The Willem de Kooning Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- This foundation funds work connected to de Kooning research, art exhibitions and arts education, and its grants have gone to organisations publishing on contemporary visual art or presenting contemporary art programmes and exhibitions, so fit matters more than a broad definition of the arts.
- It operates by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a speculative application is unlikely to succeed; relationship-building or waiting to be approached is the realistic route in rather than a cold proposal.
- Typical grants to organisations run from $25,000 to $100,000, with a median of about $59,000, so a request in that band is sensible; about eight in ten of its grants to organisations fall in this range.
- Giving does look relationship-led, as 80% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded the previous year, so new applicants face real competition for the remaining share.
- The foundation does not fund individuals, so individuals should not apply; grants are shown mainly in New York, but no geographic focus is stated, so this should not be read as a formal restriction.
Overview
The Willem de Kooning 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 (TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to foster the study and appreciation of Willem de Kooning’s life and work through research, exhibitions and educational programmes. It seeks to encourage new discussion and a deeper understanding of de Kooning, his contemporaries and their historical moment among scholars and the general public. It also looks to the artist’s own practices for ways to advance arts education for students of all ages. Its own work includes making research resources available and developing exhibitions and educational initiatives. The grants recorded in the filings have supported organisations publishing material on contemporary visual art and organisations presenting programmes and exhibitions dedicated to contemporary art.
Themes
- de Kooning research
- Art exhibitions
- Arts education
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New York.
What They Don't Fund
- Individual grants
How to apply
The foundation states that it does not accept unsolicited requests.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 80% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022 and TY2023 filings, half of its 11 grants to organisations were about $59,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 31% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2023, 80% of grant dollars went to organisations The Willem de Kooning Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 12% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Brooklyn Rail · Support for the art seen section of journal publications that covers contemporary visual art in particular depth.$100,0002023 tax year
- Arts Center at Duck Creek · Support for programs and exhibitions dedicated to contemporary art and artists and a music series.$59,2492023 tax year
- East Hampton Library · General support$50,0002023 tax year
- Artadia · Support the artadia award, given to two new york city-based visual artists,$40,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Richard Shiff — Vice President
- Amy Schichtel — Executive Director
- Donn Zaretsky — Secretary, Treasurer, Director
- John Silberman — President / Director
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,763,336 | $392,730 | $418,006,643 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $7,477,852 | $249,249 | $415,964,408 | Filing for 2023 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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Applying to The Willem de Kooning Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required