S. H. Cowell Foundation Grant

S. H. Cowell Foundation Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: S H Cowell Foundation
Last Updated: December 21, 2025

Summary

The S. H. Cowell Foundation Grant focuses on supporting public and nonprofit organizations in Northern and Central California that address acute poverty and promote racial equity. The foundation prioritizes place-based strategies to fund initiatives that foster child development, family empowerment, and youth leadership. By building on community strengths, it aims to create equitable access to essential services and enhance the overall well-being of families and children, ensuring their voices are integral to program design and implementation.

Overview

Note: Call the Foundation prior to sending a letter or proposal. If your work meets the criteria, you will be invited to send a letter of introduction. Background The Foundation’s primary grantmaking strategy is place-based. We seek opportunities to make clusters of complementary grants in specific communities, supporting public and nonprofit organizations that serve essentially the same children, youth, and families. We respond first and foremost to the capacities and vision of the community and to expressed community needs. Then we seek ways to build on the insights, resources, and achievements generated through our grantees’ efforts. We prioritize places in Northern or Central California that are experiencing acute and widespread poverty, where people of color likely experience disparate outcomes. Our goal is to achieve more capable, responsive, and effective community organizations and institutions. Through the sustained, concerted efforts of those organizations, we expect community residents to realize benefits including: The healthy development and education of childrenThe economic and social advancement of their families The opportunity to influence the conditions that shape their lives Funding Priorities The Foundation’s primary grantmaking strategy is place-based. We seek opportunities to make clusters of complementary grants in specific communities, supporting public and nonprofit organizations that serve essentially the same children, youth, and families. Families We support programs that honor lived experiences and incorporate resident voices in the design, implementation, and governance of family-support services. We fund programs and community-building efforts that help families build on their strengths and increase their self-efficacy, and that implement trauma-responsive practices. We also support comprehensive programs that safeguard equitable access to concrete services such as food, shelter, childcare, and safety. Examples of grant-funded activities include, but are not limited to: Family resource centers that promote physical health and wellness, child development, and parenting; Organizations that build pathways for families to attain financial literacy, employment, and economic mobility; Community-organizing initiatives focused on emerging issues prioritized and led by residents. Education We believe that high-quality public schools, available to all, are essential for society to thrive. We fund initiatives within schools and school districts to provide equitable learning for all students, particularly students of color and those living in poverty. We support engaging students in relevant, immersive learning that prepares them for college, career, and citizenship, equipping them to help solve complex challenges in their communities and the world. We also invest in organizations outside of school districts that, along with community residents, hold public schools to account and help them improve. Examples of grant-funded activities include, but are not limited to: Efforts within schools to improve teaching and academic support, particularly for underserved students, by fostering teamwork, adaptation, and organizational learning; Organizing efforts among students and families to effect positive changes in their schools and expand learning opportunities; Programs promoting reconciliation and mental and emotional health among students and educators; Outdoor education and stewardship programs that link academics to life and deepen students’ understanding of the environment, climate, and community health. Youth We support youth development organizations that provide safe spaces for youth to explore their interests and aspirations, build confidence and resilience, and solidify a commitment to lifelong learning and community engagement. We prioritize programs focused on the mental health and well-being of young people and supporting their agency and leadership, as well as their readiness for higher education and careers. We support organizations implementing trauma-responsive practices in their programs and services for youth. Examples of grant-funded activities include, but are not limited to: Addressing the mental health and well-being of students through school-based wellness centers; Providing afterschool and/or summer programming that engages youth academically and in special interests such as the performing arts; Developing youth leadership, training them in community organizing skills, and supporting them to create solutions for their communities around issues such as educational equity, racial justice, and environmental health. Supporting Programs Through our active engagement in communities, we often learn about critical needs and opportunities that lie outside our main program areas. Leadership & Organizational Health: Cowell commonly funds the direct costs of delivering services and operating programs for community residents; but we are keenly aware that the scope and quality of those services, and ultimately their effectiveness, depend on the vitality of our grantee organizations. Accordingly, grantees in the Families, Education, and Youth program areas may inquire about complementary grants through the Leadership & Organizational Health program. In addition, Cowell supports organizations whose mission and core capability is leadership development. Community Resources: Through our active engagement in communities, we often learn about critical needs and opportunities that lie outside our main program areas. For that purpose, we maintain a budget for responsive grants in communities where we are active. This complementary program is necessarily broad, but likely areas of focus include: Affordable housing construction and preservation; Small business and workforce development; Access to banking services, credit, and other supports for economic security; Neighborhood infrastructure such as parks, gardens, and greenways. Across our programs, the funding guidelines incorporate four themes: Racial Equity Economic Advancement Community Health Environmental Health and Justice Mental Health Resident Voice and Agency Types of Grants Place-Based Grants awarded to organizations in active Cowell communities across program areas and initiatives. Resource Capacity-Building Resource Capacity-Building grants from a secondary strategy that supports our primary, place-based investments. These grants enhance the resources, practices, and cohesiveness of the program fields in which Cowell operates, and to create access to such resources on behalf of place-based grantees Exploratory Types of work that currently lie outside the program area guidelines. These grants are awarded while Cowell is prospecting and developing relationships in a community, before determining whether it is appropriate to fully engage there under the place-based guidelines. Exploratory grants may also be awarded as Cowell seeks to learn about emerging fields of work beyond the current program guidelines.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Cowell engages in an exploratory process and uses the following criteria in establishing long-term community partnerships:The community is located in Northern or Central California. The community is experiencing acute and widespread poverty. The community has a strong “sense of place” that arises from factors such as location, history, and the shared goals and deep-rooted relationships among residents, community-based organizations, and educators. Community partners are advancing racial justice and equitable outcomes for people and communities of color. Local leaders demonstrate commitment to the community by championing issues and efforts beyond the scope of their own roles and agencies. The community presents opportunities for investment in all the following program areas: Families, Education, and Youth.We Fund:Nonprofit organizations Public schools School districts

Ineligibility

We do not fund:Individuals Partisan projects Religious projects