The Edward T. Cone Foundation concentrates its giving on performing arts organizations and high‑level convening initiatives, primarily supporting orchestras, small theatre companies, and an international seminar. Grants are directed toward organizational operating support rather than capital or project funding, with a regional focus on New Jersey/New York arts institutions alongside selective funding of international programming. The foundation favors a small number of sizeable grants to established cultural organizations.
Concentrated portfolio of relatively large operating grants to a few repeat, established grantees rather than many small or one‑off awards; several organizations receive multiple grants.
Edward T Cone Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by operating support for performing arts organizations, with repeated larger grants to Princeton Symphony Orchestra and New Jersey Symphony. Those grants sit within a pattern of backing established cultural institutions rather than project-specific work, and the portfolio includes both regional ensembles and convening organizations. The foundation also supports international programming through Salzburg Global Seminar, indicating that its arts-centered grantmaking is paired with selective support for broader leadership and exchange initiatives. Across the recent list, the emphasis stays on core operating expenses for organizations that already have a defined public role. The pattern is visible across several New Jersey and New York recipients, including Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, The New Group, and The Wooster Group. Smaller awards to institutions such as McCarter Theatre, Young Audiences New Jersey, and American Composers Orchestra show that the foundation uses operating grants at multiple levels of scale. Its recent grants are all directed to U.S. recipients, even as the list includes a Washington, DC-based seminar organization with international reach.
Performing arts dominate the foundation’s recent grantmaking. In orchestral support, it gave $250,000 to Princeton Symphony Orchestra for operating expenses in 2025 and $200,000 to New Jersey Symphony for the same purpose that year, continuing prior support to both organizations in 2024. Theatre is another clear priority. Edward T Cone Foundation awarded $120,000 to The New Group for operating expenses in 2025 and also supported The Wooster Group with $20,000 in 2025 after a $15,000 grant in 2024. Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey received $60,000 in both 2024 and 2025. The foundation also funds convening and music-related institutions. Salzburg Global Seminar received $200,000 in 2025 for operating expenses, while American Composers Orchestra received $5,000 in both 2024 and 2025.
Typical awards are modest to mid-sized: the 25th percentile is $3,000, the median is $5,000, and the 75th percentile is $16,250. That distribution shows a long tail of smaller operating grants alongside a few much larger commitments. The recent list also shows repeat support across years for many recipients, including Princeton Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, The Wooster Group, and American Composers Orchestra. All grants in the provided data are operating support. The foundation is a private grantmaker with regional scope; it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$968K
$11.6M
$385K
$1.4M
Most grants fall between $3K and $16K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$3K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$16K
About 41% of grants go to recipients in NJ.
Sign up for a free Kindora account to access AI-generated insights into this funder's giving patterns, decision-makers, and fit signals.
Get Started FreeFree Kindora accounts unlock side-by-side comparisons with foundations that share this funder's focus areas and giving profile.
Get Started FreeSign up free to see how well your nonprofit fits this funder, get an AI-generated pitch, and unlock similar foundations.
Notable grantees: Princeton Symphony Orchestra, Salzburg Global Seminar, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, The New Group
Most recent grants go to recipients in New Jersey and New York, with New Jersey appearing most often by grant count. Princeton, NJ shows up repeatedly through Princeton Symphony Orchestra, McCarter Theatre, Young Audiences New Jersey, and the Institute for Advanced Study. New York recipients include The New Group, The Wooster Group, New York Public Radio, American Composers Orchestra, and The Bogliasco Foundation. Outside the region, the list includes Salzburg Global Seminar in Washington, DC and Ebb & Flow Arts in Kula, HI. Recipients in the foundation’s HQ state of New York account for 39% of grants.
The recent grants focus on performing arts and related convening work. The largest awards go to orchestras and theatre companies, with additional support for organizations such as Salzburg Global Seminar and arts-adjacent institutions like American Composers Orchestra and New York Public Radio.
The provided grants are all for operating expenses. That includes awards to Princeton Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, The New Group, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, and Salzburg Global Seminar.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is centered on smaller awards, with a p25 of $3,000, a median of $5,000, and a p75 of $16,250. The recent list also includes a few much larger grants, such as $250,000 and $200,000 awards.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Princeton Symphony Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, The Wooster Group, American Composers Orchestra, Salzburg Global Seminar, and Young Audiences New Jersey.
New Jersey is the top state by grant count. Princeton, Newark, and Florham Park are all represented, and New York City-area recipients also receive a substantial share of grants.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton Symphony Orchestra | Princeton, NJ | $250,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| New Jersey Symphony | Newark, NJ | $200,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Salzburg Global Seminar | Washington, DC | $200,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| The New Group | New York, NY | $120,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey | Florham Park, NJ | $60,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| The Wooster Group | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Bogliasco Foundation | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Ebb & Flow Arts | Kula, HI | $10,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Young Audiences New Jersey | Princeton, NJ | $10,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| McCarter Theatre | Princeton, NJ | $10,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| People & Stories | Lawrence Township, NJ | $5,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Princeton Singers | Princeton, NJ | $5,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| D&R Greenway Land Trust | Princeton, NJ | $5,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Institute for Advanced Study | Princeton, NJ | $5,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| New York Public Radio | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| American Composers Orchesra | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Part of the Solution | Bronx, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| National Shingles Foundation | New York, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Riverside Symphony | New York, NY | $3,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Princeton University Summer Concerts | Princeton, NJ | $3,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| The Hummingbirds Institute | New York, NY | $3,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Princeton Future Inc | Princeton, NJ | $3,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| From the Top | Boston, MA | $3,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Capital Harmony Works | Trenton, NJ | $3,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses3000 |
| American Bird Conservancy | Washington, DC | $3,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Rescue Mission of Trenton | Trenton, NJ | $2,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| TAKE Dance Company | New York, NY | $2,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Prospect Tneater Co | New York, NY | $2,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Rockefeller University | New York, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | Operating Expenses |
| Princeton Symphony Orchestra | Princeton, NJ | $360,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| Princeton Symphony Orchestra | Princeton, NJ | $360,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| Salzburg Global seminar | Washington, DC | $200,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| Salzburg Global Seminar | Washington, DC | $200,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| New Jersey Symphony Orchestra | Newark, NJ | $200,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| New Jersey Symphony Orchestra | Newark, NJ | $200,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey | Florham Park, NJ | $60,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey | Florham Park, NJ | $60,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| Ebb & Flow Arts | Kula, HI | $30,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| The Bogliasco Foundation | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| The New Group | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| Ebb & Flow arts | Kula, HI | $20,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| The New Group | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| The Bogliasco Foundation | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| The Wooster Group | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| Wooster Grouop | New York, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| The McCarter Theatre | Princeton, NJ | $10,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| The