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Towle Family Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.1M

Towle Family Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,125,000 (2023)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly available
  • Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed
  • Grant Range: Not publicly disclosed
  • Geographic Focus: Multi-state (including Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania)
  • Total Assets: $90.6 million (FY 2024)

Contact Details

Address: 4950 S Yosemite St F2-327, Greenwood Village, CO 80111

Phone: 314-822-0204

Former Address: 1610 Des Peres Rd Ste 250, Saint Louis, MO 63131-1880

Note: The foundation does not appear to maintain a public website or email contact for unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Towle Family Foundation was established in June 1998 in Missouri and is now based in Greenwood Village, Colorado. As a private family foundation with significant assets of $90.6 million (FY 2024), the foundation has experienced substantial growth from $9.9 million in 2011. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization and distributed $2,125,000 in grants during 2023 across 13 awards. The foundation maintains connections to both its Missouri roots and its current Colorado location, with grantmaking spanning multiple states across the country. The foundation is led by family members Christopher D Towle (President), Perry E Towle (Secretary), and Laura H Towle (Treasurer), none of whom receive compensation for their roles. The foundation maintains a relatively low public profile, typical of many private family foundations.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Towle Family Foundation does not publish specific grant programs or funding tiers. Grant amounts and specific program areas are not publicly disclosed. Based on available data:

  • 13 awards made in 2023
  • 1 award made in 2022
  • 12 awards made in 2021

Priority Areas

Specific priority areas are not publicly disclosed. The foundation's Form 990-PF filings contain detailed grant recipient information, but this is not readily available through public searches. The foundation has made grants to organizations across multiple states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, suggesting a diverse geographic reach.

What They Don't Fund

Information about specific exclusions is not publicly available.

Governance and Leadership

The foundation is governed by family members:

  • Christopher D Towle - President
  • Perry E Towle - Secretary
  • Laura H Towle - Treasurer

All officers serve without compensation, consistent with typical family foundation governance structures. The Towle family maintains direct control over grantmaking decisions through this leadership structure.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Towle Family Foundation does not have a public application process. As a private family foundation, grantmaking decisions are made at the discretion of the board of trustees. The foundation does not maintain a public website, publish application guidelines, or accept unsolicited grant proposals through any formal process.

Grants are typically awarded based on:

  • Trustee discretion and family interests
  • Pre-existing relationships with organizations
  • Invitation-only consideration
  • Board member recommendations

Organizations seeking funding from the Towle Family Foundation would need to establish a relationship with board members or receive an invitation to apply.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. As a private family foundation with trustee-driven grantmaking, decision timelines vary based on board meeting schedules and internal processes.

Success Rates

Not publicly available. The foundation made 13 awards in 2023 out of an undisclosed number of considerations.

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly disclosed.

Application Success Factors

Given the private nature of this foundation and lack of public application process, traditional success factors do not apply. However, organizations that have historically received funding from private family foundations typically:

  • Have direct connections to board members or the Towle family
  • Align with the personal philanthropic interests of the trustees
  • Operate in geographic areas of significance to the family (Missouri and Colorado connections are evident)
  • Have been personally recommended by trusted advisors or other nonprofit leaders known to the family

Without access to detailed grant recipient lists from Form 990-PF filings, it is difficult to identify specific patterns in the types of organizations or causes the foundation supports.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - This foundation operates through trustee discretion and invitation-only grantmaking
  • Relationship-based funding - Success depends on personal connections to the Towle family or board members
  • Significant assets with moderate annual giving - With $90.6 million in assets and $2.1 million in annual grants, the foundation has capacity but maintains selective grantmaking
  • Multi-state reach - Despite Colorado headquarters, the foundation has supported organizations across at least nine states
  • Consistent grantmaking - The foundation has maintained regular grantmaking activity over multiple years
  • Private family governance - All leadership positions held by Towle family members who serve without compensation
  • Limited public information - Detailed grant recipient information requires direct access to Form 990-PF Schedule I filings

References

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