The Donovan Family Foundation concentrates its giving on Catholic education in Massachusetts, making large gifts to private Catholic secondary and elementary schools and affiliated school-support foundations. A single beneficiary, Malden Catholic High School, received the vast majority of dollars, while smaller recurring grants support parish-based social services. The foundation appears focused on sustaining Catholic school operations and local community outreach in the Boston area.
Highly concentrated giving: a few, often repeated grants with one very large recipient (Malden Catholic). Majority of funds go to education (private Catholic schools and their supporting foundations), with smaller, recurring gifts to local charitable ministries. Grants are large in size but limited in number and geographic scope (local/regionally focused).
A single grantee accounts for the clearest signal in Donovan Family Foundation’s recent giving: Malden Catholic High School received $1,220,000 in 2025, far above every other grant in the file. That large unrestricted award sits within a pattern of support for Catholic education and parish-linked service organizations in Massachusetts, especially around Greater Boston and the North Shore. The foundation’s named recipients include private Catholic secondary schools, Catholic elementary and parochial schools, and school-support intermediaries, along with a smaller number of basic-needs and social-service nonprofits. The grant list shows a foundation that gives unrestricted support rather than narrowly designated project grants. In Massachusetts, its recipients include Malden Catholic High School, Xaverian Brothers High School, Cheverus Catholic School, Catholic Schools Foundation, St Marks School, and Bread of Life Inc. Outside that core education network, the foundation also awarded smaller grants to organizations such as Samaritans Inc and The Doug Flutie Jr Foundation for Autism Inc. The overall picture is of a family foundation backing Catholic school operations and related local community outreach through direct, flexible grants.
Catholic education is the foundation’s most visible theme. It gave $1,220,000 to Malden Catholic High School in 2025 and $50,000 to Xaverian Brothers High School in 2023, both unrestricted. It also supported Catholic elementary and parochial education with $50,000 to Cheverus Catholic School in 2023 and another $25,000 in 2024, plus $35,000 in 2024 and $25,000 in 2025 to Catholic Schools Foundation. A second line of giving supports school communities and related institutions. St Marks School received $25,000 in 2023, $25,000 in 2024, and $25,000 in 2025, showing repeated support across multiple years. Montrose School received $10,000 in 2024. The foundation also funds parish-based social services and nearby community needs. Bread of Life Inc received $85,000 in both 2023 and 2024, while Samaritans Inc received $10,000 in 2024 and $5,000 in 2023. It also made unrestricted grants to Joey Fund and St Sebastian.
Typical grant size is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $30,000 at the 75th percentile, but the file also includes much larger awards. Giving is recurring rather than one-off for several recipients: Malden Catholic High School, Bread of Life Inc, Catholic Schools Foundation, St Marks School, Joey Fund, Samaritans Inc, and Indiana Youth Service Association each appear in multiple years. The foundation funds individuals does not make program-related investments, and the grants shown are unrestricted. This is a family foundation with local geographic scope, and the latest 990 year on file is 2025.
$175K
$86K
$3K
$175K
Most grants fall between $10K and $30K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$30K
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Notable grantees: Malden Catholic High School, Bread of Life, Inc., Xaverian Brothers High School, Cheverus Catholic School, Catholic Schools Foundation
Grantmaking is heavily concentrated in Massachusetts, which accounts for 83% of grants and is the top state by grant count. Malden appears repeatedly through Malden Catholic High School, Bread of Life Inc, and Cheverus Catholic School, while Boston is another recurring hub through Catholic Schools Foundation, St Sebastian, and Samaritans Inc. Other Massachusetts recipients include Westwood, Southborough, Medfield, and Framingham. Outside the state, the file includes Indiana Youth Service Association in Indianapolis, The Michael Duke Foundation in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and Red Cloud Indian School in South Dakota.
The foundation’s recent grants center on Catholic education in Massachusetts, including Catholic secondary schools, Catholic elementary or parochial schools, and a Catholic schools support organization. It also supports parish-based social services and a smaller set of community nonprofits.
