Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation
The Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation is a private foundation based in Spokane, Washington. Created by William H. Cowles in memory of his wife, it is dedicated mainly to capital projects focused on civic, arts, cultural, and educational endeavors.
Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation at a glance
In short: Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation gave $570K across 6 grants in 2024 (avg $95K), mostly in Washington. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $570,000
- -24.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 6
- +200.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $95,000
- -74.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $75,000
- Total assets
- $12,402,643
- +1.2% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Washington (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 999 W Riverside Ave 604, Spokane, WA 99201
Phone: (509) 459-5221
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Innovia Foundation ($250K). Together the top 6 received $570K.
Grant Size Distribution
70 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 54 grants of 70 (77%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website describes its project support as serving the circulation footprint of The Spokesman-Review. All grant dollars itemized for 2024 went to recipients in Washington.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 6 itemized grants.
Cities
How Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation gives
- Giving fell 29% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 74% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $495K (2020) to $1.0M (2022). In 2024 it made 6 grants totaling $570K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Innovia Foundation Spokane, WA | Capital Campaign | $250,000 |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Spokane County Spokane, WA | Capital Campaign | $120,000 |
| Inland Northwest Land Conservancy Spokane, WA | Capital Campaign | $100,000 |
| Multi-Ethnic Business Association (Ahana) Spokane, WA | Capital Campaign | $50,000 |
| Seattle Children's Foundation Seattle, WA | Capital Campaign | $25,000 |
| Village Cohousing Works Spokane, WA | General Funding | $25,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $12,402,643 | $806,563 | $657,890 | $570,000 | 6 | $576,420 | $740,142 | $783,373 |
| 2023 | $12,253,970 | $429,390 | $841,381 | $751,000 | 2 | $757,403 | $358,043 | $737,416 |
| 2022 | $12,665,961 | $663,777 | $1,111,654 | $1,011,400 | 24 | $1,011,545 | $549,914 | $750,960 |
| 2021 | $13,113,838 | $2,122,665 | $889,444 | $800,400 | 19 | $800,400 | $2,064,076 | $843,981 |
| 2020 | $11,880,617 | $622,211 | $572,654 | $495,300 | 19 | — | $561,582 | $801,865 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation reported a distributable amount of $783K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation focuses mainly on capital projects in civic, arts, cultural, and educational areas. Its 2024 grants included capital campaign support for organizations in Spokane and Seattle, as well as general funding for a Spokane organization.
Among its grantees, Innovia Foundation describes its mission as partnering with people and organizations to address regional problems, help people in need, and respond to regional opportunities. Seattle Children’s Foundation says it works to improve health care services for infants, children, and adolescents through contributions to organizations providing health care services, research, and education.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made six grants totaling $570,000. Grant amounts ranged from $25,000 to $250,000, with a median of $75,000. The largest grants were $250,000 to Innovia Foundation, $120,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Spokane County, and $100,000 to Inland Northwest Land Conservancy. Each was for a capital campaign. The foundation also gave $50,000 to Multi-Ethnic Business Association (AHANA) for a capital campaign, $25,000 to Seattle Children’s Foundation for a capital campaign, and $25,000 to Village Cohousing Works for general funding.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists WS Cowles as trustee and vice president, EA Cowles as president, and SR Rector as secretary.
Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation is led by Ea Cowles, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ea Cowles
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ws Cowles
Trustee & Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sr Rector
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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 Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation
How much does Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation give each year?
Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation gave $570K across 6 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $751K across 2 grants.
What is Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation's typical grant size?
Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $75,000, and its average grant was $95,000, across 6 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation give grants?
Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation gives mostly in Washington: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Spokane, WA (5 grants).
Does Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 17% of Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 6) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Capital Campaign" (5 grants).
Who are Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation's largest grantees?
Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Innovia Foundation ($250,000), Boys & Girls Clubs of Spokane County ($120,000) and Inland Northwest Land Conservancy ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 82% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation?
Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation reported $12.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $576K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $783K (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 Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation fund?
The foundation focuses mainly on capital projects in civic, arts, cultural, and educational areas. Its 2024 grants included capital campaign support for organizations in Spokane and Seattle, as well as general funding for a Spokane organization. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Harriet Cheney Cowles 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 Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation's EIN?
Harriet Cheney Cowles Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-0689268. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Harriet Cheney 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 October 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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