William K Bowes Jr Foundation

Q: How do I apply for a grant from William K Bowes Jr Foundation?

**Application Process:** The foundation operates by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited letters of interest or unsolicited proposals. Grants are not made to individuals. **Grant Activity (2023):** • Total annual giving: $24,361,008 • Number of grants: 48 • Grant range: $100,000 - $6,200,000 • Median grant: $200,000

SAN FRANCISCO, CA EIN: 94-3148482 Website

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The William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation is a private foundation established in 1991 by William K. Bowes, Jr., a pioneering venture capitalist who co-founded U.S. Venture Partners and served as founding shareholder and first Chairman of Amgen. Based in San Francisco, California, the foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and maintains a venture philanthropy approach to grantmaking.

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Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$236.8M

+2.3% YoY

Annual Giving

$18.0M

-26.0% YoY

Grant Count

+0.0% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$375K

-26.0% YoY

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

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation supports nonprofit organizations working across several funding priorities, including:

Arts
College access
Medical research
Civic institutions
Education

The foundation's strategic approach reflects William K. Bowes, Jr.'s venture capital philosophy of "venture philanthropy," which includes start-up investments, financing initiatives inside established institutions, and larger transformative investments in institutions at inflection points in their missions.

Grantmaking

Grant Range

$100,000 - $6,200,000

Invitation Only

** The foundation operates by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited letters of interest or unsolicited proposals. Grants are not made to individuals.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily focuses on California, with particular emphasis on the San Francisco Bay Area.

Grant Distribution by State

California $97.9M (82%)

New York $8.1M (7%)

Massachusetts $4.3M (4%)

Illinois $2.6M (2%)

Oregon $2.0M (2%)

Washington $1.4M (1%)

Texas $1.1M (1%)

District of Columbia $1.1M (1%)

+3 more states

States

California Connecticut District of Columbia Delaware Illinois Massachusetts New Jersey New York Oregon Texas Washington

Cities

AustinBerkeleyBolinasBostonCambridgeChicagoConcordHollisterMenlo ParkMountain ViewNew YorkNorwalkOaklandPalo AltoPetalumaPortlandPrincetonRedwood CitySan AnselmoSan Diego

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of 2024:

Total assets: $237,000,000
Revenue: $15,539,775
Expenses: $11,864,149
Net income: $3,675,626
Net assets: $214,941,586
Total liabilities: $21,800,000

Tax-exempt status: January 1992 (EIN: 94-3148482)

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$236,755,476	$231,390,225	$235,253,719
Revenue	$15,539,775	$16,366,525	$5,855,939
Expenses	$11,864,149	$12,136,135	$14,800,904
Qualifying Distributions	$18,442,897	$24,809,147	$26,102,918
Net Investment Income	$12,925,152	$9,175,277	$4,510,827
Distributable Amount	$11,789,226	$11,511,596	$12,717,808

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

246 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Executive Director: Derek Aspacher (daspacher@pfs-llc.net, 415.561.6540 ext. 249)
Grants Manager: Tatiana Gordon (tgordon@pfs-llc.net, 415.561.6540 ext. 280)
Administrative Partner: Pacific Foundation Services