The Guston Foundation
The Guston Foundation is a private foundation based in West Hurley, New York. It supports charitable organizations through grants and also carries out direct charitable activity by cataloguing and archiving the work of artist Philip Guston and making it available for art education and research.
The Guston Foundation at a glance
In short: The Guston Foundation gave $45K across 13 grants in 2025 (avg $3K), mostly in New York. 54% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $45,000
- +33.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 13
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $3,462
- +33.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $2,500
- Total assets
- $61,812,227
- +4.8% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (7 of 13, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- New York (74% 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 Guston Foundation
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to Apply
-
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 387, West Hurley, NY 12491-0387
Phone: (845) 684-5868
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who The Guston Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Doctors Without Borders ($10K). Together the top 10 received $43K.
Grant Size Distribution
45 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 44 grants of 45 (98%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, recipients in New York received 74% of grant dollars, followed by Massachusetts at 12%, Washington, DC at 11%, and Texas at 2%. These figures describe the locations of that year’s recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 13 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Guston Foundation open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 7 of 13 grantees (54%) were first-time recipients. With only 13 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 8 points. First grants averaged $4K; repeat grants $3K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $1K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2019–2025). 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 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $20K (2021) to $110K (2022). In 2025 it made 13 grants totaling $45K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Doctors Without Borders New York, NY | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild Woodstock, NY | General Operating Support | $10,000 |
| Maverick Concerts Woodstock, NY | General Operating Support | $5,000 |
| Woodstock Film Festival Woodstock, NY | General Operating Support | $5,000 |
| Amnesty International USA New York, NY | General Operating Support | $2,500 |
| Union of Concerned Scientists Inc Cambridge, MA | General Operating Support | $2,500 |
| Urban Rural Action Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $2,500 |
| World Food Program Washington, DC | General Operating Support | $2,500 |
| Clark Art Institute Williamstown, MA | General Operating Support | $1,500 |
| Amon Carter Museum of American Art Fort Worth, TX | General Operating Support | $1,000 |
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $61,812,227 | $3,377,001 | $1,502,492 | $45,000 | 13 | $1,358,903 | $3,292,853 |
| 2024 | $58,993,043 | $1,856,500 | $1,406,851 | $33,630 | 13 | $1,323,071 | $1,771,941 |
| 2023 | $57,505,956 | $1,247,382 | $1,210,324 | $30,000 | 7 | $1,131,118 | $1,172,128 |
| 2022 | $55,406,105 | $244,315 | $1,221,887 | $110,300 | 7 | $1,177,692 | $368,725 |
| 2021 | $60,484,590 | $952,376 | $1,111,429 | $20,000 | 5 | $1,023,497 | $868,396 |
| 2020 | $59,027,758 | $1,809,426 | $1,010,021 | $25,000 | 7 | — | $734,021 |
| 2019 | $55,847,025 | $756,558 | $947,198 | $25,850 | 7 | — | $685,796 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation’s stated direct charitable activity is to catalogue and archive all works produced by Philip Guston and make his work available to facilitate art education and research. Its 2025 grants went to organizations including arts and cultural groups, humanitarian organizations, and organizations addressing civic or community issues.
Among the grantees, Woodstock Film Festival describes its work as supporting filmmakers through an annual festival and year-round programming, including educational opportunities. Maverick Concerts says it presents chamber music performances, offers programming for young people, and preserves the historic Maverick Concert Hall. Urban Rural Action describes its work as strengthening relationships between rural and urban communities and promoting dialogue and joint action. Friends of the Academy says it raises funds and resources for educational enrichment for students at The Academy Charter School and The Academy Charter School 2.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the foundation reported 13 grants totaling $45,000. Grants ranged from $500 to $10,000, with a median grant of $2,500. The largest listed grants were $10,000 each to Doctors Without Borders and Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild, both for general operating support. Other notable grants included $5,000 each to Maverick Concerts and Woodstock Film Festival, and $2,500 each to Amnesty International USA, Union of Concerned Scientists, Urban Rural Action, and World Food Program. The listed 2025 grants were all designated for general operating support.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Musa Mayer as director and president; Thomas Mayer as director, vice president, and secretary; Kerrie Buitrago, Michael Conforti, Harry Cooper, and Pamela Mayer as directors; and Sarah Radic as executive director.
The Guston Foundation is led by Sarah Radic, Executive Director on every filing since 2019; 2 of 7 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Sarah Radic
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$126K (2019) → $212K (2025)
Musa J. Mayer
Director & President
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Conforti
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
$5K (2019) → $5K (2025)
Pamela A. Mayer
Director
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Thomas Mayer
Director, Vice President & Secretary
Director & Vice President → Director, Vice President & Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2019
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Harry Cooper
Director
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kerrie Buitrago
Director
On filings since 2024
0.3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Maurice M. Reder (2019–2024) — Former Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "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 $212K, to Sarah Radic (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Guston Foundation
How much does The Guston Foundation give each year?
The Guston Foundation gave $45K across 13 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $34K across 13 grants.
What is The Guston Foundation's typical grant size?
The Guston Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $2,500, and its average grant was $3,462, across 13 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Guston Foundation that year got $4K on average.
Where does The Guston Foundation give grants?
The Guston Foundation gives mostly in New York: 74% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest states were Massachusetts (12%) and District of Columbia (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were Woodstock, NY (3 grants), New York, NY (2 grants), Washington, DC (2 grants) and Williamstown, MA (2 grants).
Does The Guston Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Guston Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (13 of 13) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are The Guston Foundation's largest grantees?
The Guston Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Doctors Without Borders ($10,000), Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild ($10,000) and Maverick Concerts ($5,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 56% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Guston Foundation?
The Guston Foundation reported $61.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Its revenue that year was $3.4M.
What does The Guston Foundation fund?
The foundation’s stated direct charitable activity is to catalogue and archive all works produced by Philip Guston and make his work available to facilitate art education and research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Guston Foundation?
The foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Guston Foundation's EIN?
The Guston Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-1575176. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Does The Guston 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
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 1, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS April 6, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 8, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 10, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 19, 2025)
- Added Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 10, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Guston Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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