Robert Lehman Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- The Foundation works exclusively in the visual arts, so an application fits only if it is for museum exhibitions, art education reaching underserved communities, scholarly publications, art history lectureships or capital projects that further the organisation's mission; individuals are not funded.
- Most of its grants are small: half of its 99 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less, and about 8 in 10 fall between $5,000 and $33,000, so a request in that band is typical, although its largest grant was about $1,150,000.
- Its giving leans towards familiar grantees, as 70% of its grant dollars to organisations went to groups it had also funded in the earlier filing, so a first request should be realistic and well prepared.
- Proposals are uploaded through its portal for the spring cycle (opens March 1, deadline April 1) or the fall cycle (opens August 15, deadline September 15), and an organisation that has received grants four consecutive times is ineligible for further grants for two years.
- No geographic focus is stated, so location alone should not rule an organisation out.
Overview
Robert Lehman 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 works exclusively in the visual arts and makes grants to leaders and innovative newcomers, including museums, arts organisations, educational institutions and other cultural organisations. It supports museum exhibitions, art education programmes, scholarly publications and art history lectureships, with grants intended to complement the strengths of the Robert Lehman Collection. Its art education work is aimed at underserved communities with insufficient access to arts learning. It also sometimes supports capital projects at museums and other cultural organisations when these further an organisation’s mission, expand cultural programming and increase access to new and diverse audiences.
Themes
- Museum exhibitions
- Art education
- Scholarly publications
- Art history lectureships
- Capital projects
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in New York.
What They Don't Fund
- Individuals
- Organizations that have received Robert Lehman Foundation grants for four consecutive years will not be eligible for consideration of further grants for a period of two years
How to apply
Organisations upload proposals for the spring or fall cycle by the applicable deadline.
Deadlines: The spring portal opens March 1 and the submission deadline is April 1; the fall portal opens August 15 and the submission deadline is September 15.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2023 filing, 70% 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 99 grants to organisations were $10,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- The Foundation welcomes both leaders in the visual arts and innovative newcomers.
- Exhibition projects should offer intellectual content and scholarly contributions advancing classical and contemporary art.
- Art education programmes should reach underserved communities with insufficient access to arts learning.
- Capital projects should further an organisation’s mission, expand cultural programming and increase access to new and diverse audiences.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2023.
Grant dollars by state
6 other states: 3%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 2%
- The largest single recipient received 59% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2023, 70% of grant dollars went to organisations Robert Lehman Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 2% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 45 grants in tax year 2023 by size
Median $10,000 (tax year 2023)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Metropolitan Museum of Art · General educational and charitable purposes$1,042,5002023 tax year
- Portland Art Museum · General educational and charitable purposes$100,0002023 tax year
- Brooks School · General educational and charitable purposes$50,0002023 tax year
- Morgan Library and Museum · General educational and charitable purposes$50,0002023 tax year
- National Gallery of Art · General educational and charitable purposes$35,0002023 tax year
- Brooklyn Museum · General educational and charitable purposes$33,0002023 tax year
- Parrish Art Museum · General educational and charitable purposes$31,0002023 tax year
- New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting and Sculpture · General educational and charitable purposes$30,0002023 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Kate Lehman — Associate Council Member
- Adam Isles — Associate Council Member
- Adele Bernhard — Associate Council Member
- Angela Weisl — Director
- Marie Rolf — Director
- Robert O Lehman — Director
- Francesca Valerio — Executive Director
- Philip H Isles — President / Director
- Jeffrey Thomas — Associate Council Member
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
2 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $3,098,152 | $1,943,869 | $47,903,083 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $3,106,007 | $1,760,600 | $55,145,101 | 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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At a glance
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Applying to Robert Lehman Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required