Elsie P And Lucius B Mccowan Private Foundation
The organization is a private foundation dedicated to supporting a variety of charitable causes. Its mission reflects a commitment to community development, health and wellness, youth development, and cultural preservation, as evidenced by its funding of general operations for numerous nonprofits. The foundation provides grants to organizations that serve diverse populations, including health charities, educational institutions, and community centers. It primarily operates within New York, although it also supports initiatives in other states. The foundation emphasizes a broad range of interests, including food security, historical preservation, and support for veterans and faith-based organizations.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
Small to mid-sized charities (especially New York-based community, health, youth, education, or faith-based groups) seeking modest general operating support or program grants.
Good Fit
- • Primary operations or programming in New York or a clear New York connection.
- • Requests for modest operating support or projects in the typical $1K–$10K range.
- • Established charitable status and clear community impact or service history.
- • Ability to submit a concise written request and follow up by phone or mail.
- • Local reputation or relationships that can help the trustees assess impact.
Geography
Giving is strongly concentrated in New York (about 69% of dollars) but grants were also made to organizations in 22 states in the latest year, indicating a state-focused footprint with some out-of-state distribution.
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows roughly 100 distinct recipients across many sectors and only moderate dollar concentration (top five ≈26%), so the observed recipient set is broad for the foundation's size.
New Applicants
The foundation accepted new grantees in recent years (22 new recipients in the latest year and 42 in the prior year) and provides a written-request route, but the process is informal and offline rather than a public online application, so new entrants are plausible but not guaranteed.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
