Musicians Emergency Fund Inc
Musicians Emergency Fund Inc is a private foundation based in New York, NY. Its grants are typically limited to classical music artists or organizations that promote the classical music arts.
Musicians Emergency Fund Inc at a glance
In short: Musicians Emergency Fund Inc gave $300K across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $11K), mostly in New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $300,315
- +137.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +133.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $10,726
- +1.9% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $5,000
- Total assets
- $3,524,144
- +1.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Musicians Emergency Fund Inc
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Its 2024 filing says requests should be submitted in writing and include the requester’s name, the amount requested, and the purpose of the request. At the executive director’s discretion and with board approval, verbal requests providing the same information may be accepted and subsequently documented by the organization.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 1256, New York, NY 10150
Phone: (516) 655-2226
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Musicians Emergency Fund Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Chen-Wen Huang ($66K). Together the top 10 received $243K.
Grant Size Distribution
71 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 70 grants of 71 (99%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All grant dollars reported for 2025 went to recipients in New York.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
How Musicians Emergency Fund Inc gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2025). 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 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $57K (2023) to $300K (2025). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $300K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Chen-Wen Huang New York, NY | Concert/Program | $66,000 |
| Sam Zygmuntowicz Staten Island, NY | Concert/Program | $49,350 |
| The Colburn School Staten Island, NY | Concert/Program | $25,000 |
| The Cliburn Staten Island, NY | Artist, Concert | $20,000 |
| Musicmenlo Staten Island, NY | Concert/Program | $20,000 |
| CMS Lincoln Center Staten Island, NY | Concert/Program | $15,000 |
| The Knights Staten Island, NY | Concert/Program | $15,000 |
| Nina Bernat Staten Island, NY | Concert/Program | $10,000 |
| Alarm Will Sound Staten Island, NY | Concert/Program | $10,000 |
| Jack Quartet Staten Island, NY | Concert/Program | $10,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3,524,144 | $498,629 | $535,501 | $300,315 | 28 | $300,315 | $109,974 |
| 2024 | $3,475,997 | $268,519 | $332,189 | $126,316 | 12 | $126,316 | $72,654 |
| 2023 | $3,318,792 | $225,444 | $176,052 | $56,970 | 4 | $56,970 | $83,792 |
| 2022 | $3,018,217 | $306,211 | $276,249 | $131,435 | 18 | $131,435 | $139,020 |
| 2021 | $3,576,379 | $274,971 | $228,245 | $101,650 | 9 | — | $82,723 |
| 2020 | $3,038,272 | $267,787 | $250,783 | $127,053 | 20 | — | $84,180 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. It reports that grants are typically limited to classical music artists or organizations that promote classical music arts. Among its 2025 grantees, ALARM WILL SOUND INC describes its own work as presenting tours and recordings of contemporary classical music, commissioning new works, and educating musicians and the public through workshops, seminars, and residencies.
Grantmaking
In 2025, the foundation gave 28 grants totaling $300,315. Grants ranged from $175 to $66,000, with a median of $5,000. Notable grants included $66,000 to Chen-Wen Huang, $49,350 to Sam Zygmuntowicz, $25,000 to The Colburn School, $20,000 each to The Cliburn and MusicMenlo, and $15,000 each to CMS Lincoln Center and The Knights.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kristin Lancino as Executive Director. Directors listed are Renee Berliner Rush, Valenice Castronova-Waxman, Thomas W. Ledwith, Christine Marchese, and Holley Younger.
Musicians Emergency Fund Inc is led by Kristin Lancino, Executive Director on every filing since 2024; 1 of 6 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Kristin Lancino
Executive Director
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$53K (2024) → $76K (2025)
Christine Marchese
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Holley Younger
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Thomas W. Ledwith
Director
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Valenice Castronova-Waxman
Director
President → Director, 2021
On filings since 2020
No compensation reported
Renee Berliner Rush
Director
New on the 2025 filing
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Mary Huntington Snyder (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Marie Ashdown (2020–2023) — Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $76K, to Kristin Lancino (Executive Direc).
Frequently asked questions about Musicians Emergency Fund Inc
How much does Musicians Emergency Fund Inc give each year?
Musicians Emergency Fund Inc gave $300K across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $126K across 12 grants.
What is Musicians Emergency Fund Inc's typical grant size?
Musicians Emergency Fund Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $10,726, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Musicians Emergency Fund Inc give grants?
Musicians Emergency Fund Inc gives mostly in New York: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Staten Island, NY (27 grants).
Does Musicians Emergency Fund Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 28 grants with a stated purpose on Musicians Emergency Fund Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Concert/Program" (27 grants).
Who are Musicians Emergency Fund Inc's largest grantees?
Musicians Emergency Fund Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Chen-Wen Huang ($66,000), Sam Zygmuntowicz ($49,350) and The Colburn School ($25,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 47% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Musicians Emergency Fund Inc?
Musicians Emergency Fund Inc reported $3.5M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $499K.
What does Musicians Emergency Fund Inc fund?
The foundation’s filing does not state a mission. It reports that grants are typically limited to classical music artists or organizations that promote classical music arts. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Musicians Emergency Fund Inc?
The foundation does not accept unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Musicians Emergency Fund Inc's EIN?
Musicians Emergency Fund Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-1635273. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Musicians Emergency Fund 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 September 2026.
Data update history
(2)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 6, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Musicians Emergency Fund Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/musicians-emergency-fund-inc-morg_c316926830e846b09bbaebf87d99582f
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_131635273_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Musicians Emergency Fund Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/musicians-emergency-fund-inc-morg_c316926830e846b09bbaebf87d99582f},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. 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 Musicians Emergency Fund 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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