Fuhrman Family Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $3,836,945 (2023)
Total Assets: $57,149,813 (2023)
Number of Grants: 35 grants annually
Average Grant Size: $125,341
Geographic Focus: Primarily New York City with national reach
Application Process: No public application process - invitation only

Contact Details

Address: 640 Park Avenue, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10065

Website: https://www.fuhrmanfamilyfoundation.org/

Email: Available through website contact form

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications.

Overview

The Fuhrman Family Foundation was established in 2016 by Glenn and Amanda Fuhrman to create a lasting philanthropic legacy aligned with their values. The foundation holds assets totaling $57.1 million and distributed approximately $3.8 million in grants in 2023. Guided by the belief that "vibrant communities depend on creative, informed and healthy people," the foundation supports initiatives that advance individuals' artistic and educational pursuits, and their physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Glenn Fuhrman is Co-Managing Partner of Tru Arrow Partners and serves on the boards of the Museum of Modern Art and Tate Americas Foundation, while Amanda Fuhrman is a former attorney and serves as a trustee at the Brooklyn Museum. The Fuhrmans are major contemporary art collectors featured on ARTNews' Top 200 collectors list, and their philanthropy reflects their deep commitment to the arts, education equity, and social justice.

Funding Priorities

Major Foundation Initiatives

The FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence (Annual Program - launched 2019)

Six grand-prize winners (one per NYC borough, plus one 3K-5th grade teacher): $25,000 each
Finalists: $10,000 each
School grants: $10,000 for grand-prize winners' schools, $5,000 for finalists' schools
Total annual awards: Over $400,000
Application method: Nomination-based (students, parents, faculty nominate at flagaward.org)
Has awarded over $2 million to 190+ teachers since inception
Largest award of its kind in New York City

The FLAG Art Foundation Booth Prize

$200,000 unrestricted award to selected artists
Includes scholarly publication and production expenses
Features solo exhibitions at The Contemporary Austin and FLAG Art Foundation

Harlem Free WiFi Network (2013)

$2 million investment
Created largest continuous free outdoor public WiFi network in the nation
Covers 95 city blocks (110th-138th Streets)
Serves 80,000 Harlem residents

Priority Areas

Visual Arts

Contemporary art exhibitions and public access
Art loans to museums and galleries worldwide (100+ institutions)
Public art installations through partnership with Public Art Fund
Support for major institutions: MoMA, Brooklyn Museum, Metropolitan Museum, Tate, Guggenheim
Support for emerging and established contemporary artists

Education

NYC public school teacher excellence and recognition
Arts-based educational initiatives in schools
College education for underserved populations
Support for Harlem Children's Zone

Criminal Justice Reform

Founding member of Art for Justice Fund ($100 million initiative)
Support for Bard Prison Initiative (college-in-prison programs)
Focus on reducing mass incarceration and supporting reentry

Community Development

Digital access and infrastructure in underserved communities
Youth development programs
Cultural engagement initiatives
Poverty alleviation efforts

Health and Wellness

Support for New York-Presbyterian Hospital
Nutrition and healthcare access initiatives

Social Justice

Women's causes
Minority causes
Equity and access initiatives

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited applications and makes contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations. Specific exclusions are not publicly documented, but the foundation focuses on the priority areas listed above.

Governance and Leadership

Glenn R. Fuhrman (Co-Founder)

Co-Managing Partner, Tru Arrow Partners
Former Co-Managing Partner, MSD Capital, L.P.
Trustee: Museum of Modern Art, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Tate Americas Foundation
Board Member: 92nd Street Y, Central Park Conservancy
Education: MBA Wharton School (1988); BS Finance and Art History, summa cum laude (1987)
Producer of documentary films including Killer Bees and Diner NYC
On ARTNews Top 200 art collectors list

Amanda Fuhrman (Co-Founder)

Former attorney, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (Trust and Estates)
Former Deputy Executive Director, Millennium Promise
Trustee, Brooklyn Museum
Focus on public service and international development

