For more than 30 years, the William J. and Dorothy K. O’Neill Foundation has partnered with nonprofits to improve the quality of life for families across the United States. We are fueled—and inspired—by the tremendous work our partner organizations do in their communities each and every day to support the lives of families.
Since our Responsive Grantmaking Program began in 2013, it has been an honor to have supported more than 200 grantee partners in 9 states – with grant funding totaling more than $28 million.
With that in mind, 2023 will mark the beginning of a refreshed grantmaking program for the Foundation.
What’s changing at the Foundation in 2023?
The Foundation’s Trustees embarked on a strategic planning process in 2022 which moved the Foundation in a unique direction in its grantmaking process.
After careful consideration, a decision was made to end the Responsive Grantmaking Program at the end of 2022 and begin a new grantmaking strategy that will allow us to continue to support important initiatives and programs in a different but still life-changing way.
The family’s decision was driven by data; insight from professionals including staff, consultants, and experts in the field; and O’Neill family’s experiences as family members and philanthropists who have had the opportunity to participate in this work.
To that end, the new grantmaking proposal process will be done by “invitation only.” While that may change in the future, organizations may only apply for a grant if they receive an invitation to do so by the Foundation.
How have our mission, vision, and values changed?
The Foundation has a strong history of family philanthropy, and our new mission, vision, and values reflect that longstanding commitment.
Mission:
We support effective nonprofits who work in partnership with their communities towards a shared vision of health, safety, and empowerment.
Vision:
Strong communities where families rise each morning with hope, live each day with purpose, and rest each night with peace.
Values:
Family | Our longstanding commitment to work in concert with our fellow family members serves as the bedrock of the Foundation. We are a dynamic and diverse family that operates with gratitude, respect, thoughtfulness, and courage while honoring our Founders and their values as we move forward together.
Community | We value the fellowship and mutuality that occurs when people work collectively to help each other. We believe strong communities are built on strong relationships where people come together to work on shared causes and where people trust and respect one another. We believe families are the pillars of strong communities.
Impact | Our work is evaluated through the lens of impact. Grants are intended to be transformative and produce lasting positive outcomes, whether that be for an individual, group, or community. We hold ourselves accountable to high standards of operation, effectiveness, and transparency to ensure the achievement of lasting change.
Dignity | The only path to our shared vision is through valuing the innate dignity and worthiness of every human by embracing the diversity of communities and respecting our own differences.
What’s next for the Foundation?
We will continue to provide updates on additional changes that may be taking place within the Foundation. We are excited to see how our new method of grantmaking works for future grantees and the families and communities we assist in creating transformative and lasting, positive outcomes.
How can our partners stay connected to current and future changes?
We will continue to share our progress in establishing our new strategy throughout 2023, so please follow us on social media and regularly check our website to learn more.
People are at the heart of all we do. We are excited to continue using our philanthropy to learn from and provide for those individuals and the communities in which they live, all while allowing the O’Neill family to work and learn together.