Jerome Foundation

Jerome Foundation is a US private foundation based in Saint Paul, MN.

Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.

Priority Areas

Jerome Foundation makes multi-year grants to support the creation, development and presentation of new works by early-career artists. It supports early-career artists and culture bearers who take creative risks, pursue innovative artistic approaches and demonstrate a clear creative purpose and vision. Arts organisations offer these artists resources and opportunities as part of a wider support ecosystem across New York City’s five boroughs and urban and rural Minnesota. Supported activities include residencies, mentorships, fellowships, professional and new-work development, productions and commissions across multiple artistic fields. Its relationship-centred approach uses multi-year grants and durational partnerships to nourish arts infrastructure and cultivate creative possibilities for communities.

Themes

• Early-career artists
• Culture bearers
• Arts organisations
• New work creation

Geographic Focus

Minnesota; NYC.

What They Don't Fund

• Arts Organization Grants only: start-up organizations; Organizations that are focused on arts education or other educational programming; Organizations that charge an application fee or require fees from artists to participate; Organizations that do not develop or serve early career artists beyond publicly presenting their work through exhibiting, screening, publishing, etc; Organizations whose programs, services and/or opportunities for early career artists are primarily focused on remounting, reprinting, adapting or reinterpreting previously created work; Programs that benefit a single project for a single artist or collective (i.e. support to produce one play or film; paint one mural; present one composer or choreographer); Organizations in which early career artists are seen as incidental, ancillary or occasional participants; Buildings, endowments, capital campaigns or cash reserve requests; Arts education programs; Degree-granting and conservatory programs; Festivals of work or one-time events or celebrations; Documentation of work as the primary grant purpose; Marketing and audience development as the primary grant purpose

Arts organisations in Minnesota may email TA Kieu, and those in New York City may email Melissa Levin. Staff respond with an eligibility/alignment determination and may invite a brief introductory meeting.

• Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 65% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
• Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 289 grants to organisations were $30,000 or less.

What the foundation says:

• Before reaching out, organisations are asked to review the Foundation’s eligibility criteria, mission, practices and values to affirm potential alignment.
• The Foundation supports organisations offering deep relationships and engagement with artists through fellowships, residencies, commissions and mentorship programmes.