S H Cowell Foundation
S.H. Cowell Foundation is a grantmaking organization based in San Francisco, California. It invests in communities in Northern and Central California working toward lasting, positive change for children and families living in poverty.
S H Cowell Foundation at a glance
In short: S H Cowell Foundation gave $5.2M across 71 grants in 2024 (avg $73K), mostly in California. 6% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $5,172,714
- +0.2% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 71
- -7.8% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $72,855
- +8.7% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $55,000
- Total assets
- $120,216,052
- +1.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 6% first-time grantees (4 of 62, 2024)
- Primary geography
- California (97% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to S H Cowell Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. It welcomes inquiries year-round, but asks prospective organizations to review its place-based and program criteria and contact the Foundation for an initial conversation. If the work aligns with its priorities, the organization will be advised about next steps. The 2024 filing refers applicants to an attached statement for application materials and award restrictions.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 filing refers to an attached statement for deadlines.
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing refers to an attached statement for deadlines.
- Contact
Application contact: Ann Alpers President
Mailing address: 425 California Street Suite 2025, San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: (415) 397-0285
Website: https://shcowell.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from S H Cowell Foundation
Who S H Cowell Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was On the Move ($365K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $1.9M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($225,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
356 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 137 grants of 356 (38%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation prioritizes communities in Northern or Central California experiencing acute and widespread poverty, where people of color likely experience disparate outcomes. Its stated criteria also include a strong sense of place, community partners advancing racial justice and equitable outcomes, and local leaders committed to work beyond their own roles and agencies.
In 2024, 97% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 2% to recipients in Washington, D.C., 1% to recipients in Virginia, and less than 1% to recipients in Oregon.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 71 itemized grants.
Cities
Is S H Cowell Foundation open to new grantees?
6%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 62 grantees (6%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $31K; repeat grants $87K. How we count
Medians: $33K first-time, $75K repeat.
- 90% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+5%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 113% 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 $4.9M (2021) to $5.7M (2022). In 2024 it made 71 grants totaling $5.2M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 1 grant to individuals Recipients not named | — | $225,000 |
| On the Move Napa, CA | To Sustain the Neighborhood Initiative. | $225,000 |
| Butte County Office of Education Oroville, CA | To support the operation of the center for learning and resilience. | $200,000 |
| Various Matching Gifts San Francisco, CA | General Operating Support | $172,714 |
| Ten Strands San Rafael, CA | To develop California's k12 climate change and environmental justice curriculum. | $165,000 |
| Coalinga-Huron Unified School District Coalinga, CA | To expand a youth wellness program and launch wellness centers at two middle schools. | $150,000 |
| Northern Humboldt Union High School District McKinleyville, CA | To sustain a collaborative instructional improvement project among mckinleyville schools. | $150,000 |
| Somos Mayfair San Jose, CA | For general operating support to design, implement and evaluate the organizations new strategic plan. | $150,000 |
| McKinleyville Family Resource Center McKinleyville, CA | To provide integrated services to families at the new facility. | $140,000 |
| Olinga Huron, CA | To support a project-based learning and leadership development program for youth. | $140,000 |
Ready to take the next step with S H Cowell Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Filing type: Form 990-PF (a private foundation).
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $120,216,052 | $4,035,838 | $8,277,128 | $5,172,714 | 71 | $7,456,479 | $4,133,374 | $6,617,733 |
| 2023 | $118,333,941 | $4,117,798 | $8,318,326 | $5,162,425 | 77 | $7,476,187 | $2,869,756 | $5,332,226 |
| 2022 | $111,831,282 | $1,890,507 | $8,294,978 | $5,692,071 | 80 | $7,801,267 | $1,045,417 | $6,298,416 |
| 2021 | $135,992,307 | $3,991,479 | $7,750,918 | $4,927,639 | 69 | $7,054,305 | $5,416,826 | $6,309,894 |
| 2020 | $133,527,290 | $10,329,763 | $7,646,058 | $4,956,477 | 59 | — | $8,584,553 | $6,033,561 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, S H Cowell Foundation reported a distributable amount of $6.6M 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 says it invests in communities committed to achieving lasting, positive change for children and families living in poverty. Its funding areas include Families and Communities, Education, and Youth Development. Across its programs, its guidelines incorporate racial equity, economic advancement, community health, environmental health and justice, mental health, and resident voice and agency.
