The Margaret Mary and Owens Miller Charitable Trust is a private grantmaking foundation based in Westminster, California. It is funded by the Miller family, who were attorneys in the Los Angeles area. While most of the grants are to relatively noncontroversial charities such as hospitals, museums, universities, and health care providers, the trust has donated to advocacy organizations with both right-leaning and left-leaning alignments. ¹

Overview

The Margaret Mary and Owens Miller Charitable Trust is a private grantmaking foundation based in Westminster, California. Its donors were attorneys in the Los Angeles, California area. ²

The trust was initially founded in 1959 with funds the Miller family acquired through their law practices. Margaret Mary Miller has passed away, but Owens Miller remains alive as of October 2021. ³

Most of the grants the organization makes are to noncontroversial causes such as hospitals, museums, religious organizations, universities, and health care causes. When the trust does make politically oriented donations, they skew towards conservative organizations with one major exception, the Venice Community Housing organization. ⁴

Leadership

The trust has two trustees, Owens Miller and O’Malley Miller. ⁵

Owens Miller is a workers compensation attorney based in Westminster, California. He is currently self-employed. The trust is based in his law offices. ⁶

O’Malley Miller is a business attorney based in Los Angeles, California. He received his bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and his law degree from the University of Southern California. O’Malley practices commercial real estate law. Among his past clients are the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Stanford University, and Walt Disney Company. He has also represented Southern California Edison, Shell Oil Company, and Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. ⁷

Finances

According to its 2020 tax return, the trust generated $75,529 in revenue and spent $145,501 on assets of $1,971,064. ⁸

Most of the grants were to noncontroversial causes such as hospitals, schools, universities, and museums. But there were some grants to politically oriented organizations, split between conservative and left-leaning organizations. ⁹

The trust donated $4,750 to the conservative Hoover Institution think tank and $1,000 to the conservative legal activist organization Judicial Watch. ¹⁰

The trust also made a $7,500 donation to the Venice Community Housing organization. ¹¹ The organization has joined with other center-left and radical left organizations in a Los Angeles, California based coalition called “Check the Sheriff.” The coalition seeks the resignation of Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva (D) and the investigation of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department by the California Attorney General. ¹²

1.  Margaret Mary & Owens Miller Charitable Trust, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990PF), 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/956095785/06_2021_prefixes_95-99%2F956095785_202007_990PF_2021061518354192.
2. Margaret Mary & Owens Miller Charitable Trust, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990PF), 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/956095785/06_2021_prefixes_95-99%2F956095785_202007_990PF_2021061518354192.
3.  Margaret Mary & Owens Miller Charitable Trust, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990PF), 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/956095785/06_2021_prefixes_95-99%2F956095785_202007_990PF_2021061518354192.
4.  Margaret Mary & Owens Miller Charitable Trust, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990PF), 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/956095785/06_2021_prefixes_95-99%2F956095785_202007_990PF_2021061518354192.
5.  Margaret Mary & Owens Miller Charitable Trust, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990PF), 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/956095785/06_2021_prefixes_95-99%2F956095785_202007_990PF_2021061518354192.
6. “Law Offices of Owens O. Miller In Westminster, California.” Super Lawyers. 2021. Accessed October 4. https://profiles.superlawyers.com/california-southern/westminster/lawfirm/law-offices-of-owens-o-miller/c53374af-a537-46e0-a245-f1eb4f0b4e8f.html.
7. “O’Malley Miller – Biography.” Allen Matkins – O’Malley Miller – Biography. 2021. https://www.allenmatkins.com/professionals/miller-omalley.html.
8. ” Margaret Mary & Owens Miller Charitable Trust, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990PF), 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/956095785/06_2021_prefixes_95-99%2F956095785_202007_990PF_2021061518354192.
9. ” Margaret Mary & Owens Miller Charitable Trust, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990PF), 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/956095785/06_2021_prefixes_95-99%2F956095785_202007_990PF_2021061518354192.
10. ” Margaret Mary & Owens Miller Charitable Trust, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990PF), 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/956095785/06_2021_prefixes_95-99%2F956095785_202007_990PF_2021061518354192.
11. Margaret Mary & Owens Miller Charitable Trust, Return of a Private Foundation (Form 990PF), 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/956095785/06_2021_prefixes_95-99%2F956095785_202007_990PF_2021061518354192.
12. About.” Check The Sheriff Coalition. Accessed October 4. https://www.checkthesheriff.com/about.