Arison Arts Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $22,475,881 (2023)
Success Rate: Not publicly available (invitation only)
Decision Time: Not publicly available
Grant Range: $1,000 - $9,100,000
Typical Grant: $25,000 (median)
Geographic Focus: Primarily New York City and Miami
Total Assets: $406.9 million

Contact Details

Address: Two Alhambra Plaza, Suite 1040, Coral Gables, FL 33134

Phone: (786) 270-3710

Note: The foundation does not have a public website and does not accept unsolicited proposals.

Overview

Established in 2005, the Arison Arts Foundation is a private grant-making organization led by veteran arts philanthropist Sarah Arison, granddaughter of Ted and Lin Arison (founders of the National YoungArts Foundation and New World Symphony). With assets of approximately $406.9 million, the foundation awarded 109 grants totaling $22.5 million in 2023. The foundation focuses on supporting emerging artists in visual, literary, design, and performing arts, as well as the institutions that foster and nurture them. Under Sarah Arison's leadership, the foundation has expanded its priorities to include aggressive support for emerging artists in underserved communities. While the foundation supports organizations of all sizes, large cultural landmarks number significantly among its grantees and receive the largest sums.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The foundation operates through a private, invitation-only grant-making process. There are no formal public grant programs or application cycles.

Grant Size Range:

Minimum: $1,000
Maximum: $9,100,000
Median Grant: $25,000
Most grants stay under $1,000,000

Priority Areas

Primary Focus:

Emerging artists in visual, literary, design, and performing arts
Institutions that foster and nurture young artists
Performing arts organizations (ballet, symphony, theater)
Visual arts organizations (museums, art centers)
Arts education programs
Artists in underserved communities

Geographic Priorities:

New York City (primary)
Miami (primary)
Other major U.S. cities (secondary)

Recent Major Recipients:

National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts (YoungArts) - $7.7M
New World Symphony - $3.3M
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) - $2.7M
American Ballet Theatre - $2.0M
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts - $1.3M
Miami City Ballet
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Brooklyn Museum
Baryshnikov Arts Center
Performance Space New York
The Shed NYC
Seraphic Fire (Miami)
Fountainhead Residency (Miami)
Bakehouse Art Complex (Miami)
Emory Arts Fellowships

What They Don't Fund

Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but based on grant history:

Organizations outside the arts and culture sector
Individual artists (they fund institutions that support artists)
Organizations without connection to New York City or Miami (generally)

Governance and Leadership

President: Sarah Arison

Sarah Arison is a highly influential arts philanthropist who leads the Arison Arts Foundation as President. She holds numerous prestigious board positions in the arts world:

Chair of the Board: YoungArts and MoMA PS1
Board President: American Ballet Theatre
Trustee: Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Trustee: Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Trustee: Brooklyn Museum (Chair of the Education Committee)
Trustee: New World Symphony
Board Member: Americans for the Arts
Trustee: Americas Foundation of the Serpentine Galleries

She was immersed in the arts from a young age by her grandparents, Ted and Lin Arison, who were visionary philanthropists and founders of several major arts institutions.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This foundation does not have a public application process.

The Arison Arts Foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Grants are awarded through invitation only, based on relationships and connections established through Sarah Arison's extensive board work and the foundation's network.

Getting on Their Radar

Based on the foundation's grant-making patterns, potential pathways to consideration include:

Institutional Connections: The foundation's grants closely align with organizations where Sarah Arison serves on the board. Major recurring recipients include organizations where she holds trustee or leadership positions: YoungArts (Chair), American Ballet Theatre (Board President), MoMA (Trustee), Lincoln Center (Trustee), Brooklyn Museum (Trustee), and New World Symphony (Trustee).

Past Grantee Introductions: According to research sources, "a connection to a past grantee may help grantseekers gain an introduction." Building relationships with organizations that have received funding could potentially lead to introductions.

Geographic Focus: Organizations based in or serving New York City and Miami have the strongest connection to the foundation's priorities, as these are the two cities where the Arison family is based.

Alignment with Mission: Organizations that foster emerging artists, particularly in underserved communities, and those working in performing and visual arts are most aligned with the foundation's stated priorities.

Decision Timeline

Decision timelines are not publicly available. The foundation operates on its own internal schedule for identifying and supporting organizations.

Success Rates

Success rates are not applicable as the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. In 2023, the foundation made 109 grants (up from 87 in 2022 and 70 in 2021), suggesting expanding grant-making activity.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since this foundation operates through invitation only, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, the following patterns emerge from their grant-making history:

Institutional Excellence: The foundation supports major, well-established cultural institutions with national or international prominence (MoMA, American Ballet Theatre, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art).

Emerging Artist Focus: Organizations must demonstrate a commitment to fostering and nurturing emerging artists, particularly in visual, literary, design, and performing arts.

Geographic Alignment: Strong preference for New York City and Miami-based organizations or those with significant presence in these cities.

Board Connections: Significant overlap exists between Sarah Arison's board service and major grant recipients, suggesting that personal knowledge and institutional relationships play a major role in funding decisions.

General Operating Support: Many of the largest grants are for "general support," suggesting the foundation trusts recipient organizations to deploy funds where most needed rather than restricting to specific projects.

Underserved Communities: Under Sarah Arison's leadership, there is documented interest in supporting emerging artists in underserved communities.

Arts Education: The foundation supports arts education programs, as evidenced by support for organizations like YoungArts and expansion of support for Emory Arts Fellowships.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No Public Application Process: This foundation does not accept unsolicited proposals, making traditional grant writing irrelevant for this funder.
Relationship-Driven: Funding decisions appear to be closely tied to Sarah Arison's extensive network of board positions and personal relationships in the arts world.
Focus on Major Institutions: While the median grant is $25,000, the largest grants go to prestigious, established institutions where Sarah Arison has direct board involvement.
Geographic Concentration: New York City and Miami are the clear geographic priorities based on family connections to these cities.
Emerging Artists Through Institutions: The foundation supports emerging artists primarily through established institutions rather than direct grants to individuals.
Long-term Relationships: Grant patterns suggest ongoing relationships with recipient organizations rather than one-time funding.
Limited Transparency: The foundation lacks a public website and provides minimal public information about grant-making priorities, suggesting a deliberately private approach to philanthropy.

References

Information compiled December 2025