Terra Foundation for American Art
The Terra Foundation for American Art is a private operating foundation established in 1978 by Daniel J. Terra, a businessman, art collector, and former United States Ambassador-at-Large for Cultural Affairs. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with an additional office in Paris, France, the foundation supports organizations and individuals locally and globally through grantmaking, collection loans, and initiatives focused on American art.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$602.9M
+3.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$14.3M
-2.5% YoY
Grant Count
199
-11.6% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$72K
+10.3% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission Statement: In partnership with organizations and individuals locally and globally, the Terra Foundation fosters intercultural dialogues and encourages transformative practices to expand narratives of American art.
Primary Focus: The foundation supports projects that engage the visual arts of the United States and Indigenous arts of North America. It encourages projects that:
- Catalyze inclusive and expansive practices in the field of American art
- Engage artists, scholars, and communities who present a plurality of perspectives and methods, including intercultural and interdisciplinary approaches
- Collectively reflect the full breadth and complexity of American art and its histories through the artists represented, voices included, and stories told
The foundation's work encompasses education, philanthropy, voluntarism, and grantmaking, with direct activities including exhibitions, scholarly research, publications, and educational and residency programs.
Grantmaking
The foundation offers multiple grant programs with typical awards ranging from $604 to $3,750,000:
Grant Types
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds projects in multiple regions, with primary focus areas including Illinois, New York, and California. The foundation describes its geographic approach as supporting projects in different cities, regions, or countries at any given time, using both "local" (proximate to/concentrated in specific geographic locations) and "global" approaches to its grantmaking.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue:
- Total assets: $602,937,364 (as of 2023)
- Total giving: $14,322,498
- Total revenues: $449,057 (2023)
- Total expenses: $19,541,234 (2023)
- Total liabilities: $19.3M (2023)
Tax Status: Designated as a 501(c)(3) organization; tax-exempt since May 2003. EIN: 36-2999442. Donations are tax deductible.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $602,937,364 | $583,846,758 | $559,052,944 |
| Revenue | $25,052,658 | $449,057 | $96,843,650 |
| Expenses | $25,089,633 | $19,541,234 | $27,058,116 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $23,572,653 | $23,612,459 | $19,292,653 |
| Net Investment Income | $23,571,572 | $3,221,356 | $106,681,372 |
| Distributable Amount | $19,409,395 | $18,499,768 | $19,402,865 |
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
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
3 open opportunities from Terra Foundation for American Art
Collections Grants
TERRA FOUNDATION FOR AMERICAN ART
Amount
US $25,000 - US $75,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Convening Grants
TERRA FOUNDATION FOR AMERICAN ART
Amount
US $10,000 - US $25,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
TFAA: Exhibition Grants
TERRA FOUNDATION FOR AMERICAN ART
Amount
US $25,000 - US $200,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Patricia Gaunet serves as Director of Office Administration. Donald H. Ratier is listed as Principal Officer.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| HUEY COPELAND | DIRECTOR | 1 | $10,000 |
| AMINA DICKERSON | DIRECTOR/VICE-CHAIR | 1 | $10,000 |
| JOSEPH GROMACKI | DIRECTOR/CHAIR (FORMER) | 1 | $5,000 |
| STEPHANIE HARRIS | DIRECTOR/CHAIR | 1 | — |
| ERICA HIRSHLER | DIRECTOR/SECRETARY | 1 | $10,000 |
| HENRY JOHNSON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RAYMOND MCGUIRE | DIRECTOR | 1 | $5,000 |
| ANNE MUNSCH | CFO, ASST SEC/TREASURER | 35 | $381,958 |
| ADAM WEINBERG | DIRECTOR | 1 | $10,000 |
| JAY XU | DIRECTOR | 1 | $10,000 |
| AMY ZINCK | EXEC VICE PRESIDENT | 35 | $312,422 |
| SHARON CORWIN | CEO, PRESIDENT | 35 | $540,815 |
| ERIC MCKISSACK | DIRECTOR/TREASURER | 1 | $10,000 |
| RAVI SALIGRAM | DIRECTOR | 1 | $10,000 |
| KAYWIN FELDMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| VICTORIA ROGERS | DIRECTOR | 1 | $10,000 |
| CATHERINE SARR | DIRECTOR | 1 | $10,000 |
| AMANDA WILLIAMS | DIRECTOR | 1 | $10,000 |
| RICARDO ESTRADA | DIRECTOR | 1 | $5,000 |
Contact Information
- Phone: 312-664-3939 (Chicago); +33 1 43 20 67 01 (Paris)
- Email: contact@terraamericanart.org
- Website: terraamericanart.org
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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