Cotsen Foundation for the Art
The Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING is a private foundation based in Los Angeles, California. It funds fellowships and grants to support its ART of TEACHING mentoring program and elementary schools in California.
Cotsen Foundation for the Art at a glance
In short: Cotsen Foundation for the Art gave $8.5M across 44 grants in 2025 (avg $192K), mostly in California. 12% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $8,469,098
- +1.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 44
- +4.8% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $192,480
- -2.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $289,846,799
- +4.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 12% first-time grantees (5 of 42, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (99% 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 Cotsen Foundation for the Art
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Invitation Only
-
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Participation in the ART of TEACHING is by invitation; the foundation describes a screening process requiring school and district support. For grants for its network, eligible participants apply through the foundation’s application process and need a Blackbaud user account. The website says it accepts those applications daily, without deadlines, and that applicants can expect a response within two weeks.
- Contact
Mailing address: 12100 Wilshire Boulevard Suite 520, Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: (310) 826-0504
Website: https://cotsen.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Cotsen Foundation for the Art funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Los Angeles Unified School District ($1.6M). Together the top 10 received $6.7M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($162,944), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
224 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 148 grants of 224 (66%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation’s 2025 grants were concentrated in California: 99% of grant dollars went to recipients in the state. Its website says it funds fellowships and grants to elementary schools in California and that it is currently working with schools and districts in Southern California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 44 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Cotsen Foundation for the Art open to new grantees?
12%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 5 of 42 grantees (12%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $56K; repeat grants $217K. How we count
Medians: $17K first-time, $15K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 101% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 112% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF 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 $3.7M (2019) to $8.5M (2025). In 2025 it made 44 grants totaling $8.5M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Unified School District Los Angeles, CA | Mentor Program | $1,647,898 |
| Walnut Valley Unified School District Walnut, CA | Mentor Program | $739,790 |
| Long Beach Unified School District Long Beach, CA | Mentor Program | $690,999 |
| Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District Norwalk, CA | Mentor Program | $661,422 |
| Centralia School District Buena Park, CA | Mentor Program | $635,316 |
| Fullerton School District Fullerton, CA | Mentor Program | $532,192 |
| Fountain Valley School District Fountain Valley, CA | Mentor Program | $500,497 |
| Pomona Unified School District Pomona, CA | Mentor Program | $461,178 |
| Buena Park School District Buena Park, CA | Mentor Program | $446,580 |
| Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Santa Monica, CA | Mentor Program | $390,146 |
Ready to take the next step with Cotsen Foundation for the Art?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $289,846,799 | $17,927,275 | $15,932,607 | $8,469,098 | 44 | $14,169,415 | $11,988,006 | $12,614,678 |
| 2024 | $277,978,128 | $11,923,052 | $15,881,461 | $8,329,566 | 42 | $13,890,044 | $5,946,672 | $12,942,729 |
| 2023 | $259,058,588 | $21,798,734 | $14,432,946 | $6,262,409 | 49 | $11,377,383 | $7,018,792 | $11,769,968 |
| 2022 | $241,202,173 | $12,239,276 | $12,305,320 | $4,222,461 | 42 | $9,507,829 | $8,325,418 | $12,380,700 |
| 2021 | $271,434,245 | $25,058,997 | $10,681,642 | $4,739,566 | 47 | — | $7,417,511 | $11,750,807 |
| 2020 | $215,796,611 | $12,043,651 | $10,514,763 | $5,123,507 | 53 | — | $11,925,356 | $8,511,200 |
| 2019 | $227,949,888 | $22,861,314 | $8,024,157 | $3,693,239 | 62 | — | $3,737,932 | $7,109,873 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cotsen Foundation for the Art reported a distributable amount of $12.6M 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 foundation’s mission is to transform good teachers into great teachers through coaching and mentoring. Its ART of TEACHING program is an intensive, two-year mentor and fellowship program for selected teachers at participating schools.
The foundation’s grants are intended to promote artful teaching and learning and support educational practices such as teaching for understanding and independence, student engagement, rigorous thinking, and problem-solving. Its website describes grant projects as content-based, collaborative, research- and data-driven professional learning.
