The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation
The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1992 by Thomas D. Cabot and his wife Virginia Wellington Cabot. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the foundation operates as the independent philanthropic arm of Cabot-Wellington LLC, an investment management firm. The foundation's primary purpose is to foster family-wide philanthropy and serve as a tool for teaching future generations to be effective and innovative givers.
Key facts about The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation
- EIN
- 04-6728351
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,063,223
- Grants made (2024)
- 108
- Average grant
- $19,104
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $44,937,726
- Primary geography
- Massachusetts (19% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. No grants promoting any particular religion or political party are allowed.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation's 108 itemized 2024 grants were Massachusetts (19%), California (12%) and Maine (10%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (7 grants), Boston, MA (7 grants), Patagonia, AZ (5 grants) and Washington, DC (4 grants). None of its 108 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Exempt Purpose" (108 grants).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$44.9M
+4.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.1M
+9.7% YoY
Grant Count
108
-5.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$19K
+15.8% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: The mission of the Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation is to benefit mankind through the practice of responsible philanthropy, and to inspire, educate, engage and unify the descendants of Tom and Virginia Cabot in that worthy cause.
Funding Categories:
- Culture and Humanities
- Education and Youth
- Conservation and Environment
- Health and Human Services
The foundation's giving policy is guided as much by the degree of personal, volunteer commitment as by subject matter.
Grantmaking
The foundation made 138 grants in 2023, with total giving of $2,063,223. Typical grant awards range from $200 to $201,503.
How to Apply
**
Ready to take the next step with The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grant-making focuses primarily on Massachusetts, New York, and California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 108 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2023):
- Total Assets: $43,142,424
- Total Revenues: $2,079,694
- Total Expenses: $2,678,025
- Total Giving: $2,063,223
Historical Assets:
- 2021: $53,324,195
- 2020: $46,181,054
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $44,937,726 | $43,142,424 | $41,116,756 |
| Revenue | $863,422 | $2,079,694 | $808,907 |
| Expenses | $2,816,427 | $2,678,025 | $3,081,024 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $2,460,370 | $2,319,449 | $2,658,881 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,730,147 | $3,347,034 | — |
| Distributable Amount | $2,261,803 | $2,072,675 | $2,203,227 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
588 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include Tides Foundation ($133,151), Vinfen Corporation ($70,000), Hurricane Island Foundation ($65,900).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| TIDES FOUNDATION LOS ANGELES, CA | EXEMPT PURPOSE | $133,151 |
| VINFEN CORPORATION BROOKLINE, MA | EXEMPT PURPOSE | $70,000 |
| HURRICANE ISLAND FOUNDATION ROCKLAND, ME | EXEMPT PURPOSE | $65,900 |
| SAFETY TEAM INC BURLINGTON, VT | EXEMPT PURPOSE | $59,000 |
| GREENWICH ACADEMY INC GREENWICH, CT | EXEMPT PURPOSE | $55,564 |
| THE NATURE CONSERVANCY ARLINGTON, VA | EXEMPT PURPOSE | $55,000 |
| HANLEY CENTER FOUNDATION WEST PALM BEACH, FL | EXEMPT PURPOSE | $50,000 |
| TUBA CITY HUMANE SOCIETY FLAGSTAFF, AZ | EXEMPT PURPOSE | $50,000 |
| MULTIFAITH ALLIANCE NEW YORK, NY | EXEMPT PURPOSE | $45,000 |
| HURRICANE ISLAND OUTWARD BOUND SCHOOL CAMDEN, ME | EXEMPT PURPOSE | $40,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Executive Director: Heidi Heinlein
- Trustees: Helen C. McCarthy, Joan M. Whelton, Bryan McCarthy
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALBERT MAXIMILIAN CABOT ALLETZHAUSE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| DANIEL DOMONEY | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| MAYA CABOT | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| TAMSIN MYERS | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| GULREZ ARSHAD | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| AIDAN FITZGERALD ENDED 52024 | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| FIONA SCANLON-BLACK | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ALEXANDER BLACK | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| PERE SELLES | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| HEATHER CABOT | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| PETER MYERS | CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD | 1 | — |
| JOAN WHELTON | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| SOPHIE DICKSON AS OF 62024 | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has supported various initiatives including COVID-19 immunization efforts, with a $25,000 grant to Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center to fund COVID-19 immunizations and infection prevention. The foundation also supported cultural programming, including an opera production titled "Champion: An Opera in Jazz" in May 2022.
Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation grants $25,000 to Novant Health PresbyterianContact Information
Address: Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation c/o GMA Foundations 2 Liberty Square, Suite 500 Boston, MA 02109
Phone: 617-391-3073 or 617-750-2741
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://apply.vwcfoundation.org/
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation fund?
**Mission Statement:** The mission of the Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation is to benefit mankind through the practice of responsible philanthropy, and to inspire, educate, engage and unify the descendants of Tom and Virginia Cabot in that worthy cause. **Funding Categories:** • Culture and Humanities • Education and Youth • Conservation and Environment • Health and Human Services The foundation's giving policy is guided as much by the degree of personal, volunteer commitment as by subject m…
How do I apply for a grant from The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** The foundation made 138 grants in 2023, with total giving of $2,063,223. Typical grant awards range from $200 to $201,503. **Recent Grant Examples:** • Tides Foundation: $155,000 (2023) • Prison Book Program: $81,500 (2023) • Tuba City Humane Society Incorporated: $60,000 (2023) **Application Process:** • **The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals.** All grant requests are by invitation only and must be sponsored by a family member to be accepted. • No grants pro…
Where does The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation make grants?
The foundation's grant-making focuses primarily on Massachusetts, New York, and California.
What size grants does The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation award?
In 2024, The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation awarded 108 grants totaling $2.1M — an average of about $19K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation reported a distributable amount of $2.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation's EIN?
The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 04-6728351. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals. No grants promoting any particular religion or political party are allowed.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Virginia Wellington Cabot Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.