The Tow Foundation Inc
The Tow Foundation Inc. is a private foundation based in New Canaan, Connecticut, established in 1988 by Leonard and Claire Tow. It supports nonprofit organizations and visionary leaders working to improve wellness, expand opportunity, and address persistent inequities.
Key facts about The Tow Foundation Inc
In short: The Tow Foundation Inc gave $46.8M across 206 grants in 2025 (avg $227K), mostly in New York. 18% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 06-6484045
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $46,839,114
- Grants made (2025)
- 206
- Average grant
- $227,374
- Median grant
- $100,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 18% first-time grantees (27 of 150, 2025)
- Total assets
- $314,304,191
- Primary geography
- New York (63% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The Foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The 2025 Innovation Fund’s first-round deadline was May 23, 2025.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$314.3M
+0.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$46.8M
+78.5% YoY
Grant Count
206
-3.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$227K
+84.5% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Tow Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $19.4M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Tow Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
18%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 27 of 150 grantees (18%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $275K; repeat grants $321K. How we count
Medians: $200K first-time, $100K repeat.
- 69% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 124% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 264% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to promote wellness and access to opportunities so that individuals and communities can thrive. Its website describes an approach centered on collaborative relationships, innovation, and support for programs and reform across its impact areas.
Its grants include support for medical research, higher education, arts and culture, and justice-related work. For example, the New York Genome Center describes its own mission as using advanced genomics to understand the genetic basis of disease; Vera Institute of Justice describes its work as partnering with impacted communities and government leaders to transform criminal, legal, and immigration systems. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not the Foundation’s.
The 2025 Innovation Fund sought nonprofit organizations expanding access to youth mental health and well-being support for people ages 0–25 and their families. Its call invited approaches spanning prevention through treatment, in community, school, and clinical settings.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 206 grants totaling $46,839,114. Grant amounts ranged from $250 to $5 million, with a median of $100,000. Notable grants included $5 million to Columbia University for a biomedical research building; $1.6 million to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for its Initiative in Radiotheranostics; $1.4 million to the New York Genome Center for a Women’s Genetics Center; and $1.24 million to the Hospital for Special Surgery for work on precision medicine and tissue regeneration. Other $1 million grants included support for general operations at Immigrant Justice Corps and Vera Institute of Justice, a capital campaign at Lincoln Center, and a Community and Civic Engagement Center at the University of New Haven.
Review Cycle
The 2025 Innovation Fund’s first-round deadline was May 23, 2025. This application cycle has passed.
How to Apply
organizations submitted a brief first-round application, with selected applicants invited to submit a full proposal. The stated eligibility criteria included 501(c)(3) status or a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor; operating in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York, or Pennsylvania; a track record in youth mental health and well-being; and work with communities facing barriers to support.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Tow Foundation Inc
Ready to take the next step with The Tow Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation describes its work as grounded in Connecticut and New York, and its history notes an early focus on New York. In filing year 2025, recipient-state shares of grant dollars were New York 63%, Connecticut 11%, Pennsylvania 8%, Washington, D.C. 6%, and California 4%. The 2025 Innovation Fund also accepted eligible organizations operating in Massachusetts and North Carolina.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 206 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $16.0M (2021) to $46.8M (2025). In 2025 it made 206 grants totaling $46.8M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York ($8.0M across 12 grants). Together the top 10 received $23.3M.
Grant Size Distribution
1,139 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 504 grants of 1,139 (44%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY | Biomedical Research Building | $5,000,000 |
| Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY | The Initiative in Radiotheranostics | $1,600,000 |
| Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program Southeastern, PA | Donor Advised Fund Contribution 1 | $1,422,021 |
| New York Genome Center Inc New York, NY | Women's Genetics Center | $1,400,000 |
| The Hospital for Special Surgeries New York, NY | Realizing the promise of precision medicine and tissue regeneration in autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases | $1,240,000 |
| Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY | The Tow Initiative in Computational Immuno-Oncology | $1,200,000 |
| Immigrant Justice Corps New York, NY | General Operating Support | $1,000,000 |
| Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts Inc New York, NY | West Project Capital Campaign | $1,000,000 |
| University of Miami Coral Gables, FL | Ai-Based Myeloma Research | $1,000,000 |
| University of New Haven West Haven, CT | Community and Civic Engagement Center | $1,000,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $314,304,191 | $56,551,428 | $53,686,982 | $46,839,114 |
| 2024 | $311,444,666 | $21,380,965 | $31,686,056 | $26,245,585 |
| 2023 | $321,757,604 | $14,366,606 | $31,079,753 | $23,936,247 |
The Foundation files Form 990-PF.
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $314,304,191 | $311,444,666 | $321,757,604 |
| Revenue | $56,551,428 | $21,380,965 | $14,366,606 |
| Expenses | $53,686,982 | $31,686,056 | $31,079,753 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $51,116,225 | $29,743,538 | $27,381,232 |
| Net Investment Income | $14,507,336 | $19,764,420 | $10,743,069 |
| Distributable Amount | $19,379,363 | $20,409,703 | $19,194,466 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 22, 2020)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 25, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Frank Tow as chair; Emily Tow as president and vice chair; Andrew Tow as vice chair; Amy Lefkof as secretary; and David Tobias as assistant treasurer. It also lists Benjamin Jackson, Hope Jackson, Molly Tow, and Olivia Tow as directors. Leonard Tow is listed as deceased and chairman.
The Tow Foundation Inc is led by Emily Tow, President & Vice Chair since 2025 (on filings since 2021); 2 of 12 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Emily Tow
President & Vice Chair
President → President & Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$273K (2021) → $395K (2025)
Frank Tow
Chair
Vice President → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Benjamin Jackson
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
$47K (2024) → $0 (2025)
Molly Tow
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Olivia Tow
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Teresa Law
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Hope Jackson
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Ransden
Assistant Secretary
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$77K (2019) → $187K (2025)
Amy Lefkof
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2020
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Tow
Vice Chair
Vice President → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Tobias
Assistant Treasurer
On filings since 2019
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Scott Schneider
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Leonard Tow (2019–2025) — Chairman · Filing note: Deceased
- Former: Emily Tow Jackson (2019–2020) — President & Executive Director
- Former: David Z. Rosensweig (2019) — Secretary
- Former: Maureen Strafford (2019) — Director
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 $395K, to Emily Tow (President/ Vice Chair). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Contact
Mailing address: 50 Locust Avenue Ste 1, New Canaan, CT 06840-4737
Phone: (203) 761-6604
Website: https://www.towfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about The Tow Foundation Inc
How much does The Tow Foundation Inc give each year?
The Tow Foundation Inc gave $46.8M across 206 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $26.2M across 213 grants.
What is The Tow Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Tow Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $100,000, and its average grant was $227,374, across 206 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Tow Foundation Inc that year got $275K on average.
Where does The Tow Foundation Inc give grants?
The Tow Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 63% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Connecticut (11%) and Pennsylvania (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (77 grants), Washington, DC (18 grants), Brooklyn, NY (14 grants) and Hartford, CT (14 grants).
Does The Tow Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 41% of The Tow Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (84 of 206) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Annual Gala" (4 grants).
Who are The Tow Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Tow Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York ($7,962,057 across 12 grants), Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program ($3,769,464 across 7 grants) and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center ($3,100,000 across 3 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Tow Foundation Inc?
The Tow Foundation Inc reported $314.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $51.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $19.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Tow Foundation Inc fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to promote wellness and access to opportunities so that individuals and communities can thrive. Its website describes an approach centered on collaborative relationships, innovation, and support for programs and reform across its impact areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Tow Foundation Inc?
The Foundation states that it 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 Tow Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Tow Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-6484045. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Tow 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.
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