Iris Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $10,693,927 (2024)
• Assets: $89,905,904
• Grant Range: $1,500 - $11,671,317
• Number of Grants: 4 annually (median $8,000)
• Geographic Focus: New York and Florida
• Application Type: Invite-only (no public application process)

Contact Details

Address: 18 W 86th Street, New York, NY 10024-3602
Phone: 212-501-3034
Website: No public website identified

Note: This is a private foundation that does not accept unsolicited applications.

Overview

The Iris Foundation is a private foundation established in 1991 by investor and philanthropist George Soros. Named for Iris Weber, the mother of Soros's former wife Susan Weber (founder of Bard Graduate Center), the foundation has assets of approximately $89.9 million. The foundation focuses primarily on supporting education in the decorative arts, design history, and material culture, with a particular emphasis on advancing scholarship and cultural heritage preservation. Its primary beneficiary appears to be the Bard Graduate Center, where it provides endowment support and funds student scholarships and fellowships. The foundation operates on an invite-only basis, awarding grants primarily through established relationships with institutions in New York and Florida.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Iris Foundation does not have formally named grant programs but makes strategic grants in the following areas:

Primary Funding Areas:

• Education in Decorative Arts: Support for graduate education, research, and scholarship in decorative arts, design history, and material culture
• Philanthropy and Grantmaking Foundations: Support for organizations that advance the foundation's mission
• Arts, Culture & Humanities: Museums, cultural institutions, and programs that preserve and promote decorative arts

Grant Scale: The foundation makes a small number of large grants annually (typically 4-7 grants per year), with amounts ranging from $1,500 to over $11.6 million. The median grant is approximately $8,000, but this is skewed by several very large institutional grants alongside smaller awards.

Priority Areas

What They Fund:

• Graduate education and research in decorative arts and design history
• Scholarship and fellowship programs for students studying material culture
• Institutional support for museums and academic programs focused on decorative arts
• Recognition programs that advance the field (such as the annual Iris Foundation Awards through Bard Graduate Center)
• Cultural heritage preservation and understanding across all cultures

Geographic Focus: Grants are primarily made to organizations in New York, with secondary focus on Florida.

What They Don't Fund

While explicit exclusions are not publicly documented, the foundation's narrow focus suggests it does not fund:

• Programs outside the decorative arts, design history, and material culture fields
• Organizations without established relationships with the trustees
• General operating support for organizations outside their core mission area
• Unsolicited applications from organizations unknown to the foundation

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees:

• George Soros (Co-Chair, Trustee): Renowned investor and philanthropist who founded the foundation in 1991. Soros established the Iris Foundation to support his former wife Susan Weber's work in establishing the Bard Graduate Center, providing approximately $20 million in initial funding in 1993.

• Susan Weber (Trustee): Founder and Director of Bard Graduate Center. Weber holds an M.A. from The Cooper-Hewitt Museum/Parsons School of Design and a Ph.D. from the Royal College of Art, London. She is a distinguished scholar of decorative arts, author of numerous publications including works on E.W. Godwin and William Kent, and recipient of the 2015 Alfred H. Barr Jr. Award from the College Art Association. She serves on the Chairman's Council of The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Visiting Committee of the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts department. The foundation is named for her mother, Iris Weber, a homemaker who collected 19th-century decorative objects.

• William D. Zabel (Trustee): Founding partner of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP, a prominent New York law firm. Zabel has extensive experience in trusts, estates, and philanthropic advisory work. He has represented George Soros and has been a longtime advocate for social justice. His civic and philanthropic activities include serving as chair of Human Rights First, chair of Immigrant Justice Corps, and trustee or director of New York University, The New School, and The JPB Foundation (vice chairman). He established the William D. Zabel '61 Professorship in Human Rights at Harvard Law School in 2017.

No officer compensation is reported, indicating trustees serve without pay.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Iris Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. This is an invite-only foundation that makes grants based on trustee discretion and established relationships.

Organizations cannot apply directly to this foundation. Grants are awarded through:

• Pre-existing relationships with trustees
• Trustee-identified priorities and beneficiaries
• Invitation from the foundation to submit a proposal

Getting on Their Radar

Given the foundation's close connection to Bard Graduate Center and the trustees' networks, organizations working in decorative arts, design history, and material culture might consider:

For Academic Institutions:

• Developing partnerships or collaborations with Bard Graduate Center, which appears to be the foundation's primary beneficiary
• Engaging with Susan Weber's work through conferences, publications, or exhibitions related to decorative arts scholarship
• Participating in or attending the annual Iris Foundation Awards ceremony, which recognizes excellence in decorative arts scholarship and brings together leaders in the field

For Museums and Cultural Institutions:

• Building relationships with Bard Graduate Center through collaborative exhibitions or research projects
• Engaging with The Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts department, where Susan Weber serves on the Visiting Committee
• Demonstrating excellence in decorative arts, design history, or material culture programming

Important Note: Even with these strategies, there is no guarantee of consideration for funding. The foundation's grant-making appears highly selective and focused on specific institutional relationships.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - the foundation operates on trustee discretion rather than application cycles.

