The Cathleen McFarlane Foundation concentrates its giving in South Florida, funding a small number of sizable grants focused on local community uplift. Major support goes to youth- and community-development programs in Palm Beach County (including Belle Glade), scholarship programs for students, and faith-based charitable services. The foundation tends to make repeat, targeted gifts rather than many small, general-purpose grants.
Focus Areas
Community and youth development programs in Palm Beach County (e.g., Project LIFT in Palm City & Belle Glade)Local scholarship programs for students (Hanley Foundation scholarship support)Faith-based social services and direct charitable assistance (Faith Hope Love and Charity)Targeted funding to underserved communities in Belle Glade and surrounding areas
Who They Fund
low-income individuals and familiespeople experiencing homelessnesshurricane and fire victims / disaster-impacted residentsstudents / scholarship recipients
About Cathleen Mcfarlane Foundation
Cathleen Mcfarlane Foundation Inc centers much of its giving on a small set of large, repeat grants in Palm Beach County, with Project Lift and Hanley Foundation standing out in the recent record. The foundation’s support for Project Lift has reached Palm City and Belle Glade, while its scholarship funding has gone to Hanley Foundation’s scholarship program in West Palm Beach. That pattern points to a funder that favors targeted, local investments over a broad mix of small awards.
Its recent grants also show a consistent interest in community support services. Place of Hope has received multiple awards for unrestricted support and outreach vans, and The Lord’s Place has been funded for peer support programming. Other gifts have gone to organizations serving families, students, and residents facing housing instability or urgent needs, including Adopt-a-family, Center for Child Counseling Inc, and Wounded Veterans Relief Fund. The foundation’s grant history suggests a practical emphasis on direct service, scholarship access, and neighborhood-level assistance in South Florida.
What Cathleen Mcfarlane Foundation Funds
In youth and community development, the foundation gave $199,000 to Project Lift for Palm City & Belle Glade and $80,400 to Path to College for the Master Path Series and fellowship mentor work. Those awards show interest in programs that support students and community engagement in Palm Beach County.
Scholarship support is another clear thread. Cathleen Mcfarlane Foundation Inc gave $192,500 to Hanley Foundation for its scholarship program, following a $175,000 grant to the same purpose in the prior year. The pattern indicates direct support for educational access rather than scattered one-time awards.
The foundation also funds housing and human services. Adopt-a-family received $110,000 for its housing stabilization program, and The Lord’s Place received $100,000 for peer support programming. In family services, Center for Child Counseling Inc was awarded $98,876 for a child and family center.
How Cathleen Mcfarlane Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster around the mid five figures: the p25 is $10,000, the median is $27,000, and the p75 is $51,010. The recent record still includes several much larger awards, which suggests a mix of modest community grants and a few larger program commitments.
Repeat giving is a clear feature of the foundation’s pattern. Project Lift, Hanley Foundation, Place of Hope, Student Aces, Wounded Veterans Relief Fund, St Ann Place, and Catholic Charities of Palm Beach each appear more than once in the recent grants list. The foundation also accepts unsolicited applications across several grant programs, including homelessness, substance abuse, and animal welfare. It makes grants rather than program-related investments.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.8M
Total Assets
$33.8M
Total Revenue
$2.8M
Total Expenses
$2.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $51K, with a median of $27K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$27K
75th Percentile
$51K
Geographic Reach
Regional8 states funded
About 80% of grants go to recipients in FL.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Deep Analysis
Unlock Deep Analysis
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
community residents requiring transportation/outreach
animals (feral cat population / animal welfare)
Giving Approach
Concentrated giving: a small number of large grants (many repeated to the same organizations), geographically focused in West Palm Beach/Palm Beach County, prioritizing program support and scholarships over broad national funding.
