The@Macmillan Family Foundation Inc.

The MacMillan Family Foundation is a family-led private foundation founded in January 2003 by Duncan and Nancy MacMillan, both Giving Pledge signatories, channeling the family's philanthropic vision across four interconnected pillars: cancer and medical research, education, arts, and community services. Foundation assets have grown from $117M (2015) to $554.9M (2024), with the family contributing $83.9M in FY2024 alone — signaling an aggressive scale-up trajectory that is likely to increase annual grantmaking well beyond the current $23M run rate in coming years.

The foundation's giving philosophy is deeply institutional and relationship-based. Its top 10 grantees account for roughly 54% of total documented grant dollars, and repeat grantees dominate the portfolio: Rutgers University Foundation, the Institute for Advanced Study, New York Genome Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and New York City Center have each received multiple grants across multiple fiscal years. This pattern reveals a funder that deepens relationships and makes multi-year commitments rather than continuously diversifying its grantee pool. For first-time applicants, the path to significant funding typically begins small and grows over time as trust is established.

Entry is exclusively through an online survey at macmillanff.org. The foundation explicitly does not accept unsolicited full proposals. The survey is a brief screening mechanism — not a full application — and the foundation acknowledges it cannot respond to every submission. Organizations already in conversation with MacMillan, or prior grantees, contact their assigned foundation representative directly.

MacMillan favors: established 501(c)(3) organizations with institutional credibility and peer validation; organizations primarily serving New York City and New Jersey (80% of grants by count); cancer researchers with exceptional credentials at research-intensive universities and institutes; K-12 and higher education programs targeting under-resourced NYC/NJ communities; arts organizations building long-term sustainability and infrastructure rather than staging one-time events; and community service organizations delivering measurable health, education, and wellness outcomes. Prospective applicants should frame their work in terms of long-term mission sustainability and community impact, using language that mirrors the foundation's four program pillars. Emphasizing organizational credibility, peer validation, and alignment with MacMillan's geographic focus — rather than novelty or scale — will resonate most strongly with this funder.

Analysis of 374 documented grants totaling $73.02M reveals a highly bifurcated giving pattern. Annual grants paid have grown dramatically from $8.1M (FY2019) to $23.3M (FY2024), nearly tripling in five years, while foundation assets doubled from $273.7M to $554.9M over the same period, driven by consistent family contributions that reached $83.9M in FY2024.

Grant sizes span a wide range: from $5,000 (minimum) to $6,850,000 (maximum) with a median of $20,000 and an average of $195,248–$253,469 depending on dataset. The dramatic gap between median and mean reveals two distinct tiers: a high-volume community grants tier (sub-$50K grants to neighborhood organizations) and a concentrated flagship grants tier (six- and seven-figure commitments to research and cultural institutions). In FY2024, 151 grants were distributed — up from 96 in FY2022 — suggesting the community grants tier is growing faster than the flagship tier.

Geographic concentration is pronounced: New York receives 204 grants (55% of total), New Jersey 95 grants (25%), totaling 80% of all grants by count. Connecticut (15 grants, including Connecticut College at $1.1M cumulative), Pennsylvania (9 grants, including Children's Hospital of Philadelphia at $2.1M cumulative), and Maryland (7 grants) account for most of the remainder.

Program area breakdown from top-50 grantee analysis: - Cancer and medical research (~47% of top-50 dollars): Rutgers University Foundation $17.4M (Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence), New York Genome Center $10M, The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research $3M, Columbia University $1.6M, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia $2.1M, Target ALS $250K, Life Sciences Research Foundation $440K - Arts and culture (~20%): World Trade Center Performing Arts Center $2M, New York City Center $1.25M, Frick Museum $1.03M, Metropolitan Museum $900K, Princeton Ballet Society $635K, School of American Ballet $675K, Joyce Theatre $450K - Education (~20%): Institute for Advanced Study $6.3M, Connecticut College $1.1M, Peddie School $530K, Foundation for Educational Administration $736K, Center for Supportive Schools $500K, All Our Kin $300K - Community services (~13%): Princeton Area Community Foundation $882.5K, Isles $600K, Actors Fund $615K, Senior Resource Center $365K

Nearly all 374 grants are designated "general purpose," confirming the foundation's preference for unrestricted, organizational-level support rather than project-specific funding.

Among foundations with comparable assets ($555M–$565M range), the MacMillan Family Foundation occupies a distinctive niche as a science-heavy, family-controlled grantmaker with an unusually strong concentration in cancer research and a primarily NY/NJ geographic focus. Peer foundations in this asset range differ markedly in focus, geography, and access.

