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Angela J Bowen Conservancy Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.8M
Grant Range
$5K - $2.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,785,000 (2024)
  • Total Assets: $51 million
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable (invitation only)
  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $2,000,000
  • Geographic Focus: Washington, Mississippi, and Florida

Contact Details

Address: 1006 Plymouth St SW, Olympia, WA 98502-5872
Phone: (360) 352-1300
EIN: 91-2015916
Registered Agent: Jeff Crawford

Overview

Founded by Dr. Angela J. Bowen (1932-2017), a pioneering Olympia physician and philanthropist, the Angela J Bowen Conservancy Foundation is a private operating foundation established to hold and maintain real estate for nature conservancy purposes. With assets of approximately $51 million and annual grant distributions of $2.8 million, the foundation carries forward Dr. Bowen's legacy of environmental stewardship in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. The foundation primarily funds land conservation, wildlife habitat protection, and open space preservation projects. Dr. Bowen was one of just four women in the University of Washington Medical School graduating class of 1963 and spent her career as a medical researcher and practitioner while simultaneously building a reputation as one of Olympia's most generous conservation philanthropists. The foundation continues to make strategic grants to preselected organizations working on land conservation priorities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates without formal grant programs or application cycles. All grants are made by trustee discretion to preselected charitable organizations. Recent grants include:

  • Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain: $2,000,000 (for Urban Forest preservation in Long Beach, Mississippi, 2024)
  • OlyEcosystems: $1,300,000 (for West Bay Woods conservation in Olympia, Washington)
  • City of Tenino, WA: $440,000 (for 60-acre parkland acquisition from Norseman Timber Company)
  • Median Grant Size: $305,000

Priority Areas

  • Land conservation and preservation
  • Wildlife habitat enhancement
  • Open space and nature conservancy
  • Urban forests and community parklands
  • Preservation of natural areas for public recreation
  • Protection of ecologically significant properties

What They Don't Fund

The foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations" and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. This suggests they do not fund:

  • Organizations outside their existing network
  • Projects unrelated to land conservation
  • General operating support (focus appears to be on land acquisition and preservation)

Governance and Leadership

Key Personnel

Jeff Crawford - Accounting Manager and Registered Agent
According to 990 filings, Jeff Crawford serves as the accounting manager with compensation of $103,555 (2024) and is listed as the foundation's registered agent.

Daniel Marcotte - Groundskeeper
Compensation: $65,956 (2024)

Carolyn Gadley - Office Manager
Compensation: $61,392 (2024)

Founder's Legacy

Dr. Angela J. Bowen was a groundbreaking physician and conservationist who established the Western Institutional Review Board (which became the largest independent medical review board in the world) and founded the Middleton Foundation for Ethical Studies. Her conservation legacy includes donating a 3.2-acre rhododendron and azalea park to the City of Olympia (2015), funding major improvements to Tumwater Falls Park, and purchasing the Olympia Country and Golf Club in 2012 to protect it from development in perpetuity. Her estate also provided a $1.19 million gift to South Puget Sound Community College for the Dr. Angela Bowen Center for Health Education.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation explicitly states that it "only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."

All grants are made through trustee discretion to organizations identified by the foundation's leadership. The foundation proactively identifies conservation opportunities and partners with land trusts, municipalities, and conservation organizations that align with its mission.

Getting on Their Radar

The foundation has demonstrated a pattern of supporting specific types of organizations and projects:

Geographic Connections: The foundation prioritizes projects in areas with which Dr. Bowen had connections - particularly the Olympia/Thurston County region of Washington, and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Organizations working in these regions may have better prospects.

Partnership Approach: Recent grants show the foundation often participates in multi-party conservation transactions. For example, the Long Beach, Mississippi Urban Forest project involved the City of Long Beach, the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain, the Angela J Bowen Foundation, and a private seller working together. Organizations that bring collaborative conservation deals involving multiple stakeholders may align with the foundation's approach.

Land Trust Relationships: The foundation has worked with established land trusts including the Land Trust for the Mississippi Coastal Plain and OlyEcosystems (Olympia Coalition for Ecosystems Preservation). These existing relationships suggest that credible land trusts with specific acquisition opportunities may be considered.

Municipal Partnerships: Grants to the City of Tenino and involvement with Long Beach demonstrate willingness to support municipal conservation efforts when they result in permanent protection and public benefit.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made at the trustees' discretion without a formal application or review cycle.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation does not accept applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no application process. Organizations that have been funded by the foundation may continue to be considered for future conservation opportunities.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates exclusively through trustee discretion, the traditional concept of "application success factors" does not apply. However, analysis of their grant patterns reveals what appeals to the foundation:

Land Acquisition Focus: The foundation's stated purpose is to "hold & maintain real estate for nature conservancy purposes." Grants consistently support land acquisition projects rather than programmatic work. The foundation appears most interested in transactions that result in permanent conservation.

Geographic Ties: Recent grants show a clear preference for:

  • Olympia and Thurston County, Washington (where Dr. Bowen lived and practiced)
  • Mississippi Gulf Coast (unclear connection, but multiple grants to this region)
  • Some grants in Florida

Public Access and Benefit: Funded projects typically include public access components - parklands, urban forests, and trail systems that serve communities while protecting natural resources.

Scale and Impact: Grant sizes ranging from $5,000 to $2,000,000 suggest the foundation is interested in projects of varying scales, but recent major grants ($440,000, $1,300,000, $2,000,000) indicate capacity and interest in funding significant conservation acquisitions.

Collaborative Partnerships: The Long Beach Urban Forest project demonstrates the foundation's willingness to participate in multi-party transactions where their funding helps enable broader conservation outcomes.

Established Organizations: All identified grant recipients are either established land trusts, municipal governments, or well-known local conservation organizations. The foundation appears to work with proven entities rather than emerging groups.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation cannot be applied to through traditional grant-seeking methods. They identify and approach organizations for funding opportunities.

  • Land Acquisition Specialists: The foundation's mission explicitly focuses on holding and maintaining real estate for conservation. Organizations involved in land conservation and acquisition are the primary beneficiaries.

  • Geographic Targeting: Strong preference for Washington State (particularly Thurston County) and Mississippi Gulf Coast. Unless your organization works in these regions, prospects are limited.

  • High-Value Conservation Deals: With a median grant of $305,000 and recent grants up to $2 million, the foundation funds substantial conservation transactions, not small programmatic work.

  • Multi-Party Collaboration: Evidence suggests the foundation appreciates being part of collaborative conservation deals involving land trusts, municipalities, and other stakeholders.

  • Relationship-Based Funding: As an invitation-only funder with a specific conservation focus, any potential relationship would need to develop organically through the land conservation community in their priority regions.

  • Legacy-Driven Mission: Understanding Dr. Angela Bowen's conservation legacy in Olympia provides insight into the foundation's values: permanent protection, public benefit, and strategic acquisition of ecologically significant properties.

References

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