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Edward Lowe Foundation
The Edward Lowe Foundation was founded in 1985 by the late Ed Lowe and his wife Darlene Lowe. Ed Lowe's invention of Kitty Litter created the wealth that...
Edward Lowe Foundation
The Edward Lowe Foundation was founded in 1985 by the late Ed Lowe and his wife Darlene Lowe. Ed Lowe's invention of Kitty Litter created the wealth that capitalizes the foundation. Darlene Lowe, now Chairman Emeritus, shaped the foundation's long-term design around leadership education for second-stage business owners and the conservation of its headquarters, Big Rock Valley. The foundation deploys its resources primarily through in-kind programming rather than traditional grants. Its core effort, the Economic Gardening program, provides market research, strategy consulting, and peer networks to growth-stage companies. The foundation runs this in partnership with entities like the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Burton D. Morgan Foundation in Northeast Ohio. Its real estate assets include the 2,000-acre Big Rock Valley property in Cassopolis, Michigan, which serves as a conference and retreat center, and the Tower of Tomorrow commercial property. The organization is led by Chairman and President Daniel J. Wyant and works closely with industry networks including the International Economic Development Council and the Entrepreneurs' Organization. Its campus at Big Rock Valley is also home to the Edward Lowe Foundation Archival Collection, while a portion of its historical records are held at the Hagley Library in Wilmington, Delaware. The foundation maintains an endowment fund alongside its real property. The foundation's structure as an operating foundation — directly executing its own programs rather than solely issuing grants — distinguishes it from most endowed philanthropies. It pairs a narrow economic-development mission with active land and property stewardship, an architecture directly descended from the Lowe family's vision for a self-contained institution at Big Rock Valley.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1985
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Cassopolis
Corporate office
Cassopolis, MI, United States
Principals
Daniel J. Wyant
Chairman and President
Darlene Lowe
Co-founder and Chairman Emeritus
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How is the Edward Lowe Foundation's programming funded?
The foundation is a private operating foundation, meaning it uses its endowment assets to directly conduct its own charitable activities rather than primarily making grants. The original endowment was built from Ed Lowe's wealth generated by the invention and commercialization of Kitty Litter. The foundation also earns program-service revenue from retreats and events held at its Big Rock Valley headquarters.
What is the Edward Lowe Foundation's Economic Gardening program?
Economic Gardening provides high-level strategic market research, competitive intelligence, and growth-strategy consulting to second-stage companies. It is delivered in partnership with state and regional organizations, such as the Michigan Economic Development Corporation through its Second-Stage Growth Solutions program. Unlike accelerators, it does not take equity or offer grant funding, functioning instead as a technical-assistance resource.
Does the foundation take equity stakes in the businesses it helps?
No. The foundation is a nonprofit that provides in-kind services and peer-learning opportunities. It does not make direct investments, take equity positions, or provide grant funding to the entrepreneurs participating in its programs.
What is the relationship between the Edward Lowe Foundation and the Burton D. Morgan Foundation?
The two foundations partner to provide scaled-up resources for second-stage entrepreneurs in specific regions, notably Northeast Ohio. The Burton D. Morgan Foundation helps fund and administer the deployment of the Edward Lowe Foundation's Economic Gardening and peer-learning tools in that geography.
Who runs investment decisions at the Edward Lowe Foundation?
The foundation does not publicly disclose its investment committee structure or the specific managers of its endowment portfolio. Chairman and President Daniel J. Wyant serves as the senior executive, and the foundation's board stewards the long-term financial assets.
What is Big Rock Valley and how does the foundation use it?
Big Rock Valley is the foundation's 2,000-acre headquarters in Cassopolis, Michigan. It functions as an environmental land-conservation project, a conference and retreat center for entrepreneur peer-learning programs, and a working property managed by the foundation. The site also houses a commercial office building known as the Tower of Tomorrow.
Where does the underlying wealth for the foundation come from?
The wealth originates from the late Ed Lowe's invention of Kitty Litter in 1947 and his subsequent building of the cat-box-filler industry. The Edward Lowe Foundation was capitalized with the proceeds of that business and established by Ed and Darlene Lowe.
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