The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation
The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation is a private foundation based in Ventura, California. Its 2026 filing reports 11 grants totaling $575,000 to charitable organizations, including organizations providing dental care, youth programs, food assistance, and services for young adults facing homelessness.
The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation at a glance
In short: The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation gave $575K across 11 grants in 2026 (avg $52K), mostly in California. 36% of 2026 grantees were new. Source: 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2026)
- $575,000
- +7.3% vs 2025
- Grants made (2026)
- 11
- +37.5% vs 2025
- Average grant
- $52,273
- -22.0% vs 2025
- Median grant
- $29,600
- Total assets
- $10,259,411
- +5.2% vs 2025
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (4 of 11, 2026; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (81% of itemized 2026 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2026 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2026; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation
- 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: 260 Maple Court 230, Ventura, CA 93003
Phone: (805) 658-1525
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2026
The largest 2026 recipient was Kids Community Dental Clinic ($250K). Together the top 10 received $572K.
Grant Size Distribution
43 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 23 grants of 43 (53%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2026, 81% of grant dollars went to recipients in California, 17% to recipients in Washington, D.C., and 2% to recipients in Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2026 grant dollars across all 11 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2026
In 2026, 4 of 11 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. With only 11 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 9 points. First grants averaged $95K; repeat grants $28K. How we count
Medians: $63K first-time, $30K repeat.
- 45% of 2026 grantees were also funded in 2025. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2023 to 2026 (+9%). Method
- In 2026 it paid out 80% 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 (2020–2026). 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 2026, annual grant giving ranged from $402K (2021) to $948K (2024). In 2026 it made 11 grants totaling $575K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kids Community Dental Clinic Burbank, CA | Clinic Expansion Capital Campaign | $250,000 |
| World Food Program USA Washington, DC | General Funding | $100,000 |
| YMCA of Glendale Glendale, CA | General Funding | $50,000 |
| Boys Girls Club of Burbank Burbank, CA | General Funding | $50,000 |
| Ventura Family YMCA Ventura, CA | General Funding | $35,000 |
| Ventura Unified School Dist Ventura, CA | After School Care Programs | $29,600 |
| Mesa Independent Living Ojai, CA | General Funding | $25,000 |
| Eagle Rock JRSR High School Los Angeles, CA | Band Uniforms | $19,400 |
| Children Incorporated North Chesterfield, VA | General Funding | $10,000 |
| Glendale Unified School District Glendale, CA | Adelante Latinos Program | $3,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $10,259,411 | $1,227,633 | $717,017 | $575,000 | 11 | $630,620 | $1,152,973 | $784,473 |
| 2025 | $9,748,795 | $900,940 | $667,734 | $536,000 | 8 | $592,913 | $837,224 | $729,091 |
| 2024 | $9,515,589 | $853,482 | $1,073,184 | $948,000 | 6 | $1,004,639 | $791,726 | $668,859 |
| 2023 | $9,735,291 | $548,063 | $669,257 | $529,000 | 10 | $590,451 | $481,207 | $658,993 |
| 2022 | $9,856,485 | $913,159 | $839,557 | $715,000 | 8 | $771,085 | $852,502 | $742,515 |
| 2021 | $9,782,883 | $616,595 | $521,382 | $402,000 | 6 | — | $556,866 | $650,324 |
| 2020 | $9,687,670 | $517,458 | $892,817 | $770,000 | 10 | — | $456,939 | $642,698 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation reported a distributable amount of $784K for 2026 — 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 listed 2026 grants include support for a clinic expansion, after-school care, a school band, and general funding for several organizations. Among its grantees, Mesa Independent Living describes its mission as “cultivating possibility for young adults facing homelessness.” Children Incorporated describes its mission as arranging and providing funding for supplies and services to meet the basic and educational needs of impoverished children.
Grantmaking
In 2026, the foundation gave $575,000 through 11 grants. Grant amounts ranged from $3,000 to $250,000, with a median grant of $29,600.
The largest listed grants were $250,000 to Kids Community Dental Clinic for a clinic expansion capital campaign; $100,000 to World Food Program USA for general funding; $50,000 each to YMCA of Glendale and Boys Girls Club of Burbank for general funding; and $35,000 to Ventura Family YMCA for general funding. Other listed recipients included Ventura Unified School District ($29,600 for after-school care programs), Mesa Independent Living ($25,000), Eagle Rock Jrsr High School ($19,400 for band uniforms), Children Incorporated ($10,000), Glendale Unified School District ($3,000), and Andrea Grace Soter-Simonson Memoria ($3,000).
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2026 filing lists Michael J Regan and David G Phinney as administrative trustees.
The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation's 2026 filing lists 2 officers; all 2 officers listed in 2026 are compensated.
Officers on the 2026 filing
David G. Phinney
Administrator Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$54K (2020) → $53K (2026)
Michael J. Regan
Administrator Trustee
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
$54K (2020) → $53K (2026)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2026. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2026 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2026 filing was $53K, to Michael J Regan (Admin Trustee). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation
How much does The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation give each year?
The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation gave $575K across 11 grants in 2026, according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2025 it gave $536K across 8 grants.
What is The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation's typical grant size?
The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation's median grant in 2026 was $29,600, and its average grant was $52,273, across 11 grants on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation that year got $95K on average.
Where does The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation give grants?
The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation gives mostly in California: 81% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was District of Columbia (17%). The most frequent recipient cities were Ventura, CA (3 grants), Burbank, CA (2 grants) and Glendale, CA (2 grants).
Does The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 64% of The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation's 2026 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 11) were for general or operating support, per its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation's largest grantees?
The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation's largest 2026 grantees include Kids Community Dental Clinic ($250,000), World Food Program USA ($100,000) and YMCA of Glendale ($50,000), according to its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 70% of its itemized 2026 grant dollars.
How large is The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation?
The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation reported $10.3M in total assets on its 2026 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $631K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $784K (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 Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its listed 2026 grants include support for a clinic expansion, after-school care, a school band, and general funding for several organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Gwendolyn Sexton 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 The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation's EIN?
The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3783371. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2026.
Does The Gwendolyn Sexton 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 21, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 28, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 25, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 18, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 17, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2026 (received by the IRS April 23, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2026
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-gwendolyn-sexton-foundation-morg_054f43471e1a4610ad3e3bbe40f575f8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_953783371_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Gwendolyn Sexton Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-gwendolyn-sexton-foundation-morg_054f43471e1a4610ad3e3bbe40f575f8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. 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 Gwendolyn Sexton 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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