S H Cowell Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $7.5 million
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: Not publicly available
• Grant Range: Not publicly specified
• Geographic Focus: Northern and Central California

Contact Details

• Address: 425 California Street, Suite 2025, San Francisco, CA 94104-2213
• Website: Not publicly available
• Phone: Not publicly available
• Email: Not publicly available

Overview

The S.H. Cowell Foundation is a private foundation established in 1989 with approximately $120 million in assets. The foundation aims to improve the quality of life of children and families living in Northern and Central California, with a particular focus on communities experiencing widespread poverty. Based in San Francisco, the foundation distributes approximately $7.5 million annually in charitable disbursements across five key program areas. Under the leadership of President and CEO Ann Alpers and Vice President of Grants Ieva A Cairo, the foundation takes a targeted approach to grant-making, prioritizing communities where they can build on existing relationships and create complementary impact.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates five main grant categories:

• Affordable Housing Grants - Supporting development and preservation of affordable housing
• Family Resource Center Grants - Strengthening centers that serve low-income families
• Education Grants - Focused on K-12 public education improvements
• Youth Development Grants - Programs supporting positive youth outcomes
• Responsive Category Grants - Flexible funding for critical community needs

Priority Areas

• Communities experiencing acute poverty in Northern and Central California
• Projects that increase community capacity to serve low-income families
• Initiatives with potential for long-term sustainability
• Areas where the foundation already has complementary grants and relationships

What They Don't Fund

Not publicly specified

Governance and Leadership

Key Personnel:

• Ann Alpers - President and CEO (Compensation: $497,713)
• Ieva A Cairo - Vice President of Grants (Compensation: $231,000)
• Lawrence Yip - Vice President (Compensation: $180,896)

The foundation operates with a lean staff structure focused on strategic grant-making in targeted communities throughout Northern and Central California.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Information about the public application process is not readily available. The foundation appears to operate primarily through invitation or pre-existing relationships with organizations in their focus communities. Organizations interested in funding should research whether they align with the foundation's geographic and programmatic priorities.

Getting on Their Radar

Based on the foundation's approach of focusing on communities where they have "strong resident and institutional relationships" and provide "complementary grants," building relationships within their existing network of grantees and partner communities may be important for accessing funding opportunities.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly available

Success Rates

Not publicly available

Reapplication Policy

Not publicly specified

Application Success Factors

While specific application guidance is not publicly available, the foundation's stated priorities suggest successful applicants would:

• Demonstrate clear benefit to children and families in poverty-affected Northern/Central California communities
• Show how their work complements existing foundation investments in the community
• Present sustainable solutions with long-term impact potential
• Focus on one of the five core program areas
• Have strong community relationships and institutional partnerships

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Focus exclusively on Northern and Central California communities experiencing poverty
• Align proposals with one of five program areas: affordable housing, family resource centers, K-12 education, youth development, or responsive needs
• Emphasize community capacity building and serving low-income families
• Highlight existing relationships and complementary work in target communities
• Consider reaching out through existing grantee networks given the lack of public application process
• With $120 million in assets and $7.5 million in annual giving, the foundation has substantial resources for the right projects
• The foundation prioritizes areas where they already have investments, suggesting a strategic, concentrated approach to grant-making

References

• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - S H Cowell Foundation Profile (accessed January 2026)
• Charity Navigator - S H Cowell Foundation Profile, EIN: 94-1392803 (accessed January 2026)
• CauseIQ - S.H. Cowell Foundation Financial Overview (accessed January 2026)
• GuideStar - S.H. Cowell Foundation Profile, EIN: 94-1392803 (accessed January 2026)