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William K Bowes Jr Foundation

San Francisco, California  ·  EIN 943148482  ·  Private foundation

Based in San Francisco, California, William K Bowes Jr Foundation has awarded $116.6M across 226 grants in our index of public IRS filings, with giving recorded as recently as 2024. Its largest grant on record went to Ucsf Foundation. This profile covers its focus areas, top grant recipients, year-by-year giving, and how a nonprofit should approach it.

$48.6M
Annual giving (FY2020)
$283.6M
Total assets
226
Grants tracked
2024
Most recent grant

What William K Bowes Jr Foundation funds

William K Bowes Jr Foundation's giving carries a documented focus on adult education, arts & culture, civil rights & social justice, education, environment & conservation, and related causes.

Adult EducationArts & CultureCivil Rights & Social JusticeEducationEnvironment & ConservationHealth CareHigher EducationK-12 EducationLibraries & Literacy

Populations it has supported include children, low-income communities, older adults.

childrenlow-income communitiesolder adults

Grant history

The largest grants Bespoke Grants has on record for William K Bowes Jr Foundation, by amount:

RecipientLocationGrantYear
Ucsf Foundation
TO SUPPORT EIGHT PROJECTS/PROGRAMS.
San Francisco, CA$8.7M2020
Ucsf Foundation
ESTABLISH THE WILLIAM K. BOWES, JR. BIOMEDICAL INVESTIGATOR PROGRAM; UCSF OSHER CENTER RESEARCH SUPPORT; THE NEURAL CODE OF SPEECH; UCSF DIS
San Francisco, CA$6.2M2022
Ucsf Foundation
ESTABLISH THE WILLIAM K. BOWES, JR. BIOMEDICAL INVESTIGATOR PROGRAM, UCSF OSHER CENTER RESEARCH SUPPORT, THE NEURAL CODE OF SPEECH, CARDIOLO
San Francisco, CA$6.2M2023
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
PURCHASE AND/OR RENOVATION OF PROPERTY FOR A RESIDENCE HALL, CREATE THE BOWES CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS, 2021 ANNUAL FUND, 2021 PRESIDENT'S
San Francisco, CA$6.0M2020
Ucsf Foundation
ESTABLISH THE WILLIAM K. BOWES, JR. BIOMEDICAL INVESTIGATOR PROGRAM, UCSF DISCOVERY FELLOWS, CARDIOLOGY COUNCIL, OSHER CENTER RESEARCH SUPPO
San Francisco, CA$5.8M2024
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
CREATE THE BOWES CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS, PRESIDENT'S FUND
San Francisco, CA$3.9M2023
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
CREATE THE BOWES CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS; PRESIDENT'S FUND
San Francisco, CA$3.9M2022
California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
STEM CELL RESEARCH
Oakland, CA$2.5M2020
The Exploratorium
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT - TO SUPPORT THE HIGHEST PRIORITIES AND MOST URGENT FINANCIAL NEEDS
San Francisco, CA$2.5M2020
The Exploratorium
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT, TO SUPPORT THE FIELD TRIP PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS THAT SUPPORT ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS (TITLE 1 SCHOOLS)
San Francisco, CA$2.3M2023
Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University
WILLIAM K. BOWES, JR. FOUNDATION: STANFORD BIO-X BOWES FELLOWS, HOOVER HOUSE CIRCLE 2020-21, UTE AND WILLIAM BOWES, JR. LIBRARY AND THE DEPA
Stanford, CA$2.1M2020
The Exploratorium
GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT; TO SUPPORT 2022 PARTY AT THE PIERS
San Francisco, CA$2.0M2022
J David Gladstone Institutes
TO BE USED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE PRESIDENT DEEPAK SRIVASTAVA; GENERAL SUPPORT
San Francisco, CA$2.0M2022
Environmental Defense Fund Incorporated
CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS AND OCEANS PROGRAMS
New York, NY$2.0M2020
J David Gladstone Institutes
TO BE USED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE PRESIDENT DEEPAK SRIVASTAVA, GENERAL SUPPORT
San Francisco, CA$2.0M2020

William K Bowes Jr Foundation giving by year

Total grants Bespoke Grants has indexed for each filing year:

2020$48.6M
2022$25.6M
2023$24.4M
2024$18.0M

How to apply for funding from William K Bowes Jr Foundation

William K Bowes Jr Foundation's public IRS filing does not spell out a formal application process. Foundations of this size often give primarily to organizations they already know, so a concise letter of inquiry or a warm introduction is usually the best first contact — not a full proposal. You can review the foundation directly at wkbowesjrfoundation.org.

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Frequently asked questions about William K Bowes Jr Foundation

Does William K Bowes Jr Foundation accept grant applications?
William K Bowes Jr Foundation's public filing does not specify an application process. A brief letter of inquiry or a warm introduction is usually the best first step with a private foundation of this size.
What does William K Bowes Jr Foundation fund?
William K Bowes Jr Foundation's grants focus on adult education. Recent recipients include Ucsf Foundation, Ucsf Foundation, Ucsf Foundation. Its full grant history is listed above.
How much does William K Bowes Jr Foundation give in grants?
William K Bowes Jr Foundation reported $48.6M in grants in its most recent IRS filing (FY2020). Across all years in our data it has awarded $116.6M over 226 grants.
Where is William K Bowes Jr Foundation located?
William K Bowes Jr Foundation is based in San Francisco, California. Its IRS employer identification number (EIN) is 943148482.
How can I find foundations similar to William K Bowes Jr Foundation?
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About this profile. This page is built from William K Bowes Jr Foundation's public IRS Form 990-PF and 990 filings, indexed by Bespoke Grants alongside 13M+ grants from 225,000+ U.S. foundations. Grant figures reflect filings available to date; IRS data publishes on a 1–2 year lag. Bespoke Grants is not affiliated with William K Bowes Jr Foundation. Always confirm current giving priorities and application procedures with the foundation directly before applying.