Maier Foundation Inc logo

Maier Foundation Inc

Private foundation · Grantmaker Charleston, WV EIN: 55-6023833 Website

Maier Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Charleston, an individual recipient Its primary focus is higher education in an individual recipient and higher education for an individual recipient residents attending colleges and universities elsewhere; it also makes educationally related distributions to cultural and other organizations in the Kanawha Valley.

Maier Foundation Inc at a glance

In short: Maier Foundation Inc gave $2.5M across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $89K), mostly in West Virginia. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.

Annual giving (2025)
$2,482,000
+9.1% vs 2024
Grants made (2025)
28
+12.0% vs 2024
Average grant
$88,643
-2.6% vs 2024
Median grant
$35,000
Total assets
$31,882,632
+4.9% vs 2024
New grantees (estimate)
18% first-time grantees (4 of 22, 2025; small sample)
Primary geography
West Virginia (100% 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 Maier Foundation Inc

How to Apply

Applications must use the foundation’s prescribed form and include information about the project or program, its need and goals, evaluation methods, specific uses and timing of funds, a detailed project budget, other…

Applications must use the foundation’s prescribed form and include information about the project or program, its need and goals, evaluation methods, specific uses and timing of funds, a detailed project budget, other funding sources, matching funds, and the organization’s annual operating budget. Organizations that have never received funding from the foundation must also provide organizational history and purpose, and information about officers, senior managers, and board members. Contact Bradley M. Rowe, President, for the guidelines and form. Applications are reviewed for alignment with the foundation’s mission, policies, and guidelines; qualifying applications are considered by the board at its annual December meeting.

Review Cycle
Applications must be received by October 1 for consideration at the annual December meeting. Appropriate applications received after that date are held for consideration the following year.
Deadline
Applications must be received by October 1 for consideration at the annual December meeting.
Contact

Application contact: Bradley M Rowe President
Mailing address: PO Box 6190, Charleston, WV 25362
Phone: (304) 343-2201
Website: https://maierfoundation.org

Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.

Who Maier Foundation Inc funds

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2025

Marshall University Foundation Inc: $640K across 3 grantsMarshall University FoundationInc$640K · 3 grantsClay Center for the Arts & Sciences of WV: $570K across 2 grantsClay Center for the Arts &Sciences of WV$570K · 2 grantsUniversity of Charleston Inc: $500KUniversity of Charleston Inc$500KWV Independent Colleges & Universities: $120KWV Independent Colleges &Universities$120KThe Foundation for Thomas Memorial and Saint Francis Hospitals Inc: $100KThe Foundation for ThomasMemorial and Saint Francis…$100KWVSOM Foundation Inc: $100KWVSOM Foundation Inc$100KWest Virginia Symphony Orchestra Inc: $93K across 2 grantsWest Virginia SymphonyOrchestra Inc$93K · 2 grantsConcord University Foundation Inc: $60KConcord University FoundationInc$60KWest Virginia Wesleyan College: $60KWest Virginia Wesleyan College$60KWV Society of Certified Public Accountants: $20KWV Society of Certified PublicAccountants$20K

The largest 2025 recipient was Marshall University Foundation Inc ($640K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $2.3M.

Organizations only. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($100,000), which are not listed by name.

Grant Size Distribution

152 grants across all recorded years

89<$50K31$50–100K17$100–250K9$250–500K6$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

The most common grant size was under $50K: 89 grants of 152 (59%).

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation’s stated geographic focus is higher education in an individual recipient and higher education for an individual recipient residents attending colleges and universities elsewhere, along with educationally related distributions to cultural and other organizations in the Kanawha Valley. Nearly all reported 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in an individual recipient; one $12,000 scholarship-endowment grant went to WV Emulation Endowment Trust in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Grant Distribution by State

3states

Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.

Cities

CharlestonHuntingtonMorgantownAthensBuckhannonCharlotteLewisburgDunbarHamptonSouth CharlestonScott DepotGlenvilleInstitute

Is Maier Foundation Inc open to new grantees?

