The Virginia and Alfred Harrell

Foundation · Grantmaker Bakersfield, CA EIN: 95-3227803

The Virginia and Alfred Harrell Foundation is a private foundation based in Bakersfield, California, with a long history of philanthropic support to Kern County and surrounding regions. The foundation was formerly known as The Bakersfield Californian Foundation, though only the name has changed—its mission, goals, and entity remain the same. The foundation traces its roots to Alfred Harrell, who purchased The Bakersfield Californian newspaper in 1897 and served as its publisher for nearly 50 years while demonstrating deep commitment to Kern County's betterment.

Key facts about The Virginia and Alfred Harrell

EIN: 95-3227803
Latest 990 filing: Form 990-PF, 2024
Annual giving (2024): $567,298
Grants made (2024): 31
Average grant: $18,300
Median grant: $14,500
New grantees (estimate): 58% first-time grantees (18 of 31, 2024)
Total assets: $15,718,007
Primary geography: California (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
How to apply: Organizations interested in applying can contact the foundation via email at tcowenhoven@harrell-holdings.com. Full details ↓

Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; 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.

Who The Virginia and Alfred Harrell funds

By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Virginia and Alfred Harrell's 31 itemized 2024 grants were California (100%). The most frequent recipient cities were Bakersfield, CA (18 grants), Ridgecrest, CA (2 grants) and Tehachapi, CA (2 grants). None of its 31 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Service Support" (31 grants).

Is The Virginia and Alfred Harrell open to new grantees?

58%

first-time grantees, 2024

In 2024, 18 of 31 grantees (58%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $20K. How we count

Medians: $11K first-time, $15K repeat.

13% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
Giving fell 22% from 2021 to 2024. Method
In 2024 it paid out 80% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method

Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.

Next steps with The Virginia and Alfred Harrell

How to evaluate The Virginia and Alfred Harrell as a funder
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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$15.7M

+0.6% YoY

Annual Giving

$567K

+18.4% YoY

Grant Count

+34.8% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$18K

-12.2% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Virginia and Alfred Harrell reported a distributable amount of $789K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The Virginia and Alfred Harrell Foundation focuses its grantmaking on specific areas of interest that shift annually. Core funding priorities include:

Animal Welfare
Cultural & Historical Preservation
Environment
Literacy & Early Education
Health & Social Welfare

The foundation also funds compelling projects in additional areas beyond its core interests.

Grantmaking

The foundation maintains an active grantmaking program with recent activity showing substantial community investment:

Average Grant

amounts varying by year.

How to Apply

** Organizations interested in applying can contact the foundation via email at tcowenhoven@harrell-holdings.com.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily supports communities in:

California (with emphasis on Kern County, including Bakersfield, Delano, and Sacramento)
Massachusetts
Texas

Grant Distribution by State

California $567K (100%)

Share of all 31 itemized 2024 grant dollars.

States

California Massachusetts Texas

Cities

BakersfieldTehachapiKernvilleBodfishFrazier ParkBrooklineRidgecrestSacramentoShafterBakewrsfieldTaftValenciaYucaipaDelanoDouble OakFresnoLake IsabellaLebecSanta BarbaraVaencia

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Assets: $15,630,385 to $15,718,007 (figures vary by reporting year)

Annual Giving:

2025: Over $580,000 awarded
Recent annual total giving: $567,298 to $643,080 in expenses

Revenue: $178,049 (2023)

Tax-Exempt Status: April 1979

EIN: 95-3227803

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$15,718,007	$15,630,385	$16,095,416
Revenue	$793,337	$178,049	$212,220
Expenses	$705,715	$643,080	$914,308
Qualifying Distributions	$628,845	$574,074	$815,337
Net Investment Income	$720,007	$321,195	$241,102
Distributable Amount	$789,201	$746,214	$768,618

Data update history

When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable

March 3, 2026 IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024

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 2024

Grant Size Distribution

151 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

1 open opportunity from The Virginia and Alfred Harrell

Foundation

VAH Foundation Grant

The Virginia and Alfred Harrell

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include California Living Museum Foundation ($50,000), Kern River Conservancy ($50,000), Valley Achievement Center ($47,437).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
CALIFORNIA LIVING MUSEUM FOUNDATION Bakersfield, CA	PROGRAM SERVICE SUPPORT	$50,000
KERN RIVER CONSERVANCY Kernville, CA	PROGRAM SERVICE SUPPORT	$50,000
VALLEY ACHIEVEMENT CENTER Bakersfield, CA	PROGRAM SERVICE SUPPORT	$47,437
THE HUB OF BAKERSFIELD Bakersfield, CA	PROGRAM SERVICE SUPPORT	$35,000
SJV WATER Bakersfield, CA	PROGRAM SERVICE SUPPORT	$30,000
RM PYLES BOYS CAMP Vaencia, CA	PROGRAM SERVICE SUPPORT	$25,600
GIRL SCOUTS OF CENTRAL CALIFORNIA SOUTH Bakersfield, CA	PROGRAM SERVICE SUPPORT	$25,000
HELPING ANIMALS LIVE TOMORROW Bakersfield, CA	PROGRAM SERVICE SUPPORT	$25,000
LOS PADRES FOREST WATCH Santa Barbara, CA	PROGRAM SERVICE SUPPORT	$25,000
TRANSFORMATIONS BY BAKERSFIELD ANGELS Bakersfield, CA	PROGRAM SERVICE SUPPORT	$25,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Virginia Moorhouse – President
Tracey Cowenhoven – Vice President (compensation: $94,748 for 30 hours of work)

The foundation's leadership traces back through the Harrell family lineage, with current publisher and chairman of The Bakersfield Californian being Ginger Moorhouse, descendant of the founding Harrell family.

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
Virginia Cowenhoven	Board Member	0.5	—
Virginia Moorhouse	President	10	—
Tracey Cowenhoven	Vice President	30	$61,547
John Moorhouse	Secretary/Treasurer	0.5	—
Peter Cowenhoven	Board Member	0.5	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2025

The foundation continues active grantmaking with a focus on Kern County nonprofits. In 2025, the foundation concentrated its efforts on animal welfare, cultural and historical preservation, environmental projects, and literacy and early education initiatives. The foundation maintains an updated grants list on its website and welcomes inquiries from eligible organizations in its geographic service areas.

Virginia Foundation for the Humanities Announces Grants to Organizations

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Virginia and Alfred Harrell fund?

The Virginia and Alfred Harrell Foundation focuses its grantmaking on specific areas of interest that shift annually. Core funding priorities include: • Animal Welfare • Cultural & Historical Preservation • Environment • Literacy & Early Education • Health & Social Welfare The foundation also funds compelling projects in additional areas beyond its core interests.

How do I apply for a grant from The Virginia and Alfred Harrell?

Organizations interested in applying can contact the foundation via email at tcowenhoven@harrell-holdings.com. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑

Where does The Virginia and Alfred Harrell make grants?

The foundation primarily supports communities in: • California (with emphasis on Kern County, including Bakersfield, Delano, and Sacramento) • Massachusetts • Texas

What size grants does The Virginia and Alfred Harrell award?

In 2024, The Virginia and Alfred Harrell awarded 31 grants totaling $567K — an average of about $18K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Virginia and Alfred Harrell required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Virginia and Alfred Harrell reported a distributable amount of $789K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

What is The Virginia and Alfred Harrell's EIN?

The Virginia and Alfred Harrell's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3227803. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.