The Appleman Foundation concentrates its giving on the arts and arts infrastructure, primarily in New York. It funds intermediary organizations that support artists, produce public art, and advise or channel philanthropic dollars rather than direct project-level service providers. Grants are large and targeted, with repeated support to a small set of cultural institutions and advisors.
Concentrated, high-dollar grants to a few cultural intermediaries and infrastructure organizations; repeat funding of core arts institutions rather than many small or grassroots grants.
Appleman Foundation Inc’s giving centers on New York arts institutions and the intermediaries that support them. Recent grants show a steady preference for organizations that connect artists to resources, commissions, and philanthropic support, rather than direct service providers. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors received one of the largest recent awards at $800,000 in 2024, and New York Foundation for the Arts appears repeatedly across multiple years, including $615,000 in 2023, $356,000 in 2024, and $218,000 in 2025. That pattern points to long-running institutional support rather than one-off project funding. The foundation also backs public-facing cultural work. Public Art Fund received $500,000 in 2023, followed by additional grants of $75,000 in both 2024 and 2025 under the name Public Arts Fund in the recent grants list. Other cultural recipients include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Metropolitan Opera, The 92nd Street Y, Grey Art Musem NYU, and Yaddo. Its portfolio also reaches outside the arts when an organization fits a charitable or educational purpose, as shown by grants to the American Red Cross of Greater NY and Planned Parenthood of Greater NY. Across the list, the recurring pattern is support for established New York institutions and arts infrastructure.
In artist support and advocacy, Appleman Foundation Inc gave $615,000 in 2023, $356,000 in 2024, and $218,000 in 2025 to New York Foundation for the Arts. That sequence suggests sustained backing for an intermediary serving artists rather than a single program grant. Public art is another clear focus. The foundation awarded $500,000 to Public Art Fund in 2023, then renewed support with $75,000 grants in 2024 and 2025 under the related listing Public Arts Fund. The recent grants also include $165,600 to Grey Art Musem NYU in 2024, showing support for museum-based arts and education. Its cultural giving extends to preservation and presentation institutions, including $50,000 to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2023 and $50,000 to the Metropolitan Opera in 2025. These awards place the foundation within New York’s arts infrastructure.
Typical grants cluster in the middle range, with a p25 of $4,000, a median of $8,500, and a p75 of $15,000. The recent grants list also shows a smaller number of large awards, including seven-figure and six-figure gifts to established institutions. Recipients recur across years, especially New York Foundation for the Arts, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Public Art Fund, and Planned Parenthood of Greater NY. The foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments.
$2.1M
$31M
$2.2M
$2.8M
Most grants fall between $4K and $15K, with a median of $9K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$9K
75th Percentile
$15K
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Notable grantees: New York Foundation for the Arts, Public Art Fund, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
Appleman Foundation Inc gives locally, and 82% of its grants go to recipients in its headquarters state of New York. The recent grants are overwhelmingly concentrated in New York City, with additional awards to Saratoga Springs and Geneva. Outside New York, the list includes Waterville, Maine through Colby College and Colby College Museum of Art. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 333 grants in the United States.
The foundation supports arts and arts infrastructure, along with charitable and educational organizations. Recent grants include arts intermediaries, museums, public art organizations, a performing arts institution, and civic or health nonprofits in New York.
Yes. The recent grants show repeated support for several organizations across multiple years, including New York Foundation for the Arts, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Public Art Fund, and Planned Parenthood of Greater NY.
Typical grants are relatively modest compared with the largest awards: the p25 is $4,000, the median is $8,500, and the p75 is $15,000. The recent list also includes larger institutional gifts above $100,000.
Giving is concentrated in New York. The foundation’s top state by grant count is New York, and 82% of its grants go to recipients in that state.
