Dowd Foundation Inc
Dowd Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, primarily in North Carolina, including schools, health and community organizations, and conservation initiatives.
Dowd Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Dowd Foundation Inc gave $4.4M across 162 grants in 2024 (avg $27K), mostly in North Carolina. 24% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $4,433,225
- +10.9% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 162
- -4.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $27,366
- +15.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $79,612,541
- +2.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 24% first-time grantees (28 of 118, 2024)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (94% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Dowd Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 35430, Charlotte, NC 28235
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Dowd Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Charlotte Country Day School ($500K). Together the top 10 received $3.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
922 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 838 grants of 922 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 94% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina. The filing also reports grants to recipients in Virginia (2%), Texas (1%), Massachusetts (1%), and New York (0%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 162 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Dowd Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
24%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 28 of 118 grantees (24%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $42K; repeat grants $36K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 64% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+9%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 87% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $4.0M (2020) to $5.3M (2022). In 2024 it made 162 grants totaling $4.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Country Day School Charlotte, NC | Assist Organizations with Its Needs and Goals | $500,000 |
| UNC Charlotte Foundation Charlotte, NC | Assist Organizations with Its Needs and Goals | $500,000 |
| Atrium Health Foundation - the Center for Oncology Charlotte, NC | Assist Organizations with Its Needs and Goals | $400,000 |
| Carolinas Aviation Museum Charlotte, NC | Assist Organizations with Its Needs and Goals | $250,000 |
| CPCC Foundation - Plumbing & Pipe Fitting Careers Charlotte, NC | Assist Organizations with Its Needs and Goals | $250,000 |
| CPCC Foundation - Plumbing & Pipe Fitting Careers Charlotte, NC | Assist Organizations with Its Needs and Goals | $250,000 |
| Wing Haven Charlotte, NC | Assist Organizations with Its Needs and Goals | $250,000 |
| Christ Church Charlotte Charlotte, NC | Assist Organizations with Its Needs and Goals | $200,000 |
| Foundation for the Carolians - Hugh McColl Park Charlotte, NC | Assist Organizations with Its Needs and Goals | $125,000 |
| The John Crosland School Charlotte, NC | Assist Organizations with Its Needs and Goals | $125,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Dowd Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $79,612,541 | $8,898,359 | $5,161,758 | $4,433,225 | 162 | $4,433,225 | $6,944,998 | $5,079,708 |
| 2023 | $77,795,709 | $6,322,258 | $4,587,725 | $3,997,515 | 169 | $3,997,515 | $4,447,249 | $4,391,203 |
| 2022 | $75,008,786 | $18,382,169 | $5,854,546 | $5,266,918 | 222 | $5,266,918 | $9,769,923 | $4,134,761 |
| 2021 | $67,421,141 | $14,090,357 | $4,755,147 | $4,058,708 | 206 | $4,058,708 | $9,358,874 | $4,597,974 |
| 2020 | $62,724,398 | $9,168,786 | $4,517,172 | $3,963,142 | 163 | — | $6,597,977 | $3,842,478 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Dowd Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $5.1M for 2024 — 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 formal foundation mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants show support for varied charitable organizations. For example, Charlotte Country Day School says its mission is to develop students through educational excellence, character, community, and service. The John Crosland School describes its work as providing individualized education for students with learning differences, while Carolina Thread Trail says it supports local communities in building a regional trail and conserving natural lands.
Other 2024 recipients include Crossnore Communities for Children, whose stated mission concerns the well-being of children and families; HopeWay Foundation, which seeks to broaden mental health care and education; and Charlotte Rescue Mission, which serves people facing hopelessness, poverty, or chemical addictions.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 162 grants totaling $4,433,225. Grants ranged from $250 to $500,000, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest listed awards included $500,000 each to Charlotte Country Day School and UNC Charlotte Foundation, and $400,000 to Atrium Health Foundation – The Center for Oncology. Other large grants included $250,000 each to Carolinas Aviation Museum, CPCC Foundation – Plumbing & Pipe Fitting Careers (listed twice), and Wing Haven.
Additional recipients included Christ Church Charlotte ($200,000), Foundation for the Carolinas – Hugh McColl Park ($125,000), The John Crosland School ($125,000), Carolina Thread Trail ($100,000), and Crossnore Communities for Children ($100,000). The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists W. Frank Dowd IV as president and director; E. Hooper Hardison Jr. as vice president and director; Roddey Dowd Jr. and Roddey Dowd III as directors; Lois Warren as treasurer and secretary; and Edward J. Wood IV as a director.
Dowd Foundation Inc is led by W. Frank Dowd IV, President & Director since 2022 (on filings since 2020); none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
W. Frank Dowd IV
President & Director
President → President & Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
E. Hooper Hardison Jr.
Vice President & Director
Vice President → Vice President & Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Roddey Dowd Jr.
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Edward J. Wood IV
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Roddey Dowd III
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Lois Warren
Treasurer & Secretary
Treasurer → Treasurer & Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Edward H. Hardison (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: William Hutaff III (2020–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Carson Howard (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth Stetson Dowd (2020–2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Dowd Foundation Inc
How much does Dowd Foundation Inc give each year?
Dowd Foundation Inc gave $4.4M across 162 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $4.0M across 169 grants.
What is Dowd Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Dowd Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $5,000, and its average grant was $27,366, across 162 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Dowd Foundation Inc that year got $42K on average.
Where does Dowd Foundation Inc give grants?
Dowd Foundation Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 94% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Charlotte, NC (89 grants), Richmond, VA (8 grants), Raleigh, NC (7 grants) and Monroe, NC (6 grants).
Does Dowd Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 162 grants with a stated purpose on Dowd Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Assist Organizations with Its Needs and Goals" (162 grants).
Who are Dowd Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Dowd Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Charlotte Country Day School ($500,000), CPCC Foundation - Plumbing & Pipe Fitting Careers ($500,000 across 2 grants) and UNC Charlotte Foundation ($500,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 34% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Dowd Foundation Inc?
Dowd Foundation Inc reported $79.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $5.1M (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Dowd Foundation Inc fund?
No formal foundation mission statement is provided. The 2024 grants show support for varied charitable organizations. For example, Charlotte Country Day School says its mission is to develop students through educational excellence, character, community, and service. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Dowd Foundation Inc?
Dowd Foundation Inc does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines.
What is Dowd Foundation Inc's EIN?
Dowd Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-6061389. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Dowd Foundation Inc 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Dowd Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/dowd-foundation-inc-morg_0b6c252da32943e9978e09a3dc7eedb0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_566061389_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Dowd Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/dowd-foundation-inc-morg_0b6c252da32943e9978e09a3dc7eedb0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Dowd Foundation Inc'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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