The Evelyn Sharp Foundation

NEW YORK, NY EIN: 13-6119532

The Evelyn Sharp Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in 1952 and based in New York City. The foundation operates as a 501(c)(3) organization with a primary focus on supporting the arts, education, and assistance to those in need.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$3.7M

-9.9% YoY

Annual Giving

$1.1M

+14.3% YoY

Grant Count

-9.1% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$37K

+25.7% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Evelyn Sharp Foundation reported a distributable amount of $748K 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 interests include:

Arts, Culture & Humanities — particularly the furtherance of the arts
Education
Assistance to the needy

The foundation has demonstrated a particular commitment to supporting arts organizations and has funded politically left-of-center arts organizations in its grantmaking history.

Grantmaking

The foundation made 25 grants in 2024, with total giving of approximately $1,100,000. Recent notable grants include:

Grant Range

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Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation's grantmaking extends primarily to New York, California, and Massachusetts, with a notable concentration of funding in New York-based organizations.

Grant Distribution by State

New York $2.8M (66%)

California $985K (24%)

Massachusetts $233K (6%)

Virginia $50K (1%)

District of Columbia $45K (1%)

Florida $30K (1%)

Washington $30K (1%)

Maryland $25K (1%)

+1 more states

States

California District of Columbia Florida Massachusetts Maryland New York Tennessee Virginia Washington

Cities

AlexandriaBaltimoreBrooklynChillmarkChilmarkEdgartownLocust ValleyMiami BeachNashvilleNew YorkNySanta MonicaSeattleValenciaWashingtonWoodside

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of Fiscal Year 2024:

Total Assets: $3,686,110
Total Revenues: $779,124
Total Expenses: $1,184,875
Investment Income and Dividends: $245,856

As of Fiscal Year 2023:

Total Assets: $4,090,000
Total Revenues: $278,095
Total Expenses: $1,050,000

The foundation's revenue is primarily derived from investment income and dividends rather than contributions.

Revenue

Expenses

Qualifying Distributions

Net Investment Income

Metric	2024	2023	2022
Total Assets	$3,686,110	$4,091,861	$4,866,504
Revenue	$779,124	$278,095	$596,233
Expenses	$1,184,875	$1,052,738	$885,000
Qualifying Distributions	$1,122,086	$1,031,316	$876,304
Net Investment Income	$716,335	$266,673	$587,537
Distributable Amount	$747,674	$666,360	$674,751

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

129 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation ($350,000), California Institute of the Arts ($148,000), Park Avenue Armory ($100,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
Miami City Ballet Miami Beach, FL	Furtherance of the Arts	$10,000
The WOW Foundation ALEXANDRIA, VA	Education	$25,000
The Rand Corporation Santa Monica, CA	Furtherance of research for the public interest	$60,000
Moliere in the Park Brooklyn, NY	Furtherance of the Arts	$15,000
Tom Gold Dance New York, NY	Furtherance of the arts	$10,000
Spectrum Dance Theatre Seattle, WA	Furtherance of the Arts	$10,000
The Buckley School New York, NY	education	$6,000
California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA	Furtherance of the arts	$148,000
Metropolitan Opera New York, NY	Furtherance of the arts	$25,000
George Balanchine Foundation New York, NY	Furtherance of the Arts	$11,000

Leadership & Key People

Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings

President: Mary Cronson

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
MARY CRONSON	Pres thru7/24	1	—
DAVID FINKELSTEIN	Treas/Secr	1	—
PAUL CRONSON	Vice President	1	—

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Evelyn Sharp Foundation fund?

The foundation's primary funding interests include: • **Arts, Culture & Humanities** — particularly the furtherance of the arts • **Education** • **Assistance to the needy** The foundation has demonstrated a particular commitment to supporting arts organizations and has funded politically left-of-center arts organizations in its grantmaking history.

How do I apply for a grant from The Evelyn Sharp Foundation?

The foundation made 25 grants in 2024, with total giving of approximately $1,100,000. Recent notable grants include: • Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation: $350,000 (Furtherance of the Arts) • California Institute of the Arts (CalArts): $148,000 (Furtherance of the Arts) • Park Avenue Armory: $100,000 (Furtherance of the Arts) • The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance: $10,000 (Education) Typical grant awards range from $1,000 to $350,000.

Where does The Evelyn Sharp Foundation make grants?

The foundation's grantmaking extends primarily to New York, California, and Massachusetts, with a notable concentration of funding in New York-based organizations.

What size grants does The Evelyn Sharp Foundation award?

In 2024, The Evelyn Sharp Foundation awarded 30 grants totaling $1.1M — an average of about $37K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Evelyn Sharp Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Evelyn Sharp Foundation reported a distributable amount of $748K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.