Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation
The Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation is a private foundation based in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2024, it gave $134,860 through 14 grants to organizations supporting education, the arts, emergency relief, food access, and other charitable purposes.
Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation at a glance
In short: Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation gave $135K across 14 grants in 2024 (avg $10K), top state Massachusetts. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $134,860
- +1.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 14
- +27.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $9,633
- -20.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $7,500
- Total assets
- $2,157,434
- +4.0% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (38% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: 303 Berkeley Street Unit 6, Boston, MA 02116
Phone: (857) 222-3953
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Amerian Friends of the Musee Dorsay ($31K). Together the top 10 received $129K.
Grant Size Distribution
39 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 37 grants of 39 (95%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 38% of grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts, 27% to New York, 7% to Washington, D.C., and 6% to Colorado. A further 20% was listed with the recipient state shown as “?”.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
How Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation gives
- 36% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 792% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 50% 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 (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 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $15K (2021) to $135K (2024). In 2024 it made 14 grants totaling $135K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Amerian Friends of the Musee Dorsay New York, NY | Education | $30,800 |
| International Gugak Jazz Institute Wilmington, MA | Education | $18,000 |
| Medical U of Warsaw Scholarship for Visiting Doctor | Education | $16,719 |
| Museum of Fine Arts Boston Boston, MA | Education | $15,000 |
| Berklee College of Music Boston, MA | Education | $13,000 |
| World Central Kitchen Washington, DC | Charitable Emergency Relief | $10,000 |
| Friens of Catholic University of Korea | Education | $10,000 |
| Boston Conservatory Boston, MA | Education | $5,000 |
| Wings Over the Rockies Denver, CO | Support Museum | $5,000 |
| Slow Food USA Brooklyn, NY | To Assist Poor | $5,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $2,157,434 | $234,730 | $151,782 | $134,860 | 14 | $134,860 | $172,641 | $268,086 |
| 2023 | $2,074,486 | $102,563 | $141,709 | $133,000 | 11 | $133,000 | $71,919 | $123,777 |
| 2022 | $2,113,632 | $111,568 | $121,572 | $112,247 | 7 | $112,247 | $80,784 | $129,191 |
| 2021 | $2,123,636 | $149,850 | $37,908 | $15,123 | 3 | $15,123 | $94,673 | $130,574 |
| 2020 | $2,011,694 | $984,006 | $116,061 | $106,349 | 4 | — | $934,024 | $102,037 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation reported a distributable amount of $268K 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 included support for educational and cultural organizations, charitable emergency relief, a museum, assistance for people experiencing homelessness and addiction, and aid for children.
Among its grantees, Berklee College of Music describes its mission as fostering and teaching music, theater, dance, and related arts. World Central Kitchen says it provides meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. Slow Food USA describes its mission as “good, clean and fair food for all.” Denver Rescue Mission says it meets people’s physical and spiritual needs with the goal of helping them return to society as productive, self-sufficient citizens.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 14 grants totaling $134,860. Grants ranged from $500 to $30,800, with a median grant of $7,500.
Notable 2024 grants included $30,800 to American Friends of the Musée d’Orsay for education; $18,000 to International Gugak Jazz Institute for education; $16,719 to the Medical University of Warsaw Scholarship for Visiting Doctor for education; $15,000 to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston for education; and $13,000 to Berklee College of Music for education. Other grants included $10,000 to World Central Kitchen for charitable emergency relief, $5,000 to Slow Food USA to assist the poor, and $2,500 to Denver Rescue Mission to help people experiencing homelessness and addiction.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Stefan M. Gavell as president/director and “SECRETA” (as listed); Sonchu Kim Gavell, Wojciech Kalata, Sophie Gavell, and Stephanie Gavell are listed as directors.
Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation is led by Stefan M. Gavell, President, Director & Secretary on every filing since 2020; none of the 5 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Stefan M. Gavell
President, Director & Secretary
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sonchu Kim Gavell
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Sophie Gavell
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Stephanie Gavell
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Wojciech Kalata
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "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 Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation
How much does Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation give each year?
Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation gave $135K across 14 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $133K across 11 grants.
What is Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation's typical grant size?
Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $7,500, and its average grant was $9,633, across 14 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation give grants?
Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New York (27%) and District of Columbia (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (4 grants) and Denver, CO (2 grants).
Does Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Education" (7 grants).
Who are Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation's largest grantees?
Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Amerian Friends of the Musee Dorsay ($30,800), International Gugak Jazz Institute ($18,000) and Medical U of Warsaw Scholarship for Visiting Doctor ($16,719), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 49% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation?
Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation reported $2.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $135K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $268K (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 Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its 2024 grants included support for educational and cultural organizations, charitable emergency relief, a museum, assistance for people experiencing homelessness and addiction, and aid for children. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation?
The foundation 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 Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation's EIN?
Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-8103896. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Quo Vadis-Gavell Family 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 1, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/quo-vadis-gavell-family-foundation-morg_695bbe1f880c43539849c69f2eb99b80
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_208103896_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Quo Vadis-Gavell Family Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/quo-vadis-gavell-family-foundation-morg_695bbe1f880c43539849c69f2eb99b80},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-01. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Quo Vadis-Gavell Family 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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