Herb Ritts Foundation
The Herb Ritts Jr Foundation is a private independent foundation established in 2003 and headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. The foundation was created in honor of Herb Ritts, a renowned fashion photographer known for his distinctive black-and-white photography and classical Greek sculpture-inspired portraits. Ritts photographed numerous notable figures including Christopher Reeve, the Dalai Lama, Cher, Elizabeth Taylor, Ronald Reagan, Steven Hawking, Dizzy Gillespie, and Madonna. His work appeared in major publications including Interview, GQ, Harper's Bazaar, Rolling Stone, Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Elle. He also created campaigns for leading fashion designers including Giorgio Armani, Revlon, Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Gianni Versace, and Calvin Klein. Ritts won two MTV Video Awards in 1991 for music videos by Janet Jackson and Chris Isaak, and received the GLAAD Pioneer Award. His work has been displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$24.4M
-0.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$500K
-6.2% YoY
Grant Count
24
-55.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$21K
+111.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Herb Ritts Foundation reported a distributable amount of $729K for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Grantmaking
The foundation is an active grantmaker with a median grant size of $4,000 and a maximum grant of $150,000. In 2023, the foundation made 54 grants totaling $938,000 in distributions. Historical grant activity shows 52 grants totaling $617,300 in giving, with an average grant size of $11,900.
Grant Range
of $4,000 and a maximum grant of $150,000. In 2023, the foundation made 54 grants totaling $938,000 in distributions. Historical grant activity shows 52 grants totaling $617,300 in giving, with an average grant size of $11,900.
Average Grant
of $11,900.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $24.6 million
- Total Liabilities: $2,540
- Annual Revenue: $1.11 million
- Annual Expenses: $1.3 million
- Total Distributions: $938,000
Tax Status:
- Tax-exempt since April 2005
- EIN: 81-0593759
- Designated as a 501(c)(3) organization
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $24,405,731 | $24,598,383 | $24,957,819 |
| Revenue | $1,115,981 | $1,111,810 | $910,257 |
| Expenses | $1,424,871 | $1,295,012 | $1,377,670 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $985,286 | $937,920 | $1,032,319 |
| Net Investment Income | $680,672 | $844,569 | $464,978 |
| Distributable Amount | $729,484 | $737,731 | $773,479 |
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
182 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Project Angel Food (cash) ($150,000), Ucla (cash) ($100,000), Las Fotos (cash) ($50,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| BROADWAY CARES EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS (CASH) NEW YORK, NY | UNRESTRICTED DONATION FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $10,000 |
| NYC LIVE ARTS (CASH) NEW YORK, NY | UNRESTRICTED DONATION FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $10,000 |
| DESERT AIDS PROJECT (CASH) PALM SPRINGS, CA | UNRESTRICTED DONATION FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $10,000 |
| FILM 2 FUTURE (CASH) LOS ANGELES, CA | UNRESTRICTED DONATION FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $15,000 |
| LAS FOTOS (CASH) LOS ANGELES, CA | UNRESTRICTED DONATION FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $50,000 |
| BAILEY HOUSE NEW YORK, NY | UNRESTRICTED DONATION FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $15,000 |
| FOOTHILL AIDS PROJECT (CASH) CLAREMONT, CA | UNRESTRICTED DONATION FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $10,000 |
| BLACK AIDS INSTITUTE (CASH) LOS ANGELES, CA | UNRESTRICTED DONATION FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $10,000 |
| ARMORY CENTER FOR THE ARTS (CASH) PASADENA, CA | UNRESTRICTED DONATION FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $10,000 |
| HEART OF LOS ANGELES YOUTH (CASH) LOS ANGELES, CA | UNRESTRICTED DONATION FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE | $10,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Mark McKenna — Executive Director (40 hours/week, $150,000 compensation)
- Francis Considine — Arts Administrator (40 hours/week, $165,000 compensation)
- Warren Grant — Director (5 hours/week, unpaid)
- Erik Hyman — Director (2 hours/week, unpaid)
- Richard Gere — Director (2 hours/week, unpaid)
- Steve Fink — Director (2 hours/week, unpaid)
- Michael Whalen — Director (2 hours/week, unpaid)
- Stephen Huvane — Director (2 hours/week, unpaid)
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARK MCKENNA | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $150,000 |
| WARREN GRANT | DIRECTOR | 5 | — |
| ERIK HYMAN | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| RICHARD GERE | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| STEVE FINK | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| MICHAEL WHALEN | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
| STEPHEN HUVANE | DIRECTOR | 2 | — |
Contact Information
- Address: 9100 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 1000W, Beverly Hills, CA 90212-3463
- Telephone: 310-288-6200
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply for a grant from Herb Ritts Foundation?
The foundation is an active grantmaker with a median grant size of $4,000 and a maximum grant of $150,000. In 2023, the foundation made 54 grants totaling $938,000 in distributions. Historical grant activity shows 52 grants totaling $617,300 in giving, with an average grant size of $11,900.
What size grants does Herb Ritts Foundation award?
In 2024, Herb Ritts Foundation awarded 24 grants totaling $500K — an average of about $21K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Herb Ritts Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Herb Ritts Foundation reported a distributable amount of $729K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Herb Ritts Foundation's EIN?
Herb Ritts Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 81-0593759. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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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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