SOURCE OF WEALTH: Television Host
FUNDING AREAS: Education & Youth, Health, Veterans & Soliders, Religious, Human Services & Humanitarian
OVERVIEW: Bill O’Reilly does his grantmaking through the Winifred and William O’Reilly Foundation, which made around $366,000 in grants in a recent year. The foundation’s annual grantmaking has waned lately. Interests include education, soldiers and veterans, and human services.
BACKGROUND: Bill O’Reilly was born in New York City in 1949. He studied history at Marist College and later Boston University and Harvard. O’Reilly began his television career in local news outlets and as a correspondent won several Emmy Awards before moving to Inside Edition, the tabloid television program. When Fox News launched, he was hired to headline his own program, called The O’Reilly Factor, which featured conservative commentary and interviews and quickly became the most watched cable news program. He has hosted the No Spin News podcast since 2017, when he was fired from Fox News after paying six women to settle sexual harassment lawsuits.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION & YOUTH: Bill O’Reilly has supported his alma mater Marist College and parochial schools, including those he attended. Grantees have included Chaminade High School, Holy Trinity High School, and St. Mary’s Elementary School. He has also supported Literacy Partners, The New York Child Learning Institute, and Best Friends Foundation, which “promotes the well-being of adolescent girls and the prevention of teenage pregnancy by encouraging positive alternatives to premature sexual activity and illicit drug or alcohol use.”
VETERANS & SOLDIERS: O’Reilly is a strong supporter of Independence Fund, which received a seven-figure grant via his foundation a few years ago. Other grantees include Fisher House Foundation, Green Beret Foundation, and TroopsDirect.
RELIGIOUS: Grantees include Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
HEALTH: O’Reilly has supported American Cancer Society, American-Italian Cancer Society, The David Lynch Foundation, and Autism Speaks.
HUMAN SERVICES & HUMANITARIAN: O’Reilly, via his foundation, also supports human services organizations, as well as organizations that work abroad. These include Doctors Without Borders, Haitian Health Foundation, Coalition for the Homeless, Catholic Charities Archdiocese of New York, City Harvest, and Responsibility, which advances education in third world countries and elsewhere.
LOOKING FORWARD: O’Reilly’s grantmaking has waned lately since leaving the public eye, but perhaps there will be an uptick. Expect O’Reilly to stick with his established interest areas.
CONTACT:
The Winifred and William O’Reilly Foundation does not provide a clear avenue of contact but below is an address:
The Winifred and William O’Reilly Foundation
c/o Bell Co 122 E. 42nd Street, No 31 Fl
New York, NY 10168
LINK:
