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Barrie A & Deedee Wigmore Foundation

Annual Giving
$2.5M
Grant Range
$1K - $1.1M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $2,500,000 - $3,300,000
  • Success Rate: Not applicable (no public application process)
  • Decision Time: Not applicable
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $1,070,000
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily New York State
  • Number of Grants: Approximately 50 grants annually

Contact Details

Address: 1 W 72nd Street, Apt 17, New York, NY 10023

Note: No public website, email, or phone number is available for this private foundation.

Overview

The Barrie A & Deedee Wigmore Foundation was established in 1979 by Barrie A. Wigmore, a retired Goldman Sachs partner, and his wife Deedee Wigmore, prominent art collectors and philanthropists. The foundation operates as a traditional private grantmaking foundation with total assets of approximately $7.9-12.3 million (varying by fiscal year reporting). Annual giving ranges from $2.5 to $3.3 million across approximately 50 grants per year. The foundation's mission is to support other 501(c)(3) organizations through contributions, with no direct charitable activities of its own. The Wigmores' philanthropic approach reflects their personal interests and relationships, particularly their deep commitment to American decorative arts and cultural institutions, most notably The Metropolitan Museum of Art where Barrie Wigmore served as a trustee. The foundation also supports healthcare and medical institutions, including NYU Langone Hospitals and Adirondack Health Foundation.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation does not operate formal grant programs with specific application cycles. Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees based on organizations aligned with their philanthropic interests.

Recent grants (2024) include:

  • Metropolitan Museum of Art: $1,070,023 (General Support)
  • NYU Langone Hospitals: $200,000 (General Support)
  • Adirondack Health Foundation: $100,000 (General Support)

Priority Areas

Based on grant distribution patterns, the foundation focuses on:

  • Arts and Culture: Strong emphasis on American decorative arts, particularly late 19th-century Aesthetic Movement works; museum support; art exhibitions and scholarly projects
  • Healthcare and Medical Institutions: Hospital systems and healthcare foundations
  • Education: Support for educational institutions and museum education programs

The foundation's largest and most consistent support goes to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, reflecting the founders' four-decade relationship with the institution and their status as major collectors and donors of American Aesthetic Movement decorative arts and paintings.

What They Don't Fund

Given the invitation-only nature and trustee discretion model:

  • Organizations without existing relationships to the trustees are unlikely to receive funding
  • The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications
  • No evidence of support for international organizations

Governance and Leadership

Trustees

According to recent Form 990 filings, the trustees include:

  • Barrie A. Wigmore - Co-founder; retired Goldman Sachs partner (joined 1970, retired 1988); led corporate finance department responsible for utility, pipeline, telecommunications, and oil and gas financing; author of two books and numerous academic articles on financial markets; elected trustee of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2002
  • Deedee Wigmore - Co-founder; the Deedee Wigmore Gallery at The Metropolitan Museum's American Wing (endowed 1999) is named in her honor
  • Emily Lenz - Trustee
  • Michael Cunningham - Trustee

No trustee compensation is reported in recent tax filings, consistent with typical family foundation governance.

Educational Background (Barrie Wigmore)

  • University of Saskatchewan
  • University of Oregon
  • Oxford University
  • Honorary fellow of Worcester College, Oxford
  • Recipient of honorary Doctor of Laws from University of Saskatchewan

Metropolitan Museum Leadership Quote

James R. Houghton, former Met board chairman, praised Wigmore's "abiding interest in education and American art" and noted how he "helped strengthen our activities and enhance our collections."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Barrie A & Deedee Wigmore Foundation operates as a traditional private family foundation that awards grants at the discretion of its trustees. Grants are made to organizations with which the founders and trustees have established relationships, typically through board service, personal connection, or longstanding philanthropic engagement.

There is no application portal, no published guidelines, and no solicitation of grant proposals. Organizations are identified and selected by the trustees based on alignment with their personal philanthropic interests and existing institutional relationships.

Application Success Factors

Given the private, invitation-only nature of this foundation, the following factors appear critical based on actual grant patterns:

  • Existing institutional relationships: Major support flows to organizations where the Wigmores have deep personal involvement (e.g., The Metropolitan Museum of Art where Barrie serves as trustee)
  • Alignment with collector interests: The foundation's largest grants support institutions aligned with the Wigmores' passion for American decorative arts, particularly the Aesthetic Movement of the 1870s-1880s
  • Geographic connection: New York institutions, particularly those in Manhattan and the Adirondacks, receive support
  • Healthcare institutions: Support for prestigious medical centers and regional healthcare foundations suggests personal or community connections
  • Institutional prestige and stability: Recipients tend to be well-established, nationally recognized institutions

The foundation's giving reflects a highly personal philanthropic approach shaped by the founders' professional backgrounds, collecting interests, and community ties rather than a strategic grantmaking program open to external applicants.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No unsolicited applications accepted: This foundation does not accept grant proposals from organizations without existing relationships to the trustees
  • Relationship-driven giving: Grant recipients reflect decades-long personal connections, board service, and shared interests in American decorative arts
  • Metropolitan Museum centrality: The foundation's largest and most consistent support flows to The Met, where Barrie Wigmore serves as trustee and the couple has donated 88 works of art
  • Private foundation model: With approximately $8-12 million in assets and 50 annual grants, this is a traditional family foundation operating at trustee discretion
  • Not a prospect for cold outreach: Organizations seeking funding should not contact this foundation without a personal connection to one of the trustees
  • Focus on established institutions: Grant recipients tend to be prestigious, well-established organizations rather than emerging nonprofits or grassroots groups
  • Personal passion drives giving: The Wigmores' collecting interests in late 19th-century American Aesthetic Movement art and decorative objects clearly shapes their philanthropic priorities

References

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