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 grantmaking, education, exhibitions, research, and other initiatives.
Key facts about Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc
In short: Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc gave $14.4M across 105 grants in 2024 (avg $137K), top state New York. 62% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 13-3244308
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $14,412,827
- Grants made (2024)
- 105
- Average grant
- $137,265
- Median grant
- $30,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 62% first-time grantees (61 of 99, 2024)
- Total assets
- $173,182,625
- Primary geography
- New York (30% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- 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 funds. Full details ↓
- Deadline
- The next Visual Arts & Education and Cultural Resilience application deadline listed by the Foundation is September…
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$173.2M
-1.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$14.4M
-43.1% YoY
Grant Count
105
+5.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$137K
-45.8% YoY
Is Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
62%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 61 of 99 grantees (62%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $170K; repeat grants $107K. How we count
Medians: $25K first-time, $44K 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.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to promote greater public interest in and understanding of the visual arts, while supporting Helen Frankenthaler’s legacy. Its 2026 grantmaking is organized around Visual Arts & Education, Cultural Resilience, and the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative (FCI). Visual Arts & Education supports projects such as exhibitions, publications, public programs, and academic initiatives. Cultural Resilience provides unrestricted support for institutional capacity and core programming. FCI supports energy efficiency and sustainability projects through a separate application process.
The Foundation’s direct charitable activities also include maintaining its collection and archives, supporting scholarly research and publications, organizing public programs, and offering educational and professional development opportunities.
The 2024 grants include support for a range of visual arts and cultural organizations. For example, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts describes its mission as encouraging and promoting innovative work in the arts; Swiss Institute describes itself as a contemporary art institution supporting experimental art through exhibitions, education, and programs; and the Flint Institute of Arts says it connects communities through visual art experiences. California College of the Arts describes its work as educating students through the practice and study of art, architecture, design, and writing.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the Foundation reported 105 grants totaling $14,412,827. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $3,800,000, with a median grant of $30,000.
Review Cycle
** The next Visual Arts & Education and Cultural Resilience application deadline listed by the Foundation is September 11, 2026. The 2026 FCI application cycle is listed as closed; its guidelines gave a March 27, 2026 deadline.
How to Apply
and may be applied to independently.
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
Rolling / Open
Frankenthaler Climate Initiative- Implementation Grants
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc
Amount
Up to US $100,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Frankenthaler Climate Initiative: Scoping Grants
Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc
Amount
Up to US $25,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with Helen Frankenthaler Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The 2024 filing reports grant dollars across recipient states, including New York (30%), Washington (2%), California (2%), and Vermont (2%). It also lists grants to organizations in other states, including North Carolina, Maine, and Michigan, as well as to Kunstmuseum Basel and Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 105 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
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
507 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
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 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $173,182,625 | $21,156,927 | $26,360,479 | $14,412,827 | 105 |
| 2023 | $176,117,159 | $19,448,818 | $32,170,742 | $25,325,037 | 100 |
| 2022 | $166,162,178 | $25,227,850 | $12,804,330 | $7,699,111 | 113 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $173,182,625 | $176,117,159 | $166,162,178 |
| Revenue | $21,156,927 | $19,448,818 | $25,227,850 |
| Expenses | $26,360,479 | $32,170,742 | $12,804,330 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $26,056,540 | $31,939,238 | $12,695,892 |
| Net Investment Income | $20,853,877 | $19,191,555 | $24,997,494 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lise Motherwell as chair and director; Michael Hecht as secretary, treasurer, and director; Clifford Ross as president and director; and Elizabeth Smith as executive director. Richard Armstrong and Ann Philbin are also listed as directors.
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
Contact
Mailing address: 134 West 26Th Street 5Th Fl, New York, NY 10001
Phone: (212) 268-4937
Website: https://frankenthalerfoundation.org
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 $170K 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 mission is to promote greater public interest in and understanding of the visual arts, while supporting Helen Frankenthaler’s legacy. Its 2026 grantmaking is organized around Visual Arts & Education, Cultural Resilience, and the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative (FCI). Visual Arts & Education supports projects such as exhibitions, publications, public programs, and academic initiatives. Cultural Resilience provides unrestricted support for institutional capacity and core program…
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 for funds. 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 September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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