18%

first-time grantees, 2025

In 2025, 4 of 22 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. With only 22 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $33K; repeat grants $131K. How we count

Medians: $13K first-time, $38K repeat.

  • 77% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
  • Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+2%). Method
  • In 2025 it paid out 92% 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 (2021–2025). 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

$0$1M$2M$3M35 grants2021 34 grants2022 30 grants2023 25 grants2024 28 grants2025

From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.1M (2021) to $2.5M (2025). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $2.5M.

Grants by year

Grant recipients and amounts by year

RecipientPurposeAmount
Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences of WV Charleston, WVBuilding Revitalization$500,000
Marshall University Foundation Inc Huntington, WVScholarship Endowment$500,000
University of Charleston Inc Charleston, WVBuilding Renovation & Scholarship Endowment$500,000
WV Independent Colleges & Universities Charleston, WVScholarships$120,000
Marshall University Foundation Inc Huntington, WVWriting Awards - Spend & Endowment$100,000
The Foundation for Thomas Memorial and Saint Francis Hospitals Inc South Charleston, WVAspiring Nurse Program$100,000
WVSOM Foundation Inc Lewisburg, WVScholarships$100,000
Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences of WV Charleston, WVOperating Funds$70,000
Concord University Foundation Inc Athens, WVScholarships$60,000
West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, WVUndergraduate Research Experience$60,000
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Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Figures are for the filing years shown.

Figures from IRS filings, by filing year
Filing yearTotal AssetsRevenueExpensesGrants paidGrantsQualifying DistributionsNet Investment IncomeDistributable Amount
2025$31,882,632$4,705,596$3,213,154$2,482,00028$2,484,335$4,039,351$2,697,446
2024$30,390,190$5,605,345$3,019,823$2,275,00025$2,276,933$4,927,256$2,495,749
2023$27,804,668$2,964,755$3,068,360$2,427,00030$2,428,749$2,212,919$2,291,305
2022$27,908,273$2,600,713$3,177,528$2,444,33334$2,446,084$2,061,140$2,401,819
2021$28,485,088$5,191,412$2,491,149$2,058,33335—$4,793,132$2,460,525

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Maier Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $2.7M 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 stated mission is to further higher education in an individual recipient and the higher education of an individual recipient residents attending colleges and universities elsewhere. It also makes educationally related distributions to cultural and other organizations in the Kanawha Valley.

Its 2025 grants included scholarships, scholarship endowments, building revitalization and renovation, operating funds, undergraduate research experience, writing awards, and an aspiring nurse program. The foundation’s grantees describe their own purposes in varied terms: Marshall University Foundation says it supports Marshall University by receiving, investing, and administering private resources; Concord University Foundation says it grows charitable resources, enhances the university’s reputation, and strengthens relationships with alumni and friends; and an individual recipient Wesleyan College describes its aim as developing students’ intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and leadership potential.

Grantmaking

In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 28 grants totaling $2,482,000. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $500,000, with a median of $35,000. The largest reported awards were $500,000 each to the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences of WV for building revitalization, Marshall University Foundation for a scholarship endowment, and the University of Charleston for building renovation and a scholarship endowment. Other awards included $120,000 to WV Independent Colleges & Universities for scholarships; $100,000 each to Marshall University Foundation for writing awards and to the Foundation for Thomas Memorial and Saint Francis Hospitals for an aspiring nurse program; and $100,000 to WVSOM Foundation for scholarships.

The foundation’s policies generally require applicants to be tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3). The application materials also call for confirmation that the applicant is not a private foundation under Section 509(a). The foundation will not fund churches or religious organizations, political parties or politically aligned organizations, for-profit entities, individual students seeking direct scholarships, other private foundations, governmental entities, primary or secondary educational institutions, or sports-related organizations. It also will not fund an entity that deducts an advancement, gift, administrative, or similar fee from a grant and reallocates it to a different purpose.

