Gavlin Family Foundation

EVANSTON, IL EIN: 36-3487489

The Gavlin Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Evanston, Illinois, established in 1987. It operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with no employees and primarily distributes grants to nonprofit organizations across multiple sectors.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$1.1M

+2.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$93K

+17.9% YoY

Grant Count

104

+16.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$891.346

+0.9% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gavlin Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $87K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's purpose is to fund grants to organizations serving various causes. Its grantmaking priorities include:

Education
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Human Services
Arts
Creative Writing
Historic Buildings
Journalism
Wildlife
Community Improvement & Capacity Building
Religion-Related causes
Environment
Recreation & Sports
Alliances & Advocacy

Grantmaking

The foundation distributed approximately $57,823 across 65 additional grants in 2024.

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Illinois, Colorado, and the District of Columbia.

Grant Distribution by State

Illinois $95K (49%)

Colorado $54K (28%)

New York $12K (6%)

California $6K (3%)

Alabama $5K (3%)

Minnesota $5K (2%)

District of Columbia $4K (2%)

Oklahoma $4K (2%)

+14 more states

States

Alabama Arizona California Colorado District of Columbia Delaware Georgia Iowa Illinois Massachusetts Maryland Michigan Minnesota Missouri Nevada New York Oklahoma Pennsylvania Tennessee Texas Virginia Wisconsin

Cities

AkronAmericusArlingtonArvadaAustonBerkeleyBooneBostonBoulderBowieCentennialChampaignChicagoChicatoClaymontDallasDenverDurangoEvanstonFairfax

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 31, 2024:

Total assets: $1,122,398
Total revenues: $121,712
Total expenses: $106,218
Grants and contributions received: $17,000
Investment income and dividends: $37,288

Year-over-year changes (2023 to 2024):

Grants and contributions increased 183.3% (from $6,000 to $17,000)
Investment income increased from $27,405 to $37,288

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$1,122,398	$1,098,800	$1,091,149
Revenue	$121,712	$92,221	$36,008
Expenses	$106,218	$92,468	$97,372
Qualifying Distributions	$92,700	$78,604	$80,572
Net Investment Income	$90,039	$72,694	$13,208
Distributable Amount	$87,195	$80,770	$81,252

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

250 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include American Red Cross ($2,500), Chicagoland Exotic Animal Rescue ($2,500), Doctors Without Borders ($2,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ACADEMY MUSEUM OF MOTION PICTURES LOS ANGELES, CA	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$190
ADA S MCKINLEY COMMUNITY SERVICES CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$1,500
ALS ASSOCIATION ARLINGTON, VA	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$100
ALZHEIMERS ASSOCIATION CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$250
AMERICAN ASSOC OF RETIRED PERSONS WASHINGTON, DC	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$500
AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION NEW YORK, NY	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$1,000
AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF STEEL CONSTRU CHICAGO, IL	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$1,000
AMERICAN RED CROSS DENVER, CO	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$2,500
AQUARIUM OF THE PACIFIC LONG BEACH, CA	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$299
ARC OF SOUTHWEST COLORADO DURANGO, CO	GENERAL ASSISTANCE	$260

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
PATRICIA KAY	TRUSTEE	—	—
NANCY GAVLIN	TRUSTEE	—	—
SUZANNE CLUFF	TRUSTEE	—	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Gavlin Family Foundation fund?

The foundation's purpose is to fund grants to organizations serving various causes. Its grantmaking priorities include: • Education • Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking • Human Services • Arts • Creative Writing • Historic Buildings • Journalism • Wildlife • Community Improvement & Capacity Building • Religion-Related causes • Environment • Recreation & Sports • Alliances & Advocacy

How do I apply for a grant from Gavlin Family Foundation?

**Grant Activity:** • Made 94 grants in 2024 • Total giving in 2024: $92,700 • Typical award range: $50–$10,000 **Recent Grants (2024):** • Queer Asterisk: $10,000 (General Assistance) • Chicagoland Exotic Animal Rescue: $2,500 (General Assistance) • Greater Chicago Food Depository: $2,000 (General Assistance) The foundation distributed approximately $57,823 across 65 additional grants in 2024.

Where does Gavlin Family Foundation make grants?

The foundation primarily funds organizations in Illinois, Colorado, and the District of Columbia.

What size grants does Gavlin Family Foundation award?

In 2024, Gavlin Family Foundation awarded 104 grants totaling $93K — an average of about $891.346 per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Gavlin Family Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Gavlin Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $87K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.