The Claudia K Perles Family Foundation is primarily an arts and culture funder, concentrating support on performing arts institutions—particularly dance, theater, and regional cultural venues—through program support, sponsorships and capital/gala gifts. Giving is focused on a mix of local/regional organizations in the Northeast (notably the Berkshires) along with selective national/high-profile arts partners. Occasional grants touch media and community health, but the foundation’s identity is strongly tied to sustaining live performance and cultural infrastructure.
A defining thread in Claudia K Perles Family Foundation Inc’s recent giving is sustained support for Jacob's Pillow, including three grants tied to the VISION '23 & PERLES FAMILY STUDIO across 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern points to a funder that backs long-running arts projects rather than one-off gifts. The foundation’s grantmaking centers on performing arts institutions, with repeated support for dance, theater, and regional cultural venues. Recent recipients also include Shakespeare Company in Lenox, Massachusetts, and Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach, Florida, showing a mix of local and selective national arts support. Several awards are structured as program support, sponsorships, annual fund gifts, or capital-related funding, which suggests a practical approach aimed at both productions and organizational infrastructure. The foundation also appears in the Berkshire arts ecosystem through gifts to venues and cultural organizations in Great Barrington, Pittsfield, and Lenox, reinforcing its role as a consistent supporter of live performance and the institutions that present it.
Performing arts are the clearest focus. The foundation gave $44,484 in 2024 and $43,100 in 2023 to Shakespeare Company for program support, along with $7,500 in 2025 for the same purpose. Dance is another recurring area: Miami City Ballet received $45,000 in 2023 as a sponsorship, and Jacob's Pillow received multiple grants for the VISION '23 & PERLES FAMILY STUDIO. It also supports venue and campaign work. Cata in Great Barrington received $35,400 in 2023, $14,000 in 2024, and $5,000 in 2025 for the CATA Forward capital campaign and gala. Beyond arts institutions, the foundation made program gifts to Northeast Public Media in Lincoln and New England Public Media in Lincoln, Nebraska, showing some support for public-facing media programming.
Typical grants sit in a middle range: p25 is $2,500, the median is $10,000, and p75 is $17,500. The pattern includes both repeated support and multi-year relationships, with several recipients appearing in more than one year and in different funding forms. Awards are often tied to operating needs, sponsorships, annual funds, campaigns, or specific projects rather than only unrestricted support. The foundation is classified as a regular funder, and the recent record shows steady annual grantmaking rather than isolated awards.
$4K
$0
$34
$13K
Most grants fall between $3K and $18K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$18K
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Concentrated giving to performing-arts organizations with multiple repeat grants to flagship grantees; a mix of multi-year or recurring program support and one-off sponsorships/campaign gifts. Gift sizes skew medium-to-large for arts nonprofits, with occasional smaller, targeted awards outside the arts.
Notable grantees: Jacob's Pillow, Shakespeare & Company, Ancram Opera House, Northeast Public Media, Miami City Ballet
Grantmaking is concentrated in Massachusetts, which accounts for 69% of grants and is also the top state by grant count. Recipient locations cluster in the Berkshires and nearby areas: Lenox, Great Barrington, Pittsfield, Becket, and Sheffield appear repeatedly. Outside Massachusetts, grants also reached New York recipients in Ancram and New York City, plus Florida in Miami Beach and Nebraska in Lincoln. All recent grants in the dataset were made to U.S. recipients.
The recent record centers on arts and culture organizations, especially performing arts groups. Recurring recipients include dance institutions, theater companies, regional venues, and public media. The foundation also gives to a few community organizations, but the strongest pattern is support for live performance and related cultural infrastructure.
The distribution is centered in the five-figure range: p25 is $2,500, the median grant is $10,000, and p75 is $17,500. Recent awards include both smaller support gifts and larger project-related grants.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Jacob's Pillow, Shakespeare Company, Cata, Ancram Opera House, Northeast Public Media, Bedlam, Bridge, Berkshire Humane Society, Volunteers in Medicine, and Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-time support.
