Available: The foundation's IRS ruling date is May 2025, and only one 990-PF (FY2024) has been filed. No multi-year trends can be established.

Funding Cycle: Unknown — no grantmaking history. Applications are not accepted.

## Peer Comparison

Note: The Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation (mcgraw.org) is a completely separate and unrelated organization based in Illinois focused on wildlife conservation. Do not conflate the two.

## Recent Activity

Foundation Established 2024: McGraw Family Foundation is one of the newest private foundations in the Granted database. It received IRS exempt status in May 2025 and filed its first return for FY2024.

$4M Founding Contribution: A $4,000,010 contribution was made in 2024, establishing the foundation's endowment. The round-number amount suggests a deliberate initial capitalization.

No Grants or Programs Yet: The first filing shows no charitable activities, no grantees, and no program descriptions. This is entirely normal for a foundation in its establishment phase.

No Public Presence: No website, no press releases, no news coverage. The family appears to be operating this foundation quietly.

Watch for FY2025 Filing: The first grantmaking activity will likely appear in the FY2025 990-PF (to be filed in 2026). That filing will reveal the foundation's philanthropic focus areas and preferred grantees.

## Application Tips

This foundation does not accept applications. The McGraw Family Foundation has explicitly indicated on its tax filing that it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Additionally, as a new foundation with no established grantmaking program, there are no known grant categories or priorities to target.

Recommendations for nonprofits:

1. Do not solicit at this time. There is no application process and no known philanthropic priorities.

2. Monitor future filings. When the FY2025 990-PF becomes available (likely late 2026), check grantees to understand the family's interests. Grantmakers.io and ProPublica will index it when published.

3. Research the McGraw family's Oklahoma City ties. If you have connections to Gerard or Sean McGraw through civic, business, or community channels, personal relationship cultivation is the only viable path to funding.

4. Focus on other Oklahoma funders. For Oklahoma City organizations, more accessible alternatives include the Oklahoma City Community Foundation, the Kirkpatrick Family Fund, and the Sarkeys Foundation.