Success Rates

Not applicable for external applicants. The foundation makes 4-7 grants annually from a closed pool of trustee-selected organizations.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, understanding what the foundation values can help organizations assess alignment:

The Foundation's Core Mission: According to information about the Iris Foundation Awards, "The purpose of the Iris Foundation is to advance education in the decorative arts, design history, and material culture and to promote the understanding and appreciation of all cultures."

What the Foundation Values:

• Scholarly Excellence: The foundation supports rigorous academic research and education in decorative arts and design history
• Cultural Heritage Preservation: Work that helps "sustain the cultural heritage of our world"
• Cross-Cultural Understanding: Programs that promote appreciation of decorative arts across all cultures, not just Western traditions
• Next Generation Development: Student scholarships and fellowships are a priority, with Bard Graduate Center receiving over $1.6 million in tuition assistance and stipends for 56 students

Relationship to Bard Graduate Center: The foundation's primary mechanism for impact appears to be through support of Bard Graduate Center, which:

• Trains curators and scholars in decorative arts
• Collaborates on exhibitions with major institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Victoria & Albert Museum
• Hosts the annual Iris Foundation Awards, which recognize four categories: Outstanding Patron, Outstanding Lifetime Achievement, Outstanding Mid-Career Scholar, and Outstanding Dealer

The Iris Foundation Awards as an Indicator of Priorities: The annual awards ceremony, now in its 28th year, provides insight into what excellence looks like from the foundation's perspective. Recipients are scholars, patrons, dealers, and professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the study and appreciation of decorative arts.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• No Public Application Process: This foundation cannot be approached through traditional grant applications. It operates solely on trustee discretion and invitation.

• Highly Focused Mission: The foundation has a narrow, specific focus on decorative arts education and scholarship, primarily through Bard Graduate Center. Organizations outside this field are unlikely to receive consideration.

• Relationship-Driven: The foundation's governance structure (George Soros, Susan Weber, William Zabel) suggests grants flow from personal relationships and trustee-identified priorities rather than competitive application processes.

• Primary Beneficiary: Bard Graduate Center appears to be the foundation's main beneficiary, receiving substantial endowment support and ongoing grants for scholarships and programs.

• Small Grant Portfolio: With only 4-7 grants annually, the foundation maintains a very selective approach to grant-making, focusing on significant impact in specific areas rather than broad distribution.

• Geographic Concentration: Focus on New York institutions with secondary interest in Florida organizations, likely reflecting trustee connections and priorities.

• Long-Term Institutional Support: The foundation's relationship with Bard Graduate Center (established in 1991, with major funding in 1993) suggests a preference for sustained, multi-year institutional support rather than project-specific grants.

References

1. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Iris Foundation (EIN: 136977690)
   https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/136977690
   Accessed: February 4, 2026

2. GuideStar Profile - Iris Foundation
   https://www.guidestar.org/profile/13-6977690
   Accessed: February 4, 2026

3. Candid Foundation Directory - Iris Foundation
   https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/fdo-grantmaker-profile?key=IRIS009
   Accessed: February 4, 2026

4. Instrumentl - Iris Foundation 990 Report
   https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/iris-foundation-c80075aa-b1b3-4927-8ff8-29aef41eb297
   Accessed: February 4, 2026

5. Bard Graduate Center - 28th Annual Iris Foundation Awards
   https://www.bgc.bard.edu/about/articles/265/28th-annual-iris-foundation-awards
   Accessed: February 4, 2026

6. Metropolis Magazine - "The Renaissance Woman at the Helm of Bard's Graduate Center"
   https://metropolismag.com/projects/susan-weber-renaissance-woman-bard-graduate-center/
   Accessed: February 4, 2026

7. Schulte Roth & Zabel - William D. Zabel profile
   https://www.srz.com/lawyers/william-d-zabel.html
   Accessed: February 4, 2026

8. Academy of American Poets - About William D. Zabel
   https://poets.org/academy-american-poets/contributor/william-d-zabel
   Accessed: February 4, 2026

9. Cause IQ - Iris Foundation / Zabel William D Ttee
   https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/iris-foundation,136977690/
   Accessed: February 4, 2026

10. Bard Graduate Center - Iris Foundation Awards Past Recipients
    https://www.bgc.bard.edu/iris-awards-past-awardees
    Accessed: February 4, 2026