Robert Rauschenberg Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $4,500,000 (2024)
Success Rate: N/A (invitation-only program)
Decision Time: N/A (invitation-only)
Grant Range: Organizational grants vary; Emergency grants: $3,000 - $5,000
Geographic Focus: United States, with emphasis on New York and national organizations
Total Assets: Over $500 million (2022)

Contact Details

Address: 381 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10003
Phone: 212-228-5283
Website: https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org
Email: Not publicly available

Emergency Grants: Administered through New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) - see https://www.nyfa.org/awards-grants/rauschenberg-medical-emergency-grants/

Overview

Founded in 1990 by Neo-Dadaist artist Robert Rauschenberg, the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation transitioned to its current philanthropic mission in 2012. With assets exceeding $500 million, the Foundation distributed approximately $4.5 million in grants in 2024, focusing on environmentalism, Black and Indigenous causes, and arts organizations. The Foundation's approach embodies Rauschenberg's belief that "artists can drive social change" and operates in the "gap between art and life" through chance encounters and cross-disciplinary collaboration. In July 2024, the Foundation appointed Courtney J. Martin as Executive Director—the first Black person to lead a major artist-endowed U.S. foundation. The Foundation supports artists, initiatives, and institutions that demonstrate the fearlessness, innovation, and multidisciplinary approach that characterized Rauschenberg's work, emphasizing organizations that are "contrarian and experimental, even courageous, in driving towards equity."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Artists Council Program (Launched 2019)

Anonymous cohort of working artists shapes philanthropic programming
Identifies and supports small to midsize organizations close to the ground
Targets organizations whose operations or existence are precarious due to their programmatic goals, constituencies, or political aspirations
In 2024: Over $700,000 distributed through this program
Funded in part by the Annenberg Foundation since 2020

Black and Indigenous Land Rights and Agriculture Initiative (Launched 2023)

Three-year philanthropic program (2023-2025)
Led by anonymous committee of six Black and Indigenous experts
Addresses land losses and wealth generation capacity due to systemic bias
In 2024: Distributed as part of the $1.4 million to 27 organizations
Recent recipients include: Black Urban Growers BUGS, Earthseed Land Collective, Bomazeen Land Trust, Dishgamu Humboldt Wiyot, Shelterwood

Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants

One-time grants up to $5,000
Covers unexpected medical, dental, and mental health emergencies
For artists in financial need creating visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, and choreography
Approximately $150,000 distributed per funding cycle
Administered by New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA)
Application method: Rolling basis through NYFA

Rauschenberg Dancer Emergency Grants

One-time grants up to $3,000
For professional dancers facing dire financial emergencies
Due to loss or lack of live performance work from circumstances outside their control
Application method: Through partner organization

Rauschenberg Residency in Captiva

No application process (invitation only)
Seven annual residencies on Rauschenberg's compound in Captiva Island, Florida
Selectors anonymously identify participants from diverse backgrounds and disciplines

Archives Research Residency

Annual open call (applications accepted fall each year)
For individuals demonstrating compelling need to use Foundation archives in New York
Graduate level and above, priority to independent researchers or those at institutions with limited resources
Cannot have received Foundation funding in past 3 years
Decision notification: March

Priority Areas

The Foundation supports organizations working in:

Arts and Culture: Small to midsize arts organizations; experimental performance; artists' books and writings; contemporary visual arts
Social Justice: Prison abolition; tenant organizing; housing rights; workers' rights; racial justice
Environment: Environmental conservation; sustainable land practices; climate activism
Indigenous Rights: Landback initiatives; Indigenous-led conservation; tribal sovereignty
Black-Led Initiatives: Black land rights; Black agriculture; Black cultural preservation
Community-Based Work: Grassroots organizing; mutual aid programs; community revitalization

What They Don't Fund

The Foundation does not explicitly publish exclusions, but based on their invitation-only model and stated priorities, they focus exclusively on:

Small to midsize organizations (not large established institutions for invitation-only grants)
Arts and socially-engaged work
Organizations aligned with equity, environmental sustainability, and social justice

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors (12 members)

Leadership:

Peter Kraus – Chair (elected May 2024)
Christopher Rauschenberg – President (son of Robert Rauschenberg; serving since 2009)

