Cowles Family Foundation
Cowles Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In its 2025 filing, it reported 22 grants totaling $750,000 to organizations working in areas including reproductive health and justice, environmental protection, education, health care, and food access.
Cowles Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Cowles Family Foundation gave $750K across 22 grants in 2025 (avg $34K), top state District of Columbia. 27% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $750,000
- +108.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 22
- +29.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $34,091
- +61.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $27,500
- Total assets
- $784,355
- -46.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (6 of 22, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (17% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Cowles Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: C/O Kdg 11501 Woodmar Ln Ne, Albuquerque, NM 87111
Phone: (505) 459-4777
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cowles Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The She College Fund ($120K). Together the top 10 received $568K.
Grant Size Distribution
66 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 57 grants of 66 (86%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states. The largest reported recipient-state shares were DC (17%), California (16%), Connecticut (15%), Vermont (11%), and Oregon (10%). The listed grants also include recipients in New Mexico and other states.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 22 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Cowles Family Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 6 of 22 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $39K. How we count
Medians: $21K first-time, $28K repeat.
- 73% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 140% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $100 (2020) to $750K (2025). In 2025 it made 22 grants totaling $750K.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The She College Fund Fairfax, CA | Education of maasai girls including sex education to break the cycle of early marriage, resulting in fewer children | $120,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Federation of Am Washington, DC | Promotes Issues Related to Birth Control | $100,000 |
| National Network of Abortion Funds Beaverton, OR | Supports Reproductive Health Care and Reproductive Decisions | $73,000 |
| Tewa Women United Santa Cruz, NM | Supporting indigenous women from indigenous communities in the areas of environmental wellness and reproductive justice | $60,000 |
| Conservation Law Foundation Boston, MA | Use of Law for Preservation of Natural Resources | $40,000 |
| First Nations Developmental Institu Longmont, CO | Support New Mexico Pueblo Youth in Environmental Initiatives | $40,000 |
| Open Door Clinic Middlebury, VT | Free health clinic for uninsured and under-insured adults in Addison county | $40,000 |
| Planned Parenthood Southern New Eng New Haven, CT | Promotes Issues Related to Birth Control | $33,000 |
| Addison County Parent Child Center Middlebury, VT | Child care and paren t education in response to a shortage of quality child care for Addison county families | $32,000 |
| Hill-Stead Museum Farmington, CT | Sustainable land use project used to teach about farming and land maintenance | $30,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Cowles 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $784,355 | $374,907 | $766,848 | $750,000 | 22 | $750,000 | $356,145 | $58,551 |
| 2024 | $1,453,362 | $212,968 | $391,927 | $360,000 | 17 | $360,000 | $203,865 | $79,731 |
| 2023 | $1,652,641 | $69,109 | $320,671 | $300,000 | 16 | $300,000 | $59,353 | $88,706 |
| 2022 | $1,874,320 | $2,301,424 | $322,969 | $313,000 | 11 | $313,000 | $69,774 | $72,564 |
| 2021 | $582 | — | $60 | — | — | — | — | $30 |
| 2020 | $642 | $1,500 | $2,149 | $100 | Total only | — | — | $58 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cowles Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $59K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations and activities. For example, the She College Fund received support for education of Maasai girls, including sex education; Tewa Women United received support for work with Indigenous women and communities on environmental wellness and reproductive justice; and the National Network of Abortion Funds received support for reproductive health care and reproductive decisions.
Grantees describe their own work in varied terms. The National Network of Abortion Funds says it works toward a world where reproductive options are valued, accessible, and stigma-free. Conservation Law Foundation says it protects New England’s environment using law, science, and markets. Farmington Land Trust says it protects open space and natural resources in Farmington, Connecticut. Soul Fire Farm Institute describes its work as education and research on sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 22 grants totaling $750,000. Grant amounts ranged from $2,000 to $120,000, with a median of $27,500.
Among the largest reported grants were $120,000 to the She College Fund, $100,000 to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, $73,000 to the National Network of Abortion Funds, and $60,000 to Tewa Women United. Other notable grants included $40,000 each to Conservation Law Foundation, First Nations Developmental Institute, and Open Door Clinic; and $33,000 to Planned Parenthood of Southern New England.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Cindy Cowles as vice president and director; Charlotte Cowles as president and director; Brie Quinby as treasurer and director; Moriah Cowles as director; Victoria Cowles as secretary and director; and Sophia Maravell as director.
Cowles Family Foundation is led by Charlotte Cowles, President & Director since 2022 (on filings since 2021); none of the 6 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Charlotte Cowles
President & Director
Treasurer & Director → President & Director, 2022
On filings since 2021
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brie Quinby
Treasurer & Director
Director → President & Director, 2021
President & Director → Treasurer & Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
0.8 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Victoria Cowles
Secretary & Director
Director → Secretary & Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cindy Cowles
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Moriah Cowles
Director
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sophia Maravell
Director
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Evan R. Cowles (2020) — Vice President & Treasurer
- Former: Thomas Cowles (2020) — Director
- Former: William S. Cowles (2020) — President & Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 Cowles Family Foundation
How much does Cowles Family Foundation give each year?
Cowles Family Foundation gave $750K across 22 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $360K across 17 grants.
What is Cowles Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Cowles Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $27,500, and its average grant was $34,091, across 22 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cowles Family Foundation that year got $21K on average.
Where does Cowles Family Foundation give grants?
Cowles Family Foundation's top state is District of Columbia, with 17% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (16%) and Connecticut (15%). The most frequent recipient cities were Middlebury, VT (2 grants), Farmington, CT (2 grants) and Boston, MA (2 grants).
Does Cowles Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 22 grants with a stated purpose on Cowles Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Cowles Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Cowles Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The She College Fund ($120,000), Planned Parenthood Federation of Am ($100,000) and National Network of Abortion Funds ($73,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 39% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Cowles Family Foundation?
Cowles Family Foundation reported $784K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $750K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $59K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Cowles Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for a range of organizations and activities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cowles Family Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Cowles Family Foundation's EIN?
Cowles Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 85-0477925. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Cowles 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
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 11, 2021)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 19, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Cowles Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Cowles Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cowles Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cowles-family-foundation-morg_4d0660fb2ff44e7490899bffad9ba2ab
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_850477925_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cowles Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cowles-family-foundation-morg_4d0660fb2ff44e7490899bffad9ba2ab},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. 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 Cowles 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.
Cowles Family Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?