The Lowndes Foundation Inc
The Lowndes Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2024, it made 17 grants totaling $935,000 to charitable organizations, including organizations whose stated missions address public policy, liberty, education, and research.
The Lowndes Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: The Lowndes Foundation Inc gave $935K across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $55K), top state Virginia. 0% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $935,000
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $55,000
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $13,579,576
- +6.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 0% first-time grantees (0 of 17, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Virginia (25% 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 Lowndes Foundation Inc
- 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: 100 Federal St 37Th Floor, Boston, MA 02110
Phone: (864) 583-3635
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Lowndes Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Foundation for Economic ($100K). Together the top 10 received $695K.
Grant Size Distribution
85 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 44 grants of 85 (52%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Virginia (25%), South Carolina (24%), and the District of Columbia (22%), followed by Georgia (11%) and California (8%). The listed grants also included recipients in Michigan and Alabama.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Lowndes Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
0%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 0 of 17 grantees (0%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. How we count
- 100% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+16%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 88% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $805K (2021) to $955K (2022). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $935K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation for Economic Atlanta, GA | Contribution | $100,000 |
| The Clemson Institute Clemson, SC | Contribution | $100,000 |
| Palmetto Promise Institute Columbia, SC | Contribution | $100,000 |
| The Independent Institute Oakland, CA | Contribution | $75,000 |
| Cato Institute Washington, DC | Contribution | $70,000 |
| Mercatus Center Arlington, VA | Contribution | $50,000 |
| Heritage Foundation Washington, DC | Contribution | $50,000 |
| Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI | Contribution | $50,000 |
| Students for Liberty Arlington, VA | Contribution | $50,000 |
| The Federalist Society Washington, DC | Contribution | $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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $13,579,576 | $1,672,477 | $1,022,693 | $935,000 | 17 | $950,335 | $1,604,537 | $1,075,729 |
| 2023 | $12,780,378 | $1,063,061 | $1,107,939 | $935,000 | 17 | $950,162 | $986,256 | $900,543 |
| 2022 | $11,974,167 | $173,602 | $1,153,731 | $955,000 | 17 | $970,433 | $231,802 | $950,302 |
| 2021 | $12,958,589 | $2,652,655 | $1,008,436 | $805,000 | 17 | $819,997 | $2,603,313 | $1,029,785 |
| 2020 | $11,320,114 | $1,510,719 | $1,002,173 | $830,000 | 17 | — | $1,452,592 | $852,072 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lowndes Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.1M for 2024 — 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 foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied stated missions. For example, Palmetto Promise Institute describes its work as educating the public and providing research and analysis on issues affecting the common good. The Cato Institute says it works to advance individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace through public policy. Students for Liberty says its mission is to educate, develop, and empower the next generation of leaders of liberty.
Other 2024 grantees describe work in areas including market-oriented scholarship and classical liberal principles (Mercatus Center), economic liberty and other individual liberties through litigation and research (Institute for Justice), and government transparency and accountability (Judicial Watch).
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation awarded 17 grants totaling $935,000. Grants ranged from $5,000 to $100,000, with a median of $50,000. Among the largest awards were $100,000 each to Foundation for Economic (Atlanta, Georgia), The Clemson Institute (Clemson, South Carolina), and Palmetto Promise Institute (Columbia, South Carolina); $75,000 to The Independent Institute; and $70,000 to the Cato Institute.
Other identified 2024 grants included $50,000 each to Mercatus Center, Heritage Foundation, Students for Liberty, The Federalist Society, Atlas Network, The Ludwig Von Mises Institute, and Hillsdale College, and $30,000 each to the Institute for Justice and Judicial Watch.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William Lowndes III as president and treasurer, and Henrietta M. Lowndes as secretary and trustee.
The Lowndes Foundation Inc is led by William Lowndes III, President, Treasurer & As Required on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William Lowndes III
President, Treasurer & As Required
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Henrietta M. Lowndes
Secretary, Trustee & As Required
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Lowndes Foundation Inc
How much does The Lowndes Foundation Inc give each year?
The Lowndes Foundation Inc gave $935K across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $935K across 17 grants.
What is The Lowndes Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Lowndes Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $50,000, and its average grant was $55,000, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does The Lowndes Foundation Inc give grants?
The Lowndes Foundation Inc's top state is Virginia, with 25% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were South Carolina (24%) and District of Columbia (22%). The most frequent recipient cities were Arlington, VA (5 grants) and Washington, DC (5 grants).
Does The Lowndes Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on The Lowndes Foundation Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Contribution" (17 grants).
Who are The Lowndes Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Lowndes Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Foundation for Economic ($100,000), The Clemson Institute ($100,000) and Palmetto Promise Institute ($100,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Lowndes Foundation Inc?
The Lowndes Foundation Inc reported $13.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $950K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.1M (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 Lowndes Foundation Inc fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for organizations with varied stated missions. For example, Palmetto Promise Institute describes its work as educating the public and providing research and analysis on issues affecting the common good. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The 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 Lowndes Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Lowndes Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 57-1027898. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The 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 October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Lowndes Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-lowndes-foundation-inc-morg_4136e83b957a480f9c3d1764ef4963e6
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_571027898_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Lowndes Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-lowndes-foundation-inc-morg_4136e83b957a480f9c3d1764ef4963e6},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Lowndes 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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