Cowles Family Foundation

Foundation · Grantmaker Albuquerque, NM EIN: 85-0477925

Cowles Family Foundation is a private foundation focused on Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, based in Albuquerque, NM. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2024. As of 2024, the organization holds $1.5M in total assets. In 2024, it awarded 17 grants totaling $360K. Net investment income was $204K.

Key facts about Cowles Family Foundation

EIN: 85-0477925
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $360,000
Grants made (2024): 17
Average grant: $21,176
Median grant: $17,000
New grantees (estimate): 12% first-time grantees (2 of 17, 2024)
Total assets: $1,453,362
Primary geography: District of Columbia (19% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).

Who Cowles Family Foundation funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Cowles Family Foundation's 17 itemized 2024 grants were District of Columbia (19%), California (15%) and Massachusetts (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (2 grants), Farmington, CT (2 grants) and Burlington, VT (2 grants). None of its 17 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support.

Is Cowles Family Foundation open to new grantees?

12%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 2 of 17 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $39K; repeat grants $19K. How we count

Medians: $39K first-time, $12K repeat.

88% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
In 2024 it paid out 452% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2022–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.5M

-12.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$360K

+20.0% YoY

Grant Count

+6.3% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$21K

+12.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cowles Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $80K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

About Cowles Family Foundation

Based on IRS filings

Focus Areas

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

Grant Distribution by State

District of Columbia $70K (19%)

California $55K (15%)

Massachusetts $48K (13%)

Connecticut $42K (12%)

New Mexico $42K (12%)

All other $103K (29%)

Share of all 17 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

California Colorado Connecticut District of Columbia Massachusetts Maryland New Mexico New York Oregon Vermont

Cities

BurlingtonBostonFarmingtonWashingtonBeavertonFairfaxPecosSanta CruzWallingfordLongmontNew YorkPetersburgWahsingtonWilliamsportWindsor

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$1,453,362	$1,652,641	$1,874,320
Revenue	$212,968	$69,109	$2,301,424
Expenses	$391,927	$320,671	$322,969
Qualifying Distributions	$360,000	$300,000	$313,000
Net Investment Income	$203,865	$59,353	$69,774
Distributable Amount	$79,731	$88,706	$72,564

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 3, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

44 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Planned Parenthood Federation of Am ($58,000), The She College Fund ($55,000), National Network of Abortion Funds ($33,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION OF AM Washington, DC	PROMOTES ISSUES RELATED TO BIRTH CONTROL	$58,000
THE SHE COLLEGE FUND Fairfax, CA	EDUCATION OF MAASAI GIRLS INCLUDING SEX EDUCATION TO BREAK THE CYCLE OF EARLY MARRIAGE, RESULTING IN FEWER CHILDREN	$55,000
NATIONAL NETWORK OF ABORTION FUNDS Beaverton, OR	SUPPORTS REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE AND REPRODUCTIVE DECISIONS	$33,000
TEWA WOMEN UNITED Santa Cruz, NM	SUPPORTING INDIGENOUS WOMEN FROM INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES IN THE AREAS OF ENVIRONMENTAL WELLNESS AND REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE	$30,000
CONSERVATION LAW FOUNDATION Boston, MA	USE OF LAW FOR PRESERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES	$25,000
350ORG Boston, MA	PROMOTES RENEWAL ENERGY AND ENDING FOSSIL FUELS	$23,000
FARMINGTON LAND TRUST Farmington, CT	LAND PROTECTION AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FOCUSED PROGRAMMING	$18,000
HILL-STEAD MUSEUM Farmington, CT	SUSTAINABLE LAND USE PROJECT USED TO TEACH ABOUT FARMING AND LAND MAINTENANCE	$17,000
FIRST NATIONS DEVELOPMENTAL INSTITU Longmont, CO	SUPPORT NEW MEXICO PUEBLO YOUTH IN ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES	$17,000
LAKE CHAMPLAIN COMMITTEE Burlington, VT	PROMOTES CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES FOR LAKE CHAMPLAIN	$12,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

No officer or director reported compensation in the available filings.

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Cindy Cowles	VP/Director	0.6	—
Charlotte Cowles	Pres./Director	1.3	—
Brie Quinby	TREAS./Director	1.3	—
Moriah Cowles	Director	0.3	—
Victoria Cowles	Secr./Director	0.8	—
Sophia Maravell	Director	0.3	—

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cowles Family Foundation?

Cowles Family Foundation is a private foundation focused on Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking, based in Albuquerque, NM. It holds $1.5M in total assets as of 2024.

How large is Cowles Family Foundation?

As of 2024, Cowles Family Foundation holds $1.5M in total assets with $213K in annual revenue. It awarded 17 grants totaling $360K in 2024.

Where does Cowles Family Foundation operate?

Cowles Family Foundation has awarded grants in California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont.

What size grants does Cowles Family Foundation award?

In 2024, Cowles Family Foundation awarded 17 grants totaling $360K — an average of about $21K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Cowles Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Cowles Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $80K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.