Trust for Mutual Understanding
The Trust for Mutual Understanding is a private foundation based in New York City dedicated to fostering international exchange and understanding through the arts and environmental conservation. Established in 1984 by an anonymous American philanthropist, the foundation supports American nonprofit organizations in conducting cultural and environmental exchanges with international partners, with a particular emphasis on direct, person-to-person professional collaboration.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$25.7M
+0.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.3M
-11.0% YoY
Grant Count
72
+46.9% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$32K
-39.4% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Trust for Mutual Understanding reported a distributable amount of $1.8M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission centers on promoting improved communication, closer cooperation, and greater respect between people of the United States and other countries, particularly in Eastern and Central Europe, Russia, and Central Asia. The foundation operates from the conviction that creative international collaboration encourages global harmony and that supporting international, person-to-person contact combats isolationism.
Primary Focus Areas:
- Arts and Culture: Visual and performing arts, dance, theater, music, museums, historical activities, and historic preservation
- Environment: Natural resources, biodiversity, and wildlife conservation
- Culture at the Intersection: Projects exploring how the arts and environment relate to cultural expression, identity, meaning, and shared values
The foundation defines culture as an expression of identity, meaning, and shared values, and a shared understanding of how a global community can live and work together. TMU supports leaders and organizations that share values of international collaboration and the importance of building relationships across borders.
Grantmaking
The foundation made 51 grants in 2023, totaling approximately $2.4 million in grant distributions. Recent notable grants include:
Grant Types
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Trust for Mutual Understanding supports exchanges between the United States and the following countries:
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
Within the United States, the foundation funds projects in various cities including New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $25,581,664
- Total Revenues: $3,572,093
- Total Expenses: $4,573,317
- Staff: 4 employees
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $25,676,371 | $25,581,664 | $27,906,740 |
| Revenue | $3,838,936 | $3,572,093 | $2,584,429 |
| Expenses | $4,291,399 | $4,573,317 | $4,203,437 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $3,947,880 | $4,303,453 | $3,984,999 |
| Net Investment Income | $3,501,791 | $2,366,825 | $1,395,752 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,846,626 | $1,759,626 | $1,801,787 |
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
102 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Trust for Mutual Understanding
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Residency Unlimited Inc ($144,000), Cec Artslink Inc ($115,000), Center for International Theatre Development Inc ($90,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| ACADEMY OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA INC WOODSIDE, NY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $15,000 |
| AFTERIMAGE PUBLIC MEDIA INC SAN FRANCISCO, CA | GENERAL SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| ALMA ON DOBBIN BROOKLYN, NY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $15,000 |
| ASSOCIATION OF AMERICAN GEOGRAPHERS WASHINGTON, DC | GENERAL SUPPORT | $25,000 |
| BLACKFOOT CHALLENGE OVANDO, MT | GENERAL SUPPORT | $35,000 |
| CEC ARTSLINK INC NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $62,500 |
| CEC ARTSLINK INC NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $15,000 |
| CEC ARTSLINK INC NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $115,000 |
| CEC ARTSLINK INC NEW YORK, NY | GENERAL SUPPORT | $63,800 |
| CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL THEATRE DEVELOPMENT INC BALTIMORE, MD | GENERAL SUPPORT | $90,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Barbara A. Lanciers — Director
- Valerie Rockefeller — Trustee
- Joel Motley — Trustee
The foundation was established by Sandra Ferry Rockefeller, whose philanthropic conviction shaped the organization's commitment to international collaboration and cultural exchange.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| BARBARA A LANCIERS | DIRECTOR | 40 | $294,657 |
| IRINA YURNA | REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE | 40 | $155,859 |
| ALINA ENGGIST | SENIOR PROGRAM OFFICER | 40 | $161,459 |
| CAROLINE MABEE | PROGRAM OFFICER | 40 | $112,604 |
| VALERIE ROCKEFELLER | TRUSTEE | 2 | $19,390 |
| JOEL MOTLEY | TRUSTEE | 2 | — |
| ELIZABETH C CAMPBELL | TRUSTEE | 2 | $19,390 |
| SUSAN V BERRESFORD | TRUSTEE | 6 | $19,390 |
| BLAIR A RUBLE | TRUSTEE | 2 | $19,390 |
Contact Information
- Website: tmuny.org
- Address: PO Box 5016, New York City, NY 10185-5016
- Telephone: 212-549-5544
- Email: tmu@tmuny.org
- EIN: 13-3212724
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Trust for Mutual Understanding fund?
The foundation's mission centers on promoting improved communication, closer cooperation, and greater respect between people of the United States and other countries, particularly in Eastern and Central Europe, Russia, and Central Asia. The foundation operates from the conviction that creative international collaboration encourages global harmony and that supporting international, person-to-person contact combats isolationism. **Primary Focus Areas:** • **Arts and Culture:** Visual and performi…
How do I apply for a grant from Trust for Mutual Understanding?
**Grant Activity:** The foundation made 51 grants in 2023, totaling approximately $2.4 million in grant distributions. Recent notable grants include: • CEC Artslink Inc.: $388,500 • Residency Unlimited: $349,800 • Movement Research: $221,000 **Grant Types:** TMU provides support for: • Travel and related expenses for exchange projects • Professional exchanges involving direct, in-depth professional interaction • Projects with potential for sustained collaboration • Initiatives showing evidence …
Where does Trust for Mutual Understanding make grants?
The Trust for Mutual Understanding supports exchanges between the United States and the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Within the United States, the foundation funds projects in various cities including New York, Los Angeles, a…
What size grants does Trust for Mutual Understanding award?
In 2024, Trust for Mutual Understanding awarded 72 grants totaling $2.3M — an average of about $32K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Trust for Mutual Understanding required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Trust for Mutual Understanding reported a distributable amount of $1.8M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Trust for Mutual Understanding's EIN?
Trust for Mutual Understanding's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3212724. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Trust for Mutual Understanding's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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