About the Foundation

The Foundation was established in 1941 by Ignatius Aloysius O’Shaughnessy in order to share his good fortune with others. His generosity and stewardship have inspired succeeding generations of family members, who have been entrusted to carry on his philanthropic work.


Mission of the Foundation
The I.A. O'Shaughnessy Foundation is a family foundation with a mission to share the legacy of Ignatius Aloysius O’Shaughnessy for the common good, making grants that enrich communities and improve people’s lives.

Values of the Foundation

The Board of Directors has adopted a set of values to guide the work and actions of the Foundation:

Our Origins
We value Ignatius O'Shaughnessy's legacy: his foresight and boldness, his passion for sharing his good fortune to help others, his trust in his children's decisions, and his regard for their diverse interests. We honor his Catholic heritage and respect the beliefs of family members and those we serve. We acknowledge his wisdom, and accept the responsibility to carry forward his commitment to philanthropy in the context of our changing world.

Family
We are a family foundation: a foundation formed and led by family, and active as a family in philanthropy. We unite around common philanthropic goals, and support and advance the varied charitable interests of family members.

Responsibility
We share a personal responsibility for the common good and well-being of others. We respond with compassion and attempt to follow our Founder's example of attending to people's needs with dignity and respect.

Making a Difference
We endeavor to make grants that have a meaningful and timely impact, and foster long-term solutions as well as addressing immediate needs.

Learning
We promote life-long learning and education as essential for improving the quality of life for individuals and communities. We strive to learn from others the needs of our society and who best serves those needs.

Stewardship
We are united in the common bond of stewardship for our Founder's legacy and for the communities we serve. We safeguard the assets entrusted to us into perpetuity, granting funds responsibly to achieve tangible and positive results.