Cowley Family Foundation
The Cowley Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Sandy, Utah. Its 2025 filing reports grants supporting scholarships and education, poverty relief, and charitable services.
Key facts about Cowley Family Foundation
In short: Cowley Family Foundation gave $16K across 18 grants in 2025 (avg $875.389), top state Utah. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 27-5504133
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $15,757
- Grants made (2025)
- 18
- Average grant
- $875
- Median grant
- $50
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (2 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $245,962
- Primary geography
- Utah (44% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$246K
+12.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$16K
-4.5% YoY
Grant Count
18
-5.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$875.389
+0.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cowley Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $11K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Cowley Family Foundation open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 17 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $279; repeat grants $613. How we count
Medians: $279 first-time, $50 repeat.
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+14%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 145% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing does not state an overarching mission. Its 2025 grants include support for scholarships and schools, poverty relief, hunger and disaster response, and other charitable services.
Among its grantees, Utah State University describes its scholarship program as helping students—particularly first-generation students—meet financial burdens and complete their degrees. Nkuringo Education and Community Support says it works to relieve poverty in southwestern Uganda and advance children’s education, including through scholarships. Church World Service describes its work as sustainable development, disaster relief, and refugee assistance.
Other supported organizations include the Salt Lake Education Foundation, which says it promotes student success in the Salt Lake City School District by supplementing children’s educational experiences, and Cambodia Job Foundation, which says it provides education, training, and other opportunities to help Cambodian residents develop skills and expand economic opportunities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 18 grants totaling $15,757. Grant amounts ranged from $50 to $6,000, with a median of $50.
The largest reported grants were $6,000 to Utah State University Scholarship to create scholarships and $6,000 to Nkuringo Education and Community Support to help school children. Other notable grants were $2,499 to Church World Service for charitable work addressing hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster, and $500 to Southern Utah Adaptive Sports to support inclusive recreation programs.
How to Apply
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with Cowley Family Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports grant dollars by recipient state as Utah, 44%; an unidentified state category, 38%; Indiana, 16%; New York, 2%; and Texas, 0%. The listed grants also include support for Nkuringo Education and Community Support in southwestern Uganda.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $5K (2021) to $16K (2024). In 2025 it made 18 grants totaling $16K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Nkuringo Education and Community Su ($6K). Together the top 10 received $9K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($6,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
90 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 90 grants of 90 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 individual scholarship Recipients not named | — | $6,000 |
| Nkuringo Education and Community Su | Help School Children | $6,000 |
| Church World Service Elkhart, IN | To help support the charity to build a world where there is enough for all. To transform communities around the world through sustainable response to hunger, poverty, displacement & disaster. | $2,499 |
| Southern Utah Adaptive Sports St George, UT | Support the charity to empower individuals of all abilities through inclusive recreation by providing adaptive programs. | $500 |
| America Foundation for Suicide Prev New York, NY | Charity Support | $100 |
| Donorschoose New York, NY | To help teachers with needed supplies to run their classrooms and to benefit the students and inspire teachers to stay in the profession. | $57 |
| Community Nursing Services West Valley, UT | Support Services | $51 |
| Escalera Foundation Salt Lake City, UT | Support charity to achieve equitable education for indigeneous students in mexico | $50 |
| Guadalupe School Salt Lake City, UT | Support School | $50 |
| Make a Wish Foundation Murray, UT | Charity Support | $50 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $245,962 | $45,750 | $18,101 | $15,757 |
| 2024 | $218,313 | $26,927 | $18,398 | $16,493 |
| 2023 | $209,784 | $20,210 | $12,119 | $10,114 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $245,962 | $218,313 | $209,784 |
| Revenue | $45,750 | $26,927 | $20,210 |
| Expenses | $18,101 | $18,398 | $12,119 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $15,757 | $16,493 | $10,114 |
| Net Investment Income | $23,800 | $25,077 | — |
| Distributable Amount | $10,860 | $10,248 | $9,874 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jon K Cowley and Margo W Cowley as trustees.
Cowley Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jon K. Cowley
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Margo W. Cowley
Trustee
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 7858 Pheasant Wood Drive, Sandy, UT 84093
Phone: (801) 943-4797
Frequently asked questions about Cowley Family Foundation
How much does Cowley Family Foundation give each year?
Cowley Family Foundation gave $16K across 18 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $16K across 19 grants.
What is Cowley Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Cowley Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $50, and its average grant was $875, across 18 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cowley Family Foundation that year got $279 on average.
Where does Cowley Family Foundation give grants?
Cowley Family Foundation's top state is Utah, with 44% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest state was Indiana (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (3 grants) and Salt Lake City, UT (3 grants).
Does Cowley Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Cowley Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charity Support" (8 grants).
Who are Cowley Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Cowley Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Nkuringo Education and Community Su ($6,000), Church World Service ($2,499) and Southern Utah Adaptive Sports ($500), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 individual scholarship ($6,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 57% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Cowley Family Foundation?
Cowley Family Foundation reported $246K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $16K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $11K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Cowley Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing does not state an overarching mission. Its 2025 grants include support for scholarships and schools, poverty relief, hunger and disaster response, and other charitable services. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cowley 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 Cowley Family Foundation's EIN?
Cowley Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 27-5504133. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Cowley 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.
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