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Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$0.7M

Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • EIN: 46-3390328
  • Annual Charitable Disbursements: $718,666 (2024)
  • Foundation Type: Private Operating Foundation
  • Geographic Focus: Florida (Miami and Northwest Florida)
  • Primary Focus: Contemporary and modern art
  • Application Process: No public application process

Contact Details

Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation

Overview

The Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation (BCF) was established in 2013 as Fairholme Unlimited Foundation and is led by Chloe Berkowitz, daughter of hedge fund manager Bruce Berkowitz. Classified as a private operating foundation, BCF primarily operates its own contemporary art programs while also contributing to other arts and culture organizations that align with its vision. The foundation's mission is to "bring remarkable contemporary and modern art to the public," emphasizing the exhibition of transformative, multidisciplinary artwork in communal spaces to create inspirational, informative, and inclusive cultural experiences.

BCF's most significant current project is the Longleaf Art Park, a 15.5-acre communal art space in Walton County, Northwest Florida, scheduled to open in 2026. The park will feature the late Richard Serra's monumental sculpture "The Passage of Time" (a 217-foot-long, 540,000-pound steel work) housed in a pavilion designed by OLI Architecture. The foundation maintains a significant collection including works by Josef Albers, Keith Haring, Jackson Pollock, Richard Serra, Ai Weiwei, and James Turrell, among others. While BCF abandoned plans for a 45,000-square-foot museum in Miami's Edgewater neighborhood in early 2021, the foundation continues to work with numerous Miami-based arts organizations.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

BCF does not operate formal grant programs with published guidelines or application deadlines. As a private operating foundation, the majority of its resources (charitable disbursements of approximately $700,000 to $1.9 million annually) are directed toward its own programs and projects. However, the foundation does make selective contributions to arts and culture organizations that align with its mission and vision.

Recent charitable disbursements:

  • 2024: $718,666
  • 2023: $970,599
  • 2022: $1,932,869
  • 2021: $388,666

Priority Areas

Arts Focus:

  • Contemporary and modern art
  • Transformative, multidisciplinary artwork
  • Public art installations and exhibitions
  • Community-focused arts programming
  • Student arts education and professional development

Known Supported Organizations (through Fairholme Foundation family):

  • Pérez Art Museum Miami
  • New World Symphony
  • National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts / National YoungArts Foundation
  • FIU Miami Beach Visual Arts Gallery (student-run gallery supported by BCF)
  • Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County (partnership for Longleaf Art Park programming)

Geographic Focus:

  • South Florida (particularly Miami area)
  • Northwest Florida (Walton County)

What They Don't Fund

As a private operating foundation focused on contemporary art, BCF does not appear to fund:

  • Organizations outside the arts and culture sector
  • Projects unrelated to contemporary or modern art
  • Organizations without clear alignment to their aesthetic and programmatic vision
  • General operating support outside their established partnerships

Governance and Leadership

President and Director:

  • Chloe Berkowitz - Art historian, collector of contemporary art, and trustee of Pérez Art Museum Miami. Chloe founded and runs BCF, bringing expertise in contemporary art curation and a vision for making world-class art accessible to the public. Her annual compensation ranges from $75,000 to $107,500.

Foundation Support: The Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation receives substantial support from the Fairholme Foundation, run by Bruce and Tracey Berkowitz (Chloe's parents). The Fairholme Foundation has directed significant resources to BCF, including a $30 million contribution in the 2013 fiscal year when BCF was established as Fairholme Unlimited Foundation. Bruce Berkowitz is the founder of Fairholme Capital Management and manages the Fairholme mutual fund.

Philosophy: According to Inside Philanthropy, the Berkowitz family is "committed to bringing world-class artworks to South Florida." The foundation acquires art both for its own collection and to loan to museums, with a focus on making significant contemporary works accessible to the public free of charge.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Berkowitz Contemporary Foundation does not have a public application process. As a private operating foundation, BCF identifies and initiates relationships with arts organizations based on strategic alignment with their mission and vision. Grant decisions appear to be made at the discretion of foundation leadership, particularly president Chloe Berkowitz.

Organizations seeking support should not submit unsolicited grant proposals. Any funding relationships are likely established through:

  • Pre-existing connections within the South Florida arts community
  • Strategic partnerships aligned with BCF's programmatic goals
  • Invitations from foundation leadership

Getting on Their Radar

Chloe Berkowitz's Involvement in the Arts Community:

  • Trustee of Pérez Art Museum Miami
  • Active participant in Miami's contemporary art scene
  • Engaged with Art Basel Miami Beach activities (BCF supported the FIU gallery located two blocks from Art Basel)

Partnership Approach: BCF has demonstrated interest in collaborative partnerships rather than traditional grantmaking. Examples include:

  • FIU Miami Beach Visual Arts Gallery: Partnership emerged from conversations between BCF President Chloe Berkowitz and FIU's College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts Dean Brian Schriner about giving art students opportunities to learn the business side of art
  • Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County: Ongoing partnership for community programming at Longleaf Art Park
  • Museum Collaborations: While BCF continues to work with Miami-based arts organizations, specific partnerships are not publicly disclosed

Strategic Focus Areas: Organizations aligned with these areas may be of interest:

  • Contemporary and modern art exhibitions
  • Public access to museum-quality art
  • Student and emerging artist development
  • Community-focused arts programming in Florida
  • Multidisciplinary and transformative contemporary art

Application Success Factors

Since BCF does not accept applications, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, organizations hoping to develop relationships with the foundation should consider:

Alignment with BCF's Aesthetic Vision:

  • Focus on museum-quality contemporary and modern art
  • Artists in BCF's collection include Josef Albers, Keith Haring, Jackson Pollock, Richard Serra, Ai Weiwei, and James Turrell - indicating interest in significant 20th and 21st-century artists
  • Emphasis on transformative and multidisciplinary work

Public Access and Community Focus:

  • BCF's stated mission emphasizes creating "inspirational, informative, and inclusive cultural experiences"
  • The foundation's major projects (planned Miami museum, Longleaf Art Park) were designed to provide free public access to significant artworks
  • Partnership with FIU demonstrates interest in democratizing access to arts education

Geographic Alignment:

  • Strong preference for Florida-based organizations
  • Particular focus on South Florida (Miami area) and Northwest Florida
  • Organizations must have clear connection to communities BCF serves

Institutional Credibility:

  • Previous partnerships suggest interest in established institutions (museums, universities)
  • Organizations should have demonstrated capacity to present museum-quality exhibitions or programming

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • No public application process exists - BCF is not accessible through traditional grant-seeking channels
  • Private operating foundation model means the vast majority of resources go to BCF's own programs (Longleaf Art Park, exhibitions, collection management)
  • Selective contributions to aligned organizations appear to emerge from relationship-based decision-making rather than competitive grant processes
  • Geographic focus on Florida with strong emphasis on Miami and recent expansion to Northwest Florida
  • Quality over quantity - BCF invests in significant, museum-quality contemporary art rather than broad distribution of small grants
  • Partnership approach - demonstrated relationships suggest BCF prefers collaborative partnerships to traditional grantor-grantee relationships
  • Leadership access - Chloe Berkowitz's role as PAMM trustee and participation in Miami arts community provides some access points, though unsolicited contact is unlikely to be productive
  • Family foundation structure - Understanding that BCF receives support from the broader Fairholme Foundation helps contextualize available resources

References

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