Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation
The Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation is a private foundation based in Skokie, Illinois. Established in 2004, it supports research, invention, and creation in the performing arts and promotes international understanding through arts collaborations.
Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation at a glance
In short: Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation gave $148K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $15K), top state Massachusetts. 30% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $148,325
- +6.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- +25.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $14,833
- -14.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,213
- Total assets
- $60,445
- +2.5% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 30% first-time grantees (3 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (2% 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 Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation’s website says it does not solicit projects and cannot consider spontaneous submissions—in other words, it does not accept unsolicited requests. The 2025 filing states that it considers only written requests from qualifying tax-exempt organizations; it lists Edith Greene as the contact and reports no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- No deadlines, according to the 2025 filing.
- Deadline
- No deadlines, according to the 2025 filing.
- Contact
Application contact: Edith Greene
Mailing address: 5215 Old Orchard Road 340, Skokie, IL 60077
Phone: (312) 920-0013
Email: lg@eeg-cowlesfoundation.org
Website: https://www.eeg-cowlesfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Les Amis Du CDC La Termitiere ($30K). Together the top 10 received $148K.
Grant Size Distribution
35 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 33 grants of 35 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation describes its work as global and identifies contemporary dance programs in West Africa as a focus since the end of 2010. Its 2025 grant list includes arts organizations in several African countries and one grantee in Massachusetts. The filing reports that 2% of 2025 grant dollars went to Massachusetts; the other recipient-state entry is not identified in the available data.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation open to new grantees?
30%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 10 grantees (30%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $14K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 70% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 96% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $76K (2022) to $192K (2019). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $148K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Les Amis Du CDC La Termitiere | General | $30,000 |
| Association De Ceux QUI | General | $25,000 |
| Association Ndar Dance | General | $20,000 |
| CDC La Termitiere | General | $20,000 |
| Association Artistique Developpement (Engagement Feminin) | General | $10,425 |
| Association Ankata | Dance Program | $10,000 |
| Association Art Au Del Du Handicap | General | $10,000 |
| Faso Danse Theatre | General | $10,000 |
| Jasp' | General | $10,000 |
| Our Sisters' School New Bedford, MA | General | $2,900 |
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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 | $60,445 | $156,017 | $154,515 | $148,325 | 10 | $154,515 | $17 | $3,684 |
| 2024 | $58,943 | $143,387 | $148,465 | $139,000 | 8 | $148,465 | $7 | $2,110 |
| 2023 | $64,021 | $156,085 | $143,965 | $138,190 | 7 | $142,175 | — | $2,463 |
| 2022 | $51,901 | $47,018 | $81,100 | $75,680 | 5 | $79,563 | — | $4,250 |
| 2021 | $85,983 | $167,519 | $88,639 | $84,120 | 5 | $86,702 | — | $2,601 |
| 2020 | $7,103 | $166,627 | $169,491 | $162,494 | 4 | — | — | $659 |
| 2019 | $9,967 | $202,121 | $197,806 | $192,397 | 3 | — | — | $327 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4K 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
The foundation’s mission is to increase international understanding among people of different cultural heritages through exchanges in the arts, and to support durable arts projects that can contribute to artists’ artistic and economic independence. Its stated performing-arts interests include choreography, theater, and music, as well as visual arts such as painting, sculpture, video, and film.
Its listed beneficiaries include dance organizations, festivals, and other arts and cultural organizations. One 2025 grantee, Our Sisters’ School, describes its own mission as educating and inspiring economically disadvantaged girls in the New Bedford, Massachusetts area through a safe, supportive, academically challenging environment and valuable life skills. That is the grantee’s stated mission, not the foundation’s.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 10 grants totaling $148,325. Grant amounts ranged from $2,900 to $30,000, with a median of $10,212. The largest grants included $30,000 to Les Amis du CDC La Termitière, $25,000 to Association de Ceux Qui, $20,000 each to Association Ndar Dance and CDC La Termitière, and $10,425 to Association Artistique Developpement (Engagement Feminin). The listed purposes were generally “GENERAL”; Association Ankata’s $10,000 grant was for a “DANCE PROGRAM.” Our Sisters’ School received $2,900.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Edith E. Greene as president and treasurer, Joanna C. Greene as vice president, and Dominique Nicolas Fioraso and Jodie Cohen-Tanugi as members of the board of directors.
Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation is led by Edith E. Greene, President & Treasurer on every filing since 2019; none of the 4 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Edith E. Greene
President & Treasurer
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dominique Nicolas Fioraso
Board of Directors
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joanna C. Greene
Vice President
Vice President & Secretary → Vice President, 2020
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jodie Cohen-Tanugi
Board of Directors
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Vincent Delegue (2021–2024) — Board of Directors
- Former: Sarah Hickson (2019–2020) — Board of Directors
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation
How much does Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation give each year?
Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation gave $148K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $139K across 8 grants.
What is Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation's typical grant size?
Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,213, and its average grant was $14,833, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation that year got $17K on average.
Does Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 90% of Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (9 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation's largest grantees?
Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Les Amis Du CDC La Termitiere ($30,000), Association De Ceux QUI ($25,000) and Association Ndar Dance ($20,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 51% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation?
Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation reported $60K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $155K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $4K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation fund?
The foundation’s mission is to increase international understanding among people of different cultural heritages through exchanges in the arts, and to support durable arts projects that can contribute to artists’ artistic and economic independence. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation?
The foundation’s website says it does not solicit projects and cannot consider spontaneous submissions—in other words, it does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
Where does Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation make grants?
The foundation describes its work as global and identifies contemporary dance programs in West Africa as a focus since the end of 2010. Its 2025 grant list includes arts organizations in several African countries and one grantee in Massachusetts. The filing reports that 2% of 2025 grant dollars went to Massachusetts; the other recipient-state entry is not identified in the available data.
What is Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation's EIN?
Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 55-0851223. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles 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.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 30, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 8, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 31, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 18, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 6, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS June 26, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/edith-elizabeth-greene-cowles-foundation-morg_a1d41007b27648ee8ca18c2571455438
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_550851223_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/edith-elizabeth-greene-cowles-foundation-morg_a1d41007b27648ee8ca18c2571455438},
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 Edith Elizabeth Greene-Cowles Foundation'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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