The Murray Family Foundation concentrates its giving into a small number of relatively large, unrestricted awards that support investigative journalism, international humanitarian causes, and a handful of education and local-news recipients. Grants indicate a strong interest in independent, impact-driven media (including open-source investigative work) and international relief/child welfare, with repeat support to select organizations rather than broad, diffuse funding. While the foundation is based in Delaware, its grants are geographically diverse — spanning global investigative groups, Brazil-focused philanthropy, U.S. disaster relief, and higher-education partners.
The Murray Family Foundation stands out for repeated, large unrestricted support to independent journalism and international relief groups, especially Bellingcat and its related funds. Across the recent grants list, the foundation backs investigative media, Brazil-focused philanthropy, disaster recovery, and select education partners, often with awards sized well above its median grant. The largest grant in the file is $200,000 to Stichting Bellingcat for general and unrestricted support, followed by $100,000 to the American Red Cross for hurricane recovery in North Carolina and another $100,000 to One World Childrens Fund for general and unrestricted support. That pattern points to a funder that favors a small number of organizations and gives them room to use money flexibly. The foundation also shows interest in causes beyond media: child welfare, emergency aid, scholarship support, and operational help for local nonprofits. Its recent grants include both one-time awards and repeat support, including multiple grants to Bellingcat Fund and Water Org Inc, which suggests ongoing relationships with select recipients rather than broad, transactional grantmaking.
Independent journalism is a clear theme. In 2024 and 2025, the foundation gave $50,000 and $25,000 to Bellingcat Fund for general and unrestricted support, and it also gave $50,000 to Local Independent Online News Publishers Inc for general and unrestricted support. Brazil-focused philanthropy appears through the Brazil Foundation, which received $60,000 in 2024 for Fundao Brasil Cidado, Instituto Metamorfose, Instituto Proa, Projeto Gauss, Associao Brasileira de Enfermagem, and UmRio, followed by $50,000 in 2025 for general and unrestricted support. The foundation also supports education and workforce pathways: Northern Arizona University Fdn Inc received $35,862 in 2025 for general and unrestricted support and $35,175 in 2024 for the Virginia Murray Memorial Scholarship Fund, while Per Scholas Inc received $10,000 for general and unrestricted support.
Grant sizes cluster around modest-to-mid-sized awards, with a p25 of $5,000, a median of $10,000, and a p75 of $17,500. The foundation also makes a smaller number of much larger grants, which raises the overall scale. Several recipients appear more than once across the recent list, including Water Org Inc, Bellingcat Fund, Northern Arizona University Fdn Inc, and Brazil Foundation, indicating recurring relationships rather than single donations. The awards are mostly general and unrestricted, with some targeted support for disasters, scholarships, or operational needs. The organization also funds individuals, which is notable alongside its nonprofit grantmaking.
$346K
$7.4M
$377K
$384K
Most grants fall between $5K and $18K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$18K
About 2% of grants go to recipients in MI.
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Murray Family Foundation.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 76 | $1.1M | 98.7% |
| 2 | Netherlands |
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Concentrated giving: a small number of large, mostly unrestricted grants with several repeat recipients. Mix of international and U.S. recipients, favoring strategic, high-impact partners rather than many small grants.
Notable grantees: Bellingcat / Bellingcat Fund, Brazil Foundation, One World Children's Fund, Local Independent Online News Publishers Inc, Northern Arizona University Foundation
The foundation gives nationally, with the highest concentration of grants going to North Carolina recipients. Delaware accounts for 3% of grants, while the recent list also reaches Arizona, New York, Arkansas, Michigan, Missouri, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, and Florida-adjacent island jurisdictions. Specific recipient locations include Phoenix, Kansas City, Hot Springs, Flagstaff, and Wilmington. Outside the United States, the recipient country distribution includes one grant in the Netherlands, tied to Stichting Bellingcat in Amsterdam.
The recent grants show support for investigative journalism, Brazil-focused philanthropy, international child welfare, disaster recovery, scholarship support, and operational help for local nonprofits. Named recipients include Bellingcat Fund, the Brazil Foundation, One World Childrens Fund, the American Red Cross, and Northern Arizona University Fdn Inc.
Yes. Water Org Inc appears three times at $10,000 each across 2023 to 2025, and Bellingcat Fund appears twice in 2024 and 2025. Northern Arizona University Fdn Inc and Brazil Foundation also each appear in more than one year.
The grant-size distribution centers on smaller awards: p25 is $5,000, median is $10,000, and p75 is $17,500. The list also includes larger outliers, such as $200,000 to Stichting Bellingcat and $100,000 to the American Red Cross.
The top state by grant count is North Carolina. The recent grants list includes a $100,000 award to the American Red Cross in support of hurricane recovery specifically in North Carolina, and the recipient-country distribution is overwhelmingly U.S.-based.
