The O Grady Foundation Inc.

The O'Grady Foundation is an invitation-only private foundation established in 1994 by Thomas and Kathleen O'Grady in Connecticut, now headquartered at 140 East 81st Street, Suite 5C, New York, NY 10028. Since January 2015, the Foundation has explicitly not accepted any unsolicited proposals — all grants are made solely at the discretion and invitation of the Board of Trustees.

The Foundation's stated focus is arts institutions and "other charitable organizations of interest to the members of its Board of Trustees." This intentionally broad language reflects trustee-directed giving rather than a programmatic grant strategy. The arts focus is primary, but the discretionary language means the portfolio can include any cause that resonates with board members.

Total giving since 1994 has exceeded $10 million, representing roughly $333,000 annually on average over 30 years. The 2024 grants paid of $429,438 suggests current giving above the historical average. The foundation is a member of the Council on Foundations, Exponent Philanthropy, Grantmakers in the Arts, and Philanthropy New York — professional affiliations that indicate active engagement with the grantmaking community.

The 2024 balance sheet (from the foundation's own website) shows: - Total assets: $3,719,845 - Cash: $256,161 - Securities: $4,220,852 (note: this exceeds stated total, possibly reflecting reporting conventions) - Grants paid: $429,438 - Operating expenses: $66,502 - Taxes: $10,567

The database shows $2.76M in assets — likely based on older IRS filings. The foundation's own 2024 balance sheet shows $3.7M, indicating recovery or growth from earlier years.

At $429K in annual grants with invitation-only grantmaking, average grant size likely ranges from $10,000–$50,000, with possibly 10–20 grants per year. Arts institutions receive the plurality of grants based on the foundation's stated priorities and professional memberships.

The foundation's membership in Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA) is particularly telling — GIA is the field's leading affinity group for arts funders, and active membership indicates genuine arts philanthropy engagement, not just occasional arts giving.

The O'Grady Foundation compares to a classic category of mid-size New York family arts foundations that operate with total trustee discretion: - Agnes Gund Foundation: Much larger, systematic arts funder; O'Grady is smaller and more personal - Robert Sterling Clark Foundation: NYC-based arts funder with staff and programs; O'Grady is leaner - Lily Auchincloss Foundation: Similar profile — arts focus, smaller New York family foundation - Greenwall Foundation: NY arts/ethics funder; more programmatic than O'Grady

The invitation-only stance is common among foundations this size in New York City. Managing hundreds of unsolicited proposals annually is resource-prohibitive for a foundation with minimal staff, so trustee-discretion models are the norm.

Key distinguishing factors: (1) explicit membership in Council on Foundations + Exponent Philanthropy + GIA signals philanthropic seriousness beyond casual family giving, (2) the website transparency about no unsolicited proposals is honest and saves time for applicants, (3) the 30-year track record and $10M+ in cumulative giving indicates sustained commitment.

2024 financial data (from the foundation's own website): - Total assets: $3,719,845 - Grants paid: $429,438 - Operating expenses: $66,502

The foundation's website (theogradyfoundation.org) is active and maintained on Weebly, with three pages: Home, Financials, and Grants Paid. The Grants Paid page lists "2024" but the specific grantee list appears to be dynamically rendered and was not accessible via static crawling.

The foundation has maintained its January 2015 policy of no unsolicited proposals for over 10 years. There is no indication of any change to this policy. Professional memberships (Council on Foundations, Exponent Philanthropy, Grantmakers in the Arts, Philanthropy New York) are current and listed on the homepage.

1. Do not apply unsolicited — this is an absolute restriction. The O'Grady Foundation has explicitly not accepted unsolicited proposals since January 2015. Submitting an unsolicited application will not be considered and wastes your organization's time.

2. Build relationships through arts networks. Since grants come solely through board invitation, the path to funding runs through shared spaces: Grantmakers in the Arts conferences, Philanthropy New York events, Council on Foundations gatherings. Arts organizations whose leadership intersects with Thomas and Kathleen O'Grady's networks are most likely to receive invitations.

3. Focus on arts if pursuing relationship building. While the foundation funds "other charitable organizations," arts institutions are the stated primary interest. Non-arts organizations would need a compelling personal connection to a board trustee to receive consideration.

4. Leverage the GIA connection. Membership in Grantmakers in the Arts means foundation leadership participates in GIA programming. Arts organizations that are active GIA members (via their Nonprofit Members program) may encounter O'Grady trustees at field events.

5. Maintain awareness as a long-term strategy. Invitation-only foundations sometimes respond to organizations that have demonstrated impact over many years through public reporting, press coverage, and field leadership — even without a formal application. Being visible in your field increases the likelihood of an organic invitation.

6. Contact for research purposes only. Email info@theogradyfoundation.org only to confirm the foundation's current status or to express general interest in their work — not to request a grant. Any communication should be professional and low-pressure.