· Private foundation
ELSIE P AND LUCIUS B McCOWAN PRIVATE FOUNDATION
Its FY2025 filing reports that it accepted unsolicited grant applications.
What it funded, over time
Every grant placed by its stated purpose and the recipient’s mission, by year, FY2017 to 2024.
Where the money goes
Grants by size, and the largest recipients.
By grant size · FY2025
- Under $10k82 grants · $146k
- $10k–50k5 grants · $92k
| Recipient | Amount |
|---|---|
| OUTDOOR U INC | $26,900 |
| BAPTIST HEALTH FOUNDATION | $21,400 |
| IROQUOIS YOUTH SPORTSMANS FOUNDATION | $19,487 |
| JUST BUFFALO LITERARY CENTER | $14,500 |
| CANISIUS UNIVERSITY | $10,000 |
| CHILDRENS HOSPITAL OF BUFFALO FOUNDATION | $6,000 |
| SISTERS OF ST MARY OF NAMUR | $6,000 |
| ST PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH | $5,000 |
| OLD FORT NIAGARA ASSOCIATION | $5,000 |
| HISTORICAL ASSOC OF LEWISTON | $5,000 |
| ST JOHN THE BAPTIST | $5,000 |
| NIAGARA FALLS GOSPEL MISSION | $5,000 |
| NIAGARA HOSPICE | $5,000 |
| 14 HOLY HELPERS SODALITY | $5,000 |
| WINGS FLIGHTS OF HOPE | $4,588 |
Does the money reach high-need areas?
Each grant placed by the hardship in its grantee’s ZIP, against the area’s typical level.
Its human-services grants (FY17–25, $55k) land where the poverty rate runs at 14%, against an area that typically sits at 11%. 100% of those dollars go to grantees based in above-average-need neighborhoods. Most of its grants land in higher-need ZIPs.
How this is measured
Which US states its grants reach
How this is measured
Who it funds again
Organizations funded in more than one year, against those funded once.
Grantees it renews have grown median revenue +41% since the first grant, against +33% for those funded once.
154 repeat relationships: 69 still active in FY2025, 85 since wound down; 16 grantees were first funded in FY2025 (too recent to call).
How the two cohorts compare
Organizations
Total granted
Median revenue growth · since first grant
Still filing today
New vs renewed · share of each year
In FY2025, 89% of grant dollars renewed an existing relationship; $27k went to new ones.
Where new relationships form · theme of each grantee’s first grant
How this is measured
Backed again, and grew
- JBJUST BUFFALO LITERARY CENTER INC9× · 2017–2025 · $54k · revenue +22%
HEART LOVE & SOUL INC9× · 2017–2025 · $42k · revenue +53%- TCTHE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF BUFFALO FOUNDATION8× · 2018–2025 · $42k · revenue +163%
Funded once
- TFTHE FRANCISCAN HERITAGE FDNone grant, 2022 · $7k
- IGIndividual grant recipientone grant, 2019 · $6k
- ECEIRE COUNTY SHERIFF'S 21ST CENTURY FDNone grant, 2021 · $5k
How this is measured
Repeat means funded in two or more distinct years. Growth and survival are read from each grantee’s own subsequent IRS filings.
Closest unfunded matches
The nonprofits that most resemble its grantees but are not funded by it, scored along the direction from the rest of the field toward the portfolio. A resemblance in what they say they do, not a recommendation.
Provide an independent forum for those who dare to read, think, speak, and write to advance the professional, literary, and scientific understanding of sea power and other issues critical to global security.
The national forest foundation (nff), chartered by congress, turns america's love of nature into meaningful action for 193-million acre national forest system through on the ground program work and grant making activities, and accepts and…
To sustain, restore, and enhance the nation's fish, wildlife, plants, and habitats.
