Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family
The Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family is a private foundation based in Hillsborough, California. In 2025, it reported grants to charitable and other exempt organizations, including organizations working in addiction education, health care, wildlife conservation, the arts, and community services.
Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family at a glance
In short: Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family gave $137K across 16 grants in 2025 (avg $9K), mostly in California. 0% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $137,000
- -21.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 16
- -42.9% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,563
- +37.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $1,707,042
- +8.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 16, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (60% 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 Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family
- 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: 735 Bromfield Rd, Hillsborough, CA 94010
Phone: (330) 603-4390
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Addiction Education Society Inc ($52K). Together the top 10 received $125K.
Grant Size Distribution
124 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 123 grants of 124 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in several states: California received 60%, Minnesota 18%, Maryland 9%, New York 5%, and Ohio 4%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 16 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 0 of 16 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 16 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. How we count
- 88% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 21% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 102% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $113K (2022) to $174K (2024). In 2025 it made 16 grants totaling $137K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Addiction Education Society Inc San Mateo, CA | Support 501(c)3 organization | $52,250 |
| Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN | Support 501(c)3 organization | $25,000 |
| San Francisco Zoological Society San Francisco, CA | Support 501(c)(3) organization | $10,000 |
| The Marine Mammal Center Sausalito, CA | Support 501(c)3 organization | $10,000 |
| Deerfield Academy Clinton, MD | Support 501(c)(3) organization | $10,000 |
| Tunnel To Towers Foundation Staten Island, NY | Support 501(c)(3) organization | $5,000 |
| Alleycats Aristrocrats Medina, OH | Support Exempt Organization | $5,000 |
| Peninsula Family Service San Mateo, CA | Support 501(c)(3) organization | $2,500 |
| Hillsborough Beautification Foundat Hillsborough, CA | Support 501(c)(3) organization | $2,500 |
| Fine Arts Museums Foundation San Francisco, CA | Support 501(c)(3) organization | $2,500 |
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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 | $1,707,042 | $309,864 | $178,999 | $137,000 | 16 | $143,300 | $280,406 | $140,666 |
| 2024 | $1,576,177 | $314,705 | $214,543 | $174,086 | 28 | $186,336 | $286,498 | $132,581 |
| 2023 | $1,476,015 | $88,217 | $161,078 | $137,500 | 28 | $137,500 | $64,639 | $117,317 |
| 2022 | $1,548,876 | $129,475 | $150,254 | $113,000 | 21 | $118,650 | $97,924 | $122,935 |
| 2021 | $1,569,655 | $298,238 | $167,379 | $131,500 | 31 | $137,150 | $262,359 | $144,772 |
| 2020 | $1,438,796 | $95,729 | $157,742 | $134,000 | 24 | — | $71,997 | $118,169 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family reported a distributable amount of $141K 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 organizations with varied missions. For example, Addiction Education Society says it provides public education and resources about substance addiction; Mayo Clinic describes its work as providing patient care, education, and research; and The Marine Mammal Center says it advances ocean conservation through rescue and rehabilitation, research, and education.
Other 2025 recipients describe work in wildlife conservation (San Francisco Zoological Society), support for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (Fine Arts Museums Foundation), services for individuals and families (Peninsula Family Service), animal welfare (Friends of Coos County Animals), and meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises (World Central Kitchen).
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 16 grants totaling $137,000. Grant amounts ranged from $1,750 to $52,250, with a median of $2,500.
The largest reported grants were $52,250 to Addiction Education Society Inc. in San Mateo, California, and $25,000 to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Other notable grants included $10,000 each to the San Francisco Zoological Society, The Marine Mammal Center, and Deerfield Academy; and $5,000 each to Tunnel To Towers Foundation and Alleycats Aristrocrats.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Merrill L Magowan as President; Douglas Magowan, Thomas Magowan, and Katrina Magowan as Vice Presidents; Pam J Wilson as Secretary/Treasurer; and Runa Magowan and Stephen Magowan as Board Members.
Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family is led by Merrill L Magowan, President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); none of the 7 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Merrill L Magowan
President
CEO → President, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Pam J Wilson
Secretary & Treasurer
CFO → Secretary & Treasurer, 2021
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Douglas Magowan
Vice President
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Katrina Magowan
Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Magowan
Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Runa Magowan
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Stephen Magowan
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Cynthia Magowan (2020) — Director
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 Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family
How much does Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family give each year?
Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family gave $137K across 16 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $174K across 28 grants.
What is Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family's typical grant size?
Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $8,563, across 16 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family give grants?
Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family gives mostly in California: 60% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Minnesota (18%) and Maryland (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Mateo, CA (2 grants) and San Francisco, CA (2 grants).
Does Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 16 grants with a stated purpose on Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support 501(c)(3) organization" (13 grants).
Who are Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family's largest grantees?
Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family's largest 2025 grantees include Addiction Education Society Inc ($52,250), Mayo Clinic ($25,000) and San Francisco Zoological Society ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 64% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family?
Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family reported $1.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $143K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $141K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2025 grants show support for organizations with varied missions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family?
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 Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family's EIN?
Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1511055. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 5, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cynthia-and-merrill-magowan-family-morg_64bf91b25479421caadc6ab61e4c0b6b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_201511055_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cynthia-and-merrill-magowan-family-morg_64bf91b25479421caadc6ab61e4c0b6b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-05. 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 Cynthia and Merrill Magowan Family'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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