To promote an awareness of and enthusiasm for human experience through art by presenting exhibitions, stewarding a permanent collection, and providing education and community programs.
Crocker Art Museum Foundation’s largest recent grants are annual institutional support for the Crocker Art Museum Association, with $1,767,484 in 2024 and $1,594,462 in 2023. That pattern points to a funder centered on sustaining the museum’s core work rather than a broad grantmaking portfolio. The foundation’s stated purpose is to promote awareness of and enthusiasm for human experience through art by presenting exhibitions, stewarding a permanent collection, and providing education and community programs. Its active programs show how that mission is carried into practice. The John S. Knudsen Prize supports an emerging or mid-career California artist and also funds related museum programs, exhibitions, acquisitions, and other endeavors. The foundation also runs a paid summer internship in the Education Department for one undergraduate and one graduate student, combining hands-on training with mentorship and professional development. Alongside those named programs, the foundation supports museum operations, art preservation and conservation, public exhibitions and programming, arts education, and community wellness through art.
A core theme is museum education. Through the Summer Internship Program — Education Department (Undergraduate & Graduate), Crocker Art Museum Foundation offers a paid, part-time ten-week internship in Sacramento for one undergraduate and one graduate student. The program includes mentorship, professional development, a Crocker associate membership, and a stipend. Artist support is another clear focus. The John S. Knudsen Prize was established by a gift from the estate of John S. Knudsen to support an emerging or mid-career California artist. It also funds the Museum’s purchase of the artist’s work, linking artist recognition with collection development. The foundation also invests in institutional planning. Its Crocker Art Museum Strategic Planning RFP seeks an experienced consultant to guide development of the Museum’s five-year institutional strategic plan. That fits a grantmaking profile tied to museum operations and organizational development.
Typical grants are large and tightly clustered: p25 is $1,637,718, the median is $1,680,973, and p75 is $1,724,228. The recent record shows repeat support to the same museum affiliate in consecutive years, suggesting an ongoing institutional support pattern rather than one-off awards. The foundation does not fund individuals directly in general, although one active program is a prize for an emerging or mid-career California artist. Its stated philosophy includes operating support, direct institutional support, and general/annual support.
$2M
$71M
$9.3M
$2.1M
Most grants fall between $1.6M and $1.7M, with a median of $1.7M.
25th Percentile
$1.6M
Median
$1.7M
75th Percentile
$1.7M
CHRIS HOLBEN
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Giving is local and entirely in California. The recent grants all went to Sacramento recipients, and the recipient country distribution is 100% US. Program geography is also Sacramento-based for the education internship and the strategic planning RFP, while the John S. Knudsen Prize reaches California artists statewide. The foundation’s grant activity is concentrated in the same city as its headquarters, but the top giving state and recipient state are both California.
The foundation mainly provides large institutional support to the Crocker Art Museum Association, with recent awards of $1,767,484 in 2024 and $1,594,462 in 2023. Its stated philosophy also includes operating support, direct institutional support, and general/annual support.
It supports a paid summer internship in the Education Department, a strategic planning consultant search for the Museum’s five-year plan, and the John S. Knudsen Prize for an emerging or mid-career California artist. These programs connect museum operations, education, planning, and artist support.
The foundation’s general profile says it does not fund individuals, but one active program, the John S. Knudsen Prize, is specifically designed to support an emerging or mid-career California artist and also funds related Museum activity.
Its giving is local and entirely in California. The recent grants went to Sacramento recipients, and the recipient country distribution is 100% US. The artist prize reaches California artists statewide.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Crocker Art Museum Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Organizations may request donations by completing the Museum's donation request form; further eligibility requirements are not stated in the provided content.
Deadline: Not specified
Who can apply: Community groups in the Sacramento region whose mission is to provide quality education and community experiences to adults or children who otherwise cannot afford admission may apply for scholarship funds for guided or non-guided Museum visits.
Deadline: Applications must be submitted at least four weeks before the desired visit date; no fixed annual deadline is stated.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CROCKER ART MUSEUM ASSOCIATION | SACRAMENTO, CA | $1,953,895 | 2026 | SUPPORT OF CROCKER ART MUSEUM |
| CROCKER ART MUSEUM ASSOCIATION | SACRAMENTO, CA | $1,834,201 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF CROCKER ART MUSEUM |
| CROCKER ART MUSEUM ASSOCIATION | SACRAMENTO, CA | $1,767,484 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF CROCKER ART MUSEUM |
| CROCKER ART MUSEUM ASSOCIATION | SACRAMENTO, CA | $1,594,462 | 2023 | SUPPORT OF CROCKER ART MUSEUM |
