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HELEN FRANKENTHALER FOUNDATION INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 133244308 · Form 990PF · FY2024 · Large ($10M-$50M)
revenue
$21.2M
expenses
$11.9M
net assets
$173.2M
employees
—
profile · synthesized from sources

The Helen Frankenthaler Foundation supports the visual arts through grants to museums, artist endowments, and arts organizations. It funds acquisitions, exhibitions, artist fellowships, and cultural preservation initiatives. The foundation is based in New York and was established to advance the legacy of artist Helen Frankenthaler.

named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

2024 NYC Arts Consortium
Supports 15 arts organizations in New York City, including the Swiss Institute
FCI 2024 Implementation
Supports artist-focused institutions and arts organizations in implementing programs, including the North Carolina Glass Center, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, National Nordic Museum, and Flint Institute of Arts
HF Award for Painting
Endowed award supporting painters through the Foundation for Contemporary Arts
Museum Fellows Term Program
Supports professional development in museums through Bennington College
Ukraine Heritage Response Fund
Supports preservation of cultural heritage in Ukraine through the World Monuments Fund
activities · 3 groups

What they do

  • Art Museum Funding and Support 3 activities
    • Funding a consortium of New York City arts organizations
      Supports a consortium of 15 New York City-based arts organizations through multi-year grant funding, administered in partnership with the Swiss Institute.
    • Funding acquisition of art for museum collections
      Funds the acquisition of artworks for museum collections through grants awarded to cultural institutions.
    • Funding the Museum Fellows Term Program at Bennington College
      Provides multi-year funding for the Museum Fellows Term Program at Bennington College, an initiative designed to train emerging museum professionals.
  • Historic Preservation Support Grants 1 activity
    • Funding Ukraine Heritage Response Fund
      Provides multi-year funding to the World Monuments Fund’s Ukraine Heritage Response Fund to protect cultural heritage sites impacted by conflict.
  • Artist Support Grants 1 activity
    • Funding the Helen Frankenthaler Award for Painting
      Provides endowment funding to support the Helen Frankenthaler Award for Painting, which is administered by the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.
financials · form 990PF · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$21.16M
Contributions & grants——
Program service revenue——
Investment income$2.88M14%
Other revenue$18.25M
expenses
Total expenses$11.95M
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$509K
Grants paid out$14.41M
balance sheet
Total assets$173.18M
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$173.18M
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +8.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 3
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
ELIZABETH SMITH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 35 $544K
RICHARD ARMSTRONG DIRECTOR 2 $9K
ANN PHILBIN DIRECTOR 2 $6K
board members · 3
  • CLIFFORD ROSS — PRESIDENT/DIRECTOR
  • LISE MOTHERWELL — CHAIR/DIRECTOR
  • MICHAEL HECHT — SECRETARY/TREASURER/DIRECTOR
relationships · 12

Who they work with

  • ASHEVILLE GLASS ART SCHOOL AKA NORTH CAROLINA GLASS CENTER Partner — Receives funding for implementation of the Foundation's Creative Initiative (FCI) 2024 program.
  • BENNINGTON COLLEGE CORPORATION Partner — Hosts the Museum Fellows Term Program funded by the foundation.
  • ELLIS-BEAUREGARD FOUNDATION Partner — Receives support for its Artist Campus program.
  • FLINT INSTITUTE OF ARTS Partner — Receives funding for implementation of the Foundation's Creative Initiative (FCI) 2024 program.
  • FOUNDATION FOR CONTEMPORARY ARTS Partner — Administers the Helen Frankenthaler Award for Painting with endowment support from the foundation.
  • GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO Partner — Receives grant funding for art acquisitions to its museum collection.
  • KUNSTMUSEUM BASEL Partner — Receives grant funding for art acquisitions to its museum collection.
  • MILWAUKEE INSTITUTE OF ART & DESIGN Partner — Receives funding for implementation of the Foundation's Creative Initiative (FCI) 2024 program.
  • NATIONAL NORDIC MUSEUM Partner — Receives funding for implementation of the Foundation's Creative Initiative (FCI) 2024 program.
  • PEN AMERICAN CENTER Partner — Receives multi-year support for the 2024 Artists Respond Coalition (ARC) initiative.
  • SWISS INSTITUTE Partner — Administers a consortium grant supporting 15 New York City arts organizations.
  • WORLD MONUMENTS FUND Partner — Receives multi-year funding for the Ukraine Heritage Response Fund to protect endangered cultural heritage.
strategies · 2

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.

  • Consortium-Based Grantmaking for Coordinated Arts Funding
    methodology: consortium-based grantmaking
    By channeling grants through consortia of arts organizations, the foundation enables more effective and coordinated funding distribution, because collective structures amplify impact and reduce duplication across peer institutions.
  • Endowment-Based Support for Artist Recognition
    methodology: endowment-based support
    By deploying an endowment to fund artist awards in painting, the foundation ensures the long-term sustainability of recognition for artistic excellence, because sustained financial backing preserves cultural value and incentivizes continued contributions to the field.