Among the 2025 recipients, Los Angeles Unified School District received a grant designated for a mentor program. The LAUSD Education Foundation describes its own mission as supporting the district’s pursuit of equitable learning and helping bring private-sector expertise and resources to targeted district programs and learning opportunities. Fullerton School District also received a mentor-program grant; the Fullerton Education Foundation describes its own mission as advancing educational technology within the district. Other 2025 recipients included Whittier City School District, Tustin Unified School District, The Acme Network, the Society for American Archaeology, Israel-America Academic Exchange, and Gabriella Charter Schools. Their missions are their own and do not necessarily describe the purpose of their Cotsen grants.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 44 grants totaling $8,469,098. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $1,647,898, with a median of $15,000. The largest reported grants were to Los Angeles Unified School District ($1,647,898), Walnut Valley Unified School District ($739,790), Long Beach Unified School District ($690,999), Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District ($661,422), and Centralia School District ($635,316); each was designated for a mentor program.
The foundation’s website describes additional grants for its network of current and alumni mentors and fellows, as well as principals and administrators at Cotsen-affiliated schools and districts. Listed opportunities include alumni strategic opportunity, study, conference, and classroom library grants; a family engagement grant; and a teaching and learning tools grant. Its Alumni Strategic Opportunity Grant offers up to $10,000 for an individual school and requires the principal’s direct involvement and participation by at least half the staff, or by all upper or all lower grades.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Barry Munitz as President/CEO, Jerold Harris as Executive Director, Kamyab Hashemi-Nejad as Chief Financial Officer, and Jolie Godoy as Chief Administrative Officer. Jonathan Victor is listed as Board Chair. Board members listed are Steven Koblik, Lucia Laguarda, Steven Lavine, Leslie Lockhart, and Charles Stanish.
Cotsen Foundation for the Art is led by Barry Munitz, President & CEO on every filing since 2019; 4 of 10 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Barry Munitz
President & CEO
On filings since 2019
35 hrs/week
$143K (2019) → $302K (2025)
Jerold Harris
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$192K (2019) → $250K (2025)
Jonathan Victor
Board Chair
Board Member → Board Chair, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kamyab Hashemi-Nejad
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$108K (2021) → $292K (2025)
Jolie Godoy
Chief Administrative Officer
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$166K (2022) → $187K (2025)
Lucia Laguarda
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven Koblik
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven Lavine
Board Member
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Charles Stanish
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leslie Lockhart
Board Member
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Gary Hart (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Margit Cotsen (2019–2021) — Founding Director
- Former: Peggy Funkhouser (2019–2021) — Board Member
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 $302K, to Barry Munitz (President/CEO). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Cotsen Foundation for the Art
How much does Cotsen Foundation for the Art give each year?
Cotsen Foundation for the Art gave $8.5M across 44 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $8.3M across 42 grants.
What is Cotsen Foundation for the Art's typical grant size?
Cotsen Foundation for the Art's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $192,480, across 44 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Cotsen Foundation for the Art that year got $56K on average.
Where does Cotsen Foundation for the Art give grants?
Cotsen Foundation for the Art gives mostly in California: 99% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Los Angeles, CA (8 grants), Buena Park, CA (2 grants), Whittier, CA (2 grants) and Santa Monica, CA (2 grants).
Does Cotsen Foundation for the Art give general operating support?
Yes: 27% of Cotsen Foundation for the Art's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (12 of 44) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Mentor Program" (20 grants).
Who are Cotsen Foundation for the Art's largest grantees?
Cotsen Foundation for the Art's largest 2025 grantees include Los Angeles Unified School District ($1,647,898), Walnut Valley Unified School District ($739,790) and Long Beach Unified School District ($690,999), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($162,944), which are not listed by name. Together they received 36% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Cotsen Foundation for the Art?
Cotsen Foundation for the Art reported $289.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $14.2M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $12.6M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Cotsen Foundation for the Art fund?
The foundation’s mission is to transform good teachers into great teachers through coaching and mentoring. Its ART of TEACHING program is an intensive, two-year mentor and fellowship program for selected teachers at participating schools. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Cotsen Foundation for the Art?
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Cotsen Foundation for the Art's EIN?
Cotsen Foundation for the Art's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-3953038. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Cotsen Foundation for the Art 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
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 12, 2026)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 1, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 13, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 22, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 14, 2024)
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Cotsen Foundation for the Art funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/cotsen-foundation-for-the-art-morg_ca1daca4245e4f92b115a5da9b8a9183
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_953953038_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Cotsen Foundation for the Art funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/cotsen-foundation-for-the-art-morg_ca1daca4245e4f92b115a5da9b8a9183},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 Cotsen Foundation for the Art'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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