The Victor Herbert Foundation
The Victor Herbert Foundation is a private foundation based in Newton, Massachusetts. Its 2025 filing reports 12 grants totaling $99,000 to organizations including performing arts groups, a law school, a senior-housing provider, and a conservancy.
The Victor Herbert Foundation at a glance
In short: The Victor Herbert Foundation gave $99K across 12 grants in 2025 (avg $8K), mostly in Massachusetts. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $99,000
- -46.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 12
- -20.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $8,250
- -33.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,250
- Total assets
- $2,717,017
- +7.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (4 of 12, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (51% 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 Victor Herbert Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The 2024 filing directs applicants to contact Carolyn Gabbay and submit the required materials electronically. It describes two review cycles: applications submitted May 1–September 30 for action by November 30, and applications submitted October 1–March 1 for action by April 30. These cycle dates and the stated preference for applications submitted by September 1 are from the 2024 filing and are past; the filing says funds may be committed in the fall.
- Review Cycle
- The 2024 filing states a preference for applications submitted by September 1.
- Deadline
- The 2024 filing states a preference for applications submitted by September 1.
- Contact
Application contact: Carolyn Gabbay
Mailing address: 11 Doris Circle, Newton, MA 02458
Phone: (617) 965-3325
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Victor Herbert Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Boston University School of Law ($40K). Together the top 10 received $98K.
Grant Size Distribution
65 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 64 grants of 65 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in Massachusetts (51%), New York (30%), Illinois (10%), California (7%), and Colorado (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 12 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Victor Herbert Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 12 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 12 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $13K; repeat grants $6K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $6K repeat.
- 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+2%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 86% 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 (2020–2025). 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 $97K (2022) to $186K (2024). In 2025 it made 12 grants totaling $99K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Boston University School of Law Boston, MA | To support the organization | $40,000 |
| Musical Theatre Works Wilmette, IL | To support the Organization | $10,000 |
| New York Philharmonic New York, NY | To support the organization | $10,000 |
| Master Voices New York, NY | To support the organization | $10,000 |
| Operetta Foundation Culver City, CA | To support the organization | $6,000 |
| Ukranian American Educational Center of Boston Inc Malden, MA | To support the organization | $5,500 |
| 2Life Communities Brighton, MA | To support the organization | $5,000 |
| Lake Placid Sinfonietta Lake Placid, NY | To support the organization | $5,000 |
| New York Youth Symphony New York, NY | To support the organization | $4,750 |
| Art Song Colorado Highlands Ranch, CO | To support the organization | $1,500 |
Ready to take the next step with The Victor Herbert 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,717,017 | $121,901 | $125,950 | $99,000 | 12 | $109,437 | $105,388 | $127,826 |
| 2024 | $2,533,389 | $108,186 | $206,979 | $186,212 | 15 | $191,729 | $99,274 | $125,975 |
| 2023 | $2,638,406 | $180,124 | $142,672 | $113,662 | 12 | $123,128 | $160,580 | $129,646 |
| 2022 | $2,717,058 | $252,723 | $127,940 | $97,250 | 10 | $107,891 | $232,674 | $137,108 |
| 2021 | $2,832,573 | $230,129 | $164,281 | $137,850 | 16 | — | $212,589 | $130,992 |
| 2020 | $2,480,998 | $115,242 | $184,237 | $154,700 | 8 | — | $95,619 | $127,549 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Victor Herbert Foundation reported a distributable amount of $128K 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 is provided in the available information. The 2025 grants include arts and music organizations as well as organizations working in other areas. 2Life Communities describes its mission as building and operating low-income senior housing and offering services to support independence and dignity; New York Youth Symphony describes its mission as inspiring and educating young musicians through performance and ensemble activities. These are the grantees’ descriptions of their own missions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 12 grants totaling $99,000. Grants ranged from $250 to $40,000, with a median grant of $5,250. The largest awards included $40,000 to Boston University School of Law; $10,000 each to Musical Theatre Works, New York Philharmonic, and Master Voices; and $6,000 to Operetta Foundation. Each was listed as support for the organization.
The foundation’s 2024 filing says it does not restrict giving to preselected organizations. It describes an application process requiring a brief proposal narrative, an explanation of how the proposal complies with a chartered corporate purpose, the target audience and anticipated reach, outreach or accommodations for special populations, a sources-and-uses budget, and the applicant’s IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter. Applications are to be submitted electronically. The filing states that grants are limited to 501(c)(3) organizations and are not awarded for general or annual fund drives, capital campaigns, or individuals.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Carolyn Jacoby Gabbay as President/Director, Jonathan A. Jacoby as Treasurer/Director, and Philip D. Jacoby as Secretary/Director.
The Victor Herbert Foundation is led by Carolyn Jacoby Gabbay, President & Director on every filing since 2020; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Carolyn Jacoby Gabbay
President & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jonathan A Jacoby
Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Philip D Jacoby
Secretary & Director
On filings since 2020
0.5 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 Victor Herbert Foundation
How much does The Victor Herbert Foundation give each year?
The Victor Herbert Foundation gave $99K across 12 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $186K across 15 grants.
What is The Victor Herbert Foundation's typical grant size?
The Victor Herbert Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $5,250, and its average grant was $8,250, across 12 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Victor Herbert Foundation that year got $13K on average.
Where does The Victor Herbert Foundation give grants?
The Victor Herbert Foundation gives mostly in Massachusetts: 51% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were New York (30%) and Illinois (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (4 grants).
Does The Victor Herbert Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 12 grants with a stated purpose on The Victor Herbert Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To support the organization" (12 grants).
Who are The Victor Herbert Foundation's largest grantees?
The Victor Herbert Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Boston University School of Law ($40,000), Musical Theatre Works ($10,000) and New York Philharmonic ($10,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Victor Herbert Foundation?
The Victor Herbert Foundation reported $2.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $109K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $128K (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 Victor Herbert Foundation fund?
No mission statement is provided in the available information. The 2025 grants include arts and music organizations as well as organizations working in other areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Victor Herbert Foundation?
The 2024 filing directs applicants to contact Carolyn Gabbay and submit the required materials electronically. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Victor Herbert Foundation's EIN?
The Victor Herbert Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7044623. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
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 2020–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Victor Herbert Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-victor-herbert-foundation-morg_96c3de8e53dd4731ad765323cef8d3ea
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237044623_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Victor Herbert Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-victor-herbert-foundation-morg_96c3de8e53dd4731ad765323cef8d3ea},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Victor Herbert 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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