Board Members:

Rocío Aranda-Alvarado
James-Keith Brown
Michelle Coffey
Carol T. Finley
AC Hudgins
Kellie Jones
Glenn Ligon (artist)
Glenn Lowry (Director of the Museum of Modern Art)
Michael Straus (former chairman of the Andy Warhol Foundation, joined 2015)

Executive Leadership

Courtney J. Martin – Executive Director (joined July 2024)

First Black person to lead a major artist-endowed U.S. foundation
Previously Paul Mellon Director of Yale Center for British Art
Called the opportunity "unparalleled" in her September 2024 interview

Martin stated: "The Foundation's mission to foster the artistic and philanthropic legacy of Robert Rauschenberg through scholarship, grants, and a residency program presents an unparalleled opportunity to celebrate new and even untested ways of thinking and acting across the disciplines."

Previous Leadership:

Christy MacLear served as inaugural Executive Director from 2010 to December 2016

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

IMPORTANT: The Philanthropy Program operates by invitation only and does not accept unsolicited applications.

The Foundation identifies grant recipients through:

Artists Council: An anonymous cohort of working artists who oversee a portion of grant giving and identify organizations close to the ground
Advisory Committees: Expert committees (like the Black and Indigenous Land Rights committee) shape grantmaking in specific focus areas
Residency Selectors: Anonymous cultural leaders identify residency participants

Exceptions with Public Application Processes:

Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants: Open application through NYFA website (https://www.nyfa.org/awards-grants/rauschenberg-medical-emergency-grants/)
- Rolling basis for generative artists with financial need
Archives Research Residency: Annual open call each fall
- Application portal: Submittable
- Applications open: September 15
- Deadline: October 31, 11:59pm EST

Decision Timeline

Archives Research Residency: Notification in March (approximately 4-5 months after deadline)
Organizational Grants: No standard timeline (invitation only, varies by program)
Emergency Grants: Varies; administered by NYFA

Success Rates

Success rates are not published for the invitation-only programs. For the Archives Research Residency, specific acceptance rates are not disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable for invitation-only organizational grants. For Archives Research Residency, applicants who have received Foundation funding in the past 3 years are ineligible.

Application Success Factors

For Emergency Grants (Open Application)

Eligibility Requirement – Generative Artists Only: The Foundation emphasizes that "only generative artists are eligible—artists creating their own, independent work, with recent and ongoing opportunities for the public to experience that work." This excludes artists who primarily perform or interpret others' work.

Financial Need Demonstration: Medical Emergency Grants specifically target "artists in financial need" facing "recent unexpected" emergencies.

Understanding the Foundation's Selection Philosophy

Since organizational grants operate by invitation only, getting on their radar requires understanding what they value:

1. Alignment with Rauschenberg's Legacy

The Foundation seeks organizations that embody Rauschenberg's approach:

Operating in the "gap between art and life"
Cross-disciplinary collaboration
Fearlessness and innovation
Belief that artists can drive social change

2. Characteristics They Value

From their stated priorities, the Foundation looks for organizations that are:

"Contrarian and experimental, even courageous, in driving towards equity"
Small to midsize (precarious operations are not a deterrent)
Close to the ground (grassroots, community-based)
Working with specific constituencies or political aspirations
Offering "alternatives to the canonical"
Embracing "new and even untested ways of thinking and acting"

3. Recent Funding Patterns (2023-2024)

Organizations funded include:

Arts: AUNTS (contemporary performance), Primary Information (artists' books), Blank Forms (experimental performers), Bidoun Projects (supporting artists facing censorship)
Community Organizing: Chinatown Tenants Union, Black and Pink (prison abolition)
Indigenous Rights: Aupuni Space (Native Hawaiian artists), Dishgamu Humboldt Wiyot (Wiyot Tribe land conservancy)
Agriculture/Environment: Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Colorado Plateau Foundation, National Black Food and Justice Alliance, Black Urban Growers BUGS
Land Justice: Earthseed Land Collective, Bomazeen Land Trust, Shelterwood

4. Multidisciplinary Approach

The Foundation values work that crosses boundaries—combining art with activism, environmental work with cultural preservation, or community organizing with creative practice.