The grants are national, with recipients in many U.S. states and one in the Netherlands. The recipient-country distribution is 49 grants in the U.S. and 1 in the Netherlands, and recent recipient cities include Phoenix, Wilmington, Flagstaff, Hot Springs, Kansas City, and Cambridge.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
| 1 |
| $200K |
1.3% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARIZONA LEGAL WOMEN AND YOUTH SERVICES | PHOENIX, AZ | $45,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY FDN INC | FLAGSTAFF, AZ | $35,862 | 2026 | Virginia Murray Memorial Scholarship Fund |
| ST MARYS FOOD BANK ALLIANCE | PHOENIX, AZ | $25,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| WATER ORG INC | KANSAS CITY, MO | $25,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN INCORPORATED | WASHINGTON, DC | $24,930 | 2026 | Gaza Fund |
| AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE ASPEN INSTITUTE INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $20,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CLEAN AIR TASK FORCE INC | BOSTON, MA | $20,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| GROUNDSWELL COMMUNITY PROJECT | SAN DIEGO, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| JACKSON HOUSE CRISIS INTERVENTION | HOT SPRINGS, AR | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| TALLER SALUD INC | LOIZA, PR | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| BELLINGCAT FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CASA CORNELIA LEGAL SERVICES | SAN DIEGO, CA | $10,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| FEEDING AMERICA | WASHINGTON, DC | $7,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| UPSTATE HOMESCHOOL CO-OP INC | TAYLORS, SC | $5,000 | 2026 | For use in the new Traveler's Rest community campus |
| LENAWEE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | ADRIAN, MI | $5,000 | 2026 | Launch Lenawee Fund |
| GROUNDWORK CENTER FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES INC | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $2,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| BEST FRIENDS ANIMAL SOCIETY | KANAB, UT | $2,500 | 2026 | Support Displaced Animals from LA Fires |
| NORTHWEST MICHIGAN SUPPORTIVE HOUSING | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $2,500 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF JACKSON LENAWEE AND HILLSDAL | JACKSON, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| ADRIAN SCHOOL EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | ADRIAN, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF LENAWEE | ADRIAN, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| SPECIAL OLYMPICS INC | BAY CITY, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | General & Unrestricted |
| LENAWEE COUNCIL FOR THE VISUAL ARTS | ADRIAN, MI | $1,000 | 2026 | Artwork exchange with Adrian Armory Community Center |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | PHOENIX, AZ | $100,000 | 2025 | In support of hurricane recovery specifically in North Carolina |
| BRAZIL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY FDN INC | FLAGSTAFF, AZ | $35,862 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BELLINGCAT FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CARING PLACE OF HOT SPRINGS INC | HOT SPRINGS, AR | $12,000 | 2025 | to purchase Pressing Needs: Tables, Chairs, Dishwasher, Room Dividers |
| WATER ORG INC | KANSAS CITY, MO | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NAF HOTLINE FUND | ANNAPOLIS JCT, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| YOUTH IMPACT MENTORING | PHOENIX, AZ | $10,000 | 2025 | to support Strategic Plan, Policies and Procedures, etc. |
| GROUNDWORK CENTER FOR RESILIENT COMMUNITIES INC | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CASA BRAZIL INC | SCOTTSDALE, AZ | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| THE MANNA PROJECT INC | HARBOR SPGS, MI | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| NORTHWEST MICHIGAN SUPPORTIVE HOUSING | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| WATER MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL | CHARLOTTE, NC | $5,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| AHIMSA SAFE HAVEN INC | ONSTED, MI | $2,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| SPECIAL OLYMPICS INC | BAY CITY, MI | $2,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| LENAWEE COUNCIL FOR THE VISUAL ARTS | ADRIAN, MI | $2,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF LENAWEE | ADRIAN, MI | $2,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF JACKSON LENAWEE AND HILLSDAL | JACKSON, MI | $2,000 | 2025 | General & Unrestricted |
| BRAZIL FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $60,000 | 2024 | Fundao Brasil Cidado, Instituto Metamorfose, Instituto Proa, Projeto Gauss, Associao Brasileira de Enfermagem, UmRio |
| LOCAL INDEPENDENT ONLINE NEWS PUBLISHERS INC | WILMINGTON, DE | $50,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
| BELLINGCAT FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | General & Unrestricted |
Virginia Murray Memorial Scholarship Fund
Gaza Fund
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
$20,000General & Unrestricted
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
$15,000General & Unrestricted
GROUNDSWELL COMMUNITY PROJECT
$15,000General & Unrestricted
JACKSON HOUSE CRISIS INTERVENTION
$10,000General & Unrestricted
BELLINGCAT FUND
$10,000General & Unrestricted
UPSTATE HOMESCHOOL CO-OP INC
$5,000For use in the new Traveler's Rest community campus
NORTHWEST MICHIGAN SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
$2,500General & Unrestricted
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF JACKSON LENAWEE AND HILLSDAL
$1,000General & Unrestricted
SPECIAL OLYMPICS INC
$1,000General & Unrestricted
LENAWEE COUNCIL FOR THE VISUAL ARTS
$1,000Artwork exchange with Adrian Armory Community Center
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$100,000In support of hurricane recovery specifically in North Carolina
DEMOCRACY FORWARD FOUNDATION
$25,000General & Unrestricted
BELLINGCAT FUND
$25,000General & Unrestricted
CARING PLACE OF HOT SPRINGS INC
$12,000to purchase Pressing Needs: Tables, Chairs, Dishwasher, Room Dividers
YOUTH IMPACT MENTORING
$10,000to support Strategic Plan, Policies and Procedures, etc.
CASA BRAZIL INC
$5,000General & Unrestricted
THE MANNA PROJECT INC
$5,000General & Unrestricted
NORTHWEST MICHIGAN SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
$5,000General & Unrestricted
WATER MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL
$5,000General & Unrestricted
AHIMSA SAFE HAVEN INC
$2,000General & Unrestricted
SPECIAL OLYMPICS INC
$2,000General & Unrestricted
LENAWEE COUNCIL FOR THE VISUAL ARTS
$2,000General & Unrestricted
CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF JACKSON LENAWEE AND HILLSDAL
$2,000General & Unrestricted
Fundao Brasil Cidado, Instituto Metamorfose, Instituto Proa, Projeto Gauss, Associao Brasileira de Enfermagem, UmRio
LOCAL INDEPENDENT ONLINE NEWS PUBLISHERS INC
$50,000General & Unrestricted
BELLINGCAT FUND
$50,000General & Unrestricted