The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation
The Jane K. Lowe Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Huntsville, Alabama. It supports six named charitable beneficiaries and makes discretionary grants to charitable organizations, generally those operating in Madison County, Alabama.
The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation gave $1.5M across 26 grants in 2025 (avg $58K), mostly in Alabama. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,497,296
- +6.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 26
- +13.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $57,588
- -5.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $19,892
- Total assets
- $29,016,170
- +13.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (10 of 26, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Alabama (90% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Its website says eligible applicants must be public charities exempt under Section 501(c)(3). It generally limits grants to organizations operating in Madison County, Alabama. Multi-year commitments are not approved. It does not make grants to individuals; to churches or religious organizations for projects primarily benefiting their own members or adherents; for event tickets, conferences or seminars, special-event sponsorships, political purposes, accumulated debt, or research.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 348, Huntsville, AL 35804-0348
Phone: (256) 536-1231
Website: https://lowefoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The University of Alabama in Birmingham ($524K). Together the top 10 received $1.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
116 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 56 grants of 116 (48%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s website says it generally limits grants to charitable organizations operating in Madison County, Alabama, and usually will not consider requests from organizations operating elsewhere. In 2025, 90% of grant dollars went to recipients in Alabama, 5% to Tennessee, and 5% to Georgia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 10 of 26 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $27K; repeat grants $77K. How we count
Medians: $20K first-time, $50K repeat.
- 38% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−12%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 100% 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 (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.4M (2024) to $1.7M (2022). In 2025 it made 26 grants totaling $1.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The University of Alabama in Birmingham Birmingham, AL | Research and Education | $524,052 |
| Generosity Foundation Huntsville, AL | Funds to purchase a van that expands the capacity to serve Madison County by eliminating weather and access barriers that currently limit the ability to mobilize volunteers and deliver vital resources where they are needed most. | $100,000 |
| Kids to Love Madison, AL | Support for the expansion of trauma therapy services. | $100,000 |
| Randolph School Huntsville, AL | Education | $74,865 |
| Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | Research and Education | $74,865 |
| Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA | Education | $74,865 |
| Girls Incorporated Huntsville, AL | Education Non-profit organization for girls. | $74,865 |
| Huntsville Boys and Girls Club Huntsville, AL | Education Non-profit organization for boys and girls. | $74,865 |
| University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL | Funding to help maintain and preserve the Lowe House. | $50,000 |
| Huntsville Museum of Art Huntsville, AL | Funds for operating support. | $50,000 |
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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 | $29,016,170 | $5,215,932 | $1,784,558 | $1,497,296 | 26 | $1,506,147 | $5,006,252 | $1,510,942 |
| 2024 | $25,614,515 | $1,379,239 | $1,648,371 | $1,407,885 | 23 | $1,407,885 | $1,163,180 | $1,497,292 |
| 2023 | $25,881,307 | $1,251,305 | $1,729,700 | $1,501,500 | 23 | $1,501,500 | $1,042,495 | $1,407,885 |
| 2022 | $26,376,426 | $963,115 | $1,941,103 | $1,709,396 | 23 | $1,709,396 | $745,214 | $1,501,500 |
| 2021 | $27,357,371 | $2,048,712 | $1,807,781 | $1,537,309 | 21 | $1,537,309 | $1,803,718 | $1,709,396 |
| 2020 | $27,098,475 | $1,612,297 | $1,727,076 | $1,461,792 | 22 | — | $1,366,761 | $1,537,309 |
| 2019 | $27,205,548 | $1,793,347 | $1,819,577 | $1,535,783 | 24 | — | $1,540,360 | $1,520,484 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $1.5M 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 does not state a mission in the provided information. Its website says grants may support major capital projects, endowments, and administrative, program, or operating costs. Its six named beneficiaries are the University of Alabama in Birmingham, Randolph School, Agnes Scott College, Vanderbilt University, Huntsville Boys Club Trust and Endowment Fund, and Girls Incorporated of Huntsville.
The 2025 grants show support for education, youth organizations, arts and culture, housing, and human services. For example, Randolph School describes itself as an elementary-through-secondary school; Agnes Scott College describes itself as a women’s liberal arts college; and the Generosity Foundation describes its work as serving at-risk communities through a faith-based public charity. These are descriptions of the grantees’ work, not statements of the foundation’s mission.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 26 grants totaling $1,497,296. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $524,052, with a median of $19,892. Its largest reported grants included $524,052 to the University of Alabama in Birmingham for research and education; $100,000 to the Generosity Foundation for a van to expand service in Madison County; and $100,000 to Kids to Love for trauma therapy services. Other notable awards included $74,865 each to Randolph School, Vanderbilt University, Agnes Scott College, Girls Incorporated, and Huntsville Boys and Girls Club.
The foundation’s website describes three discretionary grant tiers: approximately 35% of available discretionary funds for one or two first-tier grants, approximately 35% for about two to six second-tier grants, and approximately 30% for about five to ten third-tier grants. The website also reports that it received 77 formal requests for discretionary grants in 2026, with more than $3,285,193 requested and $640,376.88 available. It identifies 2026 as the final discretionary grant cycle.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; all 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John R. Wynn
Trustee
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
$50K (2019) → $50K (2025)
Richard J. Smith
Trustee
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
$50K (2019) → $50K (2025)
John W. Clayton
Trustee
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
$50K (2024) → $50K (2025)
Former officers (1)
- Former: Wf Sanders Jr. (2019–2023) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $50K, to John W Clayton (Trustee). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation
How much does The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation give each year?
The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation gave $1.5M across 26 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.4M across 23 grants.
What is The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $19,892, and its average grant was $57,588, across 26 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation that year got $27K on average.
Where does The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation give grants?
The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Alabama: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Tennessee (5%) and Georgia (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were Huntsville, AL (20 grants) and Madison, AL (2 grants).
Does The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 15% of The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (4 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The University of Alabama in Birmingham ($524,052), Generosity Foundation ($100,000) and Kids to Love ($100,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 48% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation?
The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation reported $29.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.5M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.5M (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 Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation does not state a mission in the provided information. Its website says grants may support major capital projects, endowments, and administrative, program, or operating costs. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation's EIN?
The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 63-6203439. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Jane K Lowe Charitable 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(3)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 30, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 9, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-jane-k-lowe-charitable-foundation-morg_271ba4645b5844709528bd792b46d124
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_636203439_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Jane K Lowe Charitable Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-jane-k-lowe-charitable-foundation-morg_271ba4645b5844709528bd792b46d124},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Jane K Lowe Charitable 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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