About Harry A and Margaret D Towsley Foundation
Incorporated in Michigan as a private charitable foundation (est. 1959), the Foundation's purpose is to support charitable organizations qualified under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3) and to strengthen communities and improve lives through effective philanthropy.
Focus Areas
EducationHealth & Human ServicesArts & CultureEnvironmentCivic & Community
Funding Style
program-restricted fundingdirect service / program delivery supportproject-level operational support
Topics
unspecified program area (no thematic focus provided)not specified in descriptionno thematic details available
About Harry A and Margaret D Towsley Foundation
The Harry a and Margaret D Towsley Foundation’s recent giving is shaped by repeated program support to Michigan institutions, especially the University of Michigan and other Ann Arbor-based organizations. In the latest grant record, the foundation gave $252,000 to Interlochen Center for the Arts for program support, while several $200,000 grants went to Um School of Education, Um Kellogg Eye Center, St Joseph Mercy Hospital, and Freedom River. That pattern shows a funder that uses direct operating-style support to back established nonprofit and university programs rather than one-off, highly specialized awards. The foundation also returns to the same grantees over multiple years, which suggests ongoing relationships. Um School of Education, Um Kellogg Eye Center, and Um Ford School of Public Policy each appear in consecutive years, while Nature Conservancy Michigan and Midland Center for the Arts also recur in the recent grant list. Alongside those larger awards, the foundation distributes many grants in the $100,000 to $150,000 range, with a strong preference for organizations serving Michigan communities. Its grantmaking extends across education, health, arts, environmental work, and community-focused service organizations, all framed around program support.
What Harry A and Margaret D Towsley Foundation Funds
Education is a major part of the foundation’s recent grant pattern. It gave $200,000 to Um School of Education for program support in 2025, after making the same size grant in 2023 and 2024, and also awarded $150,000 to Um Ford School of Public Policy in both 2023 and 2025. Health-related funding shows up through direct support for clinical and service institutions. The foundation awarded $200,000 to Um Kellogg Eye Center in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and gave $200,000 to St Joseph Mercy Hospital in 2023. It also provided $107,500 to Um School of Nursing in 2024 and $100,000 to the same school in 2023. Arts and environment grants round out the picture. Interlochen Center for the Arts received $252,000 in 2025, Ann Arbor Art Center received $133,000 in 2023, and Nature Conservancy Michigan received $150,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
How Harry A and Margaret D Towsley Foundation Gives
Typical grant size sits at $7,500 at the 25th percentile, $20,000 at the median, and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grant list also shows a second tier of much larger program-support awards, often in the $100,000 to $252,000 range, aimed at repeat recipients. The foundation gives through general grantmaking programs and accepts unsolicited requests. The same organizations appear across multiple years, including university units, arts groups, and environmental nonprofits, indicating recurring support rather than isolated gifts. The foundation makes program-restricted, direct service, and project-level operational grants.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.8M
Total Assets
$50.8M
Total Revenue
$6.1M
Total Expenses
$4.2M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $8K and $50K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$50K
Geographic Reach
Local14 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
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