The John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation was created in 1964 by Pearl Gunn Fowler in memory of her late husband, John Edward Fowler, a Northern Virginia businessman. In recent years the Foundation has awarded about $1.2 million in grants annually. Typically, first-time grants range between $5,000 and $10,000, depending on the nature and size of the applicant. Grants of $20,000 or more usually are reserved for long-time grantees with whom the Foundation has developed a relationship or for capital purpose grants (which are awarded only to prior grantees).
The Foundation prefers to award grants for operating support, but it accepts requests for project funding, and facility purchase and improvements. There is no limit on the number of grants made to an organization; however, the Foundation tries to avoid annual grant cycles. A new application is not accepted from a prior grantee until at least the first anniversary of, and receipt of a final report for, the prior grant.
The Fowler Foundation is particularly interested in funding organizations that are addressing the following issues:
- Homelessness
- Hunger
- At-risk children and youth (pre-school through
high school)
- Adult literacy
- Free medical care (prenatal to seniors)
- Seniors aging in place
- Job training and placement
Smaller, grassroots, neighborhood-based organizations tend to be more successful applicants. Hands-on, direct service organizations are given preference over "umbrella" agencies. The Foundation looks for evidence of sound management, fiscal responsibility and volunteer involvement.
GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS & LIMITATIONS
The Foundation awards grants only to organizations headquartered in and providing services for residents of Washington, DC and the Maryland & Virginia suburbs that abut it. The Foundation does not award grants to organizations that are headquartered in other parts of the country, even if they serve these preferred communities.
The Foundation does not make grants to individuals, national health organizations, government agencies or public school districts. It does not fund medical research or the arts, except for intensive arts-in-education programs that directly benefit at-risk children and youth.
The Fowler Foundation accepts, but does not require, the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers application format. Non-WRAG format applications should be in the from of a concise letter requesting general operating support or describing the project for which funding is sought and the need for it. There also should be a brief statement (approximately three pages) regarding the history of the organization, its purposes, current activities and evidence of its effectiveness. All proposals must include Fowler's application form, available here or by telephone request. A proposal package must include:
- A copy of the organization's IRS determination letter
- An audit, compilation or auditor's opinion
- A current operating budget
- A project or capital budget, if appropriate
- A board of trustees list, with their affiliations
- Resume of key staff
Proposals should be addressed to:
Richard H. Lee
President
John Edward Fowler Memorial Foundation
4340 East-West Highway
Suite 206
Bethesda, MD 20814
There are no deadlines. Applications are processed in the order received. An acknowledgement postcard is sent upon receipt of an application. The Foundation does not have the staff to conduct on-site visits. Do not submit letters of inquiry; succinctly written proposals are the best way to explain your program. The Board of Trustees meets four or five times a year to discuss and vote upon applications. Depending upon the volume of requests, it can take up to six months for an application to reach the Board. Declined applicants will receive either a postcard or letter and may not reapply until at least one year after the declination date. Declined applicants may telephone the office to discuss the reasons for declination and to inquire about the suitability of reapplying in the future.
Grant requests are studied by the Foundation's grant consultant, Suzanne Martin, who is at the office once a week. Should you have questions not answered here, you can leave a telephone message at (301) 654-2700, and Suzanne will return your call as soon as possible.
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