Gavlin Family Foundation
The Gavlin Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Evanston, Illinois. It supports charitable organizations through grants; its 2025 filing reports 93 grants totaling $94,005.
Key facts about Gavlin Family Foundation
In short: Gavlin Family Foundation gave $94K across 93 grants in 2025 (avg $1K), top state Illinois. 22% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 36-3487489
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $94,005
- Grants made (2025)
- 93
- Average grant
- $1,011
- Median grant
- $1,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 22% first-time grantees (20 of 93, 2025)
- Total assets
- $1,229,165
- Primary geography
- Illinois (33% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- 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. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$1.2M
+9.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$94K
+1.4% YoY
Grant Count
93
-10.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$1K
+13.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Gavlin Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $87K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is Gavlin Family Foundation open to new grantees?
22%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 20 of 93 grantees (22%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $755; repeat grants $1K. How we count
Medians: $500 first-time, $1K repeat.
- 75% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+17%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations working in areas such as LGBTQ counseling and community programs, food assistance, disaster response, wildlife conservation, music, and access to educational content. For example, Queer Asterisk describes its work as providing counseling, education, and community programs that uplift LGBTQ lives; Food Bank of the Rockies says it nourishes people facing food insecurity; and World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation made 93 grants totaling $94,005. Grants ranged from $100 to $10,000, with a median grant of $1,000. Among the largest were $10,000 to Queer Asterisk, $3,500 to the National Parks Conservation Association, $3,000 each to Lambda Legal and the Religious Action Center, and $2,500 each to Chicagoland Exotic Animal Rescue and Food Bank of the Rockies. The listed purposes for these grants were general assistance.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went primarily to organizations in Illinois (33%), Colorado (30%), and the District of Columbia (19%). Smaller shares went to California (6%) and New York (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 93 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $69K (2020) to $94K (2025). In 2025 it made 93 grants totaling $94K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Queer Asterisk ($10K). Together the top 10 received $33K.
Grant Size Distribution
477 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 477 grants of 477 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Queer Asterisk Boulder, CO | General Assistance | $10,000 |
| National Parks Conservation Assoc Washington, DC | General Assistance | $3,500 |
| Lambda Legal Chicago, IL | General Assistance | $3,000 |
| Religious Action Center Washington, DC | General Assistance | $3,000 |
| Colorado Gives Arvada, CO | General Assistance | $2,736 |
| Chicagoland Exotic Animal Rescue Chicago, IL | General Assistance | $2,500 |
| Food Bank of the Rockies Denver, CO | General Assistance | $2,500 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | General Assistance | $2,045 |
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | General Assistance | $2,000 |
| Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, IL | General Assistance | $2,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,229,165 | $220,770 | $109,004 | $94,005 | 93 |
| 2024 | $1,122,398 | $121,712 | $106,218 | $92,700 | 104 |
| 2023 | $1,098,800 | $92,221 | $92,468 | $78,604 | 89 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1,229,165 | $1,122,398 | $1,098,800 |
| Revenue | $220,770 | $121,712 | $92,221 |
| Expenses | $109,004 | $106,218 | $92,468 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $94,005 | $92,700 | $78,604 |
| Net Investment Income | $206,342 | $90,039 | $72,694 |
| Distributable Amount | $86,944 | $87,195 | $80,770 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS June 24, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Patricia Kay, Nancy Gavlin, and Suzanne Cluff as trustees.
Gavlin Family Foundation's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Nancy Gavlin
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Patricia Kay
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Suzanne Cluff
Trustee
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: 519 Chicago Ave - Unit A, Evanston, IL 60202-2915
Phone: (847) 708-4340
Frequently asked questions about Gavlin Family Foundation
How much does Gavlin Family Foundation give each year?
Gavlin Family Foundation gave $94K across 93 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $93K across 104 grants.
What is Gavlin Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Gavlin Family Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $1,000, and its average grant was $1,011, across 93 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Gavlin Family Foundation that year got $755 on average.
Where does Gavlin Family Foundation give grants?
Gavlin Family Foundation's top state is Illinois, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were Colorado (30%) and District of Columbia (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Chicago, IL (32 grants), Denver, CO (14 grants), Washington, DC (13 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does Gavlin Family Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of Gavlin Family Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (93 of 93) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Gavlin Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Gavlin Family Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Queer Asterisk ($10,000), National Parks Conservation Assoc ($3,500) and Lambda Legal ($3,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Gavlin Family Foundation?
Gavlin Family Foundation reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $94K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $87K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Gavlin Family Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2025 grantees include organizations working in areas such as LGBTQ counseling and community programs, food assistance, disaster response, wildlife conservation, music, and access to educational content. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Gavlin Family 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 Gavlin Family Foundation's EIN?
Gavlin Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-3487489. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Gavlin Family Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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