Arete Foundation
The Arete Foundation is a private foundation based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, established in July 1986 with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. The foundation operates as a philanthropic organization supporting charitable, educational, and religious organizations across multiple U.S. regions.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$42.6M
-5.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$5.4M
-13.5% YoY
Grant Count
19
-13.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$286K
+0.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation makes contributions to tax-exempt charitable, educational, and religious organizations. Primary funding areas include:
- Arts and culture
- Performing arts
- Museums and art museums
- Education and higher education
- Philanthropy and nonprofit support
- Religion and Judaism
- Human services
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept public applications. It operates as a private foundation that awards grants through trustee discretion rather than through open application processes.
Grant Range
(2024): $125,000
Average Grant
approximately $981 to $2.1 million depending on year
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation provides funding across multiple U.S. locations including:
- Bronx, Brooklyn, New York
- Chicago, Illinois
- Cooperstown, New York
- Islesboro, Maine
- New Jersey
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Princeton, New Jersey
- Sarasota and Venice, Florida
- Unity, Maine
- Washington, DC
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2023):
- Total assets: $45,050,715
- Total revenues: $1,668,441
- Total expenses: $10,170,564
- Total liabilities: $8,710,000
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $45.1 million
- Total giving: $6.3 million
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $42,597,539 | $45,050,715 | $52,988,507 |
| Revenue | $8,957,390 | $1,668,441 | $6,934,017 |
| Expenses | $3,622,767 | $10,170,564 | $12,479,949 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $5,427,643 | $6,274,260 | $7,461,511 |
| Net Investment Income | $2,592,110 | $381,667 | $3,886,459 |
| Distributable Amount | $2,668,428 | $2,583,095 | $3,079,036 |
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
134 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Trustees:
- Edward E. Cohen
- Betsy Z. Cohen
- Jonathan Z. Cohen
- Daniel G. Cohen
Staff:
- Donna Zanghi (Executive Director)
- Jeffrey Brotman (Vice President)
- Thomas Elliott (Chief Financial Officer)
The foundation maintains 3 employees and trustees serve without compensation.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDWARD E COHEN | CHAIR, AS REQUIRED | — | — |
| BETSY Z COHEN | TRUSTEE, AS REQUIRED | — | — |
| JONATHAN Z COHEN | TRUSTEE, AS REQUIRED | — | — |
| DANIEL G COHEN | TRUSTEE, AS REQUIRED | — | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation maintains a low public profile with no published grant guidelines. It operates a website and accepts donations, but does not maintain a public application process for grant seekers. The foundation is managed by the Cohen family trustees and focuses on discretionary grantmaking to established charitable organizations.
The Arete Foundation launches with inaugural Golf DayRelated Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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