Notable grantees: Project LIFT, Hanley Foundation, Faith Hope Love and Charity
Topics
housing stabilization and safe housingscholarship access / educational supporturgent financial assistance / disaster recoverytransportation access & outreach vanspeer support / case management / patient navigationhomeless outreach & self-sufficiency programsdigital access for students (Chromebooks)
Where Cathleen Mcfarlane Foundation Makes Grants
The foundation’s giving is concentrated in Florida, with 80% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Palm Beach County dominates the map of recipients, including West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach, Lake Worth, Palm Springs, Lake Park, Palm City, and Belle Glade. Outside the county, the recent list still stays within Florida. The recipient-country distribution is entirely domestic, with 121 grants to US organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cathleen Mcfarlane Foundation
What kinds of organizations does Cathleen Mcfarlane Foundation Inc fund?
Recent grants show support for youth and community development, scholarship programs, housing stabilization, peer support, child and family services, hurricane relief, and urgent financial assistance. The active grant programs also include homelessness, substance abuse, and animal welfare, with grants going to community-based nonprofits.
Does the foundation accept unsolicited applications?
Yes. The active grant programs listed for Cathleen Mcfarlane Foundation Inc all note that unsolicited applications are accepted, including the homelessness, animal welfare, substance abuse, and general grantmaking programs.
What is the typical grant size?
The reported grant-size distribution is p25 at $10,000, median at $27,000, and p75 at $51,010. Recent awards also include larger grants, such as $199,000 to Project Lift and $192,500 to Hanley Foundation.
Where does the foundation give most often?
Florida is the top state by grant count, and 80% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. The recipient list is concentrated in Palm Beach County cities such as West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Lake Worth, Palm Beach, Lake Park, Palm Springs, Palm City, and Belle Glade.
Are there recurring grantees?
Yes. Several organizations appear more than once in the recent grants list, including Project Lift, Hanley Foundation, Place of Hope, Student Aces, Wounded Veterans Relief Fund, St Ann Place, and Catholic Charities of Palm Beach. That pattern suggests repeat, targeted funding relationships.
Latest 990 Filing
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Open Grant Opportunities
Current and upcoming funding from Cathleen Mcfarlane Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Open nowRolling / open intake
Homelessness Prevention and Service Grants
homelessness preventionhomeless serviceseviction prevention+4 more
Who can apply: Community-based organizations helping prevent homelessness and provide supportive services; preferred service delivery to vulnerable or marginalized populations. The foundation discourages capital campaigns, endowments, purchase of facilities/buildings, permanent subsidized housing, abortions, and large overhead or large organizations.
Deadline: Monthly review as needed; paused mid-June through end of August.
General Grantmaking (Homelessness, Substance Abuse, Animal Welfare)
Homelessness prevention and servicesSubstance abuse prevention and treatmentAnimal rescue and welfare
Who can apply: Community-based nonprofit organizations providing services addressing homelessness, substance abuse, or animal welfare. Preference for programs serving vulnerable or fringe/marginalized populations. Discourages requests for capital campaigns, endowments, facility purchases, permanent subsidized housing, and abortion funding. Multiyear grants allowed.
Deadline: Applications reviewed monthly (as needed); no specific annual deadline. No reviews mid-June through end of August.
animal welfareanimal rescueanimal nourishment+1 more
Who can apply: Organizations helping animals in need and focused on rescue, nourishment, and welfare. Preferred service delivery to vulnerable or marginalized populations. The foundation discourages capital campaigns, endowments, purchase of facilities/buildings, permanent subsidized housing, abortions, and large overhead or large organizations.
Deadline: Monthly review as needed; paused mid-June through end of August.
substance abuse preventionsubstance abuse treatmentaddiction recovery+1 more
Who can apply: Community-based organizations working to prevent, serve, and recover people affected by substance abuse or addiction. Preferred service delivery to vulnerable or marginalized populations. The foundation discourages capital campaigns, endowments, purchase of facilities/buildings, permanent subsidized housing, abortions, and large overhead or large organizations.
Deadline: Monthly review as needed; paused mid-June through end of August.
Deadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.