No. Arts and arts infrastructure are the core pattern, but the recent grants list also includes charitable and educational awards to organizations such as the American Red Cross of Greater NY and Planned Parenthood of Greater NY.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEW YORK FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $218,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| ROCKEFELLER PHILANTHROPY ADVISORS | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS OF GREATER NY | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| PUBLIC ARTS FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| COLBY COLLEGE | WATERVILLE, ME | $65,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF GREATER NY | NEW YORK, NY | $60,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| THE 92ND STREET Y | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| METROPOLITAN OPERA | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES | GENEVA, NY | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| THE BOGLIASCO FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| CITIZENS COMMITTEE FOR CHILDREN | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| ARTISTS AND MOTHERS | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE | BRONXVILLE, NY | $30,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| BROOKDALE DEPARTMENT OF GERIATRICS MT SINAI | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| ASTREA MEDIA | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| FREE SPEECH FOR PEOPLE | AUSTIN, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| VOTER PARTICIPATION CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| WNET THIRTEEN | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| PARK AVENUE AMORY | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| DIA ART FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| MADISON SQUARE PARK CONSERVANCY | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| THE ALDRICH CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM | RIDGEFIELD, CT | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| YADDO | SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| PROTECT DEMOCRACY | WASHINGTON, DC | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY | DALLAS, TX | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| LEAGUE OF WOMAN VOTERS NYC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| MACDOWELL | PETERBOROUGH, NH | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| PROJECT EATS | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS | MERRIFIELD, VA | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| CHICKEN & EGG PICTURES | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE | ALBERT LEA, MN | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| THE DRAWING CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| FEEDING AMERICA | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| VIA ART FUND | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| PREGNANCY JUSTICE | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| THE LANDMARK PUBLIC ARTS PROGRAM | AUSTIN, TX | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART | WATERVILLE, ME | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| SKOWHEGAN SCHOOL OF PAINTING | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| LINCOLN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| UNLOCAL INC | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| THE ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MT SINAI | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| THE PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY | WASHINGTON, DC | $12,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $11,200 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| NYC COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS | NEW YORK, NY | $11,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| CONGREGATION RODEPH SHALOM | NEW YORK, NY | $10,030 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
| ART TABLE | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES |
NEW YORK FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS
$218,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
ROCKEFELLER PHILANTHROPY ADVISORS
$200,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
AMERICAN RED CROSS OF GREATER NY
$100,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
PUBLIC ARTS FUND
$75,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
COLBY COLLEGE
$65,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF GREATER NY
$60,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
THE 92ND STREET Y
$50,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
METROPOLITAN OPERA
$50,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
HOBART AND WILLIAM SMITH COLLEGES
$40,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
$40,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
THE BOGLIASCO FOUNDATION
$35,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
CITIZENS COMMITTEE FOR CHILDREN
$35,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
ARTISTS AND MOTHERS
$30,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
SARAH LAWRENCE COLLEGE
$30,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
BROOKDALE DEPARTMENT OF GERIATRICS MT SINAI
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
ASTREA MEDIA
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
FREE SPEECH FOR PEOPLE
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
VOTER PARTICIPATION CENTER
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
WNET THIRTEEN
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
PARK AVENUE AMORY
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
ANTI-DEFAMATION LEAGUE
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
DIA ART FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
MADISON SQUARE PARK CONSERVANCY
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
THE ALDRICH CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
YADDO
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
PROTECT DEMOCRACY
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
LEAGUE OF WOMAN VOTERS NYC
$25,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
MACDOWELL
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
PROJECT EATS
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
CHICKEN & EGG PICTURES
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
CENTRAL PARK CONSERVANCY
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
THE DRAWING CENTER
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
FEEDING AMERICA
$20,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
VIA ART FUND
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
PREGNANCY JUSTICE
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
THE LANDMARK PUBLIC ARTS PROGRAM
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
COLBY COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF NEW YORK
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
SKOWHEGAN SCHOOL OF PAINTING
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
LINCOLN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
UNLOCAL INC
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
THE ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MT SINAI
$15,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
THE PEOPLE FOR THE AMERICAN WAY
$12,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
$11,200GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
NYC COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS
$11,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
CONGREGATION RODEPH SHALOM
$10,030GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES
ART TABLE
$10,000GENERAL CHARITABLE & EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES