Samuel H. Kress Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Foundation supports projects on European art, architecture and archaeology from antiquity to the early nineteenth century, and on art conservation, so a small nonprofit should apply only if its work fits those themes.
- Most of its grants fall between $1,500 and $40,000, and the median grant was $14,000, so a modest request sits within the usual range, though its largest grant was $275,000.
- Its stated geographic focus is American organizations, grants go to non-profit institutions rather than individuals, and History of Art Grants do not fund documentation of the object collections of individual art museums.
- Applicants must first send a Letter of Inquiry through the online portal, with spring and fall deadlines of 1 March and 30 September, and the filing shows that 84% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had funded before, so prior relationships appear to matter a good deal, though new applicants are not shut out.
Overview
Samuel H. Kress Foundation is a US private foundation based in New York, NY.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Samuel H. Kress Foundation supports projects that advance the study, conservation and enjoyment of European art, architecture and archaeology from antiquity to the early nineteenth century. Its History of Art Grants fund scholarly projects that deepen appreciation and understanding of European works, creating and disseminating specialised knowledge through research, exhibitions and publications. The programme also supports professional exchange and mentored development in art museums. Its Conservation Grants support the professional practice of art conservation, especially work relating to European art, and activities through which conservators and conservation scientists share their expertise. Grants go to eligible non-profit institutions rather than directly to individuals. The Foundation also provides institutional fellowships for emerging art historians and supports museums and conservation facilities that sponsor supervised conservation internships.
Themes
- European art and architecture
- Art conservation
Geographic Focus
American organizations.
What They Don't Fund
- History of Art Grants only: the documentation (cataloging, photography, research and publication) of the object collections of individual art museums
How to apply
Applicants submit a Letter of Inquiry through the online portal first, followed by a subsequent grant application through the same portal.
Deadlines:
- Spring Letter of Inquiry deadline: 1 March.
- Fall Letter of Inquiry deadline: 30 September.
- Spring full grant application deadline: 1 April, after invitation.
- Fall full grant application deadline: 1 November, after invitation.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 84% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 313 grants to organisations were $14,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 11%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 21%
- The largest single recipient received 11% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 84% of grant dollars went to organisations Samuel H. Kress Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 13% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Italy, France, United Kingdom, Germany).
- 3% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 85 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $12,500 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- New York University · Conservation fellowships$275,0002024 tax year
- Foundation for Advancement in Conservation · Conservation fellowships$230,0002024 tax year
- National Gallery of Art · Institutional fellowships$170,0002024 tax year
- American Academy in Rome · Institutional fellowships$120,0002024 tax year
- Alliance of HBCU Museums and Galleries · History of art grants$89,0002024 tax year
- Middlebury College · History of art grants$55,0002024 tax year
- Harvard University · Institutional fellowships$55,0002024 tax year
- Museum of Fine Arts Boston · History of art grants$50,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Nina Scherago — Trustee
- Steven Nelson — Trustee
- Theodore Mayer — Trustee
- Ken Lee — Treasurer
- William J Higgins — Trustee
- Robert Loper — Secretary
- Joy Connolly — Trustee
- Daniel Weiss — Vice Chairman
- Carmela Franklin — Chairman
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,721,301 | $3,283,807 | $81,608,765 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $2,928,277 | $2,341,745 | $88,206,270 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $4,092,870 | $2,265,113 | $95,619,750 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to Samuel H. Kress Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (212) 861-4993
- New York, NY
- kressfoundation.org
Applying to Samuel H. Kress Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (212) 861-4993
- New York, NY
- kressfoundation.org