Samuel H Kress Foundation

NEW YORK, NY EIN: 13-1624176 Website

The Samuel H. Kress Foundation is a private grant-making foundation established in 1929 by Samuel H. Kress (1863-1955). Based in New York City at 174 East 80th Street, the foundation is dedicated to advancing the study, preservation, and enjoyment of European art, architecture, and archaeology from antiquity to the early 19th century. The foundation operates exclusively within the United States and requires all grant recipients to be U.S. nonprofit organizations or to have a U.S. nonprofit fiscal sponsor.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$88.2M

+8.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$2.3M

-28.7% YoY

Grant Count

-26.9% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$24K

-2.5% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Samuel H Kress Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.1M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation's primary funding areas include:

History of Art: Scholarly projects that enhance the understanding and appreciation of European art and architecture, including museum exhibitions and technical and scientific studies
Conservation: Support for the professional practice of art conservation
Digital Art History: Resources and tools that advance digital scholarship in the field

Grantmaking

Review Cycle

cycle (as of August 2025):

Grant Types

and Sizes

How to Apply

The foundation operates on a two-deadline cycle (as of August 2025):

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation funds exclusively in the United States. All grant recipients must be U.S. nonprofit organizations or have a U.S. nonprofit fiscal sponsor.

Grant Distribution by State

New York $1.9M (39%)

District of Columbia $1.2M (23%)

Massachusetts $362K (7%)

Maryland $340K (7%)

New Jersey $234K (5%)

Vermont $110K (2%)

Connecticut $106K (2%)

California $95K (2%)

+26 more states

Cities

AlexandriaArlingtonAthensAtlantaAustinBaltimoreBeavertonBloomingtonBostonBronxBrooklynBuffaloCambridgeCharlottesvilleChicagoChicoClaremontClevelandColumbiaCooperstown

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

Founded: 1929
Total Assets: $88,206,270
Annual Giving: $3,872,803 (2024)
Annual Disbursements: Approximately $3.9 million

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$88,206,270	$81,608,765	$75,745,725
Revenue	$4,936,705	$2,288,198	$5,146,879
Expenses	$2,928,277	$4,721,301	$3,939,678
Qualifying Distributions	$3,880,528	$4,523,161	$4,414,359
Net Investment Income	$4,455,805	$1,662,644	$4,511,567
Distributable Amount	$4,098,317	$3,895,796	$4,424,808

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

200 grants across all recorded years

Open Grants

4 open opportunities from Samuel H Kress Foundation

Show all 4 →

Foundation

History of Art Grants

SAMUEL H KRESS FOUNDATION

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Foundation

Interpretive Fellowships at Art Museums

SAMUEL H KRESS FOUNDATION

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Foundation

Kress Conservation Fellowships Grant

SAMUEL H KRESS FOUNDATION

Amount

Varies

Deadline

Rolling / Open

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include New York University ($275,000), Foundation for Advancement in Conservation ($230,000), National Gallery of Art ($170,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
Charities Aid Foundation America Alexandria, VA	Digital Art History Grants	$40,000
Archaeological Institute of America Boston, MA	History of Art Grants	$8,500
Bank Street College of Education New York, NY	History of Art Grants	$30,000
Council of Independent Colleges Washington, DC	History of Art Grants	$60,000
International Center of Medieval Art New York, NY	History of Art Grants	$10,000
International Center of Medieval Art New York, NY	History of Art Grants	$18,500
Italian Art Society Hartford, CT	History of Art Grants	$6,000
Italian Art Society Hartford, CT	History of Art Grants	$3,300
Middlebury College Middlebury, VT	History of Art Grants	$55,000
Renaissance Society of America Bronx, NY	History of Art Grants	$10,500

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

Board of Trustees:

Nina Scherago (Chair)
Daniel H. Weiss
Joy Connolly
Ken Lee
Robert B. Loper
Theodore V.H. Mayer
Steven Nelson

Staff:

L. W. Schermerhorn (Interim President)
Soon Kai Poh (Special Advisor, Programs & Operations)
Kelly Risi (Accountant / Controller)
Blake Rumuly (Grants Administrator)
Shea Spiller (Office Administrator)

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
CARMELA FRANKLIN	CHAIRMAN	2	$2,000
DANIEL WEISS	VICE CHAIRMAN	2	$1,000
ELIZABETH EVEILLARD	TRUSTEE	2	—
ROBERT LOPER	SECRETARY	2	$2,000
MAX MARMOR	PRESIDENT	40	$525,154
WILLIAM J HIGGINS	TRUSTEE	2	$2,000
KEN LEE	TREASURER	2	—
THEODORE MAYER	TRUSTEE	2	—
STEVEN NELSON	TRUSTEE	2	—
NINA SCHERAGO	TRUSTEE	2	—

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2025

As of August 2025, the foundation announced a series of program updates effective immediately. The foundation reduced its grant application windows from three to two by eliminating the winter grant deadline. This change enables the foundation to make larger and more competitive awards while reducing administrative burden.

Samuel H. Kress Foundation\u2019s History of Art Grant Program, LOI due\

The foundation confirmed that the level of giving and activity will not be reduced and will increase modestly in the current fiscal year. The foundation continues to conduct listening sessions and outreach with the broader Kress community to inform its grantmaking priorities.

Samuel H. Kress Foundation\u2019s History of Art Grant Program, LOI due\

**Contact Information:**

Phone: 212.861.4993

Website: https://www.kressfoundation.org

Instagram: @kressfdn

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Samuel H Kress Foundation fund?

The foundation supports "the work of individuals and institutions engaged with the appreciation, interpretation, preservation, study and teaching of the history of European art and architecture from antiquity to the dawn of the modern era." The foundation's primary funding areas include: • **History of Art**: Scholarly projects that enhance the understanding and appreciation of European art and architecture, including museum exhibitions and technical and scientific studies • **Conservation**: S…

How do I apply for a grant from Samuel H Kress Foundation?

The foundation awards competitive grants to institutions only. Grant amounts have ranged from $10,000 to larger awards, with recent examples including $12,000 to CUNY for a Latin/Greek Institute and $10,000 to Williams College Museum of Art for a Collection Explorer tool. The foundation operates on a two-deadline cycle (as of August 2025): • **Letter of Intent (LOI)**: Applicants submit an LOI by the deadline (March 1 or September 1). Organizations invited to apply are notified via email within…

Where does Samuel H Kress Foundation make grants?

The foundation funds exclusively in the United States. All grant recipients must be U.S. nonprofit organizations or have a U.S. nonprofit fiscal sponsor.

What size grants does Samuel H Kress Foundation award?

In 2024, Samuel H Kress Foundation awarded 98 grants totaling $2.3M — an average of about $24K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is Samuel H Kress Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Samuel H Kress Foundation reported a distributable amount of $4.1M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.