McDowell Foundation
The McDowell Foundation is a private foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Its 2025 filing reports grants to two charitable organizations, with both grants designated to support the recipients’ charitable activities.
McDowell Foundation at a glance
In short: McDowell Foundation gave $505K across 2 grants in 2025 (avg $253K), mostly in District of Columbia. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $505,000
- +573.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 2
- -94.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $252,500
- +11683.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $252,500
- Total assets
- $1,453,418
- +129.1% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (99% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to McDowell 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: 730 Second Ave S 1400, Minneapolis, MN 55402
Phone: (612) 752-1781
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who McDowell Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 2 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was American Rivers Anglers Fund ($500K). Together the top 2 received $505K.
Grant Size Distribution
116 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 114 grants of 116 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to a recipient in Washington, DC, and 1% went to a recipient in Wyoming.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 2 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How McDowell Foundation gives
- Giving grew 621% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 748% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $50K (2020) to $505K (2025). In 2025 it made 2 grants totaling $505K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| American Rivers Anglers Fund Washington, DC | To Support the Charitable Activities of the Organization | $500,000 |
| Center for the Arts Jackson, WY | To Support the Charitable Activities of the Organization | $5,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,453,418 | $1,335,765 | $518,538 | $505,000 | 2 | $505,025 | $1,322,252 | $67,507 |
| 2024 | $634,444 | $29,160 | $91,526 | $75,000 | 35 | $75,025 | $15,763 | $85,441 |
| 2023 | $696,868 | $127,897 | $129,640 | $118,500 | 27 | $118,525 | $116,782 | $70,699 |
| 2022 | $695,224 | $9,218 | $82,043 | $70,000 | 26 | $70,025 | $13,311 | $63,632 |
| 2021 | $767,859 | $54,754 | $66,825 | $57,000 | 26 | $57,025 | $44,955 | $67,349 |
| 2020 | $780,155 | $22,919 | $58,569 | $50,000 | 13 | — | $14,403 | $53,585 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, McDowell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $68K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported $505,000 in grants across two awards. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $500,000, with a median of $252,500. The largest recipients were American Rivers Anglers Fund ($500,000) and Center for the Arts ($5,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Susan McDowell as president/director, Whitney McDowell as vice president/director, and Jeffrey McDowell as treasurer/director.
McDowell Foundation is led by Susan McDowell, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Susan McDowell
President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jeffrey McDowell
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Whitney McDowell
Vice President & Director
On filings since 2020
0.2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 McDowell Foundation
How much does McDowell Foundation give each year?
McDowell Foundation gave $505K across 2 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $75K across 35 grants.
How large is McDowell Foundation?
McDowell Foundation reported $1.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $505K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $68K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
How do I apply for a grant from McDowell 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 ↑
Where does McDowell Foundation make grants?
In 2025, 99% of grant dollars went to a recipient in Washington, DC, and 1% went to a recipient in Wyoming.
What is McDowell Foundation's EIN?
McDowell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 41-1684151. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does McDowell 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 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 23, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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