Ethel N Bowen Foundation

BLUEFIELD, WV EIN: 23-7010740

The Ethel N Bowen Foundation is a private foundation established around 1968-1969 and based in Bluefield, West Virginia. The foundation operates as an independent 501(c)(3) organization with a primary focus on educational scholarships and support for institutions in the Appalachian region.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$14.6M

+6.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$795K

+20.8% YoY

Grant Count

321

+8.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$2K

+11.4% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary purpose is to provide scholarships to further the education of students in southern West Virginia and southwestern Virginia. Beyond scholarships, the foundation also supports:

  • Higher education institutions
  • Secondary education
  • Municipal initiatives
  • Sports program equipment
  • Robotics programs
  • Food distribution programs for children

Grantmaking

The foundation offers undergraduate scholarships of $2,000 each with 20 scholarships available annually. Applicants must be residents of southern West Virginia or southwestern Virginia counties and maintain a top 20% class standing. The scholarship deadline is April 30.

Average Grant

amount: approximately $2,000

Review Cycle

is April 30.

How to Apply

**

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in:

  • West Virginia (primary focus)
  • Virginia (primary focus)
  • Kentucky
  • South Carolina

Grantmaking reaches organizations across 9 states, with West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky accounting for 99% of all grants.

Grant Distribution by State

11states
+3 more states

Cities

AbingdonAthensBeckleyBishopBlandBluefieldBluffonBoltBramwellBrentonBristolBudCamp CreekCedar BluffCeresCharlottesvilleChristiansburgClear ForkClearforkClemmons

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets & Revenue (as of 2024):

  • Total assets: $14,555,160
  • Total revenues: $1,327,384
  • Total expenses: $885,589
  • Investment income and dividends: $395,270
  • Net gain from sale of non-inventory assets: $915,114

Historical Asset Growth: Total assets have grown from $8.1 million in 2011 to $14.6 million in 2024.

Annual Distribution History:

  • 2020-2023: Distributed between $593,000 and $1.4 million annually
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$568K$1M$2M$2M20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$14,555,160$13,649,763$12,626,663
Revenue$1,327,384$367,492$575,257
Expenses$885,589$738,999$819,121
Qualifying Distributions$800,764$662,402$691,135
Net Investment Income$1,225,584$300,383$481,751
Distributable Amount$717,581$643,756$663,068

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$199K$397K$596K$795K272 grants2020266 grants2021294 grants2022296 grants2023321 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK$15KBLUEFIELD STATE UNIVERSITY$5KABIGAIL J JENKINS$3KABIGAIL PETERSON$3KABIGAIL RICHARDSON$3KABIGAIL SHOEMAKER$3KABIGAIL STOVALL$3KADALINE NOLLEY$3KADISON LUSK$3KAIDAN STOUT$3K

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

250<$50K$50–100K$100–250K$250–500K$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

First National Bank of Bluefield serves as the principal officer and scholarship administrator for the foundation.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
J RONALD HYPESPRESIDENT & DIRECTOR0.5
B K SATTERFIELDSECRETARY/TREASURER & DIRECTOR0.5
HENRY C BOWENVICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR0.5

Contact Information

Address: 525 Federal Street Bluefield, WV 24701

Phone: 304-324-3246

EIN: 23-7010740

Scholarship Officer Contact: First National Bank of Bluefield PO Box 1559 500 Federal Street Bluefield, WV 24701

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

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