5. Focus on Equity and Justice

Recent grants demonstrate commitment to:

Racial justice (particularly Black and Indigenous communities)
Workers' rights
Housing justice
Prison abolition
Environmental justice
Land rights and reparations

Strategic Considerations

Anonymous Selection Committees: Both the Artists Council and the Black and Indigenous Land Rights and Agriculture committee operate anonymously. This structure suggests the Foundation values:

Peer assessment by practitioners in the field
Protection of selectors from lobbying or pressure
Authentic grassroots knowledge

Partnership Model: The Foundation partners with established organizations (NYFA for emergency grants, Annenberg Foundation for Artists Council support), suggesting they value:

Expert administration
Leveraging existing infrastructure
Collaborative approaches

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No Public Application for Organizational Grants: The Foundation's main grant programs operate by invitation only through anonymous councils of artists and experts. Focus instead on building visibility within your field rather than preparing formal applications.
Small, Experimental, and Courageous Organizations Preferred: The Foundation explicitly seeks organizations that are "contrarian and experimental, even courageous" with operations that may be precarious—conventional or established organizations are not the target.
Cross-Disciplinary and Socially-Engaged Work: Organizations combining art with activism, community organizing, environmental justice, or land rights are particularly aligned with Rauschenberg's legacy of working in the "gap between art and life."
Priority on Black and Indigenous-Led Initiatives: With a dedicated three-year program (2023-2025) and nearly half of 2024 funding directed to these causes, organizations led by and serving Black and Indigenous communities are a strategic priority.
Equity-Driven and Alternative Approaches: The Foundation seeks organizations offering "alternatives to the canonical" and embracing "new and even untested ways of thinking"—innovation and risk-taking are valued over proven, traditional models.
Emergency Support Available for Individual Artists: While organizational grants are invitation-only, individual visual artists, filmmakers, and choreographers can apply for up to $5,000 in medical emergency grants, and dancers can apply for up to $3,000 in emergency financial support.
Archives Access for Researchers: Unlike other programs, the Archives Research Residency has an annual open call each fall, offering one pathway for direct application to engage with the Foundation.

References

Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Official Website - Grants. https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/grants (Accessed December 2024)
Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Official Website - Foundation Overview. https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/foundation (Accessed December 2024)
Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Official Website - Current Grants. https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/current-grants (Accessed December 2024)
Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Official Website - Board of Directors. https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/board-directors (Accessed December 2024)
Cause IQ - Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Profile. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/robert-rauschenberg-foundation,650200989/ (Accessed December 2024)
ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/650200989 (Accessed December 2024)
Robert Rauschenberg Foundation - "Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Announces 2024 Grant Recipients." https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/2024-grants (Accessed December 2024)
New York Foundation for the Arts - "Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants." https://www.nyfa.org/awards-grants/rauschenberg-medical-emergency-grants/ (Accessed December 2024)
Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Official Website - FAQ. https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/faq (Accessed December 2024)
Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Official Website - How to Apply. https://www.rauschenbergfoundation.org/how-apply (Accessed December 2024)
Culture Type - "Courtney J. Martin Recently Joined Robert Rauschenberg Foundation as Executive Director, Calling Opportunity 'Unparalleled'." https://www.culturetype.com/2024/09/06/courtney-j-martin-recently-joined-robert-rauschenberg-foundation-as-executive-director-calling-opportunity-unparalleled/ (September 2024)
ARTnews - "Rauschenberg Foundation Names Yale's Courtney J. Martin as New Executive Director." https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/rauschenberg-foundation-names-yales-courtney-martin-executive-director-1234695409/ (February 2024)
BlueMedium - "Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Announces 2024 Grant Recipients." https://bluemedium.com/news/robert-rauschenberg-foundation-announces-2024-grant-recipients/ (2024)
BlueMedium - "Robert Rauschenberg Foundation announces 2023 grant recipients, supporting more than 40 organizations." https://bluemedium.com/news/robert-rauschenberg-foundation-announces-2023-grant-recipients-supporting-more-than-40-organizations/ (2023)
BlueMedium - "Peter Kraus Elected Chairman of the Board of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation." https://bluemedium.com/news/peter-kraus-elected-chairman-of-the-board-of-the-robert-rauschenberg-foundation/ (May 2024)