Massachusetts is the main state for grantmaking, with 69% of grants going to recipients there and the highest grant count overall. The Berkshire region shows up repeatedly, including Lenox, Great Barrington, Pittsfield, Becket, and Sheffield.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAV | GT BARRINGTON, MA | $4,000 | 2026 | DOUBLE SNAP |
| JACOB'S PILLOW | BECKET, MA | $50,250 | 2025 | VISION '23 & PERLES FAMILY STUDIO |
| VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE | GREAT BARRINGTON, MA | $17,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| BRIDGE | LENOX, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| NEW ENGLAND PUBLIC MEDIA | LINCOLN, NE | $14,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| BERKSHIRE HUMANE SOCIETY | PITTSFIELD, MA | $11,000 | 2025 | CAMPAIGN |
| BEDLAM | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | SPONSORSHIP |
| BAV | GT BARRINGTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | DOUBLE SNAP |
| SHAKESPEARE COMPANY | LENOX, MA | $7,500 | 2025 | PROGRAM |
| ANCRAM OPERA HOUSE | ANCRAM, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | SPONSORSHIPS |
| CATA | GREAT BARRINGTON, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | CATA FORWARD CAPITAL CAMPAIGN; GALA |
| LENOX FOOD PANTRY | LENOX, MA | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| CONSTRUCT INC | GREAT BARRINGTON, MA | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| 18 DEGREES | PTTSFIELD, MA | $2,000 | 2025 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| JACOB'S PILLOW | BECKET, MA | $134,000 | 2024 | VISION '23 & PERLES FAMILY STUDIO |
| SHAKESPEARE COMPANY | LENOX, MA | $44,484 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| ANCRAM OPERA HOUSE | ANCRAM, NY | $22,834 | 2024 | SPONSORSHIPS |
| NORTHEAST PUBLIC MEDIA | LINCOLN, NE | $22,400 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| BARRINGTON STAGE COMPANY | PITTSFIELD, MA | $15,500 | 2024 | ANNUAL FUND |
| BERKSHIRE HUMANE SOCIETY | PITTSFIELD, MA | $14,400 | 2024 | CAMPAIGN |
| CATA | GREAT BARRINGTON, MA | $14,000 | 2024 | CATA FORWARD CAPITAL CAMPAIGN; GALA |
| FOR THE MANY | POUGHKEEPSIE, NY | $12,500 | 2024 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| BEDLAM | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | SPONSORSHIP |
| BERKSHIRE TACONIC COMMUNITY FOUNDAT | SHEFFIELD, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM |
| BRIDGE | LENOX, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE | GT BARRINGTON, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| BAV | GT BARRINGTON, MA | $4,326 | 2024 | DOUBLE SNAP |
| BERKSHIRE MUSIC SCHOOL | PITTSFIELD, MA | $3,200 | 2024 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| THE MOUNT | LENOX, MA | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| LENOX FOOD PANTRY | LENOX, MA | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| GABLESTAGE | CORAL GABLES, FL | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL FDS |
| DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS | NY, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| KIDS FOR HARMONY | PITTSFIELD, MA | $1,000 | 2024 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| NC AQUARIUM | PINE KNOLL SHORES, NC | $500 | 2024 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| MASS MUSEUM | NORTH ADAMS, MA | $100 | 2024 | GENERAL FUNDS |
| JACOB'S PILLOW | BECKET, MA | $127,250 | 2023 | VISION '23 & PERLES FAMILY STUDIO |
| MIAMI CITY BALLET | MIAMI BEACH, FL | $45,000 | 2023 | SPONSORSHIP |
| SHAKESPEARE COMPANY | LENOX, MA | $43,100 | 2023 | PROGRAM |
| CATA | GREAT BARRINGTON, MA | $35,400 | 2023 | CATA FORWARD CAPITAL CAMPAIGN; GALA |
| NORTHEAST PUBLIC MEDIA | LINCOLN, NE | $33,600 | 2023 | PROGRAM |
| ANCRAM OPERA HOUSE | ANCRAM, NY | $27,540 | 2023 | SPONSORSHIPS |
| BEDLAM | NEW YORK, NY | $19,000 | 2023 | SPONSORSHIP |
| BERKSHIRE HUMANE SOCIETY | PITTSFIELD, MA | $14,400 | 2023 | CAMPAIGN |
| VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE | GREAT BARRINGTON, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | PROGRAM |
| BARRINGTON STAGE COMPANY | PITTSFIELD, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | ANNUAL FUND |
| BERKSHIRE TACONIC COMMUNITY FOUNDAT | SHEFFIELD, MA | $5,000 | 2023 | PROGRAM |
| TRUSTEES OF RESERVATIONS | BOSTON, MA | $2,500 | 2023 | PROGRAM |
| WAM THEATRE | LENOX, MA | $2,500 | 2023 | PROGRAM |
| MOMS AGAINST FLORIDATION | ASHEVILLE, NC | $2,000 | 2023 | PROGRAM |
| LENOX SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE | LENOX, MA | $1,000 | 2023 | PROGRAM |
BAV
$4,000DOUBLE SNAP
BRIDGE
$15,000GENERAL FUNDS
NEW ENGLAND PUBLIC MEDIA
$14,000PROGRAM
CAMPAIGN
BEDLAM
$10,000SPONSORSHIP
BAV
$10,000DOUBLE SNAP
SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
$7,500PROGRAM
ANCRAM OPERA HOUSE
$5,000SPONSORSHIPS
CATA
$5,000CATA FORWARD CAPITAL CAMPAIGN; GALA
LENOX FOOD PANTRY
$3,000GENERAL FUNDS
18 DEGREES
$2,000GENERAL FUNDS
JACOB'S PILLOW
$134,000VISION '23 & PERLES FAMILY STUDIO
SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
$44,484PROGRAM
ANCRAM OPERA HOUSE
$22,834SPONSORSHIPS
NORTHEAST PUBLIC MEDIA
$22,400PROGRAM
CATA
$14,000CATA FORWARD CAPITAL CAMPAIGN; GALA
BEDLAM
$10,000SPONSORSHIP
BRIDGE
$10,000GENERAL FUNDS
VOLUNTEERS IN MEDICINE
$5,000GENERAL FUNDS
BAV
$4,326DOUBLE SNAP
BERKSHIRE MUSIC SCHOOL
$3,200GENERAL FUNDS
THE MOUNT
$2,500GENERAL FUNDS
LENOX FOOD PANTRY
$2,500GENERAL FUNDS
KIDS FOR HARMONY
$1,000GENERAL FUNDS
NC AQUARIUM
$500GENERAL FUNDS
MASS MUSEUM
$100GENERAL FUNDS
SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
$43,100PROGRAM
CATA
$35,400CATA FORWARD CAPITAL CAMPAIGN; GALA
NORTHEAST PUBLIC MEDIA
$33,600PROGRAM
ANCRAM OPERA HOUSE
$27,540SPONSORSHIPS
BEDLAM
$19,000SPONSORSHIP
WAM THEATRE
$2,500PROGRAM
MOMS AGAINST FLORIDATION
$2,000PROGRAM
LENOX SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
$1,000PROGRAM