The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc
The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Its 2024 filing reports 18 grants totaling $288,000, including support for cultural, historical, animal-care, and other organizations.
Key facts about The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc
In short: The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc gave $288K across 18 grants in 2024 (avg $16K), mostly in New York. 21% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 26-0379209
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $288,000
- Grants made (2024)
- 18
- Average grant
- $16,000
- Median grant
- $3,750
- New grantees (estimate)
- 21% first-time grantees (3 of 14, 2024)
- Total assets
- $5,122,416
- Primary geography
- New York (93% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 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 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$5.1M
+8.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$288K
-31.8% YoY
Grant Count
18
-10.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$16K
-24.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $353K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
21%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 3 of 14 grantees (21%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $667; repeat grants $26K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $10K repeat.
- 71% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving fell 40% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 95% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants went to organizations whose stated work included preserving and interpreting U.S. and New York history (New York Historical Society), exhibiting work by new and upcoming artists (Painting Center), and providing animal care while advancing veterinary medicine (The Animal Medical Center). Other recipients included organizations working to beautify Park Avenue and to foster excellence in philanthropy.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 18 grants totaling $288,000. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $100,000, with a median of $3,750. The largest grants were $100,000 each to the Frick Collection for its “Campaign for the Frick” and the New York Historical Society for its “Campaign for the Future of History.” Other grants included $20,000 to the Frick Collection for its Annual Fund, $15,000 to Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund for the CM Lowndes Fund, and $10,000 each to Central Park Conservancy, New York Historical Society, Painting Center, and The Animal Medical Center.
How to Apply
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Ready to take the next step with The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports that 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 5% to Massachusetts, and 1% to Washington, DC. It also reports shares of 0% for South Carolina and Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $288K (2024) to $513K (2022). In 2024 it made 18 grants totaling $288K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Frick Collection ($120K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $286K.
Grant Size Distribution
94 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 74 grants of 94 (79%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Frick Collection New York, NY | Campaign for the Frick | $100,000 |
| New York Historical Society New York, NY | Campaign for the Future of History | $100,000 |
| Frick Collection New York, NY | Annual Fund | $20,000 |
| Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund Boston, MA | CM Lowndes Fund | $15,000 |
| Central Park Conservancy Inc New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| New York Historical Society New York, NY | Charitable Event | $10,000 |
| Painting Center Inc New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| The Animal Medical Center New York, NY | General & Unrestricted | $10,000 |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, NY | The Fund for The Met | $5,000 |
| The Philanthropy Roundtable Inc Washington, DC | General & Unrestricted | $2,500 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $5,122,416 | $758,045 | $357,580 | $288,000 (18 grants) |
| 2023 | $4,721,951 | $366,401 | $492,113 | $422,500 (20 grants) |
| 2022 | $4,847,663 | $473,954 | $590,191 | $512,500 (22 grants) |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $5,122,416 | $4,721,951 | $4,847,663 |
| Revenue | $758,045 | $366,401 | $473,954 |
| Expenses | $357,580 | $492,113 | $590,191 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $335,788 | $466,308 | $558,991 |
| Net Investment Income | $738,853 | $346,896 | $453,954 |
| Distributable Amount | $353,419 | $326,267 | $339,126 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Caroline M Lowndes is listed as president, director, and secretary on the 2024 filing.
The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc is led by Caroline M Lowndes, President, Director & Secretary on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Caroline M Lowndes
President, Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
$12K (2020) → $12K (2024)
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 $12K, to Caroline M Lowndes (Pres, Dir, Sec).
Contact
Mailing address: Foundation Source 501 Silverside Rd, Wilmington, DE 19809-1377
Phone: (800) 839-1754
Frequently asked questions about The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc
How much does The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc give each year?
The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc gave $288K across 18 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $423K across 20 grants.
What is The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $3,750, and its average grant was $16,000, across 18 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc that year got $667 on average.
Where does The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc give grants?
The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Massachusetts (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (11 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Charleston, SC (2 grants).
Does The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 61% of The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (11 of 18) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Frick Collection ($120,000 across 2 grants), New York Historical Society ($110,000 across 2 grants) and Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund ($15,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 85% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc?
The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc reported $5.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $336K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $353K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc?
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 ↑
What is The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-0379209. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Caroline M Lowndes Foundation Inc 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.
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