named programs · 5 · from sources
What they call their work
African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund
Grantmaking and preservation initiative supporting Black historic sites and community-led commemoration projects
American Archive of Public Broadcasting
Preserves and provides access to historic public media content for research and public use
Freedom Reads
Installs curated libraries in juvenile detention centers and supports literacy and intellectual freedom for incarcerated youth
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program
Supports undergraduate students from underrepresented groups to pursue PhDs and academic careers in the humanities and social sciences
Monument Lab
Supports public art and critical memory projects that reimagine monuments and civic spaces through community engagement
activities · 6 groups
What they do
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Historic Preservation Support Grants 5 activities
- Funding Monument Lab’s RE:GENERATION program and narrative change initiativesFunds the expansion of Monument Lab’s RE:GENERATION program, including field building, narrative change work, and general operations to reimagine public monuments and civic memory.
- Funding cultural memorials and commemorations of slaveryFunds the planning, development, and creation of cultural spaces and memorials that commemorate the history of slavery, including at Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom Train Shed and Montpelier, with an emphasis on public memory and historical reckoning.
- Funding semi-permanent monument installations in underserved communitiesFunds the semi-permanent installation of monuments in historically marginalized neighborhoods, such as South Central, to affirm community identity and history.
- Funding the African American Cultural Heritage Action FundFunds the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund’s grantmaking, programs, marketing, technical assistance, and three signature preservation projects to protect and promote Black cultural sites.
- Funding the Chicago Monuments Project and community-led commemorative initiativesFunds the Chicago Monuments Project and citywide, community-initiated commemorative efforts to critically assess and reshape public memorials and historical narratives.
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Artist Support Grants 1 activity
- Funding Black dance innovation through regrantingFunds a regranting program to support artists and companies shaping the future of Black dance, enabling field-wide artistic development and sustainability.
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Literacy Program Funding 1 activity
- Funding Freedom Reads’ library expansion and organizational capacityFunds Freedom Reads to scale its installation of curated library collections in community spaces and to strengthen its organizational infrastructure.
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Public Media Funding 1 activity
- Funding preservation of public broadcasting archivesFunds the American Archive of Public Broadcasting to preserve endangered public media content and ensure long-term access for research and education.
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University-Specific Endowment and Program Funding 1 activity
- Funding the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship ProgramFunds the administration and annual institutional renewals for the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program, which supports underrepresented students pursuing academic careers in the humanities and humanistic social sciences.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Funding the Center for Puerto Rican Studies’ Rooted & Relational InitiativeFunds the continuation of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies’ Rooted & Relational Initiative, supporting research and programming that strengthens diasporic and island-based connections.
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financials · form 990PF · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.06B
Contributions & grants——
Program service revenue——
Investment income$43.56M4%
Other revenue$1.02B
expenses
Total expenses$108.93M
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$7.81M
Grants paid out$555.00M
balance sheet
Total assets$7.82B
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$7.21B
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +135.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 17
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELIZABETH ALEXANDER | PRESIDENT | 50 | $2.20M |
| SCOTT TAYLOR | CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER | 50 | $1.97M |
| SHEREE CARTER-GALVAN | CHIEF LEGAL OFFICER | 50 | $950K |
| JULIE EHRLICH | EVP & COO | 50 | $770K |
| CARTER STEWART | EVP, PROGRAMS & RESEARCH | 50 | $743K |
| SEPIDEH SEPASI | CFO & TREASURER | 50 | $678K |
| KATHRYN HALL | TRUSTEE, BOARD CHAIR | 6 | $75K |
| HEATHER GERKEN | TRUSTEE | 5 | $60K |
| JONATHAN HOLLOWAY | TRUSTEE | 5 | $60K |
| KELLY ANN GRANAT | TRUSTEE | 5 | $53K |
| GAURAV KAPADIA | TRUSTEE | 5 | $40K |
| MELISSA GILLIAM | TRUSTEE | 5 | $40K |
| SHERRILYN IFILL | TRUSTEE | 5 | $40K |
| THELMA GOLDEN | TRUSTEE | 5 | $40K |
| MARYANA ISKANDER | TRUSTEE (BEG 03/2024) | 5 | $27K |
| PAUL FARBER | TRUSTEE (BEG 03/2024) | 5 | $27K |
| JOSHUA S FRIEDMAN | TRUSTEE (END 03/2024) | 5 | $20K |
relationships · 11
Who they work with
- AMERICAN COUNCIL OF LEARNED SOCIETIES Partner — Receives funding to administer the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program.
- CITY OF RICHMOND Partner — Receives funding to develop a cultural space at the Shockoe Bottom Train Shed to commemorate the history of slavery.
- FREEDOM READS Partner — Receives renewed support to scale library installations and expand organizational capacity.
- HUNTER COLLEGE Partner — Receives funding to continue the Center for Puerto Rican Studies’ Rooted & Relational Initiative.
- LOS ANGELES NOMADIC DIVISION Partner — Receives funding for the semi-permanent installation of a monument to South Central.
- MONTPELIER FOUNDATION Partner — Receives funding to create a memorial to individuals who were enslaved at Montpelier.
- MONUMENT LAB Partner — Receives funding to expand the RE:GENERATION program, field building, and narrative change work.
- NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN THE UNITED STATES Partner — Receives funding for the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund’s grantmaking and preservation projects.
- THE CITY OF CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND SPECIAL EVENTS Partner — Receives funding for the Chicago Monuments Project and community-initiated commemorative initiatives.
- THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACKS IN DANCE INC Partner — Receives funding to support a regranting program for Black dance artists and companies.
- WGBH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION Partner — Receives funding to preserve endangered public media holdings through the American Archive of Public Broadcasting.
strategies · 3
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Commemorative Cultural Infrastructure for Historical Reckoningmethodology: cultural_reckoningBy funding cultural spaces that memorialize and interpret the history of slavery, we produce deeper public historical understanding because physical and programmatic engagement with difficult histories fosters collective reckoning and civic learning.
- Field-Building Through Regranting to Marginalized Artistsmethodology: field_building_regrantingBy supporting regranting programs that direct resources to Black artists and dance companies, we strengthen cultural ecosystems because decentralized, community-informed funding increases artistic innovation and sustainability in historically excluded sectors.
- Pipeline Development for Underrepresented Scholarsmethodology: pipeline_developmentBy funding institutional participation in the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship, we produce a more diverse academic pipeline because early preparation and mentorship increase the likelihood of doctoral study among students from underrepresented backgrounds.