The Bower Foundation
The Bower Foundation is a private foundation established in 1972 and based in Ridgeland, Mississippi. The foundation is committed to promoting fundamental improvements in the health status of Mississippians through the creation, expansion, and support of quality healthcare initiatives. The foundation's work is inspired by the living legacy of Dr. John D. Bower, who in 1966 established an artificial kidney unit at the University of Mississippi Medical School in Jackson and received one of thirteen Public Health Service Grants to study the effectiveness of dialysis in treating kidney failure.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$119.7M
+5.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.4M
-4.0% YoY
Grant Count
37
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$120K
-4.0% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The Bower Foundation directs its funds and energies into making sustainable, systemic improvements in Mississippi's health and education infrastructures through strong partnerships that leverage limited resources into grants supporting mutual goals of better health outcomes and policy.
The foundation's four primary goals are:
- Access to Health Care — Ensuring all children and adults have reasonable access to health care services so citizens have the opportunity to live healthy and productive lives
- Health Care Services — Promoting health, preventing disease, and reducing health risks among children, young adults, and the underserved
- Health Policy and Education — Supporting approaches that match the needs of the underserved with existing public and private providers
- End Stage Renal Disease — Improving the quality of life for patients with End Stage Renal Disease
The foundation supports innovative strategies addressing issues on multiple levels and from multiple directions, focusing on improving access to health care, developing healthy lifestyles among children, developing and promoting innovative health policy, and maintaining commitment to End Stage Renal Disease.
Grantmaking
The Bower Foundation is highly selective in its grantmaking, only providing grants to organizations capable and serious about making a difference.
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds initiatives in Mississippi, with some activity in Massachusetts.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $119,672,416
- Total Revenues: $8,613,557
- Total Expenses: $4,780,890
- Total Giving: $4,423,610
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $119,672,416 | $113,197,337 | $100,365,590 |
| Revenue | $8,613,557 | $2,618,167 | $5,941,153 |
| Expenses | $4,780,890 | $6,747,013 | $5,173,857 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $5,100,535 | $5,296,779 | $5,704,044 |
| Net Investment Income | $8,122,859 | $2,209,329 | $5,521,788 |
| Distributable Amount | $5,772,853 | $5,162,697 | $5,171,291 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
131 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from The Bower Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANNE TRAVIS | CEO/BOARD VI | 32 | $250,723 |
| RALPH DIDLAKE MD | DIRECTOR | 0.76 | $12,180 |
| WALTER NEELY PHD | DIRECTOR | 0.74 | $14,980 |
| WILLIAM S PAINTER | DIRECTOR | 0.7 | $12,180 |
| CHERYL LEE SYKES | DIRECTOR | 1.04 | $18,880 |
| TERESA LINDSEY | CFO | 35 | $135,677 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Bower Foundation made a $10 million gift to a campaign for the University of Mississippi Medical Center Cancer Center and Research Institute (2026)
Bower Foundation makes $10M gift to campaign for UMMC Cancer Center and ResearchThe foundation awarded $5.4 million in grants to address Mississippi's growing demand for healthcare workers
MSU-Meridian receives grants from The Bower Foundation to boost student recruitmentMississippi State University-Meridian received grants from The Bower Foundation to boost student recruitment (2024)
Bower Foundation makes $10M gift to campaign for UMMC Cancer Center and ResearchThe foundation funded a grant that strengthened pathways to social work education
MSU-Meridian receives grants from The Bower Foundation to boost student recruitmentThe foundation supported a grant that funded University of Mississippi Medical Center-trained nurse educators
MSU-Meridian receives grants from The Bower Foundation to boost student recruitmentSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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