Cowan Family Foundation
The Cowan Family Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. It made 15 grants totaling $105,000 in 2024, supporting charitable organizations whose work includes climate campaigns, health assistance, services for LGBTQ youth, education, financial empowerment, and urban forestry.
Cowan Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Cowan Family Foundation gave $105K across 15 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), mostly in New York. 100% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $105,000
- +86.8% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 15
- -21.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,000
- +136.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $6,500
- Total assets
- $2,349,131
- +27.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 100% first-time grantees (15 of 15, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (67% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Cowan Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 941 Park Avenue 8B, New York, NY 10028
Phone: (212) 717-4688
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cowan Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Ali Forney Center Inc ($12K). Together the top 10 received $96K.
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 100 grants of 100 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 67% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 11% to Virginia, 11% to Connecticut, and 10% to New Jersey.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 15 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Cowan Family Foundation open to new grantees?
100%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 15 of 15 grantees (100%) were first-time recipients. With only 15 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $7K. How we count
- 0% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 44% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2023 it paid out 124% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $33K (2022) to $105K (2024). In 2024 it made 15 grants totaling $105K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ali Forney Center Inc New York, NY | General Charitable Support | $12,000 |
| Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation Reston, VA | General Charitable Support | $12,000 |
| Pink Aid Inc Westport, CT | General Charitable Support | $12,000 |
| Spring Street Climate Fund Inc Booklyn, NY | General Charitable Support | $12,000 |
| Chai Lifeline Inc New York, NJ | General Charitable Support | $11,000 |
| Breakthrough New York Inc New York, NY | General Charitable Support | $10,000 |
| Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners Inc New York, NY | General Charitable Support | $10,000 |
| Trees New York Inc New York, NY | General Charitable Support | $6,500 |
| Change Machine Brooklyn, NY | General Charitable Support | $5,000 |
| Savvy Ladies Inc New York, NY | General Charitable Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Cowan Family Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,349,131 | $470,003 | $111,824 | $105,000 | 15 | $105,000 | $463,179 | — |
| 2023 | $1,838,885 | $1,039,307 | $66,204 | $56,200 | 19 | $66,204 | $7,021 | $53,538 |
| 2022 | $865,782 | $-9,554 | $45,619 | $32,950 | 13 | $45,619 | $2,363 | $54,963 |
| 2021 | $924,437 | $317,022 | $88,607 | $72,850 | 25 | $88,607 | $292,426 | $56,327 |
| 2020 | $692,540 | $14,001 | $76,404 | $76,100 | 28 | — | $5,907 | $46,887 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations working in several areas. Ali Forney Center describes its mission as protecting LGBTQ youth from homelessness and helping them become safe and independent. Pink Aid says it helps underserved breast cancer patients with treatment support, screening, and financial assistance. Spring Street Climate Fund says it supports grassroots campaigns for scalable climate solutions in New York.
Other 2024 grantees describe their work as follows: Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation provides education and career support to military children who lost a parent in the line of duty; Breakthrough New York works with students from low-income backgrounds toward college graduation and careers; Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners helps low-income individuals participate in the financial system; Trees New York works to plant, preserve, and protect New York City’s urban forest; and Savvy Ladies helps women pursue financial independence.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave 15 grants totaling $105,000. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $12,000, with a median grant of $6,500. The largest listed awards were $12,000 each to Ali Forney Center, Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, Pink Aid, and Spring Street Climate Fund. Other notable grants included $10,000 each to Breakthrough New York and Neighborhood Trust Financial Partners, $6,500 to Trees New York, and $5,000 to Savvy Ladies. The listed grants were for general charitable support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Cody Cowan as president and Roni Cowan as treasurer.
Cowan Family Foundation is led by Cody Cowan, President since 2024 (on filings since 2023); none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Cody Cowan
President
Trustee → President, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Roni Cowan
Treasurer
Treasurer → Trustee, 2023
Trustee → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: David Kupersmith (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Howard Cowan (2020–2022) — President & CEO
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Cowan Family Foundation
How much does Cowan Family Foundation give each year?
Cowan Family Foundation gave $105K across 15 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $56K across 19 grants.
What is Cowan Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Cowan Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $6,500, and its average grant was $7,000, across 15 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cowan Family Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Cowan Family Foundation give grants?
Cowan Family Foundation gives mostly in New York: 67% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Virginia (11%) and Connecticut (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (10 grants).
Does Cowan Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Cowan Family Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (15 of 15) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Cowan Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Cowan Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Ali Forney Center Inc ($12,000), Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation ($12,000) and Pink Aid Inc ($12,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Cowan Family Foundation?
Cowan Family Foundation reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $470K.
What does Cowan Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations working in several areas. Ali Forney Center describes its mission as protecting LGBTQ youth from homelessness and helping them become safe and independent. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cowan Family Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Cowan Family Foundation's EIN?
Cowan Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1528135. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Cowan Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Cowan Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Cowan Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cowan Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cowan-family-foundation-morg_dea34f5080ef4adc9a115ff9b1eb908b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_261528135_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cowan Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cowan-family-foundation-morg_dea34f5080ef4adc9a115ff9b1eb908b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Cowan Family Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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