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

-19.4% YoY

Avg Grant Size

$26K

+153.3% YoY

Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Jane Henson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $368K 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 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:

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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

New York $1.2M (48%)

Georgia $402K (16%)

Connecticut $281K (12%)

Minnesota $127K (5%)

Maryland $100K (4%)

California $84K (3%)

District of Columbia $60K (2%)

Washington $27K (1%)

+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

Metric	2024	2023	2022
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

Grant Insights

How this funder distributes its grants

Top Recipients

Top 10 recipients in 2024

Grant Size Distribution

182 grants across all recorded years

Giving History

Grant recipients and amounts by year

Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include American Museum of the Moving Image ($500,000), Center for Puppetry Arts ($60,000), Eugene O'neill Theater Center ($25,000).

Recipient	Purpose	Amount
ACADEMY FOUNDATION LOS ANGELES, CA	TO SUPPORT ACADEMY MUSEUM OF MOTION PICTURES FOR THE JIM HENSON EXHIBIT & RELATED PROGRAMMING	$5,000
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE ASTORIA, NY	TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING	$500,000
AUTOMATA ARTS LOS ANGELES, CA	TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER	$5,000
BLAIR THOMAS & COMPANY CHICAGO, IL	TO SUPPORT OF CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL PUPPET THEATER FESTIVAL	$5,000
BOB BAKER MARIONETTES THEATER LOS ANGELES, CA	TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER	$2,000
CENTER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS ATLANTA, GA	TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING	$60,000
COLUMBIA MARIONETTE THEATRE COLUMBIA, SC	TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER	$2,000
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WASHINGTON COUNTY INC GREENVILLE, MS	TO SUPPORT THE LEGACY OF HENSON THROUGH THE JIM HENSON'S BOYHOOD EXHIBIT FUND	$5,000
EUGENE O'NEILL THEATER CENTER WATERFORD, CT	NATIONAL PUPPETRY CONFERENCE AT THE O'NEILL	$25,000
GREAT ARIZONA PUPPET THEATER PHOENIX, AZ	TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER	$5,000

Leadership & Key People

Officers and directors from IRS filings

Compensation Overview

From 2024 IRS filing

From 2024 filing

Name	Title	Hours	Compensation
HEATHER HENSON	PRESIDENT	—	—

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

Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking

Frequently Asked Questions

What does The Jane Henson Foundation fund?

The foundation focuses on: • Creative puppet arts in classrooms • American puppet theater • The Jim Henson collection and related programming

How do I apply for a grant from The Jane Henson Foundation?

**Recent Grant Activity (2023)** The foundation made 36 grants totaling approximately $370,000 in 2023. Notable recent grants include: • Museum of the Moving Image: $60,000 (to support the Jim Henson Collection & Related Programming) • Center for Puppetry Arts: $60,000 (to support the Jim Henson Collection & Related Programming) • The Jim Henson Foundation: $30,000 (general funds support) The foundation also made a $1 million gift to the Museum of the Moving Image in 2024.

Where does The Jane Henson Foundation make grants?

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

What size grants does The Jane Henson Foundation award?

In 2024, The Jane Henson Foundation awarded 29 grants totaling $755K — an average of about $26K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.

How much is The Jane Henson Foundation required to give away each year?

Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, The Jane Henson Foundation reported a distributable amount of $368K on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.