Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation
The Edward C. and Ann T. Roberts Foundation is a private foundation based in West Hartford, Connecticut. Established in 1964, it supports the arts in the Greater Hartford area, with a stated commitment to funding the arts for arts’ sake and to supporting exceptional aesthetic experiences.
Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation at a glance
In short: Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation gave $394K across 37 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in Connecticut. 9% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $393,500
- -9.4% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 37
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,635
- -9.4% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,000
- Total assets
- $6,018,232
- -1.7% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 9% first-time grantees (3 of 35, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Connecticut (100% 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 Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests. Its website instructs first-time applicants to contact the foundation before applying; they may be asked to submit a letter of inquiry before being invited to submit a full application. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) organizations, are generally limited to one application per calendar year, and must have a final report on any previous grant on file before another request is considered. After several successive years of grants, an organization may be asked to take a year off. The application materials include organizational and project information, budgets and financial documents, a board list, IRS determination letter, and—where applicable—artist CV, statement, and work samples.
- Review Cycle
- The 2026 Excellence in the Arts application deadlines are February 2, May 1, August 3, and November 2.
- Deadline
- The 2026 Excellence in the Arts application deadlines are February 2, May 1, August 3, and November 2.
- Contact
Application contact: Lisa M Curran
Mailing address: PO Box 271588, West Hartford, CT 06127-1588
Phone: (860) 233-0228
Website: https://therobertsfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation
Who Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Theaterworks ($50K across 2 grants). Together the top 10 received $212K.
Grant Size Distribution
178 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 172 grants of 178 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation limits Excellence in the Arts funding to organizations located in Hartford County and gives priority to arts nonprofits in Hartford, Bloomfield, East Hartford, Farmington, New Britain, Newington, South Windsor, West Hartford, Wethersfield, and Windsor. Organizations in contiguous towns may be considered and are advised to discuss eligibility with the executive director. All 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in Connecticut.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 37 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation open to new grantees?
9%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 35 grantees (9%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $15K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 74% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving fell 34% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 121% 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 $365K (2019) to $600K (2022). In 2025 it made 37 grants totaling $394K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Hartford Stage Hartford, CT | Funding to Support Christmas with Hartford Chorale Concert | $25,000 |
| Hartford Symphony Orchestra Hartford, CT | Funding to support the 2025 paul brown monday night jazz series | $25,000 |
| Stowe Center for Literary Activism Hartford, CT | Funding to support the 2025 ct lgbtq film festival | $25,000 |
| Theaterworks Hartford, CT | Funding to Support the David Jackson Exhibit | $25,000 |
| Theaterworks Hartford, CT | Funding to support the production of the cannibals of Mcgower county | $25,000 |
| Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz Hartford, CT | Funding to Support the 2025 Choreographers' Showcase | $20,000 |
| New Britain Museum of American Art New Britain, CT | Funding to Support Book Dances Production | $20,000 |
| Capital Classics Theatre Company West Hartford, CT | Funding to Support the Yunie Mojica Concert | $12,000 |
| Ballet Hartford Hartford, CT | Funding to Support the 2025 Festival Concert | $10,000 |
| Connecticut Ballet Hartford, CT | Funding to support john violin local art stage digital production | $10,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation?
