American Council of Learned Societies
The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is a New York-based public charity and a federation of 86 scholarly organizations. Formed in 1924, it supports scholars and scholarly teams in the humanities and interpretive social sciences through fellowships, grants, and related programs.
American Council of Learned Societies at a glance
In short: American Council of Learned Societies gave $17.4M across 153 grants in 2025 (avg $114K), top state California. 34% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $17,423,224
- +21.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 153
- +25.4% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $113,877
- -3.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $80,000
- Total assets
- $216,962,381
- +8.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 34% first-time grantees (50 of 147, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (21% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated November 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to American Council of Learned Societies
- How to Apply
-
ACLS offers applications through individual program competitions. Applicants should review the relevant competition’s eligibility requirements and program information; the supplied materials do not specify general application materials or a deadline.
- Contact
Mailing address: 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 697-1505
Website: https://acls.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
18 open opportunities from American Council of Learned Societies
ACLS Digital Justice Seed Grants
American Council of Learned Societies
Amount
US $10,000 - US $25,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
ACLS Fellowships Grant
American Council of Learned Societies
Amount
Up to US $60,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
ACLS Graduate Internships on the Spiritual Infrastructure of the Future Grant
American Council of Learned Societies
Amount
US $14,000 - US $15,400
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who American Council of Learned Societies funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was United Negro College Fund Inc ($1.2M). Together the top 10 received $4.1M.
Organizations only. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($809,496), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
743 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 270 grants of 743 (36%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
ACLS says it supports scholars and scholarly teams around the world. Its 2025 grant dollars were concentrated in California (21%), New York (16%), Washington, DC (12%), Illinois (7%), and Massachusetts (6%). The Luce/ACLS China Studies travel program supports research travel in China and China studies-related research elsewhere in the world.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 153 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is American Council of Learned Societies open to new grantees?
34%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 50 of 147 grantees (34%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $81K; repeat grants $138K. How we count
Medians: $78K first-time, $113K repeat.
- 44% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−12%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $14.4M (2024) to $19.7M (2022). In 2025 it made 153 grants totaling $17.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| United Negro College Fund Inc Washington, DC | Stipends/Fellowships | $1,232,000 |
| Pomona College Claremont, CA | Stipends/Fellowships | $577,000 |
| University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Stipends/Fellowships | $546,425 |
| 2 grants to individuals Recipients not named | — | $610,000 |
| University of Chicago Chicago, IL | Stipends/Fellowships | $315,000 |
| Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO | Stipends/Fellowships | $311,000 |
| University of Wisconsin Madison, WI | Stipends/Fellowships | $269,933 |
| University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX | Stipends/Fellowships | $234,000 |
| Duke University Durham, NC | Stipends/Fellowships | $200,000 |
| University of New Mexico Albuquerque, NM | Stipends/Fellowships | $199,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
ACLS’s 2024 filing narrative says it maintains endowment and board-designated reserves in two categories: one intended to fund fellowship stipends and related peer-review costs, and another intended to fund part of the organization’s general administrative costs and services to member societies.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $216,962,381 | $38,862,022 | $35,628,415 | $17,423,224 | 153 | $10,168,941 |
| 2024 | $200,277,168 | $45,967,231 | $32,412,698 | $14,402,956 | 122 | $17,587,689 |
| 2023 | $185,729,806 | $32,539,032 | $33,962,271 | $16,188,130 | 149 | $8,798,923 |
| 2022 | $180,070,107 | $48,046,635 | $37,813,427 | $19,744,797 | 164 | $17,565,136 |
| 2021 | $218,070,540 | $23,517,886 | $37,017,165 | $16,256,254 | 155 | $4,046,179 |
| 2020 | $199,575,071 | $37,439,846 | $37,024,386 | $19,213,823 | 162 | $5,034,661 |
| 2019 | $202,897,878 | $35,952,769 | $36,560,533 | $19,284,189 | 166 | $2,198,290 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
ACLS’s stated mission is to support knowledge that advances understanding of humanity and human endeavors, with a view to improving human experience. It describes knowledge as a public good and emphasizes a more just and inclusive future.
The organization funds humanities and interpretive social science research, including work in fields such as history, languages and literatures, philosophy, art history, anthropology, sociology, and political science. ACLS says social science proposals must use predominantly humanistic approaches and qualitative or interpretive methods to qualify for its fellowship and grant competitions. Its current programs include fellowships and grants for HBCU faculty, recent humanities PhDs, graduate students, and other scholars, as well as programs in areas including digital justice, civic education, American art, China studies, and Buddhist studies.
The 2025 filing lists awards for stipends and fellowships to colleges, universities, and other organizations. Among the supported organizations, UNCF describes its mission as building a pipeline of under-represented college students and supporting its member institutions. Pomona College describes its mission as educating students in a diverse residential community, while the University of Chicago describes its mission as communicating and creating knowledge and fostering a scholarly community.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, ACLS reported 153 grants totaling $17,423,224. Individual grants ranged from $5,668 to $1,232,000, with a median of $80,000. The listed purposes for the largest grants were stipends and fellowships.
The largest reported awards included $1,232,000 to the United Negro College Fund, $577,000 to Pomona College, $546,425 to the University of California, Los Angeles, $452,000 to the California State University Foundation, and $315,000 to the University of Chicago. Other large awards included $311,000 to Washington University in St. Louis and $269,933 to the University of Wisconsin.
ACLS’s website describes a peer-review process in which committees of appointed scholars select fellows and grantees. Examples of programs listed as active in the supplied program information include HBCU Faculty Fellowships, with awards of $30,000–$50,000; Leading Edge Fellowships for recent humanities PhDs placed with nonprofit organizations, with stated two-year support exceeding $142,000; and Luce/ACLS Travel Grants in China Studies, offering $5,000 for eligible graduate students and non-tenure-track faculty. Program eligibility and terms vary.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joy Connolly as president; Marwan M. Kraidy as chair; Jimena Canales as vice chair; Dana Williams as secretary; and Melani McAlister as treasurer. It also lists James H. Averill, Frances Daly Fergusson, Roderick Ferguson, and Theodore S. Gonçalves as directors. Malinda Maynor Lowery is listed as a director through April 2025.
American Council of Learned Societies is led by Joy Connolly, President on every filing since 2019; 8 of 23 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Joy Connolly
President
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$258K (2020) → $619K (2025)
Marwan M. Kraidy
Chair
Director → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Christy
Director of Public Program
Director of Public Programs → Director of Public Program, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$125K (2019) → $189K (2025)
Heather Mangrum
Director of Communications
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$126K (2021) → $167K (2025)
Jovonne Bickerstaff
Director & Intentional Design for Equit. Academy
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$153K (2025)
Frances Daly Fergusson
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James H. Averill
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michele Lamont
Director
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Malinda Maynor Lowery
Director
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Theodore S. Gonzalves
Director
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Desiree Pedescleaux
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roderick Ferguson
Director
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carlos Alberto Contreras
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Edward Cohen
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Q. Whitman
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Fagin Davis
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Shulman
Vice President & COO
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$152K (2019) → $399K (2025)
Mary Richter
Chief Development Officer
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$129K (2020) → $226K (2025)
Kelly Buttermore
Chief of Staff
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$144K (2022) → $181K (2025)
Matthew Sapienza
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$224K (2023) → $266K (2025)
Jimena Canales
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melani McAlister
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dana A. Williams
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (28)
- Former: Carl Pforzheimer III (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Peter Baldwin (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Richard J. Powell (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: William C. Kirby (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Deena Ragavan (2023–2024) — Director of International Program
- Former: Suzanne Preston Blier (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Steven R. Smith (2024) — Director
- Former: Ann Fabian (2019–2023) — Secretary
- Former: Michele Moody-Adams (2019–2023) — Treasurer
- Former: John F. Kutsko (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Andrzej Tymowski (2019–2022) — Director of International Programs
- Former: Nicola Courtright (2019–2022) — Vice Chair
- Former: Simon Guzman (2019–2022) — Director of Finance
- Former: Alexandra Lord (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Pauline Yu (2019–2021) — Former President - Emeritus
- Former: Daniel Menelsohn (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Robert Keo (2021) — Digital & It Manager
- Former: Amy Ferrer (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Dorothy Hodgson (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Matthew Goldfeder (2019–2020) — Director of Fellowships Programs
- Former: Minh Kauffman (2019–2020) — Ceevn Director
- Former: Candace Frede (2019) — Director of Web & Infor. Sys.
- Former: Donald Brenneis (2019) — Director
- Former: Elaine Sisman (2019) — Director
- Former: James Grossman (2019) — Director
- Former: Karl Eikenberry (2019) — Director
- Former: Steven Wheatley (2019) — Senior Adviser
- Former: Terry Castle (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $619K, to Joy Connolly (President). 8 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about American Council of Learned Societies
How much does American Council of Learned Societies give each year?
American Council of Learned Societies gave $17.4M across 153 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $14.4M across 122 grants.
What is American Council of Learned Societies's typical grant size?
American Council of Learned Societies's median grant in 2025 was $80,000, and its average grant was $113,877, across 153 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from American Council of Learned Societies that year got $81K on average.
Where does American Council of Learned Societies give grants?
American Council of Learned Societies's top state is California, with 21% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were New York (16%) and District of Columbia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (15 grants), Washington, DC (11 grants), Chicago, IL (7 grants) and Los Angeles, CA (6 grants).
Does American Council of Learned Societies give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 153 grants with a stated purpose on American Council of Learned Societies's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Stipends/Fellowships" (153 grants).
Who are American Council of Learned Societies's largest grantees?
American Council of Learned Societies's largest 2025 grantees include United Negro College Fund Inc ($1,232,000), Pomona College ($577,000) and University of California Los Angeles ($546,425), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 6 grants to individuals ($809,496), which are not listed by name. Together they received 14% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is American Council of Learned Societies?
American Council of Learned Societies reported $217.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $38.9M.
What does American Council of Learned Societies fund?
ACLS’s stated mission is to support knowledge that advances understanding of humanity and human endeavors, with a view to improving human experience. It describes knowledge as a public good and emphasizes a more just and inclusive future. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from American Council of Learned Societies?
ACLS offers applications through individual program competitions. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is American Council of Learned Societies's EIN?
American Council of Learned Societies's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-1851145. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated November 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 13, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 9, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work American Council of Learned Societies funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in American Council of Learned Societies's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). American Council of Learned Societies funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved November 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/american-council-of-learned-societies-morg_b00b161e09ca474181f71be35afd3d88
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_131851145_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{American Council of Learned Societies funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/american-council-of-learned-societies-morg_b00b161e09ca474181f71be35afd3d88},
note = {Accessed 2026-11-12. 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 Council of Learned Societies'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.
American Council of Learned Societies down — hundreds of funders to go?