The Rowland Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Burlington, Vermont, established in 2008. The foundation focuses on investing in Vermont teachers and school leaders to create positive change in school culture and climate. The foundation has funded fellowships for over 100 Vermont teachers and supported innovation across more than 45 Vermont schools.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$35.4M
+3.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$686K
-53.4% YoY
Grant Count
21
-16.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$33K
-44.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Rowland Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.7M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The mission of The Rowland Foundation is to invest in Vermont teachers in order to positively change the culture and climate of schools. The foundation distinguishes between school culture—the shared values, expectations, and ways of being in a school community—and school climate, which is how members of the school community perceive and experience these norms.
The foundation's primary focus is providing Vermont secondary school educators with professional development and leadership opportunities, with an expanded focus beginning in 2022 to include middle grades educators. Areas of innovation supported by Rowland Fellows include equity, accessibility, technology, place-based learning, and student voice.
Grantmaking
The Rowland Foundation awards fellowships to Vermont teachers and school teams. The foundation provides up to six fellowships annually to Vermont schools. Recent grants include $50,000 awards to Edmunds Middle School PTO and Barnet School PTF for Rowland Fellowships in 2024.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds exclusively in Vermont, with supported schools located in communities including Barnet, Brandon, Burlington, and other Vermont locations.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $34.2 million (2024); $35.3 million (2025)
Annual Revenue: $768,997 (2024)
Annual Expenses: $2,044,870 (2024)
Total Giving: $686,362 (most recent filing)
Liabilities: $1,780 (2024)
The foundation is designated as a 501(c)(3) organization, and donations are tax deductible. The foundation has been tax-exempt since December 2008.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $35,353,458 | $34,232,369 | $31,803,560 |
| Revenue | $901,562 | $768,997 | $570,523 |
| Expenses | $1,316,926 | $2,044,870 | $1,042,864 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $1,233,010 | $1,925,697 | $950,383 |
| Net Investment Income | $779,032 | $694,252 | $637,294 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,716,082 | $1,616,485 | $1,457,350 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
81 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest include Vt Community Foundtion ($150,000), Barnet School ($100,000), Proctor High School ($100,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CHAMPLAIN VALLEY UNION HIGH SCHOOL HINESBURG, VT | ROWLAND FELLOWSHIP | $75,000 |
| NORTH COUNTRY UNION HIGH SCHOOL NEWPORT, VT | ROWLAND FELLOWSHIP | $75,000 |
| BONNIE JOHNSON-ATEN MONTPELIER, VT | DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION WORKFORCE MENTOR | $32,500 |
| SAFIA HAJI BURLINGTON, VT | DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION WORKFORCE GRANT | $395 |
| BARNET SCHOOL BARNET, VT | ROWLAND FELLOWSHIP | $100,000 |
| PROCTOR HIGH SCHOOL PROCTOR, VT | ROWLAND FELLOWSHIP | $100,000 |
| HARTFORD HIGH SCHOOL WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT | ROWLAND FELLOWSHIP | $75,000 |
| VT COMMUNITY FOUNDTION MIDDLEBURY, VT | DONOR ADVISED FUND | $150,000 |
| KENNETH PHILLIPS II ESSEX JCT, VT | DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION WORKFORCE GRANT | $7,228 |
| LINJUAN MERKEL COLCHESTER, VT | DIVERSITY IN EDUCATION WORKFORCE GRANT | $3,168 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Barry and Wendy Rowland established the foundation with their generous support. Barry Rowland was chief administrative officer for Eaton Vance, a Boston money management firm, for more than 30 years. Both are deceased (Barry Rowland 1935-2018, Wendy Rowland 1936-2019).
Chuck Scranton served as co-founder and first Executive Director, whose vision for teacher-driven, transformational change led to the first cohort of Rowland Fellows in 2009.
Michael Martin serves as Executive Director with an annual salary of $156,060.
Heidi Lynn serves as President.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANNE BERGERON | Trustee | 1 | — |
| ERICA WALLSTROM | Trustee | 1 | — |
| CARTER RAWSON | Secretary | 1 | — |
| HEIDI LYNN | President | 1 | — |
| JAMES C MOONEY | Trustee | 1 | — |
| DANIEL B ROWLAND | Trustee | 1 | — |
| JOHN A SHEPARD JR | Trustee | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL MARTIN | Executive Dir. | 40 | $159,181 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has expanded its fellowship program to include middle grades educators beginning in 2022. The foundation continues to grow its network of over 100 Rowland Fellows across Vermont and maintains its annual educational conference as Vermont's largest education conference. The foundation's most recent tax filings are from 2024-2025.
Odyssey Project receives $1 million match from Pleasant Rowland FoundationSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Rowland Foundation Inc fund?
The mission of The Rowland Foundation is to invest in Vermont teachers in order to positively change the culture and climate of schools. The foundation distinguishes between school culture—the shared values, expectations, and ways of being in a school community—and school climate, which is how members of the school community perceive and experience these norms. The foundation's primary focus is providing Vermont secondary school educators with professional development and leadership opportuniti…
How do I apply for a grant from The Rowland Foundation Inc?
The Rowland Foundation awards fellowships to Vermont teachers and school teams. The foundation provides up to six fellowships annually to Vermont schools. Recent grants include $50,000 awards to Edmunds Middle School PTO and Barnet School PTF for Rowland Fellowships in 2024. The foundation hosts annual information nights to help prospective applicants explore fellowship proposal ideas and ask questions. For the 2027 fellowship year, info nights are scheduled for April 16, May 27, June 18, Augus…
Where does The Rowland Foundation Inc make grants?
The foundation funds exclusively in Vermont, with supported schools located in communities including Barnet, Brandon, Burlington, and other Vermont locations.
What size grants does The Rowland Foundation Inc award?
In 2025, The Rowland Foundation Inc awarded 21 grants totaling $686K — an average of about $33K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Rowland Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2025, The Rowland Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.7M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Rowland Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Rowland Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 26-2698626. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Rowland Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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