The Burleigh Family Foundation concentrates its giving on Catholic and faith-based organizations, conservative faith-informed policy and education groups, and local parish and service ministries. A small number of very large, mostly unrestricted gifts dominate their portfolio, including substantial contributions routed through donor-advised funds. Grants reflect both local Cincinnati parish support and larger national conservative/faith institutions.
A single $1,564,000 donor-advised fund grant to the Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund is the clearest marker of how the Burleigh Family Foundation operates: a portfolio with a few very large gifts alongside many smaller grants. The foundation’s giving centers on Catholic and faith-based organizations, with support extending to parish ministries, Catholic education, conservative faith-informed policy groups, and faith-linked service work. Another major grant went to the Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia for unrestricted use, showing that the foundation also makes large general-support awards to religious institutions. The pattern is reinforced by gifts to St Gertrude Church, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and other Catholic entities, as well as national institutions such as the Ethics and Public Policy Center and the Institute on Religion and Public Life. Several grants are unrestricted, while others are routed through donor-advised funds or tied to ministry-specific or annual-fund purposes. The result is a grantmaking profile that combines local parish support in Cincinnati with wider Catholic and conservative faith-informed philanthropy across the United States.
Catholic religious life is a major thread in the foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $100,000 to St Gertrude Church for unrestricted use and $10,000 to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for unrestricted use, alongside smaller support for the Diocese of Covington. Education and intellectual formation also appear regularly. The foundation awarded $50,000 to the Intercollegiate Studies Institute for unrestricted use, $5,000 to the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education for unrestricted use, and $2,000 to the University of Dallas for its annual fund. Its portfolio also includes faith-based social service and public-policy work. Examples include $27,000 to Pregnancy Center East for unrestricted use, $25,000 to Ruah Woods for unrestricted use, and $25,000 to the Ethics and Public Policy Center for unrestricted use. The grant list also includes support for Ukraine solidarity through Knights of Columbus Charities.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $2,500 at the 25th percentile, $5,000 at the median, and $25,500 at the 75th percentile. That spread sits alongside a few outsized awards, including seven-figure and six-figure grants, which indicates a portfolio weighted toward smaller awards but punctuated by large commitments. The recent grants list shows repeated support for some organizations across 2023 and 2024, including the Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund. The foundation gives as a family foundation and uses donor-advised funds for at least some grants. Many awards are unrestricted, with others designated for annual funds, ministry support, or capital purposes.
$147K
$0
$6K
$163K
Most grants fall between $3K and $26K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$26K
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Highly concentrated: a few very large unrestricted gifts (two grants totaling nearly $2.7M) make up most giving. Mix of direct funding to religious/parish organizations and sizable grants routed through donor-advised or charitable funds; tendency toward repeat support for select grantees rather than many small awards.
Notable grantees: Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund, Dominican Sisters of St Cecilia, St. Gertrude Church, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Pregnancy Center East
Grants are national, but Ohio receives the largest share of recipients by volume, with 39% of grants going to the home state. Cincinnati appears frequently, including St Gertrude Church, Pregnancy Center East, Ruah Woods, the Society of St Vincent De Paul, and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Outside Ohio, Washington, DC is the top giving state by count, reflected in grants to the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Thomistic Institute, and Holy Family Hospital of Bethlehem Foundation. Recipient locations also include New Haven, Nashville, Wilmington, and New York.
The foundation supports Catholic and faith-based organizations, parish and religious institutions, conservative faith-informed policy groups, and faith-linked service ministries. Recent grants include support for churches, Catholic education organizations, pregnancy and family services, and public-policy institutions.
The typical grant size is $2,500 at the 25th percentile, $5,000 at the median, and $25,500 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also shows much larger awards, including a $1,564,000 donor-advised fund grant and a $1,000,000 unrestricted grant.
Yes. The recent grants list shows the Knights of Columbus Charitable Fund receiving grants in both 2023 and 2024, which indicates repeat support. The foundation also uses annual-fund and recurring-style designations, including an annual fund grant to the University of Dallas.
By grant count, Washington, DC is the top recipient location, while Ohio receives 39% of grants. Cincinnati appears often in the recent grants list, along with other recipient cities such as New Haven, Nashville, Wilmington, and New York.
The foundation makes unrestricted grants, donor-advised fund grants, annual-fund support, ministry-directed gifts, and capital or building fund grants. Examples in the recent list include unrestricted use, a donor-advised fund grant, an annual fund grant, and a building fund designation.
