The Evelyn Sharp Foundation
The Evelyn Sharp Foundation is a private foundation based in New York, New York. Its 2025 grants included support for the arts, research for the public interest, and education.
The Evelyn Sharp Foundation at a glance
In short: The Evelyn Sharp Foundation gave $1.3M across 39 grants in 2025 (avg $32K), mostly in New York. 29% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,253,500
- +14.0% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 39
- +30.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $32,141
- -12.3% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $3,342,309
- -9.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 29% first-time grantees (9 of 31, 2025)
- Primary geography
- New York (57% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Evelyn Sharp Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- Yes
- How to Apply
-
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Contact Paul Cronson; no special form is required. The filing states that there are no restrictions on awards.
- Review Cycle
- No deadline.
- Deadline
- No deadline.
- Contact
Application contact: Paul Cronson
Mailing address: 50 East 77Th Street, New York, NY 10075
Phone: (917) 667-6672
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Evelyn Sharp Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation ($367K across 3 grants). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
150 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 122 grants of 150 (81%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, grant dollars went to recipients in New York (57%), California (33%), Massachusetts (4%), Virginia (2%), and Florida (2%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 39 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is The Evelyn Sharp Foundation open to new grantees?
29%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 31 grantees (29%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $54K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $23K repeat.
- 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 50% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 172% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2020–2025). 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 $610K (2021) to $1.3M (2025). In 2025 it made 39 grants totaling $1.3M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation New York, NY | Furtherance of the arts | $250,000 |
| California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA | Furtherance of the arts | $150,000 |
| California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA | Furtherance of the arts | $132,000 |
| Park Avenue Armory New York, NY | Furtherance of the arts | $75,000 |
| Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation New york, NY | Furtherance of the arts | $67,000 |
| The Rand Corporation Santa Monica, CA | Furtherance of research for the public interest | $60,000 |
| The Rand Corporation Santa Monica, CA | Furtherance of research for the public interest | $60,000 |
| Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation New York, NY | Furtherance of the arts | $50,000 |
| Works and Process New York, NY | Furtherance of the arts | $50,000 |
| The WOW Foundation Alexandria, VA | Education | $25,000 |
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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 | $3,342,309 | $1,141,927 | $1,485,685 | $1,253,500 | 39 | $1,370,740 | $1,026,982 | $797,303 |
| 2024 | $3,686,110 | $779,124 | $1,184,875 | $1,100,000 | 30 | $1,122,086 | $716,335 | $747,674 |
| 2023 | $4,091,861 | $278,095 | $1,052,738 | $962,500 | 33 | $1,031,316 | $266,673 | $666,360 |
| 2022 | $4,866,504 | $596,233 | $885,000 | $833,000 | 26 | $876,304 | $587,537 | $674,751 |
| 2021 | $5,155,271 | $234,137 | $677,752 | $610,000 | 22 | $665,759 | $222,144 | $679,756 |
| 2020 | $5,598,886 | $435,217 | $710,302 | $645,350 | 18 | — | $423,564 | $561,441 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Evelyn Sharp Foundation reported a distributable amount of $797K 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
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include purposes stated as furtherance of the arts, research for the public interest, and education.
The organizations it supports span several fields. For example, the California Institute of the Arts describes itself as a multidisciplinary community of artists whose educational work emphasizes openness, experimentation, critical engagement, and creative freedom. Works and Process says it gives the public opportunities to learn about the creation of dance, music, opera, and theater. The RAND Corporation describes its work as improving policy and decision-making through research and analysis.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 39 grants totaling $1,253,500. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $250,000, with a median of $15,000. The largest reported grants included $250,000 to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, $150,000 and $132,000 to the California Institute of the Arts, and $75,000 to Park Avenue Armory. Each was listed for furtherance of the arts. The foundation also reported two $60,000 grants to the RAND Corporation for research for the public interest.
In 2024, the foundation reported 30 grants totaling $1,100,000. Reported recipients included the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation ($350,000), the California Institute of the Arts ($148,000 and $70,000), the RAND Corporation ($60,000), and Works and Process ($50,000 and $20,000). Its 2025 filing, the latest on this page, reports 39 grants totaling $1.3 million.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Paul Cronson as president, David Finkelstein as treasurer and secretary, and Caroline Cronson as vice president.
The Evelyn Sharp Foundation is led by Paul Cronson, President since 2025 (on filings since 2020); none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Paul Cronson
President
Vice President & Trustee → Vice President, 2024
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Finkelstein
Treasurer & Secretary
Treasurer, Secretary & Trustee → Treasurer & Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Caroline Cronson
Vice President
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Mary Cronson (2020–2024) — President Thru7
- Former: David Finkelstein Co Cravath Swaine (2020–2022) — Treasurer, Secretary & Trustee
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.
Frequently asked questions about The Evelyn Sharp Foundation
How much does The Evelyn Sharp Foundation give each year?
The Evelyn Sharp Foundation gave $1.3M across 39 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $1.1M across 30 grants.
What is The Evelyn Sharp Foundation's typical grant size?
The Evelyn Sharp Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $15,000, and its average grant was $32,141, across 39 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Evelyn Sharp Foundation that year got $8K on average.
Where does The Evelyn Sharp Foundation give grants?
The Evelyn Sharp Foundation gives mostly in New York: 57% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was California (33%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (19 grants), Brooklyn, NY (3 grants), Valencia, CA (2 grants) and Santa Monica, CA (2 grants).
Does The Evelyn Sharp Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 39 grants with a stated purpose on The Evelyn Sharp Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Furtherance of the Arts" (27 grants) and "Education" (8 grants).
Who are The Evelyn Sharp Foundation's largest grantees?
The Evelyn Sharp Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Solomon R Guggenheim Foundation ($367,000 across 3 grants), California Institute of the Arts ($282,000 across 2 grants) and The Rand Corporation ($120,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 61% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Evelyn Sharp Foundation?
The Evelyn Sharp Foundation reported $3.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $797K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Evelyn Sharp Foundation fund?
No mission statement for the foundation is provided. Its grants include purposes stated as furtherance of the arts, research for the public interest, and education. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Evelyn Sharp Foundation?
The foundation accepts unsolicited requests. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Evelyn Sharp Foundation's EIN?
The Evelyn Sharp Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-6119532. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Does The Evelyn Sharp Foundation accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes, 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 June 18, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Evelyn Sharp Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Evelyn Sharp Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 13, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-evelyn-sharp-foundation-morg_db131f5af3454d2580ee717a25bfdc96
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_136119532_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Evelyn Sharp Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-evelyn-sharp-foundation-morg_db131f5af3454d2580ee717a25bfdc96},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13. 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 The Evelyn Sharp Foundation'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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