A highly active non-platinum group metals (non-PGMs) catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was synthesized by the sacrificial support method (SSM) developed at the University of New Mexico (UNM). SSM was modified in order to control hydrophobicity and morphology of transition metal-nitrogen-carbon material (M-N-C). As prepared catalyst was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) methods. Electrochemical activity towards ORR and tolerance to methanol poisoning of Fe-N-C catalyst were studied by rotating disk electrode (RDE). A performance analysis was carried out at the cathode of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) comprising the variation of fuel concentration and temperature. A peak power density of about 50 W g(-1) was recorded at 90 degrees C in a wide range of methanol concentration (1-10 M). It was found that the non-PGM catalyst possesses an extraordinarily high tolerance to methanol crossover, with no significant decay of performance up to 10 M of alcohol concentration, making this material state-of-the-art in DMFC application. Chronoamperometric tests in DMFC at 90 degrees C and 5 M methanol concentration (100 h) showed also a suitable stability. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.