How We Lead

At the McGowan Fund, we take leadership seriously. In fact, one of our flagship programs—the McGowan Fellows Program—focuses entirely on effective, ethical leadership.

With every board meeting, with every decision, we try to employ six principles in selecting the grant proposals that will help individuals and families develop sustainable lives. For instance, we employ empathy to understand the conditions and concerns grantees are facing, and we recognize their resilience. We also employ accountability in our stewardship of William McGowan’s legacy. Only then—with solid financial footing, philosophical consistency, and transparency about our work—can we continue to deploy robust financial support to dozens of organizations serving those in need each year.

We encourage the same kind of leadership in our grantees. For instance, we require accountability by requiring measurable results, and we value the courage they display as they adopt new approaches, address unexpected challenges, and pursue positive outcomes in times of economic downturn or natural disasters.