ALTA Good Deeds Foundation Awards $105K, Pays Tribute to Chair Mary O’Donnell
October 9, 2025
The ALTA Good Deeds Foundation announced the recipients of $105,000 in grants, bringing the Foundation’s total contributions to $1,361,000 since its inception in October 2020. The announcement was made during ALTA ONE, ALTA’s largest annual event, in New York City.
This round of giving was bittersweet for the Foundation, which recently lost a trailblazer and champion. Mary O’Donnell, Foundation board chair, ALTA past president and president and CEO of Westcor Land Title Insurance Co., passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 4. O’Donnell was instrumental in the creation and early success of the Foundation, leaving behind a legacy of generosity and service.
“Mary was a force for good, not only in the title insurance industry but in communities nationwide,” said ALTA 2024-25 President Richard Welshons MTP, NTP. “Her vision for the Foundation was rooted in the belief that our work extends far beyond real estate transactions. These latest grants are a continuation of the good she helped put into motion, and we are proud to honor her legacy by carrying it forward.”
Twenty-one $5,000 grants were awarded to charities supported by ALTA members. The grants were awarded to: A Kid’s Place of Tampa Bay Inc., Brandon, Fla.; Anawim Housing, Des Moines, Iowa; Blaine County Housing Foundation, Ketchum, Idaho; Central Park Medical Unit Inc., New York City; Common Roots Housing Trust, Walla Walla, Wash.; Family Promise of Cheyenne, Cheyenne, Wyo.; FISH of Grand Blanc, Grand Blanc, Mich.; Girl Scouts of Greater New York Troop 6000, New York City; Gothenburg Impact Center, Gothenburg, Neb.; Gundersen Medical Foundation, La Crosse, Wis.; Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati, Cincinnati; HELP Now AZ, Phoenix; Kickin’ Childhood Hunger, Stillwater, Okla.; Rocky Top Trykes, Farragut, Tenn.; Smoke in the Mountains BBQ & Ribeye Shootout, Fort Davis, Texas; Spare Key, St. Paul, Minn.; The Cornerstone of Beaver County, Beaver Falls, Pa.; The Karen Weidinger Foundation, St. Charles, Mo.; The Lamb Center, Fairfax, Va.; The Priority Center, Santa Ana, Calif.; and The Snoqualmie Fire Lookouts Association, Enumclaw, Wash.
“The Foundation is a reflection of ALTA members’ generosity and shared commitment to community,” said ALTA CEO Chris Morton. “Each grant strengthens the bonds between title professionals and the neighborhoods they serve. It’s inspiring to see how this collective effort continues to grow, with more than $1.3 million invested in organizations that change lives every day.”
The ALTA Good Deeds Foundation was launched in 2020 to bolster the charitable efforts of ALTA members. Since then, the Foundation has awarded more than $1.3 million to 234 organizations in 45 states plus the District of Columbia. Title insurance professionals can apply for grants on behalf of recognized 501(c)(3) organizations that they support; preference is given to housing-related charities.
Click here to donate to the Foundation.
Contact ALTA at 202-296-3671 or [email protected].