The James J O'Connell Fund concentrates philanthropic support in New Jersey, primarily providing unrestricted operating support to healthcare and higher-education institutions. The majority of recent funding went to RWJ University Hospital Foundation with repeat grants, while a smaller portion supported Rutgers University; both gifts are general operating rather than project-specific. This indicates a preference for sustaining institutional capacity in regional medical and academic entities.
Concentrated, small portfolio: few large grants focused on a small number of repeat, unrestricted grants to regional institutions (heavy tilt toward a single hospital foundation).
James J O'connell Fund’s recent giving centers on unrestricted operating support for New Jersey healthcare and higher-education institutions, with repeated grants to the same regional organizations across 2024 and 2025. The largest recent award in the file was $75,856 to The Rwj University Hospital Foundation I in Oceanport for general operating support, followed by another $38,831 grant to the same recipient in 2025. That repeat pattern is echoed in other grantees, including Rutgers University Foundation, St Peters Foundation, Princeton Healthcare System Foundation I, Hackensack Meridian Health Inc, and Deborah Hospital Foundation, all funded for general operating purposes. The fund also supports organizations tied to children’s health and development, such as Princeton Child Development Institute and The Institute for Children With Cancer A. Across the recent grants list, the foundation’s approach is institution-focused rather than project-specific, using operating dollars to support organizational capacity at hospitals, universities, and related nonprofits. The grant record points to a small set of New Jersey institutions receiving multiple awards rather than a broad distribution across many states or countries.
Healthcare institutions account for much of the recent activity. The James J O'connell Fund gave $75,856 in 2024 and $38,831 in 2025 to The Rwj University Hospital Foundation I for general operating support, and it also funded Princeton Healthcare System Foundation I and Hackensack Meridian Health Inc with operating grants. Higher education is another clear area of support: Rutgers University Foundation received $28,446 in 2024 and $16,642 in 2025, both for general operating purposes. The fund also backed Princeton Child Development Institute with operating grants in both 2024 and 2025, including $9,482 and $5,547. Children’s health appears in the grant to The Institute for Children With Cancer A, which received operating support in both years. These grants show a preference for core funding at institutions serving health, education, and child-focused needs.
The recent grant sizes cluster around a few levels: p25 is $9,482, median is $9,482, and p75 is $18,964. That points to a pattern of repeat grants at familiar amounts, with some larger awards to long-term recipients. The list shows the same organizations appearing in both 2024 and 2025, including The Rwj University Hospital Foundation I, Rutgers University Foundation, Princeton Child Development Institute, Hackensack Meridian Health Inc, The Institute for Children With Cancer A, Canavan Foundation Inc, Deborah Hospital Foundation, Princeton Healthcare System Foundation I, and St Peters Foundation. The fund does not make grants to individuals. The recent record also shows only general operating support, not project-specific awards.
$104K
$3.4M
$405K
$190K
Most grants fall between $9K and $19K, with a median of $9K.
25th Percentile
$9K
Median
$9K
75th Percentile
$19K
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Notable grantees: THE RWJ UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION, RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
Grantmaking is strongly concentrated in New Jersey, which accounts for 89% of grants in the data and is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities in New Jersey include Oceanport, New Brunswick, Plainsboro, Edison, Princeton, and Browns Mills. The only non-New Jersey recipient in the recent list is Canavan Foundation Inc in New York, NY, which appears in both 2024 and 2025. All grants in the country distribution are in the United States.
The recent grants are all listed as general operating support. Recipients include hospitals, university foundations, and child-focused nonprofits, which suggests the fund prefers unrestricted support for institutional capacity rather than project-specific funding.
The typical grant size is $9,482 at the 25th percentile, median, and a substantial share of the recent awards. The 75th percentile is $18,964, showing a second tier of larger operating grants.
Yes. Several recipients appear in both 2024 and 2025, including The Rwj University Hospital Foundation I, Rutgers University Foundation, Princeton Child Development Institute, Hackensack Meridian Health Inc, and Deborah Hospital Foundation.
Its giving is local, with 89% of grants going to recipients in New Jersey. Recent New Jersey recipient cities include Oceanport, New Brunswick, Plainsboro, Edison, Princeton, and Browns Mills.
No. The foundation’s profile states that it does not fund individuals.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RWJ UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | OCEANPORT, NJ | $36,477 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ | $31,266 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| PRINCETON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM FOUNDATION | PLAINSBORO, NJ | $10,422 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| DEBORAH HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | BROWNS MILLS, NJ | $10,422 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| THE COOPER FOUNDATION CHILD LIFE TEAM | CAMDEN, NJ | $5,211 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| NEW JERSEY HEALTH FOUNDATION | PRINCETON, NJ | $5,211 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| EMBRACE KIDS | NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ | $5,211 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED GENERAL |
| THE RWJ UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION I | OCEANPORT, NJ | $38,831 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ | $16,642 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ST PETERS FOUNDATION | NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ | $11,095 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PRINCETON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM FOUNDATION I | PLAINSBORO, NJ | $11,095 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH INC | EDISON, NJ | $5,547 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| NEW JERSEY HEALTH FOUNDATION INC | PRINCETON, NJ | $5,547 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| CANAVAN FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $5,547 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE INSTITUTE FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER A | NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ | $5,547 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PRINCETON CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE | PRINCETON, NJ | $5,547 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| DEBORAH HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | BROWNS MILLS, NJ | $5,547 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE RWJ UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION I | OCEANPORT, NJ | $75,856 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| RUTGERS UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION | NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ | $28,446 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| ST PETERS FOUNDATION | NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ | $18,964 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PRINCETON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM FOUNDATION I | PLAINSBORO, NJ | $18,964 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| THE INSTITUTE FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER A | NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ | $9,482 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| CANAVAN FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $9,482 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| PRINCETON CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE | PRINCETON, NJ | $9,482 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH INC | EDISON, NJ | $9,482 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
| DEBORAH HOSPITAL FOUNDATION | BROWNS MILLS, NJ | $9,482 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING |
THE COOPER FOUNDATION CHILD LIFE TEAM
$5,211UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
NEW JERSEY HEALTH FOUNDATION
$5,211UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
EMBRACE KIDS
$5,211UNRESTRICTED GENERAL
PRINCETON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM FOUNDATION I
$11,095GENERAL OPERATING
HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH INC
$5,547GENERAL OPERATING
NEW JERSEY HEALTH FOUNDATION INC
$5,547GENERAL OPERATING
CANAVAN FOUNDATION INC
$5,547GENERAL OPERATING
THE INSTITUTE FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER A
$5,547GENERAL OPERATING
PRINCETON CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
$5,547GENERAL OPERATING
PRINCETON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM FOUNDATION I
$18,964GENERAL OPERATING
THE INSTITUTE FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER A
$9,482GENERAL OPERATING
CANAVAN FOUNDATION INC
$9,482GENERAL OPERATING
PRINCETON CHILD DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
$9,482GENERAL OPERATING
HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH INC
$9,482GENERAL OPERATING