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The Andy Warhol Foundation For The Visual Arts Inc

Annual Giving
$16.0M
Grant Range
$15K - $0.1M
Decision Time
4mo

The Andy Warhol Foundation For The Visual Arts Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $16 million (tax year ending April 30, 2024)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: 4 months (from deadline to notification)
  • Grant Range: $15,000 - $100,000 (varies by program)
  • Geographic Focus: National (49 states) and limited international
  • Total Assets: Approximately $350 million endowment (2015 data)
  • Founded: 1987

Contact Details

Website: https://warholfoundation.org

Email:

Phone: Available through contact page

Mailing Address: Rachel Bers, Program Director The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts 65 Bleecker Street, 7th Floor New York, NY 10012

Overview

The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts was established in 1987 in accordance with Andy Warhol's will, which directed his entire estate be used to create a foundation dedicated to "the advancement of the visual arts." To date, the Foundation has awarded over $300 million in cash grants to more than 1,000 arts organizations in 49 states and abroad, and has donated 52,786 works of art to 322 institutions worldwide. In the tax year ending April 30, 2024, the foundation awarded 179 grants totaling almost $16 million. The foundation awards over 100 grants annually to artists, art organizations, and curators throughout the United States. The foundation operates from a substantial endowment created from Warhol's assets and revenue from licensing and sales programs. In October 2024, the foundation appointed Dr. Deborah Willis, MacArthur Fellowship recipient and Chair of Photography & Imaging at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, as Board Chair.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Multi-Year Program Support: $60,000 - $100,000 over two years

  • Supports visual arts programming including exhibitions, residencies, public art works, screenings, performances, lectures, publications, and mentorships
  • Programs must be established and running (brand new initiatives unlikely to be funded)
  • Grant should represent no more than 25% of organization's annual operating budget
  • Application method: Rolling deadlines (March 1 and September 1 annually)

Curatorial Research Fellowships: Up to $50,000

  • Supports curators with or without institutional affiliation conducting research for planned exhibitions or related projects
  • Prioritizes understudied topics and experimental artists with little public exposure
  • Supports travel, archival research, colleague convenings, interviews, and writing time
  • Application method: Fixed deadlines (March 1 and September 1)

Exhibition Support: Variable amounts (typically $15,000 - $80,000)

  • For museums and university galleries presenting contemporary art exhibitions
  • Focus on artists whose work has been under-recognized but has had significant impact
  • Application method: Fixed deadlines (March 1 and September 1)

Arts Writers Grant: $15,000 - $50,000

  • Administered through Creative Capital
  • Supports established and emerging writers in four categories: Articles, Books, Short-Form Writing, and Translation
  • Since 2006, has awarded over $11.5 million to more than 380 authors
  • Separate application process through www.artswriters.org

Regional Regranting Program: Variable amounts

  • Invitation-only program established in 2007
  • Partners with local arts organizations in 39 cities and regions
  • Makes grants to artists and collectives for community-based projects

Priority Areas

  • Contemporary visual arts projects that challenge the status quo and push the field in new directions through risk-taking and experimentation
  • Projects anchored in the visual, with understanding that format, medium, style, subject, concept, tone, and intention can vary widely
  • Artists and communities underrepresented in the cultural sector to foster a more equitable and inclusive contemporary art field
  • Understudied artists whose practices are experimental, hard to categorize, and less well known to the general public
  • Artists whose work has been less celebrated than peers but has had significant impact on current generation
  • Projects in both rural and urban regions across the country
  • First-time grantees receive priority consideration
  • International projects with US venues, broad networks of underserved international artists, or themes not adequately engaged in the US

What They Don't Fund

  • Projects that specifically relate to Andy Warhol's life or work
  • Organizations without 501(c)3 status (fiscal sponsors not accepted)
  • Brand new initiatives that haven't had trial runs (for multi-year program support)
  • Proposals requesting more than 25% of total project costs or annual operating budget
  • International organizations without strong US connections (very small percentage of grants go to non-US organizations)

Governance and Leadership

Board Chair: Dr. Deborah Willis (appointed October 2024)

  • MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowship recipient
  • University Professor and Chair of Photography & Imaging at NYU Tisch School of the Arts
  • Joined the board in 2018, succeeding Paul C. Ha

President: Joel Wachs

  • Former Los Angeles City Councilmember (1971-1999) widely recognized as LA's strongest advocate for the arts
  • Former Vice Chairman of MOCA Los Angeles
  • Authored significant LA legislation supporting artists and arts organizations, including establishment of Los Angeles Endowment for the Arts

Recent Board Members (elected 2024):

  • Johanna Burton
  • Paul Chan
  • Kemi Ilesanmi

Key Staff:

  • Rachel Bers, Program Director (oversees grant-making program)
  • Michael Dayton Hermann, Managing Director, Strategic Initiatives (leads Licensing, Sales, Communications, and Fundraising)

The board includes artists, curators, museum directors, scholars, and arts professionals from across the country who support the foundation's mission.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Eligibility: Organizations must have 501(c)3 status. Fiscal sponsors are not accepted.

Submission Methods (choose one):

  1. Email: deadline@warholfoundation.org (attach Word, Excel, or PDF documents)
  2. Mail: Rachel Bers, Program Director, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, 65 Bleecker Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10012

Deadlines: March 1 and September 1 annually (postmark/email timestamp)

Required Materials:

  • Letter of approximately 3 pages describing the organization and activity for which funds are requested
  • Separate budget (specifications vary by grant category)
  • Copy of organization's 501(c)3 IRS ruling
  • Organization's physical address, phone number, Executive Director name and email

International Organizations: Must submit a letter of inquiry before the deadline to determine whether a full proposal will be accepted.

Confirmation: Applicants receive email confirmation within 24 hours of email submission; mail submissions receive a postcard.

Pre-Application Engagement: The foundation encourages applicants to contact program staff before submitting proposals.

Decision Timeline

  • Proposal Deadlines: March 1 and September 1
  • Decision Notifications: July 1 and January 1 respectively (approximately 4 months after deadline)
  • Grant Cycles: Two annual cycles (Spring and Fall)

Recent grant cycles:

  • Spring 2025: $4.3 million to 51 recipients across 25 states and Puerto Rico
  • Fall 2024: $4.1 million to 47 recipients in 21 states plus 2 international institutions

Success Rates

Specific success rates are not publicly disclosed. However:

  • The foundation receives a competitive pool of applications
  • Awards approximately 100 grants annually
  • Priority given to first-time grantees in both rural and urban regions
  • Very small percentage of grants (approximately 5-10%) go to international organizations

Reapplication Policy

The foundation does not publicly disclose specific reapplication policies or waiting periods for unsuccessful applicants. Contact the foundation directly at info@warholfoundation.org for guidance on reapplication.

Application Success Factors

The foundation explicitly states: "A clear articulation of the opportunities that the applicant can offer to artists. This is the central criterion by which all proposals are judged."

Foundation-Specific Guidance

From Application Guidelines:

  1. Be Specific and Concrete: "Strong proposals demonstrate concrete commitment to supporting artists and enabling creative expansion" with "named participants (artists, curators, speakers, etc.)" and "realistic, experience-based language rather than aspirational claims"

  2. Show Artist Opportunities: For multi-year program support, "proposals should start with a description of the organization and give a holistic picture of the opportunities it provides to artists. Describe the process by which artists are selected or invited to work with the organization."

  3. Provide Detailed Programming: "For a proposal to be competitive it must include an upcoming program schedule with as much detail as possible for at least nine months out from the award date. Proposals without any upcoming information, or those that only give examples of past programming will likely not be considered."

  4. Request Appropriate Amounts: "Request 25% or less of the project's total direct costs or organization's annual operating budget, and use whole numbers when requesting a specific dollar amount."

  5. Focus on Understudied Topics: For curatorial fellowships, "strong proposals explore topics that are understudied and artists whose practices are experimental, hard to categorize, and otherwise less well known to the general public." The foundation notes "it can be helpful to discuss the origin of the applicant's interest in the topic and the work undertaken to date."

  6. Highlight Under-Recognized Artists: For exhibition support, "the foundation is interested in supporting artists whose work has been less celebrated than that of their peers, whose commitment to their practice has been under recognized yet has had a significant impact on the current generation of artists."

  7. Detail Artist Selection: "Give as many details as possible about participating artists, including how they were selected, by whom, why, and what work will they be showing."

  8. Demonstrate Established Programs: For multi-year support, "proposals should encompass all programs and these programs should be up and running, as brand new initiatives are unlikely to be funded until they have had a few trial runs."

Recent Funded Projects (Examples)

Spring 2025 Recipients:

  • Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive: Major retrospective of Maren Hassinger
  • Creative Time (New York): Program on "Religion and Spirituality"
  • Asian Art Museum (San Francisco): "Raving into the Future"
  • 309 Punk Project (Pensacola, FL): First-time grantee
  • Racing Magpie (Rapid City, SD): Lakota-centric arts organization, first-time grantee
  • Para la Naturaleza (San Juan, Puerto Rico): First-time grantee

Fall 2024 Recipients:

  • Artspace (Raleigh, NC): $80,000
  • Asian Arts Initiative (Philadelphia, PA): $80,000
  • Colby College Museum of Art (Waterville, ME): "Imagining an Archipelago: Art from Cuba, Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Their Diasporas"

Key Staff Quote: Rachel Bers, Program Director, on a funded organization: "The Contemporary Dayton is an important point of connection and exchange for artists and audiences in the region."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Artist opportunities are paramount: The foundation's central evaluation criterion is "a clear articulation of the opportunities that the applicant can offer to artists" - make this the core of your proposal
  • Be specific, not aspirational: Use concrete details, named participants, and realistic language based on actual experience rather than hypothetical plans
  • Include detailed programming schedule: Competitive proposals must include at least 9 months of upcoming programming with as much detail as possible
  • First-time applicants encouraged: Priority goes to first-time grantees in both rural and urban regions across the country
  • Request 25% or less: Never request more than 25% of your organization's annual budget or project's total direct costs
  • Focus on risk-taking and experimentation: The foundation explicitly supports projects that "challenge the status quo" and "push the field in new directions"
  • Equity and inclusion matter: Demonstrate how your project highlights underrepresented artists and communities
  • Contact staff before applying: The foundation encourages pre-application engagement with program staff
  • No Warhol connection needed: Funded projects do not need to relate to Andy Warhol's life or work in any way
  • Proven programs preferred: For multi-year support, programs should be established and running - brand new initiatives are unlikely to be funded

References

  1. The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts - Official Website. https://warholfoundation.org/ (Accessed December 2024)

  2. "Grants – The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts." https://warholfoundation.org/grants/ (Accessed December 2024)

  3. "Application Guidelines – The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts." https://warholfoundation.org/grants/application-guidelines/ (Accessed December 2024)

  4. "Multi-year Program Support – The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts." https://warholfoundation.org/grants/application-guidelines/multi-year-program-support/ (Accessed December 2024)

  5. "Curatorial Research Fellowships – The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts." https://warholfoundation.org/grants/application-guidelines/curatorial-research-fellowships/ (Accessed December 2024)

  6. "FAQ – The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts." https://warholfoundation.org/grants/application-guidelines/faq/ (Accessed December 2024)

  7. "The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Announces Spring 2025 Grant Recipients." https://warholfoundation.org/2025/07/09/the-andy-warhol-foundation-for-the-visual-arts-announces-spring-2025-grant-recipients/ (Accessed December 2024)

  8. "The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Announces Fall 2024 Grant Recipients." https://warholfoundation.org/2025/01/23/the-andy-warhol-foundation-for-the-visual-arts-announces-fall-2024-grant-recipients/ (Accessed December 2024)

  9. "The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Appoints Deborah Willis as Board Chair and Elects Johanna Burton, Paul Chan, and Kemi Ilesanmi as New Board Members." https://warholfoundation.org/2024/10/31/the-andy-warhol-foundation-for-the-visual-arts-appoints-deborah-willis-as-board-chair-and-elects-johanna-burton-paul-chan-and-kemi-ilesanmi-as-new-board-members/ (Accessed December 2024)

  10. "Joel Wachs – The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts." https://warholfoundation.org/about/people/joel-wachs/ (Accessed December 2024)

  11. "People – The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts." https://warholfoundation.org/about/people/ (Accessed December 2024)

  12. "Staff – The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts." https://warholfoundation.org/about/people/staff/ (Accessed December 2024)

  13. "The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts - GuideStar Profile." https://www.guidestar.org/profile/13-3410749 (Accessed December 2024)

  14. "The Andy Warhol Foundation For The Visual Arts Inc - Nonprofit Explorer - ProPublica." https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133410749 (Accessed December 2024)

  15. "Andy Warhol Foundation | Inside Philanthropy." https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant/grants-w/andy-warhol-foundation (Accessed December 2024)

  16. "The Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writers Grant." https://www.artswriters.org/ (Accessed December 2024)

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