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NEW YORK FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 237129564 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A120 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Large ($10M-$50M) · nyfa.org
revenue
$24.2M
expenses
$17.4M
net assets
$17.4M
employees
32
volunteers
27
program ratio
91%
mission · from form 990

TO EMPOWER ARTISTS IN ALL DISCIPLINES, AS WELL AS CULTURAL WORKERS, TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS ON THEIR OWN TERMS BY PROVIDING CRITICAL SUPPORT, RESOURCES, AND OPPORTUNITIES.

profile · synthesized from sources

New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) empowers artists across all disciplines by providing resources, funding opportunities, and professional development programs. It supports individual artists, particularly immigrants, through fellowships, mentorship, legal consultations, and access to grants and residencies. NYFA operates primarily in New York State, with a strong focus on New York City, and serves as a critical hub for artist services and advocacy.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $1.27M
    NYFA LEARNING: NYFA LEARNING PROVIDES ARTISTS WITH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARE PROVIDED THROUGH WORKSHOPS, MENTORING PROGRAMS, NETWORKING EVENTS, COLLABORATIONS, AND A VARIETY OF RESOURCES.
  2. #2 $1.22M
    NYC MADE IN NY WOMEN'S FILM: THE NYC WOMEN'S FUND FOR MEDIA, MUSIC, AND THEATRE ("WOMEN'S FUND"), ADMINISTERED BY THE NEW YORK FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS (NYFA) IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF NEW YORK MAYOR'S OFFICE OF MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT (MOME), IS PART OF A GROUNDBREAKING SERIES OF INITIATIVES THAT ADDRESS THE UNDERREPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN FILM, MUSIC, TELEVISION, AND THEATRE. THE FUND PROVIDES GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT THE CREATION OF CONTENT THAT REFLECT THE VOICES AND PERSPECTIVES OF ALL WHO IDENTIFY AS WOMEN.
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

1-on-1 Immigrant Artist Consultations
Offers free, individualized online career consultation services to immigrant artists
Events Designed for Immigrant Artists
Hosts public workshops and networking events on topics such as healthcare, visas, and opportunity development
Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program
Pairs emerging immigrant artists with established artist mentors who have received NYSCA/NYFA Fellowships or prior program participation
NYFA Immigrant Artist Newsletter
Free email publication listing upcoming opportunities, events, and profiles of artists and organizations relevant to immigrant artists
NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship
Provides unrestricted grants to individual artists living in New York State across various disciplines
activities · 4 groups

What they do

  • Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 4 activities
    • Deliver discipline-specific and identity-based artist mentoring programs
      Runs the Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program and other targeted initiatives for Latinx, LGBTQ+, and disabled artists, as well as those in specific disciplines including photography, social practice, and traditional arts.
    • Provide career development and professional advising to artists
      Offers year-round one-on-one career advice, live workshops, on-demand courses, and specialized programming such as Doctor’s Hours and career support for immigrant artists. Topics include financial literacy, marketing, taxes, and work sample reviews.
    • Provide educational resources and online tools for artists
      Offers the NYFA Knowledge Base, online courses, newsletters, and handbooks covering strategic planning, law, fundraising, and artist statements. Also maintains NYFA Classifieds Jobs as a national platform for arts employment.
    • Run leadership and professional development programs for arts administrators and emerging leaders
      Offers the Emerging Leaders Program, Artist as Entrepreneur Program, and Incubator for Executive Leaders of Color to support early-career professionals and leaders of color in the arts sector.
  • Art Museum Funding and Support 2 activities
    • Distribute project and unrestricted fellowships to artists
      Offers project and unrestricted grants to artists across disciplines, including the Queens Arts Fund, Women’s Environmental Art Grants, and discipline-specific fellowships for photographers, Latinx artists, and artists with disabilities. Awards range from $5,000 to $50,000 and target New York State or NYC residents.
    • Support community arts leaders across New York State
      Administers the NYSCA/NYFA Community Arts Leaders Program and the NYSCA Stabilization Program for Small Arts Organizations to build capacity among artists and small cultural organizations in New York State.
  • Direct Financial Assistance to Individuals 1 activity
    • Administer emergency grants for artists
      Provides emergency financial assistance to artists facing medical crises, housing insecurity, or other emergencies, including specific programs for dancers and LGBTQ+ writers. Programs include the Rauschenberg Dancer Emergency Grants and housing stability grants for NYC-based artists.
  • Film Production Funding and Fiscal Sponsorship 1 activity
    • Offer fiscal sponsorship services
      Provides fiscal sponsorship to individual artists, cultural workers, and emerging arts organizations, enabling tax-deductible fundraising and grant eligibility. Includes project management support, dedicated web pages, and donation portals, with four annual no-fee application cycles.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$24.17M
Contributions & grants$22.03M91%
Program service revenue$2.08M9%
Investment income$121K1%
Other revenue$-64K
expenses
Total expenses$17.41M
Program expenses91%
Admin / overhead5%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$2.90M
Grants paid out$12.44M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$22.98M
Cash$10.81M
Investments$10.11M
Liabilities$5.54M
Net assets$17.44M
Liquid reserves14.4 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +50.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 6
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
MICHAEL L ROYCE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 60 $480K
SEBASTIANO VITALE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION 50 $197K
FRED HUMPHREY CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 40 $153K
KIMBERLY ANDRESEN DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT 50 $142K
MOHAMMAD USMAN DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGIES 40 $116K
FELICITY HOGAN DIRECTOR OF LEARNING 40 $114K
board members · 19
  • ALESSANDRA DIGIUSTO — BOARD MEMBER
  • ALEXANDRA CHASIN — BOARD MEMBER
  • CARMELITA TROPICANA — BOARD MEMBER
  • CAROLINE BLACK — BOARD MEMBER
  • CHRISTOPHER DONINI — BOARD MEMBER
  • CHRISTOPHER RUDD — BOARD MEMBER
  • ELIZABETH VON HABSBURG — BOARD MEMBER
  • EUNBI KIM — BOARD MEMBER
  • FEDERICO ACUNA — BOARD MEMBER
  • GEORGE MUELLER — BOARD MEMBER
  • GRACE ANGELA HENRY — BOARD MEMBER
  • J WESLEY MCDADE — VICE CHAIR
  • J WHITNEY STEVENS — SECRETARY
  • JACK ROSENBERG — BOARD MEMBER
  • JOE BAKER — BOARD MEMBER
  • JUSTIN TOBIN — BOARD MEMBER
  • LAURA MONTROSS — BOARD MEMBER
  • LESLEY-ANNE GLIEDMAN — BOARD MEMBER
  • LESLIE BOYCE — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 22

