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Joseph And Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation

Annual Giving
$4.6M
Grant Range
$2K - $1.0M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $4,600,000 (2024)
  • Foundation Assets: $64,538,806
  • Grant Range: $2,000 - $1,000,000
  • Number of Awards: 54 grants (2024)
  • Geographic Focus: Primarily Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts
  • Application Process: Invitation only - does not accept unsolicited applications

Contact Details

Address: 1 Boars Head Pointe, Charlottesville, VA 22903-4680

Phone: 434-466-3292

Website: cornellmemorialfoundation.org

Note: The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Overview

The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation is a charitable trust established through the will of acclaimed 20th-century American artist Joseph Cornell (1903-1972). The foundation honors both Joseph, a pioneering assemblage artist and filmmaker, and his younger brother Robert (1910-1965), who had severe cerebral palsy and required lifelong care. Joseph's devotion to Robert was so profound that he requested the charitable trust be named in both their memories. Since 2000, trustees Joe Erdman and the late Richard Ader (who passed in 2019) have overseen significant growth of the foundation, which now holds assets of approximately $64.5 million. The foundation distributes a percentage of its assets annually to nonprofit beneficiaries "with an emphasis on the arts and with the view to inspire appreciation for the creative arts in all its forms." In recent years, the foundation has contributed more than $1.5 million annually to arts organizations, with particular focus on institutions in Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts—regions connected to Joseph Cornell's life and legacy.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates without formal grant programs or public application processes. All grants are made at the discretion of the trustees to preselected organizations. Recent annual giving has averaged $4.6 million across approximately 54-61 awards per year.

Grant Range: $2,000 - $1,000,000

Priority Areas

Arts (Primary Focus):

  • Visual arts and museums
  • Film and cinema
  • Opera and classical music
  • Ballet and dance
  • Theater and performing arts
  • Arts education programs

According to trustee Joe Erdman, "Joseph Cornell was interested in film, he was interested in opera and ballet, he was interested in music, and of course he was interested in the visual arts."

Education:

  • Arts education programs at universities
  • Experiential learning opportunities for art students
  • Graduate programs in the arts

Human Services and Philanthropy:

  • The foundation also supports human services initiatives, though arts remain the primary focus

Geographic Priorities

  • Virginia: Particularly Charlottesville and the University of Virginia
  • New York: Reflecting Joseph Cornell's New York roots
  • Massachusetts: Part of the foundation's regional focus

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications from any organizations. There is no public application process.

Governance and Leadership

Current Trustees

Joseph Erdman (Co-Trustee): A 1956 graduate of the University of Virginia College of Arts & Sciences, Erdman is a part-time resident of Charlottesville. He has been instrumental in directing the foundation's support toward UVA arts programs. Erdman stated, "We need to continue to give students a place to appreciate the arts and a place for the community to come and enjoy theatre, music, film, opera, art exhibits..." He and his wife have also created an endowment for graduate drama students at UVA.

Melissa A. Young (Co-Trustee and Executive Director): Young brings organizational skills to the foundation's operations and serves alongside Erdman in making grant decisions.

Former Leadership

Richard Ader (1928-2019): Ader helped Cornell draft his last will and testament and became the Executor of Cornell's estate and first co-trustee of the foundation after Cornell's death in 1972. Through his "diligent and astute handling of the estate and Foundation assets—which originally contained hundreds of Cornell artworks—the Foundation grew in size." In addition to donating Cornell pieces to museums across the country, Ader helped the foundation contribute millions of dollars to arts and education organizations over several decades.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and explicitly states it does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grants are awarded at the discretion of the trustees, who identify and select beneficiary organizations based on alignment with Joseph Cornell's artistic interests and the foundation's mission to support the arts.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made by trustee invitation only.

Success Rates

Not applicable for public applications. The foundation made 54 awards in 2024, 61 awards in 2023, 58 awards in 2022, and 51 awards in 2021.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - there is no public application process.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, research reveals patterns in their grant-making that indicate what the trustees value:

Organizations That Receive Funding

The foundation has consistently supported organizations that:

Advance Multiple Art Forms: The trustees honor Joseph Cornell's wide-ranging artistic interests by supporting film, opera, ballet, music, visual arts, and theater rather than focusing on a single discipline.

Build Institutional Capacity: Trustee Joe Erdman emphasizes institutional investment, stating the foundation seeks to "increase the ability of the University of Virginia to deliver arts" and provide permanent spaces for arts appreciation. The foundation funded the feasibility study for UVA's new performing arts center, demonstrating commitment to infrastructure.

Serve Both Academic and Community Audiences: Many grants support programs that provide "a place for students to appreciate the arts and a place for the community to come and enjoy" cultural programming, reflecting both educational and community benefit missions.

Have Established Track Records: Known beneficiaries include major, well-established institutions like The Fralin Museum of Art, Virginia Film Festival, Charlottesville Symphony, Opera America, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Notable Recent Beneficiaries

University of Virginia Arts Programs:

  • The Fralin Museum of Art: The museum director noted that "The impact of the Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation upon The Fralin Museum of Art has been transformative," with both artwork gifts and financial support for exhibitions and programming
  • Virginia Film Festival
  • Charlottesville Symphony at UVA
  • Virginia Theatre Festival
  • President's Speaker Series for the Arts
  • University Singers
  • Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection
  • Miller Center
  • Virginia Foundation for the Humanities

Community Arts Organizations:

  • Charlottesville Opera

National Programs:

  • Opera America's Awards for Digital Excellence in Opera (2022-2024)
  • Blackburn College ($10,000 for experiential artistic learning opportunities)

Connection to Joseph Cornell's Legacy

Organizations with direct connections to Joseph Cornell's artistic legacy appear to receive special consideration. The foundation has donated Cornell artworks to museums and supported exhibitions of his work.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No Public Application Process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications. They exclusively fund preselected organizations and explicitly state they do not accept unsolicited requests.

  • Focus on Established Relationships: The foundation's giving pattern suggests they support organizations with which the trustees have existing relationships or strong awareness, particularly in Charlottesville and at the University of Virginia.

  • Multi-Disciplinary Arts Emphasis: Organizations that support multiple art forms aligned with Cornell's interests (film, opera, ballet, music, visual arts, theater) appear more likely to receive support than single-discipline programs.

  • Long-Term Institutional Impact: The trustees favor grants that build lasting institutional capacity rather than one-time projects, including infrastructure, endowments, and program development.

  • Geographic Concentration: While the foundation operates in Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts, there is particularly strong support for Charlottesville-area organizations and UVA programs.

  • Trustee-Driven Strategy: With only two trustees making all decisions, personal relationships and trustee knowledge of organizations appear central to grant-making. Joe Erdman's strong connection to UVA has shaped much of the foundation's recent Virginia giving.

  • Substantial Gift Range: Grants range from $2,000 to $1,000,000, indicating the foundation makes both modest and transformational gifts depending on the project and organization.

References

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