Grantmaking Philosophy: Glenn Fuhrman has stated, "We try to find things that are of interest to both of us, especially on these bigger projects," emphasizing collaborative decision-making between the co-founders. On criminal justice reform, he noted: "I was excited about the opportunity to do something on a bigger scale with Aggie Gund and signed up for that right away," reflecting their willingness to join larger collaborative efforts.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Fuhrman Family Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation makes contributions exclusively to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Exception - FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence: This is the only foundation program with a public nomination and application process:

Teachers are nominated by students, parents, or school faculty at flagaward.org
Nominated teachers receive an email invitation to complete an application
Application asks how teachers fit the FLAG Award CREATE criteria
Annual cycle with awards announced each spring

Art Loans: Museum and gallery curators worldwide can inquire about borrowing artworks from the FLAG Art Foundation collection through the foundation's contact form.

Application Success Factors

Since the Fuhrman Family Foundation operates on an invitation-only basis, there is no traditional application process for most grants. However, based on their documented funding patterns and priorities, the following factors characterize organizations that receive support:

Alignment with Foundation Values

Contemporary Arts and Public Access: The foundation prioritizes making art accessible to diverse audiences. As stated on their website, their visual arts work stems from "our love for collecting contemporary art and the desire to share that joy with the public at large."

Community-Centered Approach: The foundation emphasizes that "a successful life for anyone is rooted in a strong community" and focuses on supporting underserved populations, particularly in New York City.

Systemic Change: The foundation describes America's criminal justice system as "broken" and supports initiatives seeking to "reclaim this goal and thereby return some aspect of balance and dignity to the system," indicating they favor organizations working on systemic solutions.

Funded Organization Profile

Recent and notable grantees include:

Museum of Modern Art
Brooklyn Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Guggenheim Museum
Tate Americas Foundation
Bard Prison Initiative
Art for Justice Fund
Public Art Fund
Harlem Children's Zone
Robinhood Foundation
92nd Street Y
Central Park Conservancy

Strategic Partnerships

The foundation demonstrates a preference for:

Major collaborative initiatives (e.g., founding member of $100 million Art for Justice Fund)
Organizations where trustees have direct involvement (Glenn and Amanda serve on multiple boards)
Innovative programs with measurable community impact (e.g., Harlem WiFi benefiting 80,000 residents)
Nationally-recognized models (e.g., Bard Prison Initiative)

FLAG Award Success Factors

For the FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence, teachers are evaluated on CREATE criteria (specific criteria not publicly detailed), and the foundation seeks "extraordinary NYC Public School Teachers" who inspire students.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No unsolicited applications accepted: The foundation operates exclusively through trustee discretion and preselected organizations. Traditional grant applications will not be considered.
Board relationships matter: Both co-founders serve on multiple nonprofit boards (MoMA, Brooklyn Museum, Tate, New York-Presbyterian, 92nd Street Y, Central Park Conservancy), and many grantees are organizations where they have direct involvement.
NYC focus with national reach: While the foundation supports institutions nationally and internationally, there is a strong emphasis on New York City community initiatives, particularly in underserved neighborhoods like Harlem.
Scale and impact orientation: The foundation favors both large collaborative efforts (Art for Justice Fund's $100 million initiative) and innovative programs with measurable community impact (Harlem WiFi serving 80,000 residents).
Arts integration: Even in non-arts grants, there's often an artistic component (FLAG Award winners design arts-based initiatives for their schools; criminal justice work through Art for Justice Fund).
Long-term commitment: The foundation demonstrates sustained support for initiatives like the FLAG Award (6+ years, $2+ million invested) and major infrastructure projects (Harlem WiFi with five-year funding commitment).
Teacher recognition exception: The FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence is the only program accepting public nominations and applications - this represents a unique opportunity for NYC public school educators.

References

Date accessed: December 24, 2025