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The Tow Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$26.2M
Grant Range
$5K - $1.0M

The Tow Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $26,245,585 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $321,681,918 (2023)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $1,000,000+
  • Median Grant: $25,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Connecticut and New York; expanded to California, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania for select initiatives
  • Multi-Year Support: Over 70% of grants are multi-year, unrestricted funding

Contact Details

Address: 50 Locust Ave Ste 1, New Canaan, CT 06840

Website: www.towfoundation.org

Contact: Available through website contact form at towfoundation.org/contact-us/

Grantee Portal: thetowfoundation.my.site.com/login

Social Media:

  • Twitter/X: @TowFdn
  • Facebook: @TowFdn
  • LinkedIn & Instagram: @towfdn

Overview

The Tow Foundation was established in 1988 by Leonard and Claire Tow, co-founders of Century Communications Corporation (sold in 1999), to give back to their communities. What began as a simple family giving vehicle has grown into a well-established organization with 15 staff members and over $25 million in annual giving. Emily Tow, the founders' daughter, has served as president since 1995, expanding the foundation's focus from its initial concentration on medical research and higher education to include youth justice, criminal legal reform, journalism, and arts and culture. The foundation operates across five primary impact areas: equity and justice, medicine and public health, arts and culture, higher education, and civic engagement. Leonard and Claire Tow have committed to The Giving Pledge, pledging to give away at least half of their wealth to philanthropy. The foundation is now governed by three generations of the Tow family. In 2023, the foundation held total assets of approximately $321.7 million.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

2025 Innovation Fund: $300,000 - $1,000,000 (three-year general operating support grants for organizations expanding youth mental health and well-being access for ages 0-25). The 2025 round application period is now closed, with results to be announced in October 2025. Previous Innovation Fund rounds in 2022 awarded $1.5 million to 10 organizations, and the 2024 round awarded $10 million to 10 organizations.

Playwright Residency Program: $82,500 (one-year grants to New York City theaters supporting emerging playwrights in residence)

Director Development Program: $50,000 (one-year grants to theaters supporting programs for emerging directors)

Standard Grants: Most grants range from $5,000 to $500,000, with long-standing partners sometimes receiving upwards of $1 million. The median grant is $25,000. The foundation made 212 grants in 2024 and 221 grants in 2023.

Priority Areas

Equity and Justice: Investments at the policy-change level to end mass incarceration and mass criminalization; advocacy, organizing, and coalition-building led by directly impacted leaders; initiatives that affirm the humanity and dignity of incarcerated individuals; support for individuals and families impacted by the criminal legal system; strong focus on racial equity and justice.

Medicine and Public Health: Community-driven approaches to health; youth mental health and well-being; medical research (including cancer research); school-based health programs; early intervention efforts.

Arts and Culture: Creative expression and community storytelling; theater and performing arts; support for emerging artists; cultural organizations serving marginalized communities.

Higher Education: Expanding access and opportunity through mentorship and education; support for graduate journalism schools; scholarships and educational programs.

Civic Engagement: Providing information access to help people mobilize and create change; journalism and digital media innovation; investigative reporting; programs addressing mass surveillance and press freedom.

Cross-Cutting Work: The foundation explicitly supports organizations that "don't neatly fit into one area" and seeks innovative solutions to persistent inequality.

Geographic Priorities

Primary focus on Connecticut and New York, with expanded reach to California, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania through special initiatives like the Innovation Fund. Recent years have seen increased support for national organizations.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations. Organizations must be identified through the foundation's own research, networks, or invited to apply through specific initiatives like the Innovation Fund.

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees: The foundation is governed by three generations of the Tow family. Leonard Tow serves as chairman of the board. The founders' three children—Andrew, Emily, and Frank—joined the board shortly after the foundation's inception. Third-generation family members include Olivia Tow (trustee) and Hope and Benjamin Jackson, who play unique roles at the foundation.

President: Emily Tow Jackson has served as president since 1995, becoming the foundation's first full-time staff member. She joined the Board of Directors in 1990. Under her leadership, the foundation has grown from a small family giving vehicle to a well-established organization of 15 staff members with over $25 million in annual giving. Emily speaks nationally and internationally about the foundation's work, its commitment to advocacy as a key to achieving social change, and the value of family philanthropy. She has received numerous honors, including the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy's John H. Filer Award for leadership in promoting private action for the public good.

Founder's Philosophy: Leonard Tow articulates the foundation's guiding principle: "Claire and I never believed that the wealth we accumulated was truly ours. From the beginning, we knew that we were only lifetime stewards of our good fortune, charged with redeploying it for useful societal purpose."

Vision Statement: "A society where all people have a voice in their community and the opportunity to enjoy a high quality of life."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Tow Foundation does not have a public application process for standard grants. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Grants are made through the foundation's own research, trustee discretion, and existing relationships.

Special Initiatives: The foundation periodically issues Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for specific initiatives like the Innovation Fund. When these opportunities are available, applications are accepted through the foundation's online application portal. Organizations should monitor the foundation's website for announcements of new funding opportunities.

