Davis-Seely Foundation
The Davis-Seely Foundation is a private foundation based in Rancho Santa Fe, California. Its 2024 filing reports grants to charitable organizations, including a symphony, a university, organizations serving veterans, and community and religious organizations.
Davis-Seely Foundation at a glance
In short: Davis-Seely Foundation gave $48K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $5K), mostly in California. 70% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $48,023
- +8.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +42.9% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $4,802
- -24.1% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $1,000
- Total assets
- $610,217
- -2.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 70% first-time grantees (7 of 10, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (72% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Davis-Seely Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 8980, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
Phone: (858) 756-8430
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Davis-Seely Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was San Diego Symphony ($33K). Together the top 10 received $48K.
Grant Size Distribution
41 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 41 grants of 41 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in California (72%), New Jersey (10%), Pennsylvania (10%), Kentucky (5%), and North Carolina (3%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Davis-Seely Foundation open to new grantees?
70%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 10 grantees (70%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $1K; repeat grants $13K. How we count
Medians: $625 first-time, $5K repeat.
- 20% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+2%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 83% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Foundations have until the end of the next year to meet it. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $43K (2020) to $49K (2022). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $48K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego Symphony San Diego, CA | General Support | $33,000 |
| Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless Elizabeth, NJ | General Support | $5,000 |
| Villanova University Villanova, PA | General Support | $5,000 |
| Unbroken Spirit Arden, NC | General Support | $1,250 |
| Cathedral of Christ the King Lexington, KY | General Support | $1,000 |
| Lexington Catholic High School Lexington, KY | General Support | $1,000 |
| Operation Game on Solana Beach, CA | General Support | $625 |
| Tates Creek Baseball Boosters Lexington, KY | General Support | $400 |
| Rancho Santa Fe Little League Rancho Santa Fe, CA | General Support | $398 |
| Church of the Nativity Rancho Santa Fe, CA | General Support | $350 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $610,217 | $48,070 | $62,346 | $48,023 | 10 | $53,200 | $25,424 | $63,856 |
| 2023 | $624,493 | $43,017 | $55,419 | $44,300 | 7 | $44,325 | $16,938 | $52,072 |
| 2022 | $632,061 | $27,801 | $67,422 | $49,485 | 9 | $49,510 | $7,809 | $52,695 |
| 2021 | $669,297 | $22,932 | $56,058 | $47,250 | 8 | $47,492 | $3,970 | $54,180 |
| 2020 | $702,353 | $-5,351 | $48,542 | $43,000 | 7 | — | $20,864 | $49,608 |
| 2019 | $756,005 | $34,385 | $58,608 | $47,275 | 7 | — | $20,128 | $45,889 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Davis-Seely Foundation reported a distributable amount of $64K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for varied organizations. Among the recipients, Villanova University describes itself as a Catholic Augustinian community of higher education; Unbroken Spirit says it empowers veterans through programs focused on meaning, purpose, and impact; and Operation Game On says it provides golf-based rehabilitation for combat-injured troops with physical and mental disabilities. These are the grantees’ descriptions, not stated foundation priorities.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation gave $48,023 across 10 grants. Grants ranged from $350 to $33,000, with a median of $1,000. The largest awards were $33,000 to San Diego Symphony, $5,000 each to Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless and Villanova University, and $1,250 to Unbroken Spirit. All four grants were for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Kathleen S Davis as director, Patrick S Davis as treasurer, and Gregory V Davis as secretary.
Davis-Seely Foundation's 2024 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Kathleen S. Davis
Director
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gregory V. Davis
Secretary
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Patrick S. Davis
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
0.1 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Davis-Seely Foundation
How much does Davis-Seely Foundation give each year?
Davis-Seely Foundation gave $48K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $44K across 7 grants.
What is Davis-Seely Foundation's typical grant size?
Davis-Seely Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $1,000, and its average grant was $4,802, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Davis-Seely Foundation that year got $1K on average.
Where does Davis-Seely Foundation give grants?
Davis-Seely Foundation gives mostly in California: 72% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New Jersey (10%) and Pennsylvania (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were Lexington, KY (3 grants) and Rancho Santa Fe, CA (2 grants).
Does Davis-Seely Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Davis-Seely Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (10 of 10) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Davis-Seely Foundation's largest grantees?
Davis-Seely Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include San Diego Symphony ($33,000), Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless ($5,000) and Villanova University ($5,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 90% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Davis-Seely Foundation?
Davis-Seely Foundation reported $610K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $53K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $64K (roughly 5% of its investment assets). Falling short in one year is not a violation: foundations have until the end of the next year to meet the minimum.
What does Davis-Seely Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for varied organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Davis-Seely Foundation?
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Davis-Seely Foundation's EIN?
Davis-Seely Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 33-0877247. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Does Davis-Seely Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 21, 2020)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Davis-Seely Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Davis-Seely Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Figures come from Davis-Seely Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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