Burrows Foundation

Important note for grant seekers: This database record merges data from two distinct legal entities sharing similar names. The IRS-registered entity (EIN 223059155) is a private family foundation based in Little Falls, New York, governed by Trustees Jane Wang Burrows, Ji Ting Wang, and Carolyn Zaklukiewicz. The linked website — burrowsfoundation.org — belongs to the Anne Burrows Music Foundation (ABMF), a Canadian nonprofit registered in Edmonton, Alberta that operates a public music scholarship program for young musicians. These appear to be separate organizations.

For the IRS-registered New York entity, all giving is entirely discretionary. Trustees direct funds to community organizations in the Mohawk Valley area of upstate New York with no published application process, no request for proposals, and no public eligibility criteria. The top grantee relationship — over $275,000 cumulative to the Little Falls YMCA across 2022-2023 — reflects deep community ties rather than competitive grant-making. Organizations seeking funding from this entity are unlikely to succeed through a cold application; relationship-building with the Burrows family and established contacts among the Little Falls community is the only realistic path.

The actionable opportunity for most grant seekers is the Anne Burrows Music Foundation scholarship. Founded in 1979 by Dr. Anne Burrows (1922–2007) — Order of Canada recipient, acclaimed pianist, and pioneering music educator who authored the landmark braille music guide "Music Through Braille" — the foundation was originally established to help pianist Angela Cheng study at the Juilliard School. Renamed in 1991 to honor Dr. Burrows, ABMF has since distributed over $1 million in scholarships to more than 100 musicians from the Edmonton, Alberta area.

ABMF's giving philosophy centers on sustained career development, not one-time support. The maximum four-year funding window at up to $15,000 per year is designed to carry a musician through a full post-secondary degree or conservatory program. Artistic potential — evidenced through audio or video recordings submitted with the application — is the primary evaluation criterion, alongside demonstrated commitment to a professional music career. The foundation is volunteer-run by community members who often attend its own events (Opus Concerts, Fall and Spring Dinners), meaning genuine relationship-building within the Edmonton music community can meaningfully influence multi-cycle funding decisions.

The financial profile of this database record reflects two distinct giving streams. The IRS-registered entity (Little Falls, NY, EIN 223059155) shows 103 documented grants totaling $865,039, with an average grant size of $8,398. The range is dramatic: from $150 (a historic society membership) to $275,160 cumulative (Little Falls YMCA across multiple years). This extreme variance reflects a hybrid model of anchor-institution investment alongside dozens of small community contributions.

Annual giving trend — IRS entity (NY): - FY2019: $187,567 total giving - FY2020: $241,785 total giving (+29%) - FY2021: $291,664 total giving (+21%) - FY2022: $325,998 total giving (+12%) - FY2023: $379,465 total giving; $279,783 in direct grants paid (+16%)

Giving grew 102% from FY2019 to FY2023, driven by steady net investment income. A transformational event in FY2023: the foundation received $9.26 million in contributions — most likely an estate bequest from R. W. Burrows Jr. or a family estate — pushing total assets from $4.99M to $15.46M and further to $16.6M by FY2024. FY2024 grants-paid data has not yet been reported, suggesting a distribution-planning phase following this windfall.

Geographic concentration (NY entity): 90 of 103 grants (87%) went to New York State organizations; 6 to Massachusetts; 3 each to New Hampshire and Florida. Within New York, giving is almost entirely concentrated in Little Falls and Herkimer County.

Sector breakdown (NY entity by estimated share of $865K total): - Community/social services (YMCA, Community Outreach): ~34% - Education (Chapin School, Berkshire School): ~17% - Health (Bassett Healthcare, MVHS, Hospice, Little Falls Hospital): ~24% - Arts and culture (Metropolitan Museum, Masonic Medical Research Institute): ~10% - Other small community contributions: ~15%

The Anne Burrows Music Foundation (Canadian entity) funds scholarships of up to $15,000 per year for up to four years per recipient. Annual operating revenues are generated through four fundraising events: Fall Dinner, Spring Dinner, Opus Concert Series, and a Casino Fundraiser.

