The Murnane Family Foundation concentrates its giving on direct-service, community-based organizations in the Chicago suburbs, with a strong emphasis on supporting vulnerable populations and Catholic education. Its largest commitments fund residential or care programs (Hope Ranch, Marklund) and local parochial schools (St. Francis High School, St. Michael School), indicating a preference for organizations that provide hands-on services and faith-based education.
The Murnane Family Foundation C/o Frank Murnane Jr. makes repeated, high-dollar grants to a small set of organizations serving vulnerable youth, people with developmental disabilities, and Catholic schools in the Chicago suburbs and beyond. Its recent giving shows a clear preference for direct-service institutions rather than broad, intermediary grantmaking. Two of the largest commitments went to Hope Ranch in Luther, Montana, including $50,000 in 2023 and another $50,000 in 2024, alongside support for Marklund in Geneva, Illinois at $50,000 in 2024 and $34,000 in 2023. The pattern suggests a funder that stays with selected charities across years, especially when they provide residential care, long-term support, or faith-based education. Other recent support reached St. Francis High School in Wheaton and St. Michael School in Wheaton, reinforcing the foundation’s interest in Catholic K–12 education. A grant to the University of Notre Dame adds a higher-education dimension, but the overall portfolio remains concentrated and locally oriented, with Illinois recipients appearing most often among the listed grants.
In residential care and support for vulnerable youth, the foundation gave $50,000 to Hope Ranch in Luther, Montana for charity, and it also supported the organization in 2023 with the same amount. For services to people with developmental disabilities and long-term care, it granted $50,000 to Marklund in Geneva, Illinois in 2024, building on a $34,000 gift in 2023. Catholic education is another visible theme: St. Francis High School in Wheaton received $40,000 in 2024, while St. Michael School in Wheaton received $40,000 in 2023. The recent list also includes $10,000 to the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, showing some support beyond the suburban Chicago school network.
Typical gifts cluster tightly around the same range: the 25th percentile is $37,000, the median is $40,000, and the 75th percentile is $50,000. That distribution matches the recent awards, which are mostly mid-to-high five-figure grants. The foundation also shows clear repeat funding: Hope Ranch and Marklund each appear in multiple years, with the same recipients receiving support again rather than one-time awards only. The foundation gives as a family foundation and does not make program-related investments. No unsolicited application process is described in the provided data.
$126K
$887K
$53K
$127K
Most grants fall between $37K and $50K, with a median of $40K.
25th Percentile
$37K
Median
$40K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a small number of repeat grantees; funding is focused rather than widely distributed, with multiple sizable gifts to the same organizations.
Notable grantees: Hope Ranch, Marklund, St. Francis High School, St. Michael School
Grantmaking is regional and heavily centered in Illinois. The top giving state is IL, and 57% of grants go to recipients in the headquarters state. Recent Illinois recipients include Geneva and Wheaton, which each appear more than once in the grant list. The portfolio is still broader than the Chicago suburbs alone: Luther, Montana appears among the listed recipients, and one grant went to Notre Dame, Indiana. All recent grants in the data were made to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants point to direct-service organizations serving vulnerable youth, people with developmental disabilities, and Catholic K–12 schools. The listed recipients include residential care, long-term support, and parochial education organizations, with Illinois recipients appearing most often.
The grant-size distribution is tightly concentrated: the 25th percentile is $37,000, the median is $40,000, and the 75th percentile is $50,000. The recent grants align with that pattern, mostly falling in the $40,000 to $50,000 range.
Yes. Hope Ranch appears in both 2023 and 2024 at $50,000 each year, and Marklund appears in 2023 and 2024 with gifts of $34,000 and $50,000. That indicates repeat support rather than purely one-time giving.
Illinois is the top state by grant count, and 57% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state. Recent Illinois recipients include Geneva and Wheaton, showing a strong suburban Chicago concentration.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HOPE RANCH | LUTHER, MT | $40,000 | 2026 | CHARITY |
| ST FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL | WHEATON, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | CHARITY |
| MARKLUND | GENEVA, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | CHARITY |
| UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME | NOTRE DAME, IN | $25,000 | 2026 | CHARITY |
| CIRCLE URBAN MINISTRIES | CHICAGO, IL | $6,000 | 2026 | CHARITY |
| THE MYOSITIS ASSOCIATION | COLUMBIA, MD | $2,500 | 2026 | CHARITY |
| IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH | ELMHURST, IL | $2,000 | 2026 | CHARITY |
| HOPE RANCH | LUTHER, MT | $40,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| ST FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL | WHEATON, IL | $35,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| MARKLUND | GENEVA, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | CHARITY |
| HOPE RANCH | LUTHER, MT | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| MARKLUND | GENEVA, IL | $50,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| ST FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL | WHEATON, IL | $40,000 | 2024 | CHARITY |
| HOPE RANCH | LUTHER, MT | $50,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| ST MICHAEL SCHOOL | WHEATON, IL | $40,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| MARKLUND | GENEVA, IL | $34,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
| UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME | NOTRE DAME, IN | $10,000 | 2023 | CHARITY |
HOPE RANCH
$40,000CHARITY
ST FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL
$25,000CHARITY
MARKLUND
$25,000CHARITY
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
$25,000CHARITY
THE MYOSITIS ASSOCIATION
$2,500CHARITY
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH
$2,000CHARITY
HOPE RANCH
$40,000CHARITY
ST FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL
$35,000CHARITY
MARKLUND
$25,000CHARITY
HOPE RANCH
$50,000CHARITY
ST FRANCIS HIGH SCHOOL
$40,000CHARITY
HOPE RANCH
$50,000CHARITY
ST MICHAEL SCHOOL
$40,000CHARITY
UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
$10,000CHARITY