Rowboat Family Foundation
The Rowboat Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Buffalo, New York. Its 2024 filing says it makes grants to organizations advancing social, economic, gender, and racial justice; disability rights and other forms of equality and inclusion; sustainable prosperity; democracy and ethics in public and private institutions; a healthy society and environment; and broad access to high-quality education.
Rowboat Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Rowboat Family Foundation gave $1.0M across 12 grants in 2024 (avg $84K), mostly in New York. 25% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,002,500
- +3.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 12
- +9.1% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $83,542
- -5.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $82,500
- Total assets
- $368,487
- +27.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 25% first-time grantees (3 of 12, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (70% 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 Rowboat Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 725 Hertel Avenue 526, Buffalo, NY 14207
Phone: (716) 427-6368
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Rowboat Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Push Buffalo Inc ($185K). Together the top 10 received $985K.
Grant Size Distribution
52 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 27 grants of 52 (52%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 70% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 17% to California, and 13% to Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Rowboat Family Foundation open to new grantees?
25%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 12 grantees (25%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $36K; repeat grants $99K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 58% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+10%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above 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 $913K (2021) to $1.3M (2022). In 2024 it made 12 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Push Buffalo Inc Buffalo, NY | Charitable | $185,000 |
| Tides Foundation San Francisco, CA | Charitable | $175,000 |
| Center for Progressive Reform Washington, DC | Educational | $120,000 |
| Investigative Post Buffalo, NY | Educational | $120,000 |
| Public Accountablity Initiative Buffalo, NY | Educational | $100,000 |
| Our City Buffalo Buffalo, NY | Charitable | $90,000 |
| Community Voices Heard New York, NY | Charitable | $75,000 |
| Partnership for Public Good Buffalo, NY | Charitable | $70,000 |
| Justice for Migrant Families Buffalo, NY | Charitable | $35,000 |
| Clean Air Coalition of WNY Buffalo, NY | Charitable | $15,000 |
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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 | $368,487 | $793,097 | $1,033,175 | $1,002,500 | 12 | $1,014,331 | $11,285 | $24,787 |
| 2023 | $288,730 | $745,392 | $1,007,736 | $971,000 | 11 | $983,999 | $11,830 | $35,849 |
| 2022 | $527,099 | $794,931 | $1,314,149 | $1,282,000 | 8 | $1,292,890 | $8,112 | $51,591 |
| 2021 | $1,097,654 | $1,817,183 | $955,519 | $912,654 | 8 | $930,537 | $1,549 | $33,520 |
| 2020 | $389,991 | $767,840 | $1,190,270 | $961,500 | 13 | — | $118 | $40,877 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Rowboat Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $25K 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’s stated charitable purpose is to advance the areas listed above through grants to organizations. Among its 2024 grantees, Investigative Post described itself as an investigative reporting center dedicated exclusively to investigative journalism. The Center for Progressive Reform described itself as a research and advocacy organization using law and public policy to pursue responsive government, a healthy environment, and a just society. Community Voices Heard said it works to promote the social welfare of low-income people through public education, leadership development, and advocacy.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $1,002,500 through 12 grants. Grants ranged from $7,500 to $185,000, with a median of $82,500.
Notable 2024 grants included $185,000 to PUSH Buffalo Inc.; $175,000 to Tides Foundation; $120,000 each to Center for Progressive Reform and Investigative Post; and $100,000 to Public Accountability Initiative. Tides Foundation describes its work as advancing equity by partnering with funders and changemakers to shift resources and power to communities historically denied both. Investigative Post describes its work as investigative journalism, while the Center for Progressive Reform and Community Voices Heard describe the missions noted above.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Martha McCluskey as president, Carl Nightingale as secretary, Denise Herkey-Jarosch as foundation administrator, and Aaron Bartley as director.
Rowboat Family Foundation is led by Martha McCluskey, President on every filing since 2020; 1 of 4 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Martha McCluskey
President
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Aaron Bartley
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Denise Herkey-Jarosch
Foundation Administrator
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$16K (2021) → $15K (2024)
Carl Nightingale
Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $15K, to Denise Herkey-Jarosch (Foundation Administrator).
Frequently asked questions about Rowboat Family Foundation
How much does Rowboat Family Foundation give each year?
Rowboat Family Foundation gave $1.0M across 12 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $971K across 11 grants.
What is Rowboat Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Rowboat Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $82,500, and its average grant was $83,542, across 12 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Rowboat Family Foundation that year got $36K on average.
Where does Rowboat Family Foundation give grants?
Rowboat Family Foundation gives mostly in New York: 70% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (17%) and District of Columbia (13%). The most frequent recipient cities were Buffalo, NY (8 grants) and Washington, DC (2 grants).
Does Rowboat Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on Rowboat Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable" (9 grants) and "Educational" (3 grants).
Who are Rowboat Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Rowboat Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Push Buffalo Inc ($185,000), Tides Foundation ($175,000) and Center for Progressive Reform ($120,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Rowboat Family Foundation?
Rowboat Family Foundation reported $368K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.0M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $25K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Rowboat Family Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated charitable purpose is to advance the areas listed above through grants to organizations. Among its 2024 grantees, Investigative Post described itself as an investigative reporting center dedicated exclusively to investigative journalism. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Rowboat Family Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and 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 Rowboat Family Foundation's EIN?
Rowboat Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-4333414. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Rowboat Family 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Rowboat Family Foundation funds
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Rowboat Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/rowboat-family-foundation-morg_5e939c3546eb4950adcbfd80d5b3e56f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_814333414_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Rowboat Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/rowboat-family-foundation-morg_5e939c3546eb4950adcbfd80d5b3e56f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16. 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 Rowboat Family Foundation'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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