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

The 2025 filing lists the following officers and directors:

  • Bradley M. Rowe — President and Director
  • Sara M. Rowe — Vice President and Director
  • J. Randy Valentine — Treasurer and Director
  • Edward H. Maier — Secretary and Director
  • Chelsea R. Kinzinger — Assistant Secretary
  • Honorable John T. Copenhaver Jr. — Director
  • J. Gregory Rosencrance — Director
  • Edward H. Maier Jr. — Director
  • Thomas W. Rowe — Director
  • Elizabeth Maier Chernow — Director

Maier Foundation Inc is led by Bradley M. Rowe, President & Director on every filing since 2021; none of the 11 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.

Officers on the 2025 filing

  • Bradley M. Rowe

    President & Director

    On filings since 2021

    12 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Edward H. Maier

    Secretary & Director

    Chair & Director → Secretary & Director, 2023

    On filings since 2021

    1 hr/week

    No compensation reported

  • Edward H. Maier Jr.

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    No compensation reported

  • Elizabeth A. Culwell

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    No compensation reported

  • Elizabeth Maier Chernow

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    No compensation reported

  • Honorable John T. Copenhaver Jr.

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    No compensation reported

  • J. Randy Valentine

    Treasurer & Director

    On filings since 2021

    2 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

  • Sara M. Rowe

    Vice President & Director

    On filings since 2021

    No compensation reported

  • Thomas W. Rowe

    Director

    On filings since 2021

    No compensation reported

  • J. Gregory Rosencrance

    Director

    On filings since 2024

    No compensation reported

  • Chelsea R. Kinzinger

    Assistant Secretary

    On filings since 2021

    8 hrs/week

    No compensation reported

Former officers (3)
  • Former: J. Holmes Morrison (2021–2022) — Director
  • Former: Sandra D. Thomas (2021–2022) — Secretary & Director
  • Former: Charles I. Jones Jr. (2021) — Director

Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Maier Foundation Inc

How much does Maier Foundation Inc give each year?

Maier Foundation Inc gave $2.5M across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.3M across 25 grants.

What is Maier Foundation Inc's typical grant size?

Maier Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $35,000, and its average grant was $88,643, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Maier Foundation Inc that year got $33K on average.

Where does Maier Foundation Inc give grants?

Maier Foundation Inc gives mostly in West Virginia: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Charleston, WV (16 grants) and Huntington, WV (3 grants).

Does Maier Foundation Inc give general operating support?

Yes: 36% of Maier Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Scholarships" (5 grants).

Who are Maier Foundation Inc's largest grantees?

Maier Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Marshall University Foundation Inc ($640,000 across 3 grants), Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences of WV ($570,000 across 2 grants) and University of Charleston Inc ($500,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 3 individual scholarships ($100,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 69% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.

How large is Maier Foundation Inc?

Maier Foundation Inc reported $31.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $2.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $2.7M (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 Maier Foundation Inc fund?

The foundation’s stated mission is to further higher education in an individual recipient and the higher education of an individual recipient residents attending colleges and universities elsewhere. See mission & focus areas ↑

How do I apply for a grant from Maier Foundation Inc?

Applications must use the foundation’s prescribed form and include information about the project or program, its need and goals, evaluation methods, specific uses and timing of funds, a detailed project budget, other… Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

What is Maier Foundation Inc's EIN?

Maier Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 55-6023833. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.

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

Data update history

(6)

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

  1. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS January 24, 2022)
  2. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 7, 2023)
  3. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 16, 2024)
  4. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS January 28, 2025)
  5. Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 25, 2026)
  6. IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025

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Cite this profile

Grantable. (2026). Maier Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/maier-foundation-inc-morg_ea147f904ce04bb7a9cdfa9badff2405

BibTeX
@misc{grantable_556023833_2026,
  author       = {{Grantable}},
  title        = {{Maier Foundation Inc funder profile}},
  howpublished = {GrantGraph},
  year         = {2026},
  url          = {https://grantable.co/funders/maier-foundation-inc-morg_ea147f904ce04bb7a9cdfa9badff2405},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Maier 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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