Cotsen Foundation for the Art
The Cotsen Foundation for the Art of Teaching is a private foundation established in 1984 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) entity with a staff of 19 employees and maintains total assets of $259,058,588 as of June 2023.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$278.0M
+7.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$8.3M
+33.0% YoY
Grant Count
42
-14.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$198K
+55.2% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Cotsen Foundation for the Art reported a distributable amount of $12.9M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to transform good teachers into great teachers through coaching and mentoring programs. The foundation provides grants to schools and districts to support the Art of Teaching mentoring program, which offers two-year fellowships to groups of 5-7 teachers at selected schools.
Grantmaking
The foundation maintains an active grantmaking program focused on supporting mentor programs in schools and districts. Recent grant recipients include:
Grant Range
of approximately $10,000-$12,000. The foundation does not accept applications.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation's grantmaking is primarily concentrated in California, with additional activity in New York and Texas. The majority of grants support school districts throughout Southern California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of June 2023:
- Total Assets: $259,058,588
- Total Revenues: $21,798,734
- Total Expenses: $14,432,946
- Total Grants and Contributions: $13,536,409
- Investment Income and Dividends: $4,807,480
- Number of Employees: 19
Recent Giving Activity:
- 2023: $6,262,409 in total giving across 47 grants
- 2022: $4,600,000 in total giving across 46 grants
- 2021: $5,000,000 in total giving across 52 grants
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $277,978,128 | $259,058,588 | $241,202,173 |
| Revenue | $11,923,052 | $21,798,734 | $12,239,276 |
| Expenses | $15,881,461 | $14,432,946 | $12,305,320 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $13,890,044 | $11,377,383 | $9,507,829 |
| Net Investment Income | $5,946,672 | $7,018,792 | $8,325,418 |
| Distributable Amount | $12,942,729 | $11,769,968 | $12,380,700 |
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
230 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Los Angeles Unified School District ($1,564,993), Santa Monica-malibu Unified School Dist ($755,156), Norwalk-la Mirada Unified School Dist ($752,988).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT LOS ANGELES, CA | MENTOR PROGRAM | $1,564,993 |
| SANTA MONICA-MALIBU UNIFIED SCHOOL DIST SANTA MONICA, CA | MENTOR PROGRAM | $755,156 |
| NORWALK-LA MIRADA UNIFIED SCHOOL DIST NORWALK, CA | MENTOR PROGRAM | $752,988 |
| LONG BEACH UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT LONG BEACH, CA | MENTOR PROGRAM | $743,608 |
| BUENA PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT BUENA PARK, CA | MENTOR PROGRAM | $635,943 |
| FULLERTON SCHOOL DISTRICT FULLERTON, CA | MENTOR PROGRAM | $563,377 |
| CENTRALIA SCHOOL DISTRICT BUENA PARK, CA | MENTOR PROGRAM | $458,672 |
| WHITTIER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT WHITTIER, CA | MENTOR PROGRAM | $420,013 |
| WALNUT VALLEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT WALNUT, CA | MENTOR PROGRAM | $411,969 |
| POMONA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT POMONA, CA | MENTOR PROGRAM | $396,010 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Barry Munitz - President
- Jerold Harris - Executive Director
- Kamyab Hashemi Nejad - Chief Financial Officer
- Cindy Bak - Assistant Director
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BARRY MUNITZ | PRESIDENT/CEO | 35 | $290,416 |
| JEROLD HARRIS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $240,306 |
| KAMYAB HASHEMI-NEJAD | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $280,761 |
| JOLIE GODOY | CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER | 40 | $216,186 |
| JONATHAN VICTOR | BOARD CHAIR | 1 | — |
| STEVEN KOBLIK | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| LUCIA LAGUARDA | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| STEVEN LAVINE | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| LESLIE LOCKHART | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
| CHARLES STANISH | BOARD MEMBER | 1 | — |
Contact Information
Address: 12100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 520, Los Angeles, CA 90025-7140
Phone: 310-826-0504
Website: www.cotsen.org
Email: info@cotsen.org
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Cotsen Foundation for the Art fund?
The foundation's mission is to transform good teachers into great teachers through coaching and mentoring programs. The foundation provides grants to schools and districts to support the Art of Teaching mentoring program, which offers two-year fellowships to groups of 5-7 teachers at selected schools.
How do I apply for a grant from Cotsen Foundation for the Art?
The foundation maintains an active grantmaking program focused on supporting mentor programs in schools and districts. Recent grant recipients include: • Los Angeles Unified School District: $1,600,000 (Mentor Program) • Buena Park School District: $592,000 (Mentor Program) • Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District: $590,000 (Mentor Program) • Fullerton School District: $550,000 (Mentor Program) • Long Beach Unified School District: $541,000 (Mentor Program) • Rowland Unified School District:…
Where does Cotsen Foundation for the Art make grants?
The foundation's grantmaking is primarily concentrated in California, with additional activity in New York and Texas. The majority of grants support school districts throughout Southern California.
What size grants does Cotsen Foundation for the Art award?
In 2024, Cotsen Foundation for the Art awarded 42 grants totaling $8.3M — an average of about $198K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Cotsen Foundation for the Art required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Cotsen Foundation for the Art reported a distributable amount of $12.9M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
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 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Cotsen Foundation for the Art's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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