MacMillan's $23.3M annual giving rate represents approximately 4.2% of assets — above the typical private foundation 5% payout threshold when combined with administrative expenses — and its grant growth trajectory is the strongest among this peer cohort, having nearly tripled since 2019. Unlike Smith Richardson (which has published RFP cycles for some programs) or Maxwell Hanrahan (which maintains a detailed website with program descriptions), MacMillan operates with minimal public-facing infrastructure, making relationship development and the online survey the only realistic entry points. MacMillan's cancer research concentration — with a single institutional commitment of $17.4M to Rutgers — is unusually deep compared to peers, suggesting that when the foundation finds a trusted scientific partner, it invests at transformative scale.

The foundation filed its FY2024 Form 990 on November 17, 2025, reporting $23,288,500 in grants paid across 151 awards — up significantly from 126 awards in FY2023 and 96 awards in FY2022, indicating the foundation is actively broadening its grantee base. Total assets reached $554,904,342 as of year-end FY2024, up from $473.6M in FY2023, with $83,907,096 in new family contributions during the year — the largest single-year family contribution on record for the foundation.

No major leadership changes were identified in 2025–2026 public records. The board remains entirely family-managed: Duncan MacMillan (Chairman), Nancy MacMillan (President and Treasurer), Kevin MacMillan (Secretary), and Alissa MacMillan (Director). Administrative operations continue through Geller Advisors (c/o Geller & Co.) at 790 Madison Avenue, Suite 508, New York, NY 10065. All officers serve without compensation.

The most notable ongoing commitment in the public record is the Rutgers University Foundation cancer research initiative — $17.4M across three grants for the Cancer Immunology and Metabolism Center of Excellence at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey — representing the foundation's single largest institutional investment by a wide margin. The New York Genome Center received $10M across two separate $5M grants, making it the second-largest cumulative recipient.

No new named programs or public grant initiatives were announced in 2025–2026, consistent with MacMillan's pattern of operating as a quiet, relationship-based private foundation without public calls for proposals. The arts portfolio has continued to include The Perelman Performing Arts Center at the World Trade Center ($2M), signaling sustained interest in major NYC cultural infrastructure.

1. Use the online survey as a relationship entry point, not a proposal. The brief survey at macmillanff.org is the only formal unsolicited pathway. Keep responses concise and focused on alignment — 2 to 3 tight paragraphs identifying your program area, geography, and key impact metrics. The foundation reviews surveys on a rolling basis and does not guarantee individual responses, so treat the survey as a long-game touchpoint rather than a near-term grant opportunity.

2. Lead with geographic fit. With 80% of grants flowing to New York (55%) and New Jersey (25%) recipients, organizations outside this footprint must clearly articulate their NYC/NJ programmatic presence or impact. National organizations should quantify what percentage of beneficiaries are in these states.

3. Mirror the four program pillars precisely. In your survey, identify which of the four pillars your work addresses: cancer/medical research, education (under-resourced NYC/NJ communities), arts infrastructure/capacity-building, or community health/education/wellness services. Do not blend pillars or describe work that spans all four — pick your strongest alignment and be specific.

4. For cancer research applicants, foreground the scientist. The foundation specifically funds 'exceptional scientists' — not just institutions. Lead with the PI's credentials, institutional affiliation, publication record, peer recognition, and any prior NIH or NSF funding. Institutional prestige matters: top recipients include Rutgers, Columbia, New York Genome Center, the Institute for Advanced Study, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

5. Request general operating support. All 374 documented MacMillan grants carry a 'general purpose' designation. Frame requests as organizational capacity and mission sustainability — not narrow project funding. This aligns with the foundation's evident preference for flexible, unrestricted giving that allows grantees to deploy funds where most needed.

6. Plan for a multi-year relationship arc. The foundation's top grantees (Rutgers, NYC City Center, Frick Museum, Connecticut College, Princeton Ballet) have received grants across three or more fiscal years. Position your initial ask at a level that allows you to demonstrate impact and build toward a multi-year commitment — community organizations often enter at $50K–$200K before expanding.

7. Submit in Q1. While the foundation operates on a rolling review basis with no published deadlines, January through March aligns with typical private foundation annual planning cycles. Submitting in this window maximizes visibility during budget-setting discussions.

8. For previous grantees: bypass the survey entirely and contact your assigned MacMillan foundation representative directly to discuss renewal timing and any new funding opportunities.