The Cowley Family Foundation
The Cowley Family Foundation is based in Phoenix, Arizona, and reported 25 grants totaling $354,000 in filing year 2024. Its listed grants went to organizations working in areas including education, health research, food assistance, and community services. Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 20 grants totaling $386,500.
The Cowley Family Foundation at a glance
In short: The Cowley Family Foundation gave $387K across 20 grants in 2025 (avg $19K), mostly in Arizona. 40% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $386,500
- +9.2% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 20
- -20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,325
- +36.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $3,000
- Total assets
- $3,355,324
- -1.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 40% first-time grantees (8 of 20, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Arizona (76% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Cowley Family Foundation
- Contact
Website: https://cowleyfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Cowley Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was ASU Foundation ($127K). Together the top 10 received $362K.
Grant Size Distribution
114 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 99 grants of 114 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 64% of grant dollars went to recipients in Arizona and 30% to recipients in New York. Smaller shares went to recipients in Utah (2%), Maryland (1%), and California (1%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 20 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Cowley Family Foundation open to new grantees?
40%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 20 grantees (40%) were first-time recipients. With only 20 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $30K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 55% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+16%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 118% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $224K (2020) to $387K (2025). In 2025 it made 20 grants totaling $387K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ASU Foundation Tempe, AZ | Charitable Donation | $126,500 |
| Maricopa County Community Colleges Foundation Tempe, AZ | Charitable Donation | $100,000 |
| Teach for America New York, NY | Charitable Donation | $55,000 |
| Arizona Brainfood Mesa, AZ | Charitable Donation | $29,500 |
| The Michael J Fox Foundation New York, NY | Charitable Donation | $25,000 |
| Keys to Change Phoenix, AZ | Charitable Donation | $10,000 |
| St Mary's Food Bank Alliance Phoenix, AZ | Charitable Donation | $5,000 |
| Operation Underground Railroad Salt Lake City, UT | Charitable Donation | $4,500 |
| ACLU of Arizona Phoenix, AZ | Charitable Donation | $3,000 |
| Arizona Refugee Center Mesa, AZ | Charitable Donation | $3,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,355,324 | $397,867 | $442,009 | $386,500 | 20 | $386,500 | $352,858 | $326,395 |
| 2024 | $3,392,786 | $479,824 | $396,378 | $354,000 | 25 | $354,000 | $444,946 | $320,576 |
| 2023 | $3,311,272 | $352,007 | $399,619 | $370,366 | 24 | $370,966 | $323,404 | $307,763 |
| 2022 | $3,403,607 | $474,665 | $416,365 | $334,500 | 23 | $335,220 | $437,636 | $382,601 |
| 2021 | $3,398,423 | $1,960,283 | $506,335 | $338,000 | 22 | $338,660 | $1,792,608 | $308,329 |
| 2020 | $2,005,041 | $242,815 | $243,754 | $223,528 | 23 | — | $230,853 | $359,910 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Cowley Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $326K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the Cowley Family Foundation is provided in the available information. Its 2024 grants included support for education-related organizations, such as Teach For America and the Maricopa County Community Colleges Foundation; health organizations, such as the Michael J. Fox Foundation; and community-service organizations, such as St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance and The Foster Alliance. The Michael J. Fox Foundation describes its mission as pursuing a cure for Parkinson’s disease and improved therapies for people living with the disease. St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance says it works to provide nourishment to Arizona communities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation reported 25 grants totaling $354,000. Grants ranged from $1,500 to $100,000, with a median of $3,000. The largest listed awards were $100,000 to Maricopa County Community Colleges Foundation, $80,000 to Teach For America, $51,500 to ASU Foundation, $29,500 to AZ Brainfood, and $25,000 to the Michael J. Fox Foundation. The filing lists each of these grants’ purpose as “Charitable Donation.” Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 20 grants totaling $386,500.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Alice N. Cowley, Michael T. Cowley, Suzette Tyler, Monson Cowley, Ryan Willis, and Jacob Tyler as directors. Michael T. Cowley is listed as president; Suzette Tyler as vice president and secretary; Monson Cowley as vice president and treasurer; Ryan Willis as vice president and assistant treasurer; and Jacob Tyler as assistant treasurer.
The Cowley Family Foundation is led by Michael T Cowley, Director & President on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael T Cowley
Director & President
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Monson Cowley
Director, V.p. & Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Willis
Director, V.p. & Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Suzette Tyler
Director, V.p. & Secretary
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jacob Tyler
Director & Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Alice N Cowley (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Timothy N Cowley (2020–2022) — Director & V.p.
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about The Cowley Family Foundation
How much does The Cowley Family Foundation give each year?
The Cowley Family Foundation gave $387K across 20 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $354K across 25 grants.
What is The Cowley Family Foundation's typical grant size?
The Cowley Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $3,000, and its average grant was $19,325, across 20 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Cowley Family Foundation that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Cowley Family Foundation give grants?
The Cowley Family Foundation gives mostly in Arizona: 76% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New York (21%). The most frequent recipient cities were Tempe, AZ (4 grants), Mesa, AZ (3 grants), Phoenix, AZ (3 grants) and New York, NY (2 grants).
Does The Cowley Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 20 grants with a stated purpose on The Cowley Family Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Charitable Donation" (20 grants).
Who are The Cowley Family Foundation's largest grantees?
The Cowley Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include ASU Foundation ($126,500), Maricopa County Community Colleges Foundation ($100,000) and Teach for America ($55,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 73% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Cowley Family Foundation?
The Cowley Family Foundation reported $3.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $387K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $326K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Cowley Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the Cowley Family Foundation is provided in the available information. Its 2024 grants included support for education-related organizations, such as Teach For America and the Maricopa County Community Colleges Foundation; health organizations, such as the Michael J. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Cowley Family Foundation?
The Cowley Family Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check cowleyfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Cowley Family Foundation's EIN?
The Cowley Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-1627225. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS September 24, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Cowley Family Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
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Browse active grant opportunities in The Cowley Family Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Cowley Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-cowley-family-foundation-morg_534ca21953d14ee3a5ebb677c2e4a0dc
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_261627225_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Cowley Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-cowley-family-foundation-morg_534ca21953d14ee3a5ebb677c2e4a0dc},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-07. 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 The Cowley 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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