Ascap Foundation
The ASCAP Foundation is a public charity based in New York, New York, formed in 1975. It supports music education, scholarships and awards, composer and songwriter development, and humanitarian programs serving the music community.
Ascap Foundation at a glance
In short: Ascap Foundation gave $113K across 10 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), top state New York. 10% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $113,364
- -12.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 10
- -9.1% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $11,336
- -3.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,664
- Total assets
- $17,528,884
- +21.2% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 10% first-time grantees (1 of 10, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (46% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Ascap Foundation
- How to Apply
-
The filing describes an annual application or renewal process for grantees and year-end reporting requirements.
- Contact
Mailing address: 250 West 57Th Street, New York, NY 10107
Phone: (212) 621-6063
Website: https://ascapfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
14 open opportunities from Ascap Foundation
Alan & Marilyn Bergman Lyric Award
Ascap Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards Grant
Ascap Foundation
Amount
Up to US $4,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
HBCU Scholarship
Ascap Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Ascap Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was New Orleans Arts and Cultural Host Committee Inc Louis Satchmo Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp ($18K). Together the top 10 received $113K.
Grant Size Distribution
51 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 51 grants of 51 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars were distributed among recipients in New York (46%), California (17%), Louisiana (16%), Colorado (13%), and Tennessee (9%). These figures describe the locations of that year’s recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Ascap Foundation open to new grantees?
10%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 1 of 10 grantees (10%) were first-time recipients. With only 10 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 10 points. First grants averaged $7K; repeat grants $12K. How we count
Medians: $7K first-time, $11K repeat.
- 90% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (+19%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 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 $82K (2020) to $136K (2023). In 2025 it made 10 grants totaling $113K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Arts and Cultural Host Committee Inc Louis Satchmo Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp New Orleans, LA | Grant to support Summer Jazz Camp. | $18,000 |
| Jazzmobile New York, NY | Grant to support Saturday Jazz Workshop progam. | $15,000 |
| Alfred Music Publishing Company Louisville, CO | Educational music books and folios are provided to various schools across the country for students in their music programs. | $15,000 |
| Theatre Direct NY Inc New York, NY | The Children will Listen program was established to introduce students to musical theatre. Educational materials are provided to the teachers to discuss elements of a live musical theatre production. Premium Broadway theatre tickets are provided and a talk back after the performance allows the students to participate in a Q & A with the performers and creative teams after the show. In 2025, 45 tickets were provided to see & Juliet on Broadway as well as 40 tickets to see Beetlejuice on Broadway. | $11,586 |
| Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Berverly Hills, CA | Venue and related expenses to host the ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Festival and The ASCAP Foundation Librettist workshop. These programs are provided free of charge and assist in the education and talent development of emerging musical theatre composers and writers. | $11,327 |
| Rosie's Theatre Kids Inc New York, NY | Grant to support Musical Theatre songwriting program at Rosie's Theatre. | $10,000 |
| SongwritingWith Inc Songwriting With Soldliers Nashville, TN | Grant to support Songwriting with Soldiers songwriting retreat. | $10,000 |
| Philharmonic Symphony Society of NY Inc dba New York Philharmonic New York, NY | Grant to support the Very Young Composers program at the New York Philharmonic. | $8,000 |
| Center Theatre Group of LA Los Angeles, CA | As part of the Children will Listen program, 55 students and chaperones were provide to see Old Friends in Los Angeles and participate in an introduction to musical theatre and attend a talk back with performers and creatives of the production. | $7,451 |
| Rhinebeck Writers Retreat Inc Staatsburg, NY | Grant to support 2025 Musical Theatre Writers retreat. | $7,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Ascap Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $17,528,884 | $3,284,932 | $1,376,076 | $113,364 | 10 | $1,005,125 |
| 2024 | $14,463,514 | $2,516,540 | $1,492,838 | $129,026 | 11 | $634,278 |
| 2023 | $12,680,340 | $2,523,948 | $1,796,779 | $135,666 | 12 | $70,043 |
| 2022 | $10,632,719 | $1,913,648 | $1,324,923 | $95,451 | 8 | $435,645 |
| 2021 | $12,313,289 | $2,347,991 | $1,197,699 | $108,998 | 10 | $1,018,858 |
| 2020 | $10,945,196 | $1,380,701 | $1,275,129 | $82,000 | 7 | $300,422 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s 2025 filing describes three main areas of work: scholarships, awards, and composer programs; music education and community outreach; and talent development. It also supports humanitarian programs, including music therapy programs for veterans with PTSD, people with aphasia, and students on the autism spectrum.
In its filing, the Foundation reported scholarships for 38 recipients, awards for 90 composers and lyricists, support for 17 music education or development programs, and talent development activities that included 12 workshops, three commissioning programs, and sponsorship of nine talent development programs.
