The Gess Foundation
The Gess Foundation is a private foundation based in Wellesley, Massachusetts. In 2024, it gave grants to organizations working in areas including music, watershed protection, arts and culture, Jewish community life, and cinema.
The Gess Foundation at a glance
In short: The Gess Foundation gave $183K across 26 grants in 2024 (avg $7K), top state Massachusetts. 27% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $182,630
- +44.0% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 26
- +4.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $7,024
- +38.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $3,046,912
- +0.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 27% first-time grantees (7 of 26, 2024)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (49% 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 The Gess 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: 15 Winthrop Road, Wellesley, MA 02482
Phone: (617) 437-0707
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Gess Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was From the Top ($61K). Together the top 10 received $160K.
Grant Size Distribution
147 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 144 grants of 147 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, Massachusetts organizations received 49% of grant dollars, California organizations 21%, Maine organizations 20%, and organizations in Maryland and New York 5% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 26 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Gess Foundation open to new grantees?
27%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 7 of 26 grantees (27%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $5K; repeat grants $8K. How we count
Medians: $4K first-time, $3K repeat.
- 65% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 28% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 90% 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 (2020–2024). 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 $87K (2022) to $183K (2024). In 2024 it made 26 grants totaling $183K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| From the Top Boston, MA | General Support | $60,500 |
| 30 Mile River Watershed Association Mt Vernon, ME | General Support | $25,000 |
| La Jolla Music Society La Jolla, CA | General Support | $13,000 |
| Jewish Grandparents Network Stevenson, MD | General Support | $10,000 |
| North Coast Repertory Theater Solana Beach, CA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Vanguard Culture San Diego, CA | General Support | $10,000 |
| West Newton Cinema Foundation West Newton, MA | General Support | $10,000 |
| Temple Beth Elohim Wellesley, MA | General Support | $8,600 |
| Illustration Institute Portland, ME | General Support | $7,500 |
| Anti-Defamation League New York, NY | General Support | $5,000 |
Ready to take the next step with The Gess Foundation?
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 | $3,046,912 | $219,836 | $204,382 | $182,630 | 26 | $192,357 | $213,811 | $214,251 |
| 2023 | $3,026,458 | $331,076 | $140,762 | $126,861 | 25 | $128,361 | $318,702 | $188,063 |
| 2022 | $2,836,144 | $95,725 | $98,381 | $86,565 | 25 | $87,935 | $85,060 | $188,443 |
| 2021 | $2,838,800 | $406,718 | $150,752 | $142,935 | 36 | $143,970 | $242,705 | $194,582 |
| 2020 | $2,582,834 | $303,903 | $196,750 | $173,270 | 35 | — | $278,386 | $148,221 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Gess Foundation reported a distributable amount of $214K 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 foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, From the Top says it “empowers and celebrates young musicians,” while the 30 Mile River Watershed Association describes its mission as working with its community for clean and healthy waters. La Jolla Music Society says it presents and produces arts programming and works to make its performing arts center an inclusive hub. Other supported organizations include Vanguard Culture, which describes its work as advancing San Diego’s creative industries, and the Illustration Institute, which says it raises awareness of illustration through exhibitions and workshops.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 26 grants totaling $182,630. Awards ranged from $30 to $60,500, with a median grant of $2,500. The largest grants included From the Top ($60,500), 30 Mile River Watershed Association ($25,000), La Jolla Music Society ($13,000), and Jewish Grandparents Network ($10,000). Other notable grants included North Coast Repertory Theater, Vanguard Culture, and West Newton Cinema Foundation ($10,000 each), and Illustration Institute ($7,500). The listed large grants were for general support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Gerald Slavet and Susan F. Slavet as trustees.
The Gess Foundation's 2024 filing lists 2 officers; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Gerald Slavet
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Susan F. Slavet
Trustee
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
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 The Gess Foundation
How much does The Gess Foundation give each year?
The Gess Foundation gave $183K across 26 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $127K across 25 grants.
What is The Gess Foundation's typical grant size?
The Gess Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $2,500, and its average grant was $7,024, across 26 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Gess Foundation that year got $5K on average.
Where does The Gess Foundation give grants?
The Gess Foundation's top state is Massachusetts, with 49% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were California (21%) and Maine (20%). The most frequent recipient cities were Boston, MA (4 grants), San Diego, CA (4 grants), Mt Vernon, ME (3 grants) and New York, NY (3 grants).
Does The Gess Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Gess Foundation's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (26 of 26) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Gess Foundation's largest grantees?
The Gess Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include From the Top ($60,500), 30 Mile River Watershed Association ($25,000) and La Jolla Music Society ($13,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is The Gess Foundation?
The Gess Foundation reported $3.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $192K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $214K (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 The Gess Foundation fund?
No foundation mission statement is provided. Its 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Gess 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 The Gess Foundation's EIN?
The Gess Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-3539095. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Gess 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). The Gess Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 14, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-gess-foundation-morg_1006309e8b1e4841a0fefa3c0dc5ace9
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_043539095_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Gess Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-gess-foundation-morg_1006309e8b1e4841a0fefa3c0dc5ace9},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-14. 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 The Gess 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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