About Us

The McCourt Foundation (TMF) was established in 1992 by the McCourt brothers who were driven by their parents’ journey with neurological diseases. Before the seven brothers were born, their father, Robert, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) at the age of 25. Soon after his passing in 1991, their mother, Mary was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.  These neurological diseases are devastating with one robbing the body, the other robbing the mind.

After witnessing the effects of these diagnoses firsthand, the brothers felt an overwhelming desire to use their experience to help others facing neurological diseases in honor of their parents. They began fundraising to organize a road race in Harwichport, MA in 1992, marking the first step in what would become a much larger giving journey. These efforts eventually became The McCourt Foundation— a 501(c)(3) organization that has donated millions to neurological research through the management and production of events that empower communities to build a healthier world.

This work is a continuation of the broader McCourt family’s legacy of giving back and being engaged citizens in their communities. In 1948, Francis McCourt, the McCourt’s grandfather, was one of the founding members of the widely known ‘Jimmy Fund’, the official charity of the then-Boston Braves and one of the first organizations dedicated to supporting childhood cancer research. This and many other charitable efforts along the way instilled in the family the importance of community, unity and giving back.

In 2018, a cousin of the McCourt brothers and owner of the Los Angeles Marathon, Frank H. McCourt, Jr. approached TMF President and Chairman of the Board, Brian McCourt, with an innovative idea: to transform the LA Marathon and Rose Bowl Half Marathon into vehicles for good as non-profit entities. The discovery of this shared long-term vision resulted in TMF acquiring the events through a donation by Frank and McCourt Global, his private family company. With this merger, TMF has seven events coast to coast:  the Los Angeles Marathon, Rose Bowl Half Marathon, the Santa Monica Classic, Boston Waterfront 5K, Neurological Symposium (an education event for patients and caregivers) Spring Soiree, and Team TMF Boston Marathon.  These events are central to TMF’s robust charity programming dedicated to community impact.

TMF’s mission—to cure neurological diseases while empowering communities to build a healthier world—is furthered by its support of neurological research and evolution to include a signature suite of events, which are used as a platform for other non-profit organizations to build awareness and deliver greater impact.

Today, The McCourt Foundation’s giving capacity and overall community impact can be felt from coast to coast.