GBL Charitable Foundation
GBL Charitable Foundation is a private foundation based in Westwood, Massachusetts. It makes distributions to educational, medical, religious, and/or cultural 501(c)(3) organizations and reports grants to organizations in Massachusetts, Florida, Connecticut, and Ohio.
GBL Charitable Foundation at a glance
In short: GBL Charitable Foundation gave $44K across 11 grants in 2025 (avg $4K), mostly in Massachusetts. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $44,000
- +57.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 11
- +57.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $4,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $606,710
- -0.6% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (80% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to GBL Charitable Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 26 Longmeadow Drive, Westwood, MA 02090
Phone: (617) 380-5656
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who GBL Charitable Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Walker School ($13K). Together the top 10 received $44K.
Grant Size Distribution
30 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 28 grants of 30 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 80% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 11% to Florida, 8% to Connecticut, and 1% to Ohio.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How GBL Charitable Foundation gives
- 55% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+10%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 104% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $28K (2024) to $1.7M (2021). In 2025 it made 11 grants totaling $44K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Walker School Boston, MA | Program Support | $12,500 |
| Hale Preservation Westwood, MA | Program Support | $10,000 |
| Newton Wellesley Hospital Foundation Newton, MA | Program Support | $5,000 |
| John's Island Community Service League Vero Beach, FL | Program Support | $5,000 |
| Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice Boston, MA | Program Support | $2,500 |
| Stoneligh Burnam School Greenfield, MA | Program Support | $2,500 |
| Brunswick School Greenwich, CT | Program Support | $2,000 |
| Reach Prep Stamford, CT | Program Support | $1,500 |
| Wbur Public Radio Boston, MA | Program Support | $1,500 |
| Westward Land Trust Westwood, MA | Program Support | $1,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $606,710 | $45,041 | $51,803 | $44,000 | 11 | $44,925 | $38,463 | $43,325 |
| 2024 | $610,516 | $90,224 | $34,403 | $28,000 | 7 | $29,890 | $85,711 | $39,224 |
| 2023 | $555,393 | $36,140 | $43,380 | $35,000 | 4 | $36,650 | $29,410 | $35,354 |
| 2022 | $562,216 | $74,109 | $51,621 | $40,000 | 6 | $41,850 | $67,338 | $35,445 |
| 2021 | $540,363 | $171,336 | $1,673,952 | $1,655,864 | 2 | $1,655,889 | $156,773 | $112,091 |
| 2020 | $1,512,115 | $184,593 | $166,455 | $147,600 | 36 | — | $164,296 | $98,233 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, GBL Charitable Foundation reported a distributable amount of $43K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s 2025 filing states that it annually makes distributions to educational, medical, religious, and/or cultural 501(c)(3) organizations. Its grants include support for organizations working in education, health, public radio, land preservation, and immigrant justice.
Among its 2025 grantees, the Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice describes its mission as providing legal representation for asylum seekers by training college students as immigration advocates and working toward a socially just immigration system and community transformation. Brunswick School describes itself as a boys’ day school from pre-kindergarten through grade 12, focused on educating the “whole boy” and helping students grow into responsible adults.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave $44,000 through 11 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $500 to $12,500, with a median grant of $2,500. Notable grants included $12,500 to The Walker School, $10,000 to Hale Preservation, $5,000 each to Newton Wellesley Hospital Foundation and John’s Island Community Service League, and $2,500 each to Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice and Stonleigh Burnham School. The filing lists program support as the purpose for all 11 grants.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists John R. Layton as president, secretary, treasurer, and director.
GBL Charitable Foundation is led by John R. Layton, President, Secretary, Treasurer & Director on every filing since 2020 — the only officer listed, and uncompensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
John R. Layton
President, Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Marion L. Mann (2020–2021) — Vice President & Director
- Former: Susan L. Bartovics (2020–2021) — Vice President & Director
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.
Frequently asked questions about GBL Charitable Foundation
How much does GBL Charitable Foundation give each year?
GBL Charitable Foundation gave $44K across 11 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $28K across 7 grants.
What is GBL Charitable Foundation's typical grant size?
GBL Charitable Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $4,000, across 11 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does GBL Charitable Foundation give grants?
GBL Charitable Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 80% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Florida (11%) and Connecticut (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (3 grants) and Westwood, MA (2 grants).
Does GBL Charitable Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 11 grants with a stated purpose on GBL Charitable Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (11 grants).
Who are GBL Charitable Foundation's largest grantees?
GBL Charitable Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include The Walker School ($12,500), Hale Preservation ($10,000) and Newton Wellesley Hospital Foundation ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 63% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is GBL Charitable Foundation?
GBL Charitable Foundation reported $607K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $45K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $43K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does GBL Charitable Foundation fund?
The foundation’s 2025 filing states that it annually makes distributions to educational, medical, religious, and/or cultural 501(c)(3) organizations. Its grants include support for organizations working in education, health, public radio, land preservation, and immigrant justice. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from GBL Charitable Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is GBL Charitable Foundation's EIN?
GBL Charitable Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-1529661. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does GBL Charitable 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
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 24, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 8, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 30, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 30, 2026)
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