American foreign service association (afsa) is both the principal advocate for the long-term institutional wellbeing of the professional career foreign service and responsible for safeguarding the interest of afsa members. (continued on…
American gas association's (the association) mission is to develop and advocate for informed, innovative, and durable policy that fulfills our nation's energy needs, environmental aspirations and economic potential. we are committed to…
The air & space forces association (afa) is a nonprofit, independent, professional military, and aerospace education association. the association's mission is to promote dominant u.s. air and space forces as the foundation of a strong…
See schedule onylcv is a non-partisan policy making and political action organization that works to make environmental protection a top priority with elected officials, decision-makers and the voters by evaluating incumbent performance and…
Nacwa is the national voice of public clean water utilities, shaping water policy, convening a vibrant peer network, and empowering water leaders.
Advance science, engineering, and innovation throughout the world for the benefit of all. the world's largest multidisciplinary scientific society and a leading publisher of cutting-edge research through its science family of journals,…
Jefferson national parks association provides quality educational products and related services that enhance public understanding and appreciation of america's national parks, public lands and historic places.
The fsmb serves as the voice for state medical boards, supporting them through education, assessment, research and advocacy while providing services and initiatives that promote patient safety, quality health care and regulatory best…
Empowering financial professionals and consumers through world-class advocacy and education.
How this is measured
110 grantees tracked through their own filings, 2017–2026.
Each grant beside the grantee’s revenue from every source, year by year.
How this is measured
Counted here: distinct organizations funded across 2017 to 2026, not grant rows in a single year, so this will not match the grant count on the cover. 110 of the 248 grantees resolved in that span have returns of their own we could reconcile.
Each grantee is resolved to its own IRS returns. Association, dated; never a causal claim.
Where the money sits, by cause and then by grantee
Showing the 200 largest grantees by grant value.
Each grantee by its size and the funder’s share of it; top left is load-bearing
Grantee by grantee: a decade per organization, before and after funding
A decade per grantee: revenue shaded, grants as bars, all rows on one timeline.
- Who funds OUTDOOR U INC ↗
- Who funds JUST BUFFALO LITERARY CENTER INC ↗
- Who funds CANISIUS UNIVERSITY ↗
- Who funds HEART LOVE & SOUL INC ↗
- Who funds THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF BUFFALO FOUNDATION ↗
- Who funds NIAGARA HOSPICE INC ↗
- Who funds WINGS FLIGHTS OF HOPE ↗
- Who funds SHAKESPEARE IN DELAWARE PARK INC ↗
- Who funds LOCKPORT CARES INC ↗
- Who funds HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OF LEWISTON ↗
- Who funds The Research Foundation for The State University of New York ↗
- Who funds AMERICAN LEGION POST 0113 ↗
- Who funds Jamison Road Volunteer Fire Co ↗
- Who funds BUFFALO FINE ARTS ACADEMY ↗
- Who funds CITY MISSION SOCIETY INC ↗
- Who funds BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF ELMA MARILLA AND WALES INC ↗
- Who funds ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF BUFFALO INC ↗
Co-funders
Grantmakers whose grantees overlap with this funder’s far more than size alone predicts. Closer means stronger alignment; arcs show where they also fund each other. Here they form a tightly interlocked group: most of these funders back each other's grantees too.
Open a dossier: Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo Inc · The Baird Foundation · The John R Oishei Foundation · Equitable Foundation Inc · Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies Inc · The Saperston Family Foundation · Joanne and Frank Collins Charitable Foundation · The Osc Charitable Foundation · East Hill Foundation · James H Cummings Foundation Inc · Tower Family Fund Inc · Cullen Foundation
How this is measured
How much its grantees rely on government
Each dot is one organization ELSIE P AND LUCIUS B McCOWAN PRIVATE FOUNDATION funds: left to right is the share of its income from government, bottom to top the share from ELSIE P AND LUCIUS B McCOWAN PRIVATE FOUNDATION. Bigger dots raise more.
- Save the Children Federation Inc: 30% of income from government
- Beebe Medical Center Inc: 5% of income from government
- Wounded Warrior Project Inc: 0% of income from government
- Oxfam-America Inc: 0% of income from government
How this is measured
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