Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc
The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc. is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Established and endowed by artist Helen Frankenthaler during her lifetime, it became active in 2013 and supports public engagement with the visual arts through grants and educational, curatorial, and research initiatives.
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc gave $14.4M across 105 grants in 2024 (avg $137K), top state New York. 61% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $14,412,827
- -43.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 105
- +5.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $137,265
- -45.8% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $30,000
- Total assets
- $173,182,625
- -1.7% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 61% first-time grantees (60 of 99, 2024)
- Primary geography
- New York (30% 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 Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc
- 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. For its 2026 cycle, organizations could apply to either Visual Arts & Education or Cultural Resilience, but not both; FCI had a separate application process. The next Visual Arts & Education and Cultural Resilience deadline was September 11, 2026, which has passed. The 2026 FCI application cycle has also closed; the Foundation says information about the 2027 FCI cycle will be posted in late 2026, with the application portal scheduled to open in early 2027.
- Contact
Mailing address: 134 West 26Th Street 5Th Fl, New York, NY 10001
Phone: (212) 268-4937
Website: https://frankenthalerfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc
Frankenthaler Climate Initiative - Catalyst Grant
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc
Amount
Up to US $20,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Frankenthaler Climate Initiative- Implementation Grants
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc
Amount
Up to US $100,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Frankenthaler Climate Initiative: Scoping Grants
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc
Amount
Up to US $25,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Kunstmuseum Basel ($3.8M). Together the top 10 received $10.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
507 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 279 grants of 507 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s 2024 grants included recipients in New York and other U.S. states, as well as recipients outside the United States. The reported shares of grant dollars include New York at 30%, and Washington, California, and Vermont at 2% each. The filing also lists a 51% share with no recipient state identified in the supplied data.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 105 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
61%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 60 of 99 grantees (61%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $162K; repeat grants $121K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $50K repeat.
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 $3.2M (2020) to $25.3M (2023). In 2024 it made 105 grants totaling $14.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Kunstmuseum Basel | Art for Museum Collection | $3,800,000 |
| Guggenheim Museum Bilbao | Art for Museum Collection | $3,500,000 |
| Foundation for Contemporary Arts New York, NY | Endowment: HF Award for Painting | $1,250,000 |
| Pen American Center New York, NY | 2024 Arc Support (3 of 3) | $666,667 |
| World Monuments Fund New York, NY | Ukraine Heritage Response Fund (3 of 3) | $500,000 |
| Swiss Institute New York, NY | 2024 nyc arts (consortium: 15 arts organizations) (2 of 3) | $340,000 |
| Bennington College Corporation Bennington, VT | 2024 Museum Fellows Term Program (2 of 5) | $220,000 |
| Asheville Glass Art School Aka North Carolina Glass Center Asheville, NC | FCI 2024 Implementation | $100,000 |
| California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA | FCI 2024 Implementation | $100,000 |
| Ellis-Beauregard Foundation Rockland, ME | Support for Ellis-Beauregard Foundation Artist Campus | $100,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $173,182,625 | $21,156,927 | $26,360,479 | $14,412,827 | 105 | $26,056,540 | $20,853,877 |
| 2023 | $176,117,159 | $19,448,818 | $32,170,742 | $25,325,037 | 100 | $31,939,238 | $19,191,555 |
| 2022 | $166,162,178 | $25,227,850 | $12,804,330 | $7,699,111 | 113 | $12,695,892 | $24,997,494 |
| 2021 | $152,136,508 | $26,929,838 | $11,452,977 | $7,637,843 | 134 | $11,228,600 | $26,735,186 |
| 2020 | $136,659,647 | $6,830,160 | $6,957,945 | $3,238,500 | 55 | — | $6,647,549 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to promote greater public interest in and understanding of the visual arts, while supporting Helen Frankenthaler’s legacy.
Its 2026 grantmaking priorities are Climate Action and Sustainability, Visual Arts & Education, and Cultural Resilience. Visual Arts & Education provides project-based support for exhibitions, publications, public programs, and academic initiatives that advance the presentation and study of visual art. Cultural Resilience provides unrestricted support for institutional capacity and core programming. The Frankenthaler Climate Initiative (FCI) supports energy-efficiency and sustainability infrastructure projects through a separate application process.
The Foundation’s 2024 grants show support for a range of organizations. For example, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts received support to endow the Helen Frankenthaler Award for Painting; the organization describes its mission as promoting innovative work in the arts. PEN American Center received support for the third year of ARC support; it describes its mission as defending free expression, advancing literature, and fostering international literary fellowship. Swiss Institute, which received support as part of a New York City arts consortium, describes itself as a contemporary art institution promoting experimental art through exhibitions, education, and programs. Bennington College received support for its Museum Fellows Term program; its stated educational principles emphasize individual student interests and learning through activity and living.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Foundation reported 105 grants totaling $14,412,827. Grant amounts ranged from $2,500 to $3,800,000, with a median of $30,000. Among the largest awards were $3,800,000 to Kunstmuseum Basel and $3,500,000 to the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, each for museum collection art; $1,250,000 to the Foundation for Contemporary Arts for an endowment of the Helen Frankenthaler Award for Painting; and $666,667 to PEN American Center for the third of three years of ARC support. Other awards included $500,000 to World Monuments Fund for the third of three years of support for its Ukraine Heritage Response Fund, and $340,000 to Swiss Institute for the second of three years of support as part of a New York City arts consortium.
The Foundation’s filing also lists multiple $100,000 FCI implementation awards, including grants to Asheville Glass Art School, California College of the Arts, Flint Institute of Arts, and Kinosaito Inc.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2024 filing are Lise Motherwell, chair and director; Michael Hecht, secretary, treasurer, and director; Clifford Ross, president and director; Richard Armstrong, director; and Ann Philbin, director. Elizabeth Smith is listed as executive director.
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc is led by Elizabeth Smith, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 3 of 6 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Elizabeth Smith
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
35 hrs/week
$395K (2020) → $494K (2024)
Clifford Ross
President & Director
Director → President, 2023
President → President & Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lise Motherwell
Chair & Director
Director → Chair & Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ann Philbin
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
$6K (2024)
Richard Armstrong
Director
New on the 2024 filing
2 hrs/week
$9K (2024)
Michael Hecht
Secretary, Treasurer & Director
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Frederick J. Iseman (2020–2023) — President & Director
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.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $494K, to Elizabeth Smith (Executive Director). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc
How much does Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc give each year?
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc gave $14.4M across 105 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $25.3M across 100 grants.
What is Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $30,000, and its average grant was $137,265, across 105 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc that year got $162K on average.
Where does Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc give grants?
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc's top state is New York, with 30% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (23 grants), Brooklyn, NY (6 grants), Bennington, VT (3 grants) and San Francisco, CA (3 grants).
Does Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 7% of Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (7 of 105) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "FCI 2024 Implementation" (19 grants), "FCI 2024 Catalyst" (14 grants) and "FCI 2024 Scoping" (12 grants).
Who are Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Kunstmuseum Basel ($3,800,000), Guggenheim Museum Bilbao ($3,500,000) and Foundation for Contemporary Arts ($1,250,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 59% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc?
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc reported $173.2M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $21.2M.
What does Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to promote greater public interest in and understanding of the visual arts, while supporting Helen Frankenthaler’s legacy. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc?
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 Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc's EIN?
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3244308. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Does Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc 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 October 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). Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/helen-frankenthaler-foundation-inc-morg_60243d2023c3455da02b4dc21f4215f5
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_133244308_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/helen-frankenthaler-foundation-inc-morg_60243d2023c3455da02b4dc21f4215f5},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. 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 Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc'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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