Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation
The Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation is a private foundation established in 1983, based in New York City. The foundation operates as a grantmaking organization with a volunteer leadership structure and no paid staff.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$4.1M
+6.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$310K
+17.0% YoY
Grant Count
14
+16.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$22K
+0.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation reported a distributable amount of $308K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission centers on giving for contemporary visual arts projects, with particular emphasis on exhibition publications (catalogues) for early- and mid-career artists.
Primary funding areas include:
- Arts and culture
- Arts services
- Arts education
- Visual arts
- Museums and art museums
Grantmaking
The foundation made nine grants in fiscal year 2024, with recent grants including:
Grant Range
$25,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds visual arts projects across multiple U.S. states and cities, including New York, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Texas, among others.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of Fiscal Year Ending November 2024:
- Total assets: $4,077,398
- Total revenues: $618,008
- Total expenses: $359,412
- Investment income and dividends: $156,906
- Number of employees: 0
Prior Year (FYE November 2023):
- Investment income and dividends: $118,632 (32.3% increase from prior year)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $4,077,398 | $3,818,824 | $3,694,666 |
| Revenue | $618,008 | $432,169 | $226,043 |
| Expenses | $359,412 | $307,968 | $369,365 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $310,744 | $268,725 | $326,150 |
| Net Investment Income | $577,221 | $395,643 | $187,911 |
| Distributable Amount | $308,441 | $274,053 | $288,946 |
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
59 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Sioux City Art Center ($25,000), Ny Foundation for the Arts ($25,000), Sandhills Institute ($25,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| SIOUX CITY ART CENTER SIOUX CITY, IA | TO SUPPORT THE RAZZLE DAZZLE ART INSTALLATION BY AMANDA BROWDER | $25,000 |
| NY FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS NEW YORK, NY | FOR SHOAL, A PUBLIC ARTWORK ON A BARGE THAT TRAVELS TO COASTAL COMMUNITIES IN NY CITY | $25,000 |
| ARTS SOUTHEAST SAVANNAH, GA | FOR IMPACT MAGAZINE, A SEMIANNUAL PUBLICATION HIGHLIGHTING ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE SOUTHEAST | $10,000 |
| SANDHILLS INSTITUTE RUSHVILLE, NE | FOOD TRIP | $25,000 |
| KASSAN FOUNDATION INC BROOKLYN, NY | PAINTING OF THE LAST REMAINING CODE TALKERS | $15,000 |
| LAWNDALE ART CENTER HOUSTON, TX | PRESENTATION OF MUD, CORN, STONE, BLUE CREATED BY LAURA AUGUSTA | $25,000 |
| DETROIT INSTITUTE OF ARTS DETROIT, MI | FIRST MAJOR CONTEMPORARY ART INSTALLATION IN THE MUSEUMS GREAT HALLL A GROUNDBREAKING PROJECT | $25,000 |
| FILM INDEPENDENT LOS ANGELES, CA | A FEATURE LENGTH DOCUM | $25,000 |
| SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION BROOKINGS, SD | MUSEUM STUDIES SUMMER FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM | $25,000 |
| GLASSTIRE HOUSTON, TX | COVERAGE OF VISUAL ART HAPPENING IN TEXAS NON-URBAN AREAS | $25,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The foundation is managed by volunteer leadership with no paid staff:
- Ray A. Graham III – President
- Gregory M. Graham – Treasurer
- Barbara F. Graham – Vice President
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| GREGORY M GRAHAM | TREASURER | 2 | — |
| RAY A GRAHAM III | PRESIDENT | 1 | — |
Contact Information
- Website: efgfoundation.com
- Address: 390 Madison Avenue, Suite NY1, PO Box 55, New York City, NY 10017-2513
- Telephone: 212-464-0310
- EIN: 34-1388252
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation fund?
The foundation's mission centers on giving for contemporary visual arts projects, with particular emphasis on exhibition publications (catalogues) for early- and mid-career artists. Primary funding areas include: • Arts and culture • Arts services • Arts education • Visual arts • Museums and art museums
How do I apply for a grant from Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** The foundation made nine grants in fiscal year 2024, with recent grants including: • Ogden Contemporary Arts: $25,000 for "Jorge Rojas' Curated the Other Side of the Tracks, A Multi Venue Exhibition" • Glasstire: $25,000 for "Coverage of Visual Art Happening in Texas Non-Urban Areas" • Lawndale Art & Performance Center: $25,000 for "Presentation of Mud, Corn, Stone, Blue Created By Laura Augusta" **Grant Characteristics:** • Median grant size: $25,000 • Grant range: $10,000–…
Where does Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation make grants?
The foundation funds visual arts projects across multiple U.S. states and cities, including New York, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Texas, among others.
What size grants does Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation award?
In 2024, Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation awarded 14 grants totaling $310K — an average of about $22K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation reported a distributable amount of $308K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation's EIN?
Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 34-1388252. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation'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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