The Howe Foundation Inc
The Howe Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Cherryville, North Carolina. Its website describes a mission of sharing a lifelong passion for sports, helping children participate in sports and supporting women pursuing careers in the sports industry.
The Howe Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Howe Foundation Inc gave $107K across 67 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), mostly in North Carolina. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $107,300
- +1.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 67
- +26.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $1,601
- -19.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $2,257,935
- -0.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- North Carolina (82% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
How to apply to The Howe Foundation Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Contact
Mailing address: 806 Hawthorne St, Cherryville, NC 28021
Phone: (704) 864-8311
Website: https://howefoundation.com
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Howe Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Wake Forest School of Medicine ($7K). Together the top 10 received $46K.
Grant Size Distribution
221 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 220 grants of 221 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 82% of grant dollars went to recipients in North Carolina and 12% to recipients in Virginia. Tennessee received 2%, while Georgia and Missouri each received 1%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 67 itemized grants.
Cities
How The Howe Foundation Inc gives
- 72% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 73% 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 (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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $92K (2022) to $107K (2025). In 2025 it made 67 grants totaling $107K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest School of Medicine Winston-Salem, NC | Donee Organization | $6,500 |
| Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA | Donee Organization | $6,000 |
| Carolina Thread Trail Charlotte, NC | Donee Organization | $5,000 |
| Caromont Health Foundation Gastonia, NC | Donee Organization | $5,000 |
| Novant Health Foundation Charlotte, NC | Donee Organization | $5,000 |
| R L Stowe Family YMCA Belmont, NC | Donee Organization | $5,000 |
| Boys & Girls Club of Gaston Gastonia, NC | Donee Organization | $4,000 |
| Charlotte Master Chorale Charlotte, NC | Donee Organization | $4,000 |
| Virginia Episcopal Lynchburg, VA | Donee Organization | $3,000 |
| UNC Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC | Donee Organization | $2,600 |
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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 | $2,257,935 | $123,098 | $133,073 | $107,300 | 67 | $108,960 | $100,711 | $149,887 |
| 2024 | $2,267,910 | $4,808 | $130,765 | $105,800 | 53 | $107,400 | $50,191 | $137,919 |
| 2023 | $2,393,867 | $117,709 | $119,165 | $98,800 | 53 | $100,325 | $101,042 | $115,382 |
| 2022 | $2,395,323 | $111,007 | $112,743 | $91,550 | 47 | $92,825 | $92,890 | $117,557 |
| 2021 | $2,397,059 | $48,474 | — | $94,300 | 1 | — | $55,298 | $149,804 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Howe Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $150K 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
The foundation’s website says it aims to help children get involved in sports and help women advance in the sports business through education, experiences, and networks. It describes these aims as honoring the legacies of Gordie and Colleen Howe.
The grantees’ own descriptions show a range of activities among supported organizations. For example, Carolina Thread Trail says it helps local communities build a regional trail network and conserve natural areas. Charlotte Master Chorale describes a focus on choral music, education, and community. Holy Angels says it provides care and support to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and delicate medical conditions. These are descriptions of the grantees’ missions, not additional stated priorities of the foundation.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation reported 67 grants totaling $107,300. Grants ranged from $200 to $6,500, with a median of $1,000. Among the largest were $6,500 to Wake Forest School of Medicine; $6,000 to Washington and Lee University; $5,000 each to Carolina Thread Trail, CaroMont Health Foundation, Novant Health Foundation, and R.L. Stowe Family YMCA; and $4,000 each to Boys & Girls Club of Gaston and Charlotte Master Chorale.
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
William Howe was listed as treasurer on the 2025 filing.
The Howe Foundation Inc's only listed officer is William Howe, Treasurer since 2024 (on filings since 2021) (uncompensated).
Officers on the 2025 filing
William Howe
Treasurer
Board Chair → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 Howe Foundation Inc
How much does The Howe Foundation Inc give each year?
The Howe Foundation Inc gave $107K across 67 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $106K across 53 grants.
What is The Howe Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Howe Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,601, across 67 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Howe Foundation Inc give grants?
The Howe Foundation Inc gives mostly in North Carolina: 82% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was Virginia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were Belmont, NC (18 grants), Gastonia, NC (15 grants), Charlotte, NC (10 grants) and Winston-Salem, NC (2 grants).
Does The Howe Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 67 grants with a stated purpose on The Howe Foundation Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Donee Organization" (66 grants).
Who are The Howe Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Howe Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Wake Forest School of Medicine ($6,500), Washington and Lee University ($6,000) and Carolina Thread Trail ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 16% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Howe Foundation Inc?
The Howe Foundation Inc reported $2.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $109K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $150K (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 Howe Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation’s website says it aims to help children get involved in sports and help women advance in the sports business through education, experiences, and networks. It describes these aims as honoring the legacies of Gordie and Colleen Howe. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Howe Foundation Inc?
The Howe Foundation Inc does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines. Check howefoundation.com for any change to that policy.
What is The Howe Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Howe Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 56-6070727. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Howe 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.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS July 5, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 22, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS February 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS March 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Explore Open Grants
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Howe Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-howe-foundation-inc-morg_81397fcc4c80479ab6e11b0dfea4d119
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_566070727_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Howe Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-howe-foundation-inc-morg_81397fcc4c80479ab6e11b0dfea4d119},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Howe Foundation Inc'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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