It funds nonprofit organizations, public schools, and school districts. Its family-support priorities include resident-informed services, family resource centers, pathways to financial literacy and economic mobility, and resident-led community organizing. Its stated community-partnership criteria include a Northern or Central California location, acute and widespread poverty, and opportunities to invest across Families, Education, and Youth.
Examples of grantees’ work include On the Move, whose stated mission is to build and maintain effective leaders and highly functioning public-sector organizations; Ten Strands, which says it advances environmental literacy and meaningful environmental learning for California TK–12 students; and Somos Mayfair, which says it supports children, organizes families, and connects neighbors to uplift community leadership and address systemic inequities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation awarded 71 grants totaling $5,172,714. Grant amounts ranged from $1,250 to $225,000, with a median grant of $55,000.
Among its largest 2024 awards were $225,000 to an individual recipient Unified School District to align and increase academic support for Latine students, and $225,000 to On the Move to sustain the Neighborhood Initiative. Other awards included $200,000 to Butte County Office of Education for the Center for Learning and Resilience; $165,000 to Ten Strands for California’s K–12 climate change and environmental justice curriculum; and $150,000 to Somos Mayfair for general operating support related to its strategic plan.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Ann Alpers as President and CEO; Dr. Lisa Backus as Vice President; Dr. Mikiko Huang as Treasurer; and Scott Mosher as Secretary. Directors listed were Charles E. Ellwein, Lydia Tan, Kim Thompson, Charles Higueras, Colin Lacon, and Jamie Allison. Colin Lacon and Jamie Allison are listed as directors from October 2024.
S H Cowell Foundation is led by Ann Alpers, President & CEO on every filing since 2020; 1 of 10 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Ann Alpers
President & CEO
On filings since 2020
35 hrs/week
$273K (2020) → $498K (2024)
Charles E. Ellwein
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles Higueras
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kim Thompson
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lydia Tan
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Colin Lacon
Director
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
Jamie Allison
Director
New on the 2024 filing
No compensation reported
Lisa Backus
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mikiko Huang
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Mosher
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/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 $498K, to Ann Alpers (President and CEO).
Frequently asked questions about S H Cowell Foundation
How much does S H Cowell Foundation give each year?
S H Cowell Foundation gave $5.2M across 71 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $5.2M across 77 grants.
What is S H Cowell Foundation's typical grant size?
S H Cowell Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $55,000, and its average grant was $72,855, across 71 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from S H Cowell Foundation that year got $31K on average.
Where does S H Cowell Foundation give grants?
S H Cowell Foundation gives mostly in California: 97% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (11 grants), Richmond, CA (6 grants), San Jose, CA (6 grants) and Oakland, CA (5 grants).
Does S H Cowell Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 18% of S H Cowell Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 71) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are S H Cowell Foundation's largest grantees?
S H Cowell Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include On the Move ($365,000 across 2 grants), Coalinga-Huron Unified School District ($255,000 across 3 grants) and Butte County Office of Education ($200,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($225,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 16% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is S H Cowell Foundation?
S H Cowell Foundation reported $120.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $7.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $6.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does S H Cowell Foundation fund?
The Foundation says it invests in communities committed to achieving lasting, positive change for children and families living in poverty. Its funding areas include Families and Communities, Education, and Youth Development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from S H Cowell Foundation?
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is S H Cowell Foundation's EIN?
S H Cowell Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-1392803. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does S H Cowell Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 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
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS October 19, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 18, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS January 26, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in S H Cowell Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). S H Cowell Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/s-h-cowell-foundation-morg_b3a40dfb63a94528b2a37e1fec2ae6c9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_941392803_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{S H Cowell Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/s-h-cowell-foundation-morg_b3a40dfb63a94528b2a37e1fec2ae6c9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 S H Cowell 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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