The Howe Foundation
The Howe Foundation is a private foundation based in Muscatine, Iowa. It supports selected qualifying educational charities, other charitable organizations, and local 501(c)(3) organizations and government entities.
The Howe Foundation at a glance
In short: The Howe Foundation gave $1.4M across 25 grants in 2024 (avg $56K), mostly in Iowa. 32% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,409,807
- +413.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 25
- -7.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $56,392
- +454.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $7,900,298
- -11.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 32% first-time grantees (8 of 25, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Iowa (91% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Howe Foundation
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: 101 West Mississippi Drive 600, Muscatine, IA 52761
Phone: (563) 263-7478
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Howe Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was City of Muscatine ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $1.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
115 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 102 grants of 115 (89%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Iowa recipients received 91% of grant dollars. Recipients in the District of Columbia received 5%, and recipients in Illinois and Georgia received 2% each. Minnesota accounted for 0%.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 25 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Howe Foundation open to new grantees?
32%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 8 of 25 grantees (32%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $77K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 64% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 348% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 306% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2024). 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 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $275K (2023) to $1.4M (2024). In 2024 it made 25 grants totaling $1.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| City of Muscatine Muscatine, IA | General Support | $1,008,975 |
| Wesley United Methodist Church Muscatine, IA | General Operations & Building Renovation | $80,000 |
| Judicial Watch Washington, DC | General Support | $70,000 |
| Muscatine Charities Inc Muscatine, IA | General Operations | $30,000 |
| Hoover Presidential Library West Branch, IA | General Support | $30,000 |
| United Way Muscatine, IA | General Support | $30,000 |
| Illinois State University Foundatio Normal, IL | General Support | $25,000 |
| Friends of Muscatine FFA Muscatine, IA | General Support | $25,000 |
| American Junior Golf Assoc Braselton, GA | General Support | $25,000 |
| STEM Matters Inc Muscatine, IA | General Support | $15,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $7,900,298 | $542,141 | $1,559,252 | $1,409,807 | 25 | $1,409,807 | $462,690 | $460,953 |
| 2023 | $8,917,408 | $732,098 | $454,412 | $274,544 | 27 | $274,544 | $604,521 | $442,622 |
| 2022 | $8,640,222 | $335,921 | $1,011,556 | $819,361 | 22 | $819,361 | $438,802 | $474,319 |
| 2021 | $9,315,852 | $1,154,912 | $458,447 | $314,566 | 19 | $314,566 | $1,041,660 | $516,627 |
| 2020 | $8,619,388 | $606,200 | $586,614 | $409,415 | 22 | — | $507,530 | $441,822 |
| 2019 | $8,599,801 | $598,707 | $709,885 | $521,168 | 24 | — | $442,597 | $443,099 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Howe Foundation reported a distributable amount of $461K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing describes financial support for selected qualifying 501(c)(3) educational charities, other charitable organizations, and local 501(c)(3) organizations and government entities.
Its 2024 grantees included organizations with varied missions. Muscatine Charities Inc says it contributes to local charities to enhance quality of life in the Muscatine community. Flickinger Learning Center provides no-cost tutoring for K–12 and adult education, and Crossroads Inc provides training and experience for people with disabilities in employment, residential, and community involvement. Judicial Watch describes its work as promoting government integrity, transparency, accountability, and fidelity to the rule of law.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 25 grants totaling $1,409,807. Grants ranged from $500 to $1,008,975, with a median grant of $10,000.
The largest grants included $1,008,975 to the City of Muscatine for general support, $80,000 to Wesley United Methodist Church for general operations and building renovation, and $70,000 to Judicial Watch for general support. Other grants included $30,000 each to Muscatine Charities Inc, Hoover Presidential Library, and United Way; and $25,000 each to Illinois State University Foundation, Friends of Muscatine FFA, and the American Junior Golf Association.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Eric J. Thomsen as Treasurer, Helen H. Howe as Director, and James Howe as President & CEO.
The Howe Foundation is led by James Howe, President & CEO since 2023 (on filings since 2019); none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
James Howe
President & CEO
Director → President & CEO, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Helen H. Howe
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Eric J. Thomsen
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "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
How much does The Howe Foundation give each year?
The Howe Foundation gave $1.4M across 25 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $275K across 27 grants.
What is The Howe Foundation's typical grant size?
The Howe Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $56,392, across 25 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Howe Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does The Howe Foundation give grants?
The Howe Foundation gives mostly in Iowa: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Muscatine, IA (17 grants) and Hackensack, MN (2 grants).
Does The Howe Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 96% of The Howe Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (24 of 25) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Howe Foundation's largest grantees?
The Howe Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include City of Muscatine ($1,008,975), Wesley United Methodist Church ($80,000) and Judicial Watch ($70,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 82% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Howe Foundation?
The Howe Foundation reported $7.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $461K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Howe Foundation fund?
The foundation’s filing describes financial support for selected qualifying 501(c)(3) educational charities, other charitable organizations, and local 501(c)(3) organizations and government entities. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Howe Foundation?
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 Howe Foundation's EIN?
The Howe Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 42-1395312. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Does The Howe Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 14, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 2, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 14, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 6, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 13, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Howe Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-howe-foundation-morg_86c22b635774422588e89fd93d01ed9b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_421395312_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Howe Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-howe-foundation-morg_86c22b635774422588e89fd93d01ed9b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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'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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