The foundation’s vision today is a thriving Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Our Mission
The Dan Murphy Foundation is dedicated to meeting the needs of Catholic high schools serving inner city youth and supporting the faith formation and religious life of a vibrant Catholic community in the Los Angeles Archdiocese.
Intent of Our Founders
The Dan Murphy Foundation has over the past sixty years established a clear pattern of giving in its support of the projects and programs of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and related Catholic charities, and the works of religion of the Church Universal. This was the vision of Dan Murphy during his lifetime and continued by his daughter, Countess Bernardine Murphy Donohue, and her husband, Sir Daniel J. Donohue.
The Foundation Honors Our Founders Intent by Dedicating Our Funding Around Four Strategic Pillars of Priority:
Pillar1
Vitality of Archdiocesan High Schools
The Foundation supports efforts to improve academic excellence and operational vitality as well as to deepen and expand faith formation activities in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ underserved Catholic high schools.
Pillar2
Vocations to Religious Life
The Foundation supports efforts by individual Catholic Religious communities as well as the Office of Vocations and Office of the Vicar of Women Religious in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to inspire and increase the call to religious life.
Pillar3
Evangelism and Outreach
The Foundation supports efforts to attract and retain new and lapsed Catholics with a focus on young adults and families as they will contribute to a thriving and vibrant Catholic community here in Los Angeles.
Pillar4
Care For the Poor and Vulnerable
The Foundation historically and currently supports many social welfare programs. A partial listing includes Little Sisters of the Poor in San Pedro, MEND, Salesian Family Youth Center, and the Good Shepherd Shelter for Battered Women.
Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Catholic High Schools
Dan Murphy was a principal benefactor in the construction of Archdiocesan Catholic high schools in the 1920s and 1930s and Countess Bernardine was a principal benefactor of the Archdiocesan high schools built in the 1950s and 1960s. Most of those high schools now serve diverse and underserved communities.
The Foundation supports efforts to improve academic excellence and operational vitality as well as to deepen and expand faith formation activities in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ underserved Catholic high schools. Funding is directed to the Department of Catholic Schools and its efforts to maintain and improve the physical campuses of Archdiocesan high schools, leadership development and faith formation of school administrators and teachers, capacity building operations, field trip and retreat support, and events that contribute to the faith formation of students.
Evangelization Efforts
“Jesus taught us to know and love God as our Father, and he called his Church to carry that good news to the ends of the earth — to gather, from every race and tribe and people, the one worldwide family of God.”
— Archbishop Jose Gomez
The Foundation supports efforts to attract and retain new and lapsed Catholics with a focus on young adults and families as they will contribute to a thriving and vibrant Catholic community here in Los Angeles. The Foundation supports Evangelical programs of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as well as nonprofit organizations that provide Catholic faith based services to youth and young adults/families and includes sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Religious Life
The Foundation supports efforts by individual Catholic Religious communities as well as the Office of Vocations and Office of the Vicar of Women Religious in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to inspire and increase the call to religious life.
Social Welfare and Cultural Activities
The social welfare programs of the Little Sisters of the Poor in San Pedro, the Carmelite Sisters in Alhambra, the Good Shepherd Shelter for Battered Women, and the Sisters Servants of Mary are all charities that were supported by Dan Murphy in his time and they continue to be supported by the Foundation today. The Brothers of St. John of God Retirement Center on West Adams was supported by Countess Bernardine in her time and the Lovers of the Holy Cross convent in Gardena and through their work at the Los Angeles Women’s Village became beneficiaries of the Dan Murphy Foundation during Sir Daniel’s tenure as President of the Foundation.
Since the early 1970s the Dan Murphy Foundation has made annual grants to the summer camp programs of Catholic Charities, St. Vincent de Paul, YMCA, and Outward Bound Adventures with a goal to familiarize inner city youth with the wonders of God’s creation in nearby wilderness areas.
Through the lens of their Roman Catholic faith Dan Murphy and his wife, Antoinette, and Countess Bernardine and Sir Daniel in their time were patrons of the arts in Los Angeles and in Rome. This is reflected in the Foundation’s support of the Catholic pieces performed by the Master Chorale and the Los Angeles Opera’s annual performance at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, and the Patrons of the Arts of the Vatican Museums. Related to this appreciation for the arts has been the Foundation’s funding of the children’s education programs at the Huntington Library and the California Botanic Gardens.
