Rowan Foundation
Rowan Foundation is a private foundation based in Chicago, Illinois. It makes grants to charitable organizations, and its 2025 filing states that it allocates funds for charitable purposes in accordance with foundation guidelines.
Key facts about Rowan Foundation
In short: Rowan Foundation gave $2.0M across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $183K), mostly in Ohio. 45% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 87-4069634
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,012,747
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- Average grant
- $182,977
- Median grant
- $93,906
- New grantees (estimate)
- 45% first-time grantees (5 of 11, 2025; small sample)
- Total assets
- $24,332,234
- Primary geography
- Ohio (66% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$24.3M
+7.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.0M
+24.3% YoY
Grant Count
11
-52.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$183K
+159.8% YoY
Is Rowan Foundation open to new grantees?
45%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 11 grantees (45%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $288K; repeat grants $95K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $104K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2022–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing does not state a specific mission beyond allocating funds to charitable purposes in accordance with its guidelines. Its 2025 grants included support for a range of organizations. For example, Just For Kids Foundation says it empowers youth in the San Miguel Watershed through financial and developmental support. Memphis Center for Reproductive Health says its mission is to provide patient-centered medical care and champion sexual and reproductive rights.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation gave $2,012,747 through 11 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $1,000 to $1,320,000, with a median grant of $93,906. Notable grants included $1,320,000 to Fidelity Charitable for general operating support, $172,843 to American Ireland Fund for general operating support, $116,570 to The Hope and Courage Collective for general operating support, and $114,804 to Irish Penal Reform for general operating support. Other grants included $20,000 to Just For Kids Foundation and $5,000 to Memphis Center for Reproductive Health.
How to Apply
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
Ready to take the next step with Rowan Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 filing reports that grant dollars went to recipients in Ohio (66%), an unidentified state (24%), New York (9%), Colorado (1%), and California (0%). Listed recipients include organizations in Ohio, New York, Colorado, California, and Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2022 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $674K (2022) to $2.0M (2025). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $2.0M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Fidelity Charitable ($1.3M). Together the top 10 received $2.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
59 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 35 grants of 59 (59%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fidelity Charitable Cincinnati, OH | General Operating Support | $1,320,000 |
| American Ireland Fund New York, NY | General Operating Support | $172,843 |
| The Hope and Courage Collective | General Operating Support | $116,570 |
| Irish Penal Reform | General Operating Support | $114,804 |
| Uplift | General Operating Support | $108,843 |
| Act Now | General Operating Support | $93,906 |
| Citywide Drugs Crisis Campaign | General Operating Support | $54,781 |
| Just for Kids Foundation Telluride, CO | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Abortion Bridge Collaboration Fund San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $5,000 |
| Memphis Center for Reproductive Health Memphis, TN | General Operating Support | $5,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grant sum | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $24,332,234 | $3,931,929 | $2,243,786 | $2,012,747 | 11 |
| 2024 | $22,595,451 | $5,257,886 | $1,977,289 | $1,619,714 | 23 |
| 2023 | $19,340,627 | $1,995,477 | $1,326,813 | $978,213 | 13 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $24,332,234 | $22,595,451 | $19,340,627 |
| Revenue | $3,931,929 | $5,257,886 | $1,995,477 |
| Expenses | $2,243,786 | $1,977,289 | $1,326,813 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,221,068 | $1,953,164 | $1,307,246 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,909,210 | $5,233,861 | $1,975,910 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 14, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 14, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Peter A Kinney and Lisa L Sandquist as directors.
Rowan Foundation's 2025 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lisa L. Sandquist
Director
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Peter A. Kinney
Director
On filings since 2021
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Contact
Mailing address: 303 W Madison St Ste 1000, Chicago, IL 60606
Phone: (312) 548-8421
Frequently asked questions about Rowan Foundation
How much does Rowan Foundation give each year?
Rowan Foundation gave $2.0M across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.6M across 23 grants.
What is Rowan Foundation's typical grant size?
Rowan Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $93,906, and its average grant was $182,977, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Rowan Foundation that year got $288K on average.
Where does Rowan Foundation give grants?
Rowan Foundation gives mostly in Ohio: 66% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (2 grants).
Does Rowan Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Rowan Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Rowan Foundation's largest grantees?
Rowan Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Fidelity Charitable ($1,320,000), American Ireland Fund ($172,843) and The Hope and Courage Collective ($116,570), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 80% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Rowan Foundation?
Rowan Foundation reported $24.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $3.9M.
What does Rowan Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing does not state a specific mission beyond allocating funds to charitable purposes in accordance with its guidelines. Its 2025 grants included support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Rowan Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds; it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Rowan Foundation's EIN?
Rowan Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 87-4069634. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does Rowan 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.
Here's the math on researching Rowan Foundation by hand.
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