American Academy of Arts and Letters
The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a New York-based private foundation whose stated mission is to foster and sustain interest in the arts. It is an honor society of 300 members, including architects, visual artists, writers, and composers, and supports artistic achievement through awards, exhibitions, and interdisciplinary programs.
American Academy of Arts and Letters at a glance
In short: American Academy of Arts and Letters gave $1.0M across 84 grants in 2024 (avg $12K), top state New York. 75% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,047,150
- +29.4% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 84
- +2.4% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $12,466
- +26.3% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $117,341,432
- +13.6% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 75% first-time grantees (63 of 84, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (38% 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 American Academy of Arts and Letters
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The Academy states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. The Richard Rodgers Awards have a separate open application process for musical-theater projects.
- Contact
Mailing address: 633 W 155Th Street, New York, NY 10032-7501
Phone: (212) 368-5900
Website: https://artsandletters.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who American Academy of Arts and Letters funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Darryl Pinckney ($100K). Together the top 10 received $447K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($5,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
513 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 497 grants of 513 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (38%), New Jersey (11%), California (9%), Massachusetts (7%), and Illinois (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 84 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is American Academy of Arts and Letters open to new grantees?
75%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 63 of 84 grantees (75%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $4K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $1K repeat.
- 18% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (−9%). 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 $809K (2023) to $1.2M (2020). In 2024 it made 84 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Darryl Pinckney New York, NY | To honor a writer who has made a significant contribution to American literature. | $100,000 |
| Paper Mill Playhouse Milburn, NJ | To fund a workshop of a promising new musicial, gun & powder. | $60,000 |
| Sean Shepherd Chicago, IL | To give a promising composer income which allows him to be free of employment and soley compose. | $50,000 |
| Diversionary Theatre San Diego, CA | To fund a workshop of a promising new musicial, the monster | $50,000 |
| Charles Ives Society Medford, MA | To further the work and musical legacy of charles ives | $50,000 |
| Rhiannon Giddens Pine Brook, NJ | To Honor an Exceptional Writer for Vocal Music | $40,000 |
| American Composers Alliance New York, NY | To Further the Musical Legacy of Otto Luening | $26,975 |
| Matt Connors New York, NY | To Honor a Painter of Extraordinary Achievement. | $25,000 |
| Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation in the Library of Congress Washington, DC | To Further the Musical Legacy of Otto Luening | $25,000 |
| Selgascano Jose Selgas and Lucia Cano | To honor an architect who has made significant contribution to architecture as an art. | $20,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $117,341,432 | $13,795,411 | $5,429,074 | $1,047,150 | 84 | $2,834,872 | $13,155,071 |
| 2023 | $103,305,145 | $2,818,444 | $4,960,140 | $809,107 | 82 | $2,545,140 | $2,324,408 |
| 2022 | $105,448,975 | $9,669,803 | $5,299,355 | $1,055,199 | 99 | $2,024,987 | $3,002,270 |
| 2021 | $101,076,393 | $10,417,737 | $4,543,974 | $1,154,581 | 110 | $1,913,574 | $9,661,904 |
| 2020 | $95,433,243 | $4,590,144 | $5,175,848 | $1,213,040 | 138 | — | $3,762,128 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Academy’s stated mission is to foster and sustain interest in the arts. Its awards recognize achievement in architecture, visual art, literature, and music. The Academy also presents exhibitions and public programs, and its Richard Rodgers Awards support readings and productions of new musicals by emerging composers and writers at nonprofit theaters in New York City.
Its 2024 grants included support for a musical-theater workshop at Paper Mill Playhouse. Paper Mill Playhouse describes its own mission as entertaining, inspiring, and enriching lives through musical theater, while advancing the art form, educating students, and developing future theatergoers. The Academy also funded the American Composers Alliance to further the musical legacy of Otto Luening. The Alliance describes its work as preserving historical works, introducing new works, and increasing awareness, performance opportunities, and public engagement with American concert music.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Academy reported 84 grants totaling $1,047,150. Grants ranged from $1,000 to $100,000, with a median of $10,000. Examples include $100,000 to writer Darryl Pinckney to honor his contribution to American literature; $60,000 to Paper Mill Playhouse for a workshop of the musical *Gun & Powder*; and $50,000 each to composer Sean Shepherd to support time to compose, Diversionary Theatre for a workshop of *The Monster*, and the Charles Ives Society to further Ives’s musical legacy. Other grants included $40,000 to Rhiannon Giddens to honor her work as a writer for vocal music and $25,000 to painter Matt Connors in recognition of his achievement.