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 | $6,018,232 | $460,090 | $541,377 | $393,500 | 37 | $479,428 | $403,638 | $395,882 |
| 2024 | $6,121,141 | $491,004 | $577,167 | $434,400 | 37 | $522,981 | $436,818 | $378,568 |
| 2023 | $6,207,304 | $267,189 | $603,496 | $465,500 | 36 | $540,013 | $217,323 | $353,158 |
| 2022 | $6,543,611 | $884,465 | $726,249 | $599,500 | 36 | $669,125 | $835,786 | $363,106 |
| 2021 | $6,385,395 | $738,958 | $597,835 | $475,100 | 32 | $535,436 | $691,043 | $421,328 |
| 2020 | $6,244,272 | $821,182 | $493,087 | $390,400 | 38 | — | $779,568 | $364,055 |
| 2019 | $5,916,177 | $293,688 | $487,123 | $364,600 | 39 | — | $242,393 | $363,738 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation reported a distributable amount of $396K 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 seeks to fund exceptional aesthetic experiences that reflect, celebrate, and elevate the human spirit. It supports arts nonprofits and projects in visual and performing arts, including the creation of new work and partnerships between artists and arts organizations. Its Visual Artist Compensation Policy is intended to help ensure that visual artists are fairly compensated.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of its arts grantmaking. Hartford Symphony Orchestra describes its mission as enriching lives and community through great music. TheaterWorks says it creates contemporary theater, celebrates new voices, and invites meaningful conversations. New Britain Museum of American Art says it provides public enrichment and inspiration through American art, while Ballet Hartford describes producing both classical ballet and new choreographic works.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation awarded 37 grants totaling $393,500. Grants ranged from $4,000 to $25,000, with a median award of $8,000. Among the largest awards were $25,000 to Hartford Stage for a concert with the Hartford Chorale; $25,000 to Hartford Symphony Orchestra for its Paul Brown Monday Night Jazz Series; $25,000 to Stowe Center for Literary Activism for the Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival; and two $25,000 grants to TheaterWorks for an exhibit and a theater production. Other notable awards included $20,000 to Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz and $20,000 to New Britain Museum of American Art.
The Excellence in the Arts program is described as quarterly. The foundation also describes Creation of New Work as a quarterly program supporting new work and collaborations in Greater Hartford. The Joyce C. Willis Grant supports new work created through a partnership between a grantee arts organization and an artist of color.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Carrie Hammond as president; Andrew Latimer as treasurer; Lisa Lazarus as secretary; and Lisa Curran as executive director. Directors and other listed roles are Dennis Hannigan, Greg Jones, Amy Sailor, Larry Samplatsky, Noely Sanchez Velez, and Eric Ort, arts representative.
Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation is led by Lisa Curran, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 1 of 10 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lisa Curran
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
10 hrs/week
$24K (2019) → $45K (2025)
Carrie Hammond
President
Board Member → President, 2020
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Latimer
Treasurer
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Dennis Hannigan
Board Member
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Lazarus
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Noely Sanchez Velez
Board Member
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amy Sailor
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eric Ort
Arts Representative
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Greg Jones
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Larry Samplatsky
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (10)
- Former: Michael Campbell (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Olivia White (2019–2024) — Secretary
- Former: Joseph Young (2021–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Anna Swinbourne (2023–2024) — Arts Representative
- Former: Carlos Hernandez Chavez (2019–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Brenda Miler (2020–2022) — Arts Representative
- Former: Rebekah Humphrey (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Alex Williams (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Pedro Bermudez (2019) — Board Member
- Former: Steven Raider Ginsberg (2019) — Arts Representative
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 $45K, to Lisa Curran (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation
How much does Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation give each year?
Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation gave $394K across 37 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $434K across 37 grants.
What is Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation's typical grant size?
Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $8,000, and its average grant was $10,635, across 37 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation that year got $15K on average.
Where does Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation give grants?
Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation gives mostly in Connecticut: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Hartford, CT (21 grants), West Hartford, CT (6 grants), New Britain, CT (4 grants) and Farmington, CT (2 grants).
Does Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 37 grants with a stated purpose on Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation's largest grantees?
Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Theaterworks ($50,000 across 2 grants), Stowe Center for Literary Activism ($30,000 across 2 grants) and Hartford Stage ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 27% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation?
Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation reported $6.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $479K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $396K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation fund?
The foundation seeks to fund exceptional aesthetic experiences that reflect, celebrate, and elevate the human spirit. It supports arts nonprofits and projects in visual and performing arts, including the creation of new work and partnerships between artists and arts organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation?
The foundation 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 Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation's EIN?
Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 06-6067995. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does Edward C & Ann T Roberts 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS March 10, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS March 10, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS March 4, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 3, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 19, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 8, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 16, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2025
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Edward C & Ann T Roberts Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/edward-c-and-ann-t-roberts-foundation-morg_f2ba1730ebf440c8a561080bb9ca37f8
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_066067995_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Edward C \& Ann T Roberts Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/edward-c-and-ann-t-roberts-foundation-morg_f2ba1730ebf440c8a561080bb9ca37f8},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-20. 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 Edward C & Ann T Roberts 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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