About Cny Arts
Connecting Arts, Culture, and Community
Focus Areas
Arts & cultureArts educationFestivals and eventsPublic art
Funding Style
sector-specific funding
Topics
arts & culture
About Cny Arts
CNY Arts Inc’s recent grantmaking is anchored by repeated, six-figure support for core arts organizations in Syracuse and the surrounding Central New York region. Two of the largest awards went to Musical Associates of Central New York (Syracuse Orchestra), at $440,912 in 2025 and $416,125 in 2024, showing a sustained pattern rather than a one-time outlay. The funder also made major grants to the Discovery Center of Science & Technology (MOST), including $258,395 in 2025 and $236,107 in 2024, which places its arts funding alongside support for cultural institutions with broad public programming. Film activity is another visible thread: Film 15 received $300,000 in 2024, and several other film-related recipients appear in the recent grants list. Across the grants shown, CNY Arts Inc supports performing arts, museums, festivals, public arts, and film production, with awards ranging from small project-level amounts to large institutional grants. The pattern suggests a local intermediary that funds both established organizations and project-based activity in its service area.
What Cny Arts Funds
Performing arts organizations make up a clear share of the grant list. CNY Arts Inc gave $103,835 in 2025 to SU Theatre Corporation (Syracuse Stage) and $99,577 in 2025 to Redhouse Arts Center, alongside additional support in prior years for both groups. Museums and science-centered cultural institutions also appear prominently: the Everson Museum of Art received $216,458 in 2025, after $192,920 in 2024, and the Discovery Center of Science & Technology (MOST) received $258,395 in 2025. Film is another support area, with $300,000 to Film 15 in 2024 and additional recent grants to film production recipients. The foundation also backs community-facing arts programming through festival and event support, including $60,841 in 2025 to Skaneateles Festival.
How Cny Arts Gives
Typical awards cluster in the low five figures, with a median grant size of $10,843 and a p25 of $7,994; the p75 is $18,856. The recent list also shows a long tail of larger institutional grants, including awards above $100,000. Several recipients appear in multiple years, which points to recurring support rather than isolated project-only funding. CNY Arts Inc operates as a sector-specific arts funder and also administers grant programs such as community regrants, microgrants, and recovery support. Some programs accept unsolicited applications, while the film incentive program does not.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$2.1M
Total Assets
$2.1M
Total Revenue
$3.5M
Total Expenses
$3.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $8K and $19K, with a median of $11K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$11K
75th Percentile
$19K
Geographic Reach
Local3 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Stephen Butler
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