Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation
The Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation is a private foundation established in August 1983. It operates as an independent foundation with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. serving as trustee. The foundation was created to perpetuate the legacy of Miss Charlotte Bergen, a musician and conductor known for sponsoring free concert series at Carnegie Hall and Town Hall during the 1970s and 1980s, and for her donation of a rare 1701 Servais Stradivarius Cello to the Smithsonian Institution.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$8.9M
-0.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$350K
-14.6% YoY
Grant Count
29
-12.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$12K
-2.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to perpetuate Miss Bergen's love of classical music and support of musical education by providing grants for musical performing arts and musical education.
Primary funding areas include:
- Arts and culture
- Arts education
- Performing arts
- Music
- Orchestral performances and concerts
- Music education
Grantmaking
Review Cycle
July 1 for a September meeting
How to Apply
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
While there are no strict geographic limitations, the foundation has a practice of primarily supporting organizations located in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area, including:
New York: Manhattan, Richmond (Staten Island), Kings (Brooklyn), Bronx, Queens
New Jersey: Essex, Monmouth, Union, Middlesex, Morris Counties
The foundation also provides funding to organizations in Connecticut, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, with documented grants to recipients in cities including Asbury Park, Atlantic City, Brooklyn, Detroit, and New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $8,863,376 to $8,888,433 (figures vary by reporting source and year)
Annual Giving: $350,000
Recent Financial Activity:
- Total expenses reported: $525,081
- Revenue reported: $218,328
- Income reported: $2,027,985 (most recent reporting year ending December 2023)
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $8,863,376 | $8,888,433 | $9,195,611 |
| Revenue | $441,352 | $218,328 | $343,487 |
| Expenses | $474,781 | $525,081 | $543,747 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $388,321 | $445,881 | $452,336 |
| Net Investment Income | $350,957 | $201,660 | $261,712 |
| Distributable Amount | $506,524 | $480,597 | $549,287 |
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
161 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Trustee: Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (compensation: $100,441 annually)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| WELLS FARGO BANK N A | TRUSTEE | 1 | $106,673 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation has supported music education initiatives including the Partnership In Education program, which brings professional chamber musicians into schools to work directly with music students. Recent grant recipients have used funding to expand music education programs into high schools and conservatories in the Westchester County area.
Music fills the halls at Our Lady Star of the Sea School in Atlantic ...Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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