Arts Equity & Education Fund
Arts, Equity, & Education Fund is a private foundation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Established in 2017, it supports arts and education in the Greater Pittsburgh region, with its stated goals including amplifying systemic change and supporting historically underfunded communities.
Arts Equity & Education Fund at a glance
In short: Arts Equity & Education Fund gave $558K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $20K), mostly in Pennsylvania. 15% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $557,500
- +0.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- -6.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $19,911
- +7.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $6,286,004
- -4.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 15% first-time grantees (4 of 27, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (95% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Arts Equity & Education Fund
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The fund’s 2025 filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. The filing lists Dawn N. Fleischner as the contact, says there is no prescribed form or set deadline, and restricts grants to organizations authorized to carry on charitable, religious, scientific, literary, or educational activities.
- Review Cycle
- The 2025 filing lists no deadline. The fund’s website says its next open grant cycle will commence in February 2027.
- Deadline
- The 2025 filing lists no deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: Dawn N Fleischner
Mailing address: PO Box 81068, Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Phone: (412) 760-6992
Website: https://aeefund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Arts Equity & Education Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra ($75K). Together the top 10 received $343K.
Grant Size Distribution
137 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 125 grants of 137 (91%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The fund’s website prioritizes giving in Greater Pittsburgh. In filing year 2025, 95% of grant dollars went to recipients in Pennsylvania, 4% to California, and less than 1% to New York. Listed recipients also included organizations in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Valencia, California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Arts Equity & Education Fund open to new grantees?
15%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 4 of 27 grantees (15%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $14K; repeat grants $20K. How we count
Medians: $12K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 63% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+4%). Method
- In 2025 it paid out 146% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $523K (2020) to $591K (2021). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $558K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Pittsburgh, PA | Support of Administrative Costs | $75,000 |
| Carnegie Museums Pittsburgh, PA | Support of Artistic Programming | $50,000 |
| Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Pitttsburgh, PA | Support of the Scholarship Fund | $35,000 |
| The Ellis School Pittsburgh, PA | Support of Financial Aid Program | $30,000 |
| Kelly Strayhorn Theater Pittsburgh, PA | Support of Administrative Costs | $27,500 |
| Allentown Symphony Association Allentown, PA | Musician in Residence Program | $25,000 |
| Brew House Association Pittsburgh, PA | Support of Artistic Programming | $25,000 |
| California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA | Support of Administrative Costs and Operations | $25,000 |
| Matress Factory Pittsburgh, PA | Support of Artistic Programming | $25,000 |
| New Hazlett Theater Center for Performing Arts Pittsburgh, PA | Support of the Resident Company Model | $25,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Arts Equity & Education Fund?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The fund reported 28 grants in 2025, 30 in 2024, and 31 in 2023.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6,286,004 | $568,922 | $876,837 | $557,500 | 28 | $814,455 | $527,905 | $558,409 |
| 2024 | $6,589,787 | $1,007,465 | $780,979 | $555,600 | 30 | $737,898 | $966,305 | $540,329 |
| 2023 | $6,363,752 | $877,849 | $741,121 | $551,500 | 31 | $615,483 | $138,227 | $504,469 |
| 2022 | $6,234,418 | $383,245 | $717,488 | $538,500 | 25 | $597,828 | $225,168 | $479,484 |
| 2021 | $6,560,781 | $404,643 | $672,936 | $590,500 | 23 | $632,676 | $364,383 | $542,846 |
| 2020 | $6,829,074 | $1,690,104 | $570,538 | $522,825 | 22 | — | $382,634 | $437,401 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Arts Equity & Education Fund reported a distributable amount of $558K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The fund’s website identifies capacity building, exhibitions and performances, fellowships and residencies, publications and documentation, and scholarships among its grantmaking areas. It describes capacity building as support for the sustainability and effectiveness of professional arts organizations or independent schools, including work on fundraising, marketing, or strategic planning. It also supports presentations of artistic work and professional arts organizations hosting fellowships or residencies.
The fund says applicants must be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or have a valid fiscal sponsorship agreement. Its 2025 grantees included organizations with varied missions: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre describes its work as presenting ballet, training student dancers, and providing education and community engagement; The Ellis School is an independent college-preparatory school for girls; and Center of Life describes its work as strengthening families, children, and youth in underserved Pittsburgh-area neighborhoods through education, training, and other resources.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the fund reported 28 grants totaling $557,500. Awards ranged from $625 to $75,000, with a median of $15,000. Notable grants included $75,000 to Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for administrative costs, $50,000 to Carnegie Museums for artistic programming, $35,000 to Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre for its scholarship fund, and $30,000 to The Ellis School for its financial aid program. Other 2025 grants included $25,000 to Allentown Symphony Association for a musician-in-residence program and $25,000 to California Institute of the Arts for administrative costs and operations.
The fund’s website says it will move to one annual open grant cycle each spring. It states that the next open cycle will commence in February 2027 and that an announcement about the first round of multi-year grants is expected in fall 2026.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Christopher C. Fleischner as president, Dawn N. Fleischner as chairman of the board, and Karla Stallworth as executive director.
Arts Equity & Education Fund is led by Karla Stallworth, Executive Director on every filing since 2022; 2 of 3 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Karla Stallworth
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$80K (2022) → $95K (2025)
Christopher C. Fleischner
President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dawn N. Fleischner
Chairman of the Board
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
$33K (2025)
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "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 $95K, to Karla Stallworth (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Arts Equity & Education Fund
How much does Arts Equity & Education Fund give each year?
Arts Equity & Education Fund gave $558K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $556K across 30 grants.
What is Arts Equity & Education Fund's typical grant size?
Arts Equity & Education Fund's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $19,911, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Arts Equity & Education Fund that year got $14K on average.
Where does Arts Equity & Education Fund give grants?
Arts Equity & Education Fund gives mostly in Pennsylvania: 95% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Pittsburgh, PA (22 grants).
Does Arts Equity & Education Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on Arts Equity & Education Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Support of Artistic Programming" (11 grants) and "Support of Administrative Costs" (7 grants).
Who are Arts Equity & Education Fund's largest grantees?
Arts Equity & Education Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra ($75,000), Carnegie Museums ($50,000) and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre ($35,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Arts Equity & Education Fund?
Arts Equity & Education Fund reported $6.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $814K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $558K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Arts Equity & Education Fund fund?
The fund’s website identifies capacity building, exhibitions and performances, fellowships and residencies, publications and documentation, and scholarships among its grantmaking areas. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Arts Equity & Education Fund?
The fund’s 2025 filing states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Arts Equity & Education Fund's EIN?
Arts Equity & Education Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 82-3746641. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Arts Equity & Education Fund 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
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 29, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Arts Equity & Education Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Arts Equity & Education Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/arts-equity-and-education-fund-morg_7cff26b8dcb844efadf4e6c21399d292
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_823746641_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Arts Equity \& Education Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/arts-equity-and-education-fund-morg_7cff26b8dcb844efadf4e6c21399d292},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. 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 Arts Equity & Education Fund'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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