Barbara Newington Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $5,980,000 (2024); $4,440,000 (2023)
• Total Assets: $218 million (2024)
• Grant Range: $45,000 - $5,815,000
• Decision Time: Unknown
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Geographic Focus: Primarily New York; also national

Contact Details

• Address: Mettler 340 Royal Palm Way 100, Palm Beach, FL 33480
• EIN: 59-3611060
• Contact Email: anthony.speiser@optimum.net (Newington-Cropsey Foundation contact; shared leadership)

Note: The foundation does not maintain a public website or publish contact information for grant inquiries.

Overview

The Barbara Newington Foundation is a private grantmaking foundation established in December 2014 and granted tax-exempt status in August 2016. Based in Palm Beach, Florida, the foundation is a significant philanthropic vehicle connected to the Newington family, particularly Barbara Newington, the great-granddaughter of renowned Hudson River School painter Jasper Francis Cropsey.

Barbara Newington and her husband John established the Newington-Cropsey Foundation in 1977 to preserve and promote the legacy of her great-grandfather's artwork and the Hudson River School movement. The Barbara Newington Foundation appears to function as a complementary family foundation that provides substantial support primarily to arts and cultural organizations, with a particular emphasis on traditional representational art rather than abstract art.

The foundation has grown dramatically in recent years, with total assets increasing from approximately $40 million in 2020 to over $218 million by 2024, reflecting a significant infusion of assets. Annual giving has correspondingly increased, with the foundation distributing nearly $6 million in 2024.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Based on available 990 data, the foundation's focus areas include:

• Arts, Culture & Humanities: Primary focus on traditional and representational arts
• Philanthropy & Grantmaking: Support for charitable infrastructure
• Geographic Focus: Primarily New York-based organizations

Grant amounts have ranged from $45,000 to $5,815,000, suggesting the foundation makes both modest and major grants.

Priority Areas

• Traditional and representational art (non-abstract)
• Hudson River School and related American art traditions
• Arts education and artist fellowships
• Cultural preservation and museum support

What They Don't Fund

Based on the family's documented artistic philosophy:

• Abstract or modern art movements (the Newingtons founded their organization with "concern over the state of modern art")
• The foundation appears selective in its grantmaking with only 1-4 grants made annually

Governance and Leadership

Co-Trustees (2024)

• Adelia C. Rasines - Co-Trustee (also serves as Executive Director of the Newington-Cropsey Foundation)
• Anthony M. Speiser - Co-Trustee (also serves as Director of the Newington-Cropsey Foundation)
• Douglas B. Downes - Co-Trustee
• William Carroll - Co-Trustee

Total trustee compensation in 2024 was $332,110 (4.8% of total expenses).

Connection to Newington-Cropsey Foundation

The Barbara Newington Foundation shares leadership with the Newington-Cropsey Foundation (NCF), a separate 501(c)(3) arts organization founded in 1977. The NCF is chaired by Barbara Newington and operates a museum dedicated to Jasper Cropsey's works in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. This shared leadership suggests aligned philanthropic priorities between the two organizations.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process. The Barbara Newington Foundation operates as a private family foundation without a website, published grant guidelines, or public application portal.

Based on 990 filings, the foundation makes a very small number of grants annually (typically 1-4), suggesting grants are made at the discretion of the trustees rather than through a competitive application process.

Getting on Their Radar

Given the foundation's connection to the Newington-Cropsey Foundation and its focus on representational arts:

• Anthony Speiser serves as a contact for the Newington-Cropsey Foundation (anthony.speiser@optimum.net) and may be approachable for arts organizations aligned with the foundation's mission
• Organizations in the traditional/representational arts space may consider building relationships through the Newington-Cropsey Foundation's public programs, including:
  • The Gallatin Newington-Cropsey Foundation Fellowship (partnership with NYU)
  • Bronze sculpture fellowships at St. John's College
  • Hudson Valley Art Association exhibitions (historically supported)
• The foundation has a documented history of supporting local organizations, such as the Hastings Historical Society ($42,000 grant and subsidized lease)

Decision Timeline

Not publicly documented. Given the small number of annual grants, decisions appear to be made on a case-by-case basis by the trustees.

Grant History

• 2024: 4 awards totaling $5,980,000
• 2023: 2 awards totaling $4,440,000
• 2022: 1 award
• 2021: 1 award
• 2020: 1 award ($2,700,000 in grants)

Reapplication Policy

No public information available regarding reapplication policies.

Application Success Factors

Given the foundation's profile as a private family foundation with no public application process:

• Strong alignment with traditional arts: The foundation's leadership has expressed concern about modern/abstract art; organizations promoting representational, classical, or traditional art forms are most likely to align with funding priorities
• Connection to Hudson River School legacy: Organizations working to preserve or promote this American art tradition may be particularly well-positioned
• Relationship-based giving: With only 1-4 grants made annually, existing relationships with the trustees or the Newington-Cropsey Foundation appear essential
• New York presence: The foundation's documented giving focuses on New York organizations

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Private foundation with no public application: This is a family foundation operating through trustee discretion, not competitive grants
• Very selective grantmaking: Only 1-4 grants made per year, but these can be substantial ($45,000 to $5.8 million)
• Strong arts focus: Traditional, representational, and Hudson River School art appear to be primary interests
• Shared leadership with Newington-Cropsey Foundation: Building relationships through NCF's public programs may be the best path to visibility
• Significant financial capacity: With $218 million in assets and nearly $6 million in annual giving, the foundation has substantial resources
• Contact through NCF: Anthony Speiser (shared trustee) can be reached at anthony.speiser@optimum.net for inquiries related to the Newington-Cropsey Foundation

References

• Barbara Newington Foundation - ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Accessed December 2024
• Barbara Newington Foundation 990 Report - Instrumentl - Accessed December 2024
• Barbara Newington Foundation - Charity Navigator - Accessed December 2024
• Barbara Newington Foundation - Cause IQ - Accessed December 2024
• Newington-Cropsey Foundation - ProPublica - Accessed December 2024
• Newington-Cropsey Foundation Official Website - Accessed December 2024
• Gallatin Newington-Cropsey Foundation Fellowship - NYU - Accessed December 2024
• National Museum of American Illustration - Barbara Newington Testimonial - Accessed December 2024