Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation
The Daniel and Sharon Bowen Foundation is a private foundation based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Its 2024 grants supported charitable organizations working in areas including religion, healthcare, education, and the arts.
Key facts about Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation
In short: Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation gave $3.8M across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $157K), mostly in Michigan. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 20-5984891
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,759,665
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- Average grant
- $156,653
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $16,187,961
- Primary geography
- Michigan (98% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation states that it 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 September 2026. 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
$16.2M
-0.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.8M
+39.4% YoY
Grant Count
24
+41.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$157K
-1.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation reported a distributable amount of $757K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation gives
- 50% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 189% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 496% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (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
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for religious, healthcare, educational, arts, and therapy purposes. Among its grantees, Artists Creating Together says it empowers people with disabilities in West Michigan through artistic and cultural experiences, personal growth, and learning. Hope College describes its mission as educating students for leadership and service through liberal arts programs in the context of the historic Christian faith. One World Surgery says it works to expand access to high-quality surgical care globally, and St. Marys Foundation describes its purposes as charitable, religious, educational, and scientific.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 17 grants totaling $2,697,499. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $2,000,000, with a median grant of $20,000. The largest awards included $2,000,000 to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids and $250,000 to Our Shepherds Our Future, both for religious purposes; $166,666 to St Mary’s Foundation for healthcare; and $83,333 to Grand Action Foundation for the arts. Other listed grants included $50,000 to One World Surgery, $30,000 each to Hope College and Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School, and $20,000 to Artists Creating Together.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan, 2% to Illinois, and 0% to Arizona.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 24 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Cities
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 2025
Grant Size Distribution
87 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ST ROBERT CATHOLIC CHURCH Ada, MI | RELIGIOUS | $2,000,000 |
| CATHOLIC CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL Grand Rapids, MI | EDUCATION | $1,084,500 |
| ST MARY'S FOUNDATION Grand Rapids, MI | HEALTHCARE | $166,666 |
| SAN JUAN DIEGO ACADEMY Wyoming, MI | EDUCATION | $110,000 |
| GRAND ACTION FOUNDATION Grand Rapids, MI | ARTS | $83,333 |
| HOPE COLLEGE Holland, MI | EDUCATION | $75,000 |
| ONE WORLD SURGERY Deerfield, IL | HEALTH CARE | $50,000 |
| AQUINAS COLLEGE Grand Rapids, MI | EDUCATION | $50,000 |
| BEER CITY DOG BISCUITS Grand Rapids, MI | THERAPY | $25,000 |
| OAK HEART LODGE Newaygo, MI | THERAPY | $25,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $16,316,977 | $1,349,003 | $2,756,823 | $2,697,499 | 17 |
| 2023 | $17,724,797 | -$833,354 | $1,060,089 | $999,576 | 21 |
| 2022 | $19,617,480 | -$456,287 | $1,539,021 | $1,302,167 | 17 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $16,187,961 | $16,316,977 | $17,724,797 |
| Revenue | $3,695,146 | $1,349,003 | $-833,354 |
| Expenses | $3,830,332 | $2,756,823 | $1,060,089 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,759,665 | $2,697,499 | $999,576 |
| Net Investment Income | $921,054 | $1,289,679 | $660,160 |
| Distributable Amount | $757,322 | $850,136 | $846,170 |
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 August 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Daniel J. Bowen as president and Sharon Bowen as secretary/treasurer.
Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation is led by Daniel J. Bowen, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Daniel J. Bowen
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sharon Bowen
Secretary & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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: 2750 Reeds Lake Blvd Se, Grand Rapids, MI 49506
Phone: (616) 791-9934
Frequently asked questions about Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation
How much does Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation give each year?
Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation gave $3.8M across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.7M across 17 grants.
What is Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation's typical grant size?
Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $156,653, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation give grants?
Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation gives mostly in Michigan: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Grand Rapids, MI (16 grants) and Wyoming, MI (2 grants).
Does Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 24 grants with a stated purpose on Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (8 grants), "Religious" (5 grants) and "Arts" (4 grants).
Who are Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation's largest grantees?
Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include St Robert Catholic Church ($2,000,000), Catholic Central High School ($1,084,500) and St Mary's Foundation ($166,666), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 86% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation?
Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation reported $16.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $3.8M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $757K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for religious, healthcare, educational, arts, and therapy purposes. Among its grantees, Artists Creating Together says it empowers people with disabilities in West Michigan through artistic and cultural experiences, personal growth, and learning. Hope College describes its mission as educating students for leadership and service through liberal arts programs in the context of the historic Christian faith. One World Su…
How do I apply for a grant from Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation?
The foundation states that it 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 Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation's EIN?
Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-5984891. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Dan and Sherry Bowen Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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