2024
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2024.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS CHARITABLE FUND | NEW HAVEN, CT | $147,115 | 2024 | BURLEIGH FUND 21986 - DONOR ADVISED FUND |
| KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS CHARITABLE FUND | NEW HAVEN, CT | $1,564,000 | 2023 | BURLEIGH FUND 21986 - DONOR ADVISED FUND |
| DOMINICAN SISTERS OF ST CECILIA | NASHVILLE, TN | $1,000,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| ST GERTRUDE CHURCH | CINCINNATI, OH | $100,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| INTERCOLLEGIATE STUDIES INSTITUTE | WILMINGTON, DE | $50,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| RAMOND JAMES CHARITABLE | ST PETERSBURG, FL | $35,000 | 2023 | THE GAMBER FUND - DONOR ADVISED FUND |
| PREGNANCY CENTER EAST | CINCINNATI, OH | $27,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| ETHICS AND PUBLIC POLICY CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| RUAH WOODS | CINCINNATI, OH | $25,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| MARIEMONT PRESERVATION FOUNDATION | MARIEMONT, OH | $11,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| ARCHDIOCESE OF CINCINNATI | CINCINNATI, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL | CINCINNATI, OH | $10,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| REITZ MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL | EVANSVILLE, IN | $5,098 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| INSTITUTE ON RELIGION AND PUBLIC LIFE INC (FIRST THINGS) | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| INSTITUTE FOR CATHOLIC LIBERAL EDUCATION (ICLE) | VENTURA, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS CHARITIES | NEW HAVEN, CT | $5,000 | 2023 | UKRAINE SOLIDARITY FUND |
| THE LITERARY CLUB | CINCINNATI, OH | $2,500 | 2023 | ASBURY BUILDING FUND |
| GRAND TRAVERSE REGIONAL LAND CONSERVANCY | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | $2,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| DIOCESE OF COVINGTON | COVINGTON, KY | $2,500 | 2023 | ACUE MINISTRY |
| CINCINNATI NATURE CENTER | MILFORD, OH | $2,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| FR BEITING APPALACHIAN MISSION CENTER | LOUISA, KY | $2,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| CISE | CINCINNATI, OH | $2,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| UNIVERSITY OF DALLAS | IRVING, TX | $2,000 | 2023 | COR FUND (ANNUAL FUND) |
| RUSSELL KIRK CENTER | MECOSTA, MI | $1,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| CARING RESPONSE MADAGASCAR FOUNDATION | CINCINNATI, OH | $1,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| CATHOLICS UNITED FOR THE POOR | CINCINNATI, OH | $1,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| HOLY FAMILY HOSPITAL OF BETHLEHEM FOUNDATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
| THOMISTIC INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED USE |
BURLEIGH FUND 21986 - DONOR ADVISED FUND
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS CHARITABLE FUND
$1,564,000BURLEIGH FUND 21986 - DONOR ADVISED FUND
DOMINICAN SISTERS OF ST CECILIA
$1,000,000UNRESTRICTED USE
ST GERTRUDE CHURCH
$100,000UNRESTRICTED USE
RAMOND JAMES CHARITABLE
$35,000THE GAMBER FUND - DONOR ADVISED FUND
PREGNANCY CENTER EAST
$27,000UNRESTRICTED USE
ARCHDIOCESE OF CINCINNATI
$10,000UNRESTRICTED USE
SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL
$10,000UNRESTRICTED USE
REITZ MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL
$5,098UNRESTRICTED USE
INSTITUTE ON RELIGION AND PUBLIC LIFE INC (FIRST THINGS)
$5,000UNRESTRICTED USE
INSTITUTE FOR CATHOLIC LIBERAL EDUCATION (ICLE)
$5,000UNRESTRICTED USE
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS CHARITIES
$5,000UKRAINE SOLIDARITY FUND
THE LITERARY CLUB
$2,500ASBURY BUILDING FUND
DIOCESE OF COVINGTON
$2,500ACUE MINISTRY
CINCINNATI NATURE CENTER
$2,500UNRESTRICTED USE
FR BEITING APPALACHIAN MISSION CENTER
$2,500UNRESTRICTED USE
RUSSELL KIRK CENTER
$1,000UNRESTRICTED USE
CARING RESPONSE MADAGASCAR FOUNDATION
$1,000UNRESTRICTED USE
CATHOLICS UNITED FOR THE POOR
$1,000UNRESTRICTED USE
HOLY FAMILY HOSPITAL OF BETHLEHEM FOUNDATION
$1,000UNRESTRICTED USE
THOMISTIC INSTITUTE
$1,000UNRESTRICTED USE