The recent grants are listed as unrestricted. That includes awards to Malden Catholic High School, Bread of Life Inc, Xaverian Brothers High School, Catholic Schools Foundation, and other recipients in the file.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Malden Catholic High School, Bread of Life Inc, Catholic Schools Foundation, St Marks School, Joey Fund, Samaritans Inc, and Indiana Youth Service Association.
The grant-size distribution centers at $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $30,000 at the 75th percentile. The list also includes larger grants, including a $1,220,000 award in 2025.
Massachusetts is the main recipient state, with 83% of grants going there. Recent Massachusetts cities in the list include Malden, Boston, Westwood, Southborough, Medfield, and Framingham.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CATHOLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FRANCIS OUIMET CADDIE SCHOLARSHIP FUND INC | NORTON, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| XAVERIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL | WESTWOOD, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ST MARKS SCHOOL | SOUTHBOROUGH, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHEVERUS CATHOLIC SCHOOL | MALDEN, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SAMARITANS INC | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MISSION GRAMMAR SCHOOL | ROXBURY, MA | $15,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MALDEN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | MALDEN, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MALDEN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | MALDEN, MA | $1,220,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CATHOLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ST MARKS SCHOOL | SOUTHBOROUGH, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BREAD OF LIFE INC | MALDEN, MA | $85,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CATHOLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $35,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ST MARKS SCHOOL | SOUTHBOROUGH, MA | $25,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHEVERUS CATHOLIC SCHOOL | MALDEN, MA | $25,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE DOUG FLUTIE JR FOUNDATION FOR AUTISM INC | FRAMINGHAM, MA | $25,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| RED CLOUD INDIAN SCHOOL | SOUTH DAKOTA, SD | $25,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| INDIANA YOUTH SERVICE ASSOCIATION | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $25,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| JOEY FUND | SOUTHBOROUGH, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SAMARITANS INC | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MONTROSE SCHOOL | MEDFIELD, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE MICHAEL DUKE FOUNDATION | WEST CHESTER, PA | $10,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ST SEBASTIAN | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MALDEN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | MALDEN, MA | $2,500 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MALDEN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL | MALDEN, MA | $175,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| BREAD OF LIFE INC | MALDEN, MA | $85,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| XAVERIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL | WESTWOOD, MA | $50,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHEVERUS CATHOLIC SCHOOL | MALDEN, MA | $50,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CATHOLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ST MARKS SCHOOL | SOUTHBOROUGH, MA | $25,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| INDIANA YOUTH SERVICE ASSOCIATION | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $25,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ST SEBASTIAN | BOSTON, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| JOEY FUND | SOUTHBOROUGH, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| SAMARITANS INC | BOSTON, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
XAVERIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
ST MARKS SCHOOL
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
CHEVERUS CATHOLIC SCHOOL
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
UNRESTRICTED
MISSION GRAMMAR SCHOOL
$15,000UNRESTRICTED
MALDEN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
MALDEN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
$1,220,000UNRESTRICTED
ST MARKS SCHOOL
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
ST MARKS SCHOOL
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
CHEVERUS CATHOLIC SCHOOL
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
THE DOUG FLUTIE JR FOUNDATION FOR AUTISM INC
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
RED CLOUD INDIAN SCHOOL
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
JOEY FUND
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
MONTROSE SCHOOL
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
THE MICHAEL DUKE FOUNDATION
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
ST SEBASTIAN
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
MALDEN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
$2,500UNRESTRICTED
MALDEN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
$175,000UNRESTRICTED
XAVERIAN BROTHERS HIGH SCHOOL
$50,000UNRESTRICTED
CHEVERUS CATHOLIC SCHOOL
$50,000UNRESTRICTED
ST MARKS SCHOOL
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
ST SEBASTIAN
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
JOEY FUND
$10,000UNRESTRICTED