Roy Lichtenstein Foundation
At a glance
This funder does not accept unsolicited applications. The foundation chooses the organisations it funds itself.
Key takeaways
- The foundation makes contributions only to organisations it has preselected and does not accept unsolicited requests, so a small charity should not send it a cold application.
- Its stated purpose centres on public access to Roy Lichtenstein's work, the art and artists of his time, and the development of curators, critics and scholars, so a request needs a clear link to those themes.
- Half of its grants to organisations were $26,000 or less, and typical grants fall between $1,750 and $1,300,000, so a modest request is closer to its usual size.
- Most of its grant dollars go to organisations it has funded before, so approaches are likely to be relationship-led, and the filing gives no submission steps to follow.
Overview
Roy Lichtenstein Foundation is a US private foundation based in New York, NY.
What they fund
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
The Foundation’s stated purpose is to facilitate public access to Roy Lichtenstein’s work and the art and artists of his time, and to share information that supports the development and education of future curators, critics and scholars. It also describes creating a catalogue raisonné and supporting research into artists’ materials, postwar art and art history. Its recorded organisational giving includes gifts of Lichtenstein artworks to museums, alongside grants for arts education and research, curatorial development and museum operations. Its approach combines cataloguing, archival and exhibition work with collaborations and donations to museums and research institutions, broadening access to collections, scholarship and the artist’s work.
Themes
- Lichtenstein art access
- Catalogue raisonné
- Curator and scholar development
- Postwar art research
Geographic Focus
No geographic focus is stated; the filings show grants mainly in North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Austria and Europe.
How to apply
The Foundation makes contributions only to preselected charitable organisations and does not accept unsolicited requests. The filing gives no further submission steps.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 89% 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 36 grants to organisations were $26,000 or less.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
2 other states: <1%
Outside the US or with no state on the filing: 54%
- The largest single recipient received 46% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 89% of grant dollars went to organisations Roy Lichtenstein Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- 54% of grant dollars went directly to organisations outside the US (Austria, Switzerland, United Kingdom).
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 14 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $22,000 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University · Artwork contributed by the foundation to be added to the museum's collection of works by roy lichtenstein.$7,239,0832024 tax year
- Columbus Museum of Art · Artwork contributed by the foundation to be added to the museum's collection of works by roy lichtenstein.$1,946,5002024 tax year
- Kunstmuseum Basel · Artwork contributed by the foundation to be added to the museum's collection of works by roy lichtenstein.$1,299,2002024 tax year
- Whitney Museum of American Art · Artwork contributed by the foundation to be added to the museum's collection of works by roy lichtenstein.$1,213,0002024 tax year
- Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University · Cash contributed by the foundation to assist in funding general operations.$75,0002024 tax year
- Spelman College · Cash contributed by the foundation to assist in funding general operations.$43,2062024 tax year
- Aspen Institute · Cash contributed by the foundation to assist in funding general operations.$26,0002024 tax year
- Archives of American Art · Cash contributed by the foundation to assist in funding general operations.$18,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- John W Smith — Director
- Elizabeth Glassman — Director
- Maria Morris Hambourg — Director
- Elizabeth Baker — Director
- Leslie B Samuels — Board Member
- Ruth Fine — Board Chairman
- Steven P Goldglit — Treasurer
- William John Cowart — Executive Director
- Mitchell W Lichtenstein — President
- David H Lichtenstein — Vice President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $4,430,364 | $776,175 | $159,930,331 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $22,834,038 | $17,552,956 | $115,448,461 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $16,417,331 | $11,878,809 | $93,271,446 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
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Applying to Roy Lichtenstein Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required