The Gurdon W Wattles Fund
The Gurdon W Wattles Fund is a private foundation based in Garden City, New York. Its 2025 filing reports grants to charitable organizations including an autism services provider, a woodland conservation organization, a public library, an animal rescue, and cultural and educational institutions.
The Gurdon W Wattles Fund at a glance
In short: The Gurdon W Wattles Fund gave $33K across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $2K), top state Vermont. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $33,000
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $2,357
- -7.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $1,200
- Total assets
- $768,648
- +3.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (2 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Vermont (33% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Gurdon W Wattles Fund
- 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.
- Contact
Mailing address: Co Bessemer 1325 Franklin Ave 5, Garden City, NY 11530
Phone: (516) 508-9623
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Gurdon W Wattles Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Princeton Child Development Institute ($9K). Together the top 10 received $30K.
Grant Size Distribution
66 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 66 grants of 66 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2025 grant dollars were distributed among recipients in Vermont (33%), New Jersey (27%), Florida (19%), Connecticut (6%), and Ohio (5%). The listed grants also included recipients in New York and Rhode Island.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Gurdon W Wattles Fund open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 14 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $6K; repeat grants $2K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 86% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+0%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 114% 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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $27K (2021) to $40K (2020). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $33K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Princeton Child Development Institute Princeton, NJ | Operational | $9,000 |
| Vermont Coverts Woodlands Vergennes, VT | Operational | $6,000 |
| Groton Free Public Library Groton, VT | Operational | $5,000 |
| Nala's New Life Rescue Palm City, FL | Operational | $2,100 |
| Denison University Granville, OH | Operational | $1,800 |
| Florida Oceanographic Society Stuart, FL | Operational | $1,400 |
| Library Foundation of Martin County Stuart, FL | Operational | $1,400 |
| Dolphin Research Grassy Key, FL | Operational | $1,000 |
| Eagle Hill Foundation Greenwich CT, CT | Operational | $1,000 |
| Mystic Seaport Museum Mystic, CT | Operational | $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 | $768,648 | $80,269 | $56,622 | $33,000 | 14 | $52,500 | $79,529 | $46,230 |
| 2024 | $745,001 | $151,338 | $54,256 | $33,000 | 13 | $51,739 | $148,721 | $38,570 |
| 2023 | $647,905 | $114,970 | $49,522 | $33,000 | 13 | $47,862 | $112,586 | $30,817 |
| 2022 | $582,494 | $219,477 | $47,361 | $33,000 | 13 | $45,611 | $117,984 | $30,902 |
| 2021 | $509,623 | $57,084 | $36,385 | $27,400 | 13 | $35,257 | $56,568 | $33,165 |
| 2020 | $488,922 | $35,485 | $46,360 | $40,000 | 15 | — | $35,074 | $29,726 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Gurdon W Wattles Fund reported a distributable amount of $46K 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
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. Princeton Child Development Institute says it provides lifelong, science-based support for people with autism. Nala’s New Life Rescue says it rescues abused, abandoned, and other companion animals, especially dogs. The Library Foundation of Martin County says it supports programs, services, and facilities of the county library system, while Florida Oceanographic Society says it works to inspire stewardship of Florida’s coastal ecosystems through education, research, and advocacy. Other 2025 recipients include Eagle Hill Foundation, which describes its work as supporting children who learn differently, and Mystic Seaport Museum, which says it aims to inspire connection to the American maritime experience.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the fund awarded 14 grants totaling $33,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $9,000, with a median grant of $1,200. The largest awards included $9,000 to Princeton Child Development Institute, $6,000 to Vermont Coverts Woodlands, and $5,000 to Groton Free Public Library. Other notable grants were $2,100 to Nala’s New Life Rescue and $1,800 to Denison University. The listed grants were identified as operational support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Alexander B Wattles, Gurden S Wattles, and Elizabeth W Wilkes as trustees.
The Gurdon W Wattles Fund's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Alexander B. Wattles
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Elizabeth W. Wilkes
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gurden S. Wattles
Trustee
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Gurdon W Wattles Fund
How much does The Gurdon W Wattles Fund give each year?
The Gurdon W Wattles Fund gave $33K across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $33K across 13 grants.
What is The Gurdon W Wattles Fund's typical grant size?
The Gurdon W Wattles Fund's median grant in 2025 was $1,200, and its average grant was $2,357, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Gurdon W Wattles Fund that year got $6K on average.
Where does The Gurdon W Wattles Fund give grants?
The Gurdon W Wattles Fund's top state is Vermont, with 33% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New Jersey (27%) and Florida (19%). The most frequent recipient cities were Stuart, FL (3 grants).
Does The Gurdon W Wattles Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Gurdon W Wattles Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (14 of 14) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Gurdon W Wattles Fund's largest grantees?
The Gurdon W Wattles Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Princeton Child Development Institute ($9,000), Vermont Coverts Woodlands ($6,000) and Groton Free Public Library ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Gurdon W Wattles Fund?
The Gurdon W Wattles Fund reported $769K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $53K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $46K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Gurdon W Wattles Fund fund?
No mission statement for the fund is provided. Its 2025 grants went to organizations with varied missions. Princeton Child Development Institute says it provides lifelong, science-based support for people with autism. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Gurdon W Wattles Fund?
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 The Gurdon W Wattles Fund's EIN?
The Gurdon W Wattles Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7027979. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Gurdon W Wattles Fund 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 November 4, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 9, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 7, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 6, 2026)
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