The Academy’s website says it presents awards and prizes each year to more than 70 architects, visual artists, writers, and composers. Candidates are generally nominated by Academy members and selected by committees drawn from the membership; members are not eligible for monetary awards. The Richard Rodgers Awards for Musical Theater are the exception to the nomination process: they have an open application, submitted online, with application requirements and procedures provided in a required form. The website lists October 30, 2026, as the deadline for the 2027 Richard Rodgers application.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Cody Upton as executive director and Kwame Anthony Appiah as president. Listed vice presidents are Mel Chin, Joan Jonas, and Amy Sillman for art; Hilton Als, Rita Dove, and Francine Prose for literature; and Alvin Singleton and George Lewis for music.
American Academy of Arts and Letters is led by Cody Upton, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 14 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Cody Upton
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$243K (2020) → $289K (2024)
Kwame Anthony Appiah
President
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ann Hamilton
Secretary
Vice President for Art → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Billie Tsien
Vice President for Architecture
President → Vice President for Architecture, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alvin Singleton
Vice President for Music
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Sillman
Vice President for Art
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Edward Hirsch
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Hilton Als
Vice President for Literature
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Joan Jonas
Vice President for Art
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mel Chin
Vice President for Art
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Francine Prose
Vice President for Literature
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George Lewis
Vice President for Music
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rita Dove
Vice President for Literature
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Toshiko Mori
Vice President for Architecture
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (9)
- Former: Annabelle Selldorff (2020–2023) — Vice President for Architecture
- Former: Augusta Read Thomas (2020–2023) — Vice President for Music
- Former: Jane Smiley (2020–2023) — Vice President for Literature
- Former: Paul Muldoon (2020–2023) — Vice President for Literature
- Former: Lorrie Moore (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Louis Begley (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Martin Puryear (2020–2021) — Vice President for Art
- Former: Mary Gordon (2020–2021) — Vice President for Literature
- Former: Tania Leon (2020–2021) — Vice President for Music
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $289K, to Cody Upton (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about American Academy of Arts and Letters
How much does American Academy of Arts and Letters give each year?
American Academy of Arts and Letters gave $1.0M across 84 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $809K across 82 grants.
What is American Academy of Arts and Letters's typical grant size?
American Academy of Arts and Letters's median grant in 2024 was $10,000, and its average grant was $12,466, across 84 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from American Academy of Arts and Letters that year got $15K on average.
Where does American Academy of Arts and Letters give grants?
American Academy of Arts and Letters's top state is New York, with 38% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The next largest states were New Jersey (11%) and California (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (22 grants), Los Angeles, CA (5 grants), Brooklyn, NY (3 grants) and Chicago, IL (2 grants).
Does American Academy of Arts and Letters give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 84 grants with a stated purpose on American Academy of Arts and Letters's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Honor Exceptional Achievement in Literature." (8 grants), "To Honor Exceptional Achievement in Art." (6 grants) and "To a Young Composer for Continued Study." (6 grants).
Who are American Academy of Arts and Letters's largest grantees?
American Academy of Arts and Letters's largest 2024 grantees include Darryl Pinckney ($100,000), Paper Mill Playhouse ($60,000) and Sean Shepherd ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($5,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 20% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is American Academy of Arts and Letters?
American Academy of Arts and Letters reported $117.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $13.8M.
What does American Academy of Arts and Letters fund?
The Academy’s stated mission is to foster and sustain interest in the arts. Its awards recognize achievement in architecture, visual art, literature, and music. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from American Academy of Arts and Letters?
The Academy 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 American Academy of Arts and Letters's EIN?
American Academy of Arts and Letters's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-0429640. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does American Academy of Arts and Letters 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
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in American Academy of Arts and Letters's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). American Academy of Arts and Letters funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/american-academy-of-arts-and-letters-morg_ea94e857910546ffa4b9f519247fdb12
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_130429640_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{American Academy of Arts and Letters funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/american-academy-of-arts-and-letters-morg_ea94e857910546ffa4b9f519247fdb12},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. 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 American Academy of Arts and Letters'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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