Initial Contact: While unsolicited proposals are not accepted, the foundation advises prospective grantees to:

  1. Explore the current grants page on their website to assess whether their work aligns with the foundation's funding criteria
  2. Reach out with specific questions via the contact form on their website
  3. Provide a succinct pitch if there is a solid match with the foundation's work

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation has developed relationships with grantees through:

Active Engagement at Sector Events: Foundation staff and board members attend conferences and meetings in their priority areas (criminal justice reform, journalism, public health, arts and culture, higher education). They show up at sector gatherings and actively engage with the nonprofit community.

Collaborative Networks: The foundation works closely with other funders and encourages collaborative funding partnerships. Getting support from peer funders in similar spaces may increase visibility.

Board Member Networks: The foundation's geographic expansion (to California, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts) reflects where board members reside, suggesting that board members identify potential grantees through their own professional and community networks.

Grantee Referrals: Current grantees may be a source of referrals, as the foundation values partnerships and actively engages with its existing grantee network.

Specific Contact: Organizations can reach out through the contact form at towfoundation.org/contact-us/ to introduce themselves, though this does not guarantee funding consideration.

Decision Timeline

For Innovation Fund RFPs, the timeline has been:

  • Application deadline: May 23, 2025 (for the 2025 round)
  • Results announcement: October 2025

For standard grants made through trustee discretion, no public timeline is available as these are invitation-based.

Reapplication Policy

For the Innovation Fund, unsuccessful applicants from previous rounds are eligible to apply to future rounds when new RFPs are issued. For standard grants, there is no formal reapplication process as there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Partnership Approach: The foundation emphasizes true partnership with grantees. According to their philosophy, "True partners listen, they attend conferences and meetings alongside their grantees, they show up in times of crisis, and they encourage other funders to do the same." Organizations should demonstrate readiness for this level of collaborative engagement.

Multi-Year, Unrestricted Support: Over 70% of Tow Foundation grants are multi-year, unrestricted support. The foundation refined its strategy by asking grantee partners about budget challenges and unfunded needs, leading to funding "not just an organization's interesting programs, but also its essential needs." Organizations should be prepared to discuss organizational sustainability and capacity-building needs, not just program specifics.

Racial Equity and Justice Lens: The foundation has a strong commitment to racial equity and justice across all impact areas. Successful grantees demonstrate how their work addresses systemic inequities and centers marginalized communities.

Innovation and Systems Change: The foundation seeks "innovative solutions to persistent inequality" and organizations that work at the policy-change level to reform harmful systems. Projects should demonstrate transformative potential beyond individual interventions.

Cross-Cutting Impact: The foundation explicitly values organizations that "don't neatly fit into one area" and work across multiple impact areas. Interdisciplinary approaches are welcomed.

Directly Impacted Leadership: In the equity and justice space, the foundation prioritizes "advocacy, organizing, and coalition-building led by directly impacted leaders." Lived experience and community leadership are highly valued.

Geographic Alignment: While not strictly limited to Connecticut and New York, most grantees are well-established organizations in these states. Recent expansion reflects board member locations, suggesting geographic ties matter.

Established Organizations: Grantees tend to be well-established organizations with proven track records. The foundation builds long-standing relationships with partners, sometimes providing $1 million+ in support over time.

Recent Grantee Examples (to understand the types of organizations funded):

  • Church World Service Greensboro (youth mental health, North Carolina)
  • Homeboy Industries (youth support, California)
  • Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth ($500,000, criminal justice)
  • Frederick Douglass Project for Justice ($100,000, criminal justice)
  • California School-Based Health Alliance ($100,000, youth health)
  • A Little Piece of Light (reentry support for women and LGBTQ people, Brooklyn)
  • Malta Justice Initiative (criminal justice reform advocacy, Connecticut)
  • Atlantic Theater Company (emerging playwright residency, NYC)
  • Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University ($10 million+ over time)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No unsolicited applications accepted - focus efforts on building sector visibility and relationships rather than submitting cold proposals
  • Over 70% of grants are multi-year, unrestricted - the foundation values organizational sustainability over specific program funding, representing a trust-based approach to philanthropy
  • Geographic focus matters - Connecticut and New York remain core priorities; expanded states (CA, MA, NC, PA) reflect where board members reside
  • Partnership is paramount - the foundation sees itself as an active partner that attends events, shows up in crises, and engages deeply with grantees, not as a distant check-writer
  • Established organizations preferred - grantees tend to be well-established with proven track records; median grant is $25,000 but long-term partners receive much larger support
  • Innovation Fund as entry point - periodic RFPs for special initiatives like the Innovation Fund provide rare opportunities for new organizations to access funding
  • Systems change and racial equity are central - successful grantees work at the policy level to address root causes of inequality and center racial justice
  • Cross-sector work is valued - organizations that bridge multiple impact areas or don't fit neatly into one category are explicitly welcomed

References

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