Deborah Buck Foundation
The Deborah Buck Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Founded in 2018, it supports institutions working to empower women in the fine arts, with an interest in cultural entities that advance artistic excellence and critical thinking by women.
Deborah Buck Foundation at a glance
In short: Deborah Buck Foundation gave $285K across 13 grants in 2024 (avg $22K), mostly in New York. 31% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $284,500
- +8.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 13
- +0.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $21,885
- +8.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $25,000
- Total assets
- $4,082,049
- +20.3% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 31% first-time grantees (4 of 13, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (74% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Deborah Buck Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations.
- Contact
Mailing address: 14 East 90Th Street 9A, New York, NY 10128
Phone: (212) 410-7432
Website: https://deborahbuckfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Deborah Buck Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Pen and Brush ($30K). Together the top 10 received $250K.
Grant Size Distribution
66 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 65 grants of 66 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation is based in New York, NY. In 2024, 74% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York, 11% to recipients in Washington, DC, 9% to recipients in New Mexico, and 7% to recipients in Colorado.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Deborah Buck Foundation open to new grantees?
31%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 4 of 13 grantees (31%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $21K; repeat grants $23K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $20K repeat.
- 54% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2021 to 2024 (+11%). Method
- In 2024 it paid out 117% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $102K (2020) to $285K (2024). In 2024 it made 13 grants totaling $285K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Pen and Brush New York, NY | To Support Female Artists & Writers | $30,000 |
| Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture New York, NY | To Support Painting Educational Programs | $30,000 |
| Oceana Inc Washington, DC | To Preserve Ocean Life | $30,000 |
| The Brooklyn Rail Inc Brooklyn, NY | To Support Independent Forum for Arts | $25,000 |
| The Sculpture Center Inc Long Island City, NY | To support the commission and exhibition of contemporary sculpture. | $25,000 |
| Site Sante Fe Sante Fe, NM | To Support Contemporary Creative Expression | $25,000 |
| Heckscher Museum Huntington, NY | To Support the Museum | $25,000 |
| Clyfford Still Museum Denver, CO | To Advance Clyfford Still's Art and Legacy | $20,000 |
| New Art Publications Brooklyn, NY | To Support Bomb Magazine. | $20,000 |
| On This Spot NYC Inc New York, NY | To Support Pioneering Women Artists | $20,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $4,082,049 | $1,658,344 | $307,662 | $284,500 | 13 | $284,500 | $857,995 | $243,836 |
| 2023 | $3,393,911 | $218,305 | $275,334 | $261,900 | 13 | $261,900 | $209,280 | $226,443 |
| 2022 | $3,450,940 | $499,010 | $250,839 | $217,400 | 14 | $217,400 | $465,571 | $219,382 |
| 2021 | $3,202,769 | $2,530,051 | $267,161 | $256,952 | 14 | $256,952 | $1,023,365 | $239,278 |
| 2020 | $2,182,389 | $1,175,566 | $113,385 | $101,587 | 12 | — | $32,981 | $185,383 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Deborah Buck Foundation reported a distributable amount of $244K for 2024 — 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 says it seeks to encourage women’s voices in the cultural landscape. Its 2024 grants illustrate support for arts organizations and cultural institutions. For example, Pen and Brush describes its work as showcasing female artists and writers and mentoring emerging professionals; On This Spot NYC describes a project documenting the artistic legacy of New York women; and The Brooklyn Rail describes coverage of contemporary visual art alongside other cultural work.
Other 2024 recipients describe missions that include supporting contemporary sculpture and independent thought (The Sculpture Center), creating opportunities for people to experience art (Heckscher Museum), and publishing artist-generated material (New Art Publications, which publishes BOMB Magazine).
Grantmaking
In 2024, the foundation made 13 grants totaling $284,500. Grants ranged from $2,000 to $30,000, with a median of $25,000.
Notable 2024 grants included $30,000 each to Pen and Brush, Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, and Oceana Inc; $25,000 each to The Brooklyn Rail, The Sculpture Center, SITE SANTE FE, and Heckscher Museum; and $20,000 each to Clyfford Still Museum, New Art Publications, and On This Spot NYC.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Deborah Buck as president and D Ben Benoit as treasurer.
Deborah Buck Foundation is led by Deborah Buck, President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Deborah Buck
President
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
D. Ben Benoit
Treasurer
On filings since 2023
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Deborah Buck Foundation
How much does Deborah Buck Foundation give each year?
Deborah Buck Foundation gave $285K across 13 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $262K across 13 grants.
What is Deborah Buck Foundation's typical grant size?
Deborah Buck Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $25,000, and its average grant was $21,885, across 13 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Deborah Buck Foundation that year got $21K on average.
Where does Deborah Buck Foundation give grants?
Deborah Buck Foundation gives mostly in New York: 74% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were District of Columbia (11%) and New Mexico (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (6 grants) and Brooklyn, NY (2 grants).
Does Deborah Buck Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 13 grants with a stated purpose on Deborah Buck Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Deborah Buck Foundation's largest grantees?
Deborah Buck Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include Pen and Brush ($30,000), Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture ($30,000) and Oceana Inc ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 32% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Deborah Buck Foundation?
Deborah Buck Foundation reported $4.1M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $285K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $244K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Deborah Buck Foundation fund?
The foundation says it seeks to encourage women’s voices in the cultural landscape. Its 2024 grants illustrate support for arts organizations and cultural institutions. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Deborah Buck Foundation?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds and states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Deborah Buck Foundation's EIN?
Deborah Buck Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 83-1897377. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Deborah Buck Foundation 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Deborah Buck Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 15, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/deborah-buck-foundation-morg_6be84015abfa4897a51209d730270f08
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_831897377_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Deborah Buck Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/deborah-buck-foundation-morg_6be84015abfa4897a51209d730270f08},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-15. 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 Deborah Buck 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.
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