James a and Mayme H Rowland
James a and Mayme H Rowland is a private foundation based in Dallas, Texas. Its 2024 filing describes its direct charitable activity as monetary support to educational, religious, charitable, and scientific entities.
James a and Mayme H Rowland at a glance
In short: James a and Mayme H Rowland gave $110K across 33 grants in 2024 (avg $3K), top state North Carolina. 61% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $110,000
- +44.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 33
- +37.5% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $3,333
- +5.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $1,247,731
- -3.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 61% first-time grantees (20 of 33, 2024)
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (43% 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 James a and Mayme H Rowland
- How to Apply
-
Contact Susan Sowell. The filing lists “5” for form and materials and requires recipients to be tax-exempt organizations.
- Contact
Application contact: Susan Sowell
Mailing address: 17480 Dallas Pkwy 230, Dallas, TX 75287
Phone: (214) 855-0139
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who James a and Mayme H Rowland funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Christ School Fund ($15K). Together the top 10 received $54K.
Grant Size Distribution
109 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 109 grants of 109 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 43% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina, 23% to Pennsylvania, and 16% to Texas. Smaller shares went to Tennessee (5%) and Louisiana (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 33 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is James a and Mayme H Rowland open to new grantees?
61%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 20 of 33 grantees (61%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 39% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 83% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 110% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 $51K (2020) to $110K (2024). In 2024 it made 33 grants totaling $110K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Christ School Fund Arden, NC | Educational | $15,000 |
| Longview Museum of Fine Arts Longview, TX | Charitable | $8,000 |
| Sewanee Sewanee, TN | Educational | $5,000 |
| French Broad River Academy Ascheville, NC | Charitable | $5,000 |
| Mountain True Asheville, NC | Charitable | $4,000 |
| The Pisgah Conservancy Brevard, NC | Charitable | $4,000 |
| Conserving Carolina Hendersonville, NC | Charitable | $4,000 |
| Philadelphia Orchard Project Philadelphia, PA | Charitable | $3,000 |
| The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, PA | Educational | $3,000 |
| Urban League Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | Charitable | $3,000 |
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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 | $1,247,731 | $82,662 | $124,750 | $110,000 | 33 | $110,000 | $57,402 | $100,136 |
| 2023 | $1,289,819 | $44,203 | $89,461 | $76,000 | 24 | $76,000 | $41,622 | $97,472 |
| 2022 | $1,291,710 | $88,443 | $114,739 | $100,000 | 21 | $100,000 | $33,183 | $103,564 |
| 2021 | $1,318,006 | $146,528 | $74,340 | $60,000 | 19 | $60,000 | $35,513 | $82,225 |
| 2020 | $1,245,818 | $118,834 | $64,642 | $51,000 | 12 | — | $33,881 | $86,355 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, James a and Mayme H Rowland reported a distributable amount of $100K 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
The foundation states that it provides monetary support to educational, religious, charitable, and scientific entities. Its 2024 grants included support for educational organizations, arts and cultural organizations, environmental conservation groups, community initiatives, and humanitarian relief.
Among its grantees, Longview Museum of Fine Arts describes its mission as enriching lives and igniting a passion for the arts. Conserving Carolina says it works to protect, restore, and inspire appreciation of the natural world. The Philadelphia Orchard Project describes its work as supporting community orchards and providing educational opportunities in orchard care. World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $110,000 through 33 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,500 to $15,000, with a median grant of $3,000. Notable awards included $15,000 to Christ School Fund for educational purposes; $8,000 to Longview Museum of Fine Arts for charitable purposes; and $5,000 each to Sewanee for educational purposes and French Broad River Academy for charitable purposes. Other awards included $4,000 each to Mountain True, The Pisgah Conservancy, and Conserving Carolina.
The foundation’s application policy says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. Its filing lists Susan Sowell as the contact, “5” under form and materials, and requires award recipients to be tax-exempt organizations.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Susan Dowler Sowell and Mary Sowell Shelmire as trustees.
James a and Mayme H Rowland's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Mary Sowell Shelmire
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Susan Dowler Sowell
Trustee
On filings since 2020
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 James a and Mayme H Rowland
How much does James a and Mayme H Rowland give each year?
James a and Mayme H Rowland gave $110K across 33 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $76K across 24 grants.
What is James a and Mayme H Rowland's typical grant size?
James a and Mayme H Rowland's median grant in 2024 was $3,000, and its average grant was $3,333, across 33 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from James a and Mayme H Rowland that year got $3K on average.
Where does James a and Mayme H Rowland give grants?
James a and Mayme H Rowland's top state is North Carolina, with 43% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Pennsylvania (23%) and Texas (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were Philadelphia, PA (11 grants), Asheville, NC (4 grants), Longview, TX (3 grants) and Ascheville, NC (2 grants).
Does James a and Mayme H Rowland give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 33 grants with a stated purpose on James a and Mayme H Rowland's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (27 grants) and "Educational" (6 grants).
Who are James a and Mayme H Rowland's largest grantees?
James a and Mayme H Rowland's largest 2024 grantees include Christ School Fund ($15,000), Longview Museum of Fine Arts ($8,000) and Sewanee ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 25% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is James a and Mayme H Rowland?
James a and Mayme H Rowland reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $110K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $100K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does James a and Mayme H Rowland fund?
The foundation states that it provides monetary support to educational, religious, charitable, and scientific entities. Its 2024 grants included support for educational organizations, arts and cultural organizations, environmental conservation groups, community initiatives, and humanitarian relief. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from James a and Mayme H Rowland?
Contact Susan Sowell. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is James a and Mayme H Rowland's EIN?
James a and Mayme H Rowland's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 75-6043988. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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). James a and Mayme H Rowland funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 25, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/james-a-and-mayme-h-rowland-morg_7b73127665f54e1e81b9fa5ab12c34a0
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_756043988_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{James a and Mayme H Rowland funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/james-a-and-mayme-h-rowland-morg_7b73127665f54e1e81b9fa5ab12c34a0},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-25. 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 James a and Mayme H Rowland'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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