The Burrows Foundation (IRS entity) sits within a cohort of education-focused private foundations and scholarship trusts in the $16.5M–$16.9M asset range, matched on the basis of comparable endowment size and NTEE education designation.

Among this peer cohort, all foundations fall within a narrow $400K band of total assets ($16.5M–$16.9M). The Burrows Foundation is distinctive in this group for two reasons. First, it has a publicly accessible, online application process through the Canadian ABMF entity — most private foundations at this asset level operate on a fully discretionary basis. Second, its asset base grew dramatically in a single year (FY2022 to FY2023) via a large bequest, while peers at this level have generally built their endowments incrementally. This creates an unusual opportunity: with assets nearly tripled, the NY entity may substantially increase annual distributions in the next 1–3 fiscal years, potentially making it more accessible to community organizations in the Little Falls region.

No significant leadership changes, press announcements, or new program launches were identified for either entity through web research covering 2025–2026. The Anne Burrows Music Foundation website confirms the 2026-2027 scholarship cycle is currently open, with a JotForm-based digital application system in place.

The most consequential recent development is financial: the IRS-registered Burrows Foundation (NY, EIN 223059155) received $9.26 million in contributions during FY2023 — the largest single financial event in the foundation's documented history. Prior to this, total assets had held relatively steady in the $4.9M–$5.6M range since at least 2012. The infusion brought assets to $15.46M (FY2023) and $16.6M (FY2024 preliminary). With no grants-paid figure reported for FY2024, the foundation appears to be in an asset-management or estate-settlement phase.

The most recent IRS tax filing for the NY entity was submitted on November 10, 2025. The filing reflects FY2024 total revenue of $848,578 but does not yet report grant distributions, suggesting either delayed reporting or a year of minimal grant activity while the expanded endowment is invested and managed.

For the Canadian Anne Burrows Music Foundation, the Opus Concert Series continues as the primary alumni engagement vehicle and community-facing event. The foundation has maintained its full fundraising calendar without publicly announced changes. Current president Winnie Yiu-Young — a retired Alberta Government CFO who co-founded the organization alongside Dr. Anne Burrows in 1979 — continues to lead on a volunteer basis. No succession announcement or board transition has been reported.

For applicants pursuing the Anne Burrows Music Foundation scholarship — the only publicly accessible funding opportunity in this database record — these strategies apply:

Meet the deadline ruthlessly. The April 30 at 11:59pm MST deadline is enforced automatically by the JotForm platform, not a staff reviewer. Late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances. Set a personal internal deadline of April 25 to allow time to troubleshoot upload issues, which are common with audio and video files.

Treat the recording as your audition. The audio or video recording requirement is the foundation's primary window into your artistry. The foundation explicitly offers technical guidance — email [email protected] before you record to confirm current file format requirements, quality standards, and upload size limits. A technically poor recording will undermine an otherwise strong application. Invest time in both the performance and the production quality.

Make your Edmonton connection explicit. Applicants who have relocated for education or career should state their geographic connection to Edmonton or surrounding areas clearly and early in the application. The eligibility language specifically includes "former residents" and musicians who "left Edmonton to further their musical education elsewhere" — but do not assume reviewers will infer this. State it plainly and specifically.

Budget to the full scholarship scope. The program funds three distinct categories: post-secondary degree or conservatory tuition, master classes with nationally or internationally recognized artists, and international competition travel. Most applicants focus only on tuition. A complete professional development budget spanning all three categories signals strategic career planning and can meaningfully increase your award amount.

Plan for four years. The maximum funding term is four consecutive years at up to $15,000 per year — a potential total award of $60,000. Your initial application implicitly asks whether you are a four-year investment. Articulate a career arc: where will you study in year 2, what competitions do you plan to enter by year 3, what professional milestone do you target by year 4?

Build visibility in the Edmonton music community. The foundation's volunteer trustees attend Opus Concerts and fundraising dinners. Attending an Opus Concert as audience signals that you value the alumni network the foundation has built since 1979, and creates a natural relationship-building opportunity before your application is reviewed.

For the NY family foundation: no public application process exists. The IRS-registered NY entity makes discretionary grants exclusively through trustee relationships in the Little Falls community. Unsolicited proposals are not accepted.