Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation
The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, NY. It supports art as a means of strengthening communities and encouraging civic participation, with a stated commitment to making art accessible to the broader public, particularly underserved communities.
Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation at a glance
- Total assets
- $233,820
- +7.2% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $600,333
- +13.2% vs 2024
- Qualifying distributions (2025)
- $584,697
- +1.2% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $584,701
- +1.2% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- Review Cycle
- The Sight/Geist 2026 submission deadline was July 5, 2026; this cycle is past.
- Deadline
- The Sight/Geist 2026 submission deadline was July 5, 2026; this cycle is past.
- Contact
Mailing address: 17 West 17Th Street, New York, NY 10011
Phone: (646) 839-5900
Website: https://sdrubin.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
28 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 28 grants of 28 (100%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s history describes its areas of concern as primarily New York City and the Himalayan region of Asia. The listed 2021 grantees are based in New York City and nearby communities.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
How Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation gives
- 64% of 2021 grantees were also funded in 2020. Method
- In 2025 it paid out well above its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021). 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 2021, annual grant giving ranged from $290K (2021) to $754K (2020). In 2021 it made 28 grants totaling $290K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Queens Museum of Art Corona Park Queens, NY | Support of mierle laderman ukeles public artwork in response to covid-19 and year of uncertainty (YOU) that will be centered around themes of care, repair, play, justice, and the future. | $25,000 |
| The Sustainability Laboratory Inc New York, NY | Support for the development and publication of a three-year development strategy. | $25,000 |
| Socrates Sculpture Park Long Island City, NY | Support for Exhibitions, Public and Educational Programs. | $15,000 |
| Bronx Museum Bronx, NY | Support for exhibitions and programming during their 50th anniversary year. | $10,000 |
| Asian American Arts Alliance Brooklyn, NY | Support for the following new and existing programs: town hall; new virtual residency; and conversaations. | $10,000 |
| El Museo Del Barrio New York, NY | Support for programs and activities for underrepresented, low-income spanish-speaking neighborhoods in upper manhattan/New York city. | $10,000 |
| Air Gallery Brooklyn, NY | Support for the following programs: the fellowship program for emerging and underrepresented self-identified women and non-binary artists; biannual exhibitions; and thinking complexity. | $10,000 |
| Society for Preservation of Weeksville Brooklyn, NY | Support for their new program plan to accompany the strategic plan that is rooted in their newly expanded vision. | $10,000 |
| Dance Service New York City Inc New York, NY | Support for Disability. Dance. Artistry., a Residency Program. | $10,000 |
| Working Artists and the Greater Economy Brooklyn, NY | Support for programs to establish sustainable economic relationships between artists and institutions, and to introduce mechanisms for selfregulation into the art. | $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 | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $233,820 | $600,333 | $584,701 | — | — | $584,697 | $333 | $10,295 |
| 2024 | $218,188 | $530,300 | $577,848 | — | — | $577,817 | $300 | $11,800 |
| 2023 | $265,736 | $532,252 | $524,558 | — | — | $524,556 | $2,252 | $12,426 |
| 2022 | $258,042 | $500,175 | $451,688 | — | — | $451,682 | $175 | $11,203 |
| 2021 | $209,555 | $1,114,297 | $973,726 | $290,000 | 28 | — | $420 | $11,381 |
| 2020 | $140,672 | $1,152,408 | $1,427,300 | $754,175 | 53 | — | $34 | $11,770 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation reported a distributable amount of $10K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation says it believes art is a cornerstone of cohesive, resilient communities and greater participation in civic life. Its history describes work connecting art and social justice through exhibitions, programs, and grants, and extending cultural resources to organizations and areas of New York City in need. The Foundation’s 2024 filing states that it hosted exhibitions and events featuring emerging artists and supported efforts to make social organizations and institutions more responsive to human needs.
Examples of supported organizations include the Queens Museum of Art, which describes its work as presenting visual arts and educational programming, particularly for Queens residents; Socrates Sculpture Park, which provides opportunities for artists to create and exhibit large-scale sculpture and multimedia installations; and Theatre of the Oppressed NYC, which works with community members facing social, economic, health, and human-rights injustices. These are the grantees’ own descriptions of their missions.
Grantmaking
The IRS filing data reports no grants for 2023, 2024, or 2025. Separately, the Foundation’s listed 2021 grants include $25,000 each to The Sustainability Laboratory Inc. and the Queens Museum of Art; $15,000 to Socrates Sculpture Park Inc.; and $10,000 each to Theatre of the Oppressed NYC Inc., Asian American Arts Alliance Inc., Working Artists and the Greater Economy, Brooklyn Public Library, and Lewis H. Latimer Fund Inc. These are examples, not a reported total or complete count of 2021 giving.
The Foundation states that it makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests.
The website also describes the Sight/Geist series for emerging NYC-based film and performance artists. Its 2026 call offered program fees to selected artists; it was not a grant program for outside organizations. The stated submission period, June 1–July 5, 2026, has passed. The curatorial open call page lists past cycles through 2025 and says the Foundation is reassessing the timeline.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Anjuli Nanda Diamond as Executive/Artistic Director, Shelley Frost Rubin as Chair and President, Basha Frost Rubin as Vice President, and Thomas P. Mitchell as Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary.
Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation is led by Shelley Frost Rubin, Chair & President since 2021 (on filings since 2020); 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Shelley Frost Rubin
Chair & President
President → Chair & President, 2021
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anjuli Nanda Diamond
Executive & Artistic Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$95K (2022) → $140K (2025)
Basha Frost Rubin
Vice President
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Thomas P. Mitchell
Vice President, Treasurer & Secretary
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (3)
- Former: Donald Rubin (2020–2021) — Vice President
- Former: James McCarthy (2020–2021) — Treasurer & Secretary
- Former: Sara Reisman (2020–2021) — Executive & Artistic 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 $140K, to Anjuli Nanda Diamond (Exec./Artistic Director).
Frequently asked questions about Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation
How large is Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation?
Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation reported $234K in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $585K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $10K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation fund?
The Foundation says it believes art is a cornerstone of cohesive, resilient communities and greater participation in civic life. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation?
Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, according to Grantable's research on its published guidelines. Check sdrubin.org for any change to that policy.
Where does Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation make grants?
The Foundation’s history describes its areas of concern as primarily New York City and the Himalayan region of Asia. The listed 2021 grantees are based in New York City and nearby communities.
What is Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation's EIN?
Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3639542. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation 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
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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