Its 2025 grants illustrate support for music education and performance, songwriting and musical theatre development, and programs for emerging composers. Among the grantees, Jazzmobile describes its mission as presenting, preserving, promoting, and propagating jazz through performance and education. SongwritingWith says it uses collaborative songwriting to build creativity, connection, and strengths. Rhinebeck Writers Retreat describes its mission as providing a sanctuary for musical theatre writers to develop musicals and promoting awareness of the art form.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 10 grants totaling $113,364. Grants ranged from $7,000 to $18,000, with a median of $10,664. Notable awards included $18,000 to New Orleans Arts and Cultural Host Committee for a summer jazz camp; $15,000 each to Jazzmobile for its Saturday Jazz Workshop and Alfred Music Publishing Company for educational music books and folios; and $11,586 to Theatre Direct NY for its Children Will Listen musical theatre program.
Other 2025 grants included $11,327 to Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts for venue and related expenses for musical theatre programs; $10,000 each to Rosie’s Theatre Kids for a musical theatre songwriting program and SongwritingWith for a songwriting retreat; $8,000 to Philharmonic Symphony Society of NY for the Very Young Composers program; $7,451 to Center Theatre Group of LA for a Children Will Listen program visit; and $7,000 to Rhinebeck Writers Retreat for its musical theatre writers retreat.
The Foundation’s filing says grantees must apply for a grant or renewal annually and submit a year-end report explaining how funds were used and how many people the program reached. Its Director of Programs follows up during the year to check that funds are used in accordance with the application and the Foundation’s mission. Scholarships require school or conservatory registration and are paid directly to the institution; the filing also says individual grants include awards that must meet certain criteria.
The Foundation’s website lists awards and scholarships for individuals, including the Jay Gorney Award, the Joe Raposo Children’s Music Award, the Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards, and the Leiber & Stoller Scholarship for Songwriters. These are participant awards or scholarships, rather than grants to outside organizations. The Leiber & Stoller page lists a May 21, 2026 application deadline; that date has passed.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Joan Hill as Senior Director of Finance and Administration; Paul Williams as President; Irwin Robinson as Vice President; Dean Kay as Treasurer; and Alex Shapiro as Secretary. Directors listed were Charles Bernstein, Bruce Broughton, Tita Cahn, Desmond Child, and Dan Foliart.
Ascap Foundation is led by Paul Williams, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 22 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Paul Williams
President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nicole George-Middleton
Executive Director
Executive Director - → Executive Director, 2022
On filings since 2021
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Bruce Broughton
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Charles Bernstein
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dan Foliart
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Desmond Child
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Doug Wood
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James Kendrick
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
James McBride
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joan Hill
Senior Director of Finance & Administration
Director of Finance & Administration → Senior Director of Finance & Administration, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Marcus Miller
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Price
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Lewis
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Roger McNulty
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Stephen Schwartz
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tita Cahn
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Valerie Simpson
Director
On filings since 2020
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Betsy Perez
Director
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tania Leon
Director
On filings since 2021
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alex Shapiro
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dean Kay
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Irwin Robinson
Vice President
On filings since 2020
0.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (8)
- Former: Heather Lynn (2022–2024) — Senior Director, Development & Fundraising
- Former: Geoffry Sargeant (2020–2023) — Director -
- Former: Robert Kimball (2020–2023) — Director -
- Former: Arthur Hamilton (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Colleen McDonough (2020–2021) — Executive Director - Retired
- Former: Ginny Mancini (2020–2021) — Secretary -
- Former: Jason Mraz (2020) — Director -
- Former: Johnny Mandel (2020) — Director -
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.
Frequently asked questions about Ascap Foundation
How much does Ascap Foundation give each year?
Ascap Foundation gave $113K across 10 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $129K across 11 grants.
What is Ascap Foundation's typical grant size?
Ascap Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $10,664, and its average grant was $11,336, across 10 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Ascap Foundation that year got $7K on average.
Where does Ascap Foundation give grants?
Ascap Foundation's top state is New York, with 46% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (17%) and Louisiana (16%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (4 grants).
Does Ascap Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Ascap Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Ascap Foundation's largest grantees?
Ascap Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include New Orleans Arts and Cultural Host Committee Inc Louis Satchmo Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp ($18,000), Jazzmobile ($15,000) and Alfred Music Publishing Company ($15,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Ascap Foundation?
Ascap Foundation reported $17.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.3M.
What does Ascap Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s 2025 filing describes three main areas of work: scholarships, awards, and composer programs; music education and community outreach; and talent development. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Ascap Foundation?
The filing describes an annual application or renewal process for grantees and year-end reporting requirements. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Ascap Foundation's EIN?
Ascap Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-0181769. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 12, 2021)
- 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)
- 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 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Ascap Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Ascap Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/ascap-foundation-morg_b7ff79dc53e04c229d91de91e2998691
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_510181769_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Ascap Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/ascap-foundation-morg_b7ff79dc53e04c229d91de91e2998691},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Ascap Foundation'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.
Ascap Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?