Art Matters Inc
ART MATTERS INC is a private foundation based in New York, New York. It supports artists through grants and fellowships; its website describes its support as no-strings-attached and says its grants are unrestricted.
Key facts about Art Matters Inc
In short: Art Matters Inc gave $297K across 35 grants in 2024 (avg $8K), mostly in New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 13-3271577
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $296,841
- Grants made (2024)
- 35
- Average grant
- $8,481
- Median grant
- $8,000
- Total assets
- $101,361
- Primary geography
- New York (95% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- The 2024 filing lists Abbey Williams as the contact for applications. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- None.
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$101K
-1.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$297K
+28.3% YoY
Grant Count
35
+12.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$8K
+13.7% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Art Matters Inc reported a distributable amount of $7K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
How Art Matters Inc gives
- Giving grew 45% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
Art Matters says it supports artists and collectives addressing urgent social issues and has a longstanding commitment to artist empowerment and freedom of expression. Its history describes early support for individual artists, with some funding for organizations that sponsored or presented new work.
Among the 2024 grantees were Middle East Children’s Alliance, which describes its mission as working for the rights and well-being of children in the Middle East, and Recess Activities Inc, which says it partners with artists and youth to build a more just and equitable creative community. These are the grantees’ stated missions, not Art Matters’ own.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Art Matters reported 35 grants totaling $296,841. Grants ranged from $141 to $24,000, with a median of $8,000. The largest listed award was $24,000 to Xaveria Simmons for a fellowship to create artwork. Gelare Khoshgozaran and Cameron Rowland each received $16,000 for fellowships to create artwork. Other listed fellowship recipients received $8,000 each, including Basel Abbas, Ruanne Abou-Rahme, Lara Aburamadan, Mohamed Abusal, Mahmoud M Alshaer, Leila Awadallah, Jibz Cameron, Patty Chang, and Mel Chin. The foundation also gave $8,000 to Middle East Children’s Alliance and $7,500 to Recess Activities Inc.
Review Cycle
None.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2024, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 5% to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 35 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $205K (2021) to $297K (2024). In 2024 it made 35 grants totaling $297K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Xaveria Simmons ($24K). Together the top 10 received $112K.
Grant Size Distribution
182 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 182 grants of 182 (100%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Xaveria Simmons New York, NY | Fellowship to Create Artwork | $24,000 |
| Gelare Khoshgozaran New York, NY | Fellowship to Create Artwork | $16,000 |
| Cameron Rowland New York, NY | Fellowship to Create Artwork | $16,000 |
| Basel Abbas New York, NY | Fellowship to Create Artwork | $8,000 |
| Ruanne Abou-Rahme New York, NY | Fellowship to Create Artwork | $8,000 |
| Lara Aburamadan New York, NY | Fellowship to Create Artwork | $8,000 |
| Mohamed Abusal New York, NY | Fellowship to Create Artwork | $8,000 |
| Mahmoud M Alshaer New York, NY | Fellowship to Create Artwork | $8,000 |
| Leila Awadallah New York, NY | Fellowship to Create Artwork | $8,000 |
| Jibz Cameron New York, NY | Fellowship to Create Artwork | $8,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $101,361 | $516,167 | $516,994 | $296,841 |
| 2023 | $103,106 | $398,798 | $426,377 | $231,300 |
| 2022 | $126,624 | $415,905 | $429,483 | $232,500 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $101,361 | $103,106 | $126,624 |
| Revenue | $516,167 | $398,798 | $415,905 |
| Expenses | $516,994 | $426,377 | $429,483 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $515,995 | $417,847 | $427,660 |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | $6,609 | $9,342 | $11,842 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Laura Donnelley as chair; Gai Gherardi as president; Alexander Gray and Marianne Weems as vice presidents; Linda Earle as treasurer; and Sacha Yanow as secretary. It also lists Rujeko Hockley, Regine Basha, Mary Beebe, and Demian Dineyazhi as board members.
Art Matters Inc is led by Gai Gherardi, President since 2022 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 21 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Gai Gherardi
President
Vice President → President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laura Donnelley
Chair
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Abbey Williams
Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$75K (2020) → $97K (2024)
Alexander Gray
Vice President
President → Vice President, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Bruce Yonemoto
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Catherine Gund
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cee Scott Brown
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Claire Morton
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Demian Dineyazhi
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julio Cesar Morales
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Laurence Miller
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Linda Earle
Treasurer
Board Member → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lowery Sims
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marianne Weems
Vice President
Board Member → Vice President, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mary Beebe
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mimi Wheeler
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Philip Yenawine
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Regine Basha
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rujeko Hockley
Board Member
Secretary → Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sacha Yanow
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Viet Le
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: David Mendoza (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Yoshua Okon (2020) — Treasurer
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 $97K, to Abbey Williams (Director).
Contact
Application contact: Abbey Williams
Mailing address: PO Box 311 Prince Street Station, New York, NY 10012
Phone: (917) 478-1010
Website: https://www.artmattersfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Art Matters Inc
How much does Art Matters Inc give each year?
Art Matters Inc gave $297K across 35 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $231K across 31 grants.
What is Art Matters Inc's typical grant size?
Art Matters Inc's median grant in 2024 was $8,000, and its average grant was $8,481, across 35 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Art Matters Inc give grants?
Art Matters Inc gives mostly in New York: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (5%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (32 grants).
Does Art Matters Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 3% of Art Matters Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 35) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Fellowship to Create Artwork" (33 grants).
Who are Art Matters Inc's largest grantees?
Art Matters Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Xaveria Simmons ($24,000), Gelare Khoshgozaran ($16,000) and Cameron Rowland ($16,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 19% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Art Matters Inc?
Art Matters Inc reported $101K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $516K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $7K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Art Matters Inc fund?
Art Matters says it supports artists and collectives addressing urgent social issues and has a longstanding commitment to artist empowerment and freedom of expression. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Art Matters Inc?
The 2024 filing lists Abbey Williams as the contact for applications. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Art Matters Inc's EIN?
Art Matters Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3271577. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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