The Jane Henson Foundation logo

The Jane Henson Foundation

NEW YORK, NY EIN: 06-1573700 Website

The Jane Henson Foundation is a private family foundation based in New York City, established in 2000. The foundation primarily supports initiatives related to puppet arts, with a particular emphasis on creative puppet arts in educational settings, American puppet theater, and the preservation and programming of the Jim Henson collection.

Financial Overview

From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing

Total Assets

$5.3M

-8.1% YoY

Annual Giving

$755K

+104.1% YoY

Grant Count

29

-19.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$26K

+153.3% YoY

Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated April 2026.

Mission & Focus Areas

The foundation focuses on:

  • Creative puppet arts in classrooms
  • American puppet theater
  • The Jim Henson collection and related programming

Grantmaking

The foundation made 36 grants totaling approximately $370,000 in 2023. Notable recent grants include:

Ready to take the next step with The Jane Henson Foundation?

Geographic Focus

Where this funder awards grants

The foundation operates nationally, with a base in New York City. Grant recipients include organizations across the United States.

Grant Distribution by State

21states
+13 more states

Cities

ArlingtonAshevilleAstoriaAtlantaBaltimoreBrooklineBrooklynChicagoCollege ParkColumbiaDearbornGrand RapidsGreenvilleHoosick FallsHyatsvilleHyattsvilleKentLong Island CityLos AngelesMinneapolis

Financial History

Multi-year comparison from IRS filings

As of December 2023:

  • Total assets: $5,807,649
  • Total revenues: $211,797
  • Total expenses: $435,332
  • Total giving: $370,000
Revenue
Expenses
Qualifying Distributions
Net Investment Income
$0$239K$478K$717K$956K20202021202220232024
Metric202420232022
Total Assets$5,339,646$5,807,649$6,026,027
Revenue$350,981$211,797$462,910
Expenses$818,984$435,332$642,077
Qualifying Distributions$771,896$388,460$588,387
Net Investment Income$305,393$164,925$221,803
Distributable Amount$367,742$351,776$367,950

Giving Over Time

Total grant dollars and number of grants per year

$0$189K$378K$566K$755K32 grants202043 grants202142 grants202236 grants202329 grants2024

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF THE M…$500KCENTER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS$60KEUGENE O'NEILL THEATER C…$25KUNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICU…$20KTHE PUPPETEERS OF AMERIC…$18KUNIMA-USA INC$15KJIM HENSON LEGACY$10KNATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERI…$10KUNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND C…$10KACADEMY FOUNDATION$5K

Grant Size Distribution

182 grants across all recorded years

171<$50K7$50–100K3$100–250K$250–500K1$500K–1M$1–5M$5M+

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

No grants recorded for .

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

NameTitleHoursCompensation
HEATHER HENSONPRESIDENT

Recent News & Activity

Recent developments and announcements

2024

In 2024, the Jane Henson Foundation made a significant $1 million gift to the Museum of the Moving Image, demonstrating continued commitment to supporting institutions that preserve and present the Jim Henson collection and related programming.

Museum Of The Moving Image Receives $1 Million Gift From The Jane Henson

Subject Areas

Focus areas based on grantmaking activity

Related Funders

Similar funders by location and focus area

Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.

What could you do with The Jane Henson Foundation on Grantable?

  • Assess strategic fit with your organization
  • Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
  • Find open RFPs from this funder
  • Monitor for new funding opportunities