Who they work with

  • American University Museum Partner — Image courtesy partner providing visual content for NYFA's workshop webpage.
  • Anonymous Was A Woman Partner — Funds the Environmental Art Grants for women artists
  • Artists From Abroad Partner — Collaborates with or refers to Artists From Abroad for immigration and tax guidance for foreign guest artists
  • City of Alexandria Partner — Collaborated with NYFA Learning to provide educational support for artists and arts organizations.
  • Earlville Opera House Partner — Partnered with NYFA on the Artist as Entrepreneur program to provide professional development training for artists.
  • Fractured Atlas Partner — Partners with or refers artists to Fractured Atlas for insurance, advocacy, and professional development services
  • NYSCA Partner — Co-administers the Community Arts Leaders Program and Artist Fellowship with NYFA.
  • NYSCA Partner — Co-administers the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship and NYSCA Reserve Fund Grants
  • NYSCA Partner — Co-administers the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship with NYFA
  • NYSCA Partner — Co-sponsors the Community Arts Leaders Program and the Stabilization Program for Small Arts Organizations.
  • New York State Council on the Arts Partner — Collaborates with NYSCA on the NYSCA Reserve Fund Grants program.
  • Queens Council on the Arts Partner — Co-administers the Queens Arts Fund: Arts Access and New Work Grants
  • Rauschenberg Foundation Partner — Funds emergency grants for dancers and medical emergencies
  • Seed&Spark Partner — Partners to enable crowdfunding for fiscally sponsored projects through its platform.
  • Social Impact Commons Partner — Collaborates by referencing its Fiscal Sponsorship 101 resource to educate applicants about the field of fiscal sponsorship.
  • Tamizdat Partner — Partners with or refers to Tamizdat for visa support services for performing artists
  • The Actor’s Fund Partner — Refers artists to The Actor’s Fund for health insurance resources and advocacy
  • Tremaine Foundation Funder — Provides funding support for NYFA's free consultations program for immigrant artists.
  • Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts Partner — Collaborates with or refers to Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts for pro-bono legal services and legal workshops for artists
  • arts organizations Partner — Provides educational training to arts organizations' communities
  • colleges Partner — Provides educational training to college communities
  • universities Partner — Provides educational training to university communities
strategies · 5

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.

  • Cohort-Based Leadership Development with Mentorship
    methodology: cohort-based mentorship
    By using cohort-based, mentor-supported programming, the organization builds long-term artistic leadership capacity, particularly among underrepresented groups, because structured peer learning combined with expert mentorship fosters community, accountability, and sustained professional growth.
  • Fiscal Sponsorship with Artist Control
    methodology: fiscal_sponsorship_model_c
    By offering fiscal sponsorship that preserves creative control, the organization enables artist-led projects to access institutional funding and tax-deductible donations while maintaining artistic autonomy, because combining nonprofit infrastructure with decentralized leadership supports sustainable independent practice.
  • Individualized Career Support Through Expert Coaching
    methodology: individualized_career_advice
    By offering one-on-one guidance from industry professionals, the organization helps artists navigate complex career pathways and make informed decisions, because personalized advice from experienced mentors increases career clarity, strategic planning, and professional integration.
  • Peer-Recognized Funding as Creative Validation
    methodology: peer-recognized funding
    By using peer-reviewed awards to affirm artists' work, the organization validates artistic merit from within the field, which encourages creative risk-taking and professional persistence, because recognition from expert peers increases legitimacy and confidence.
  • Unrestricted Grantmaking for Artist Autonomy
    methodology: unrestricted_grantmaking
    By providing unrestricted financial support, the organization empowers artists to direct funds according to their own creative priorities, fostering autonomous development and enabling risk-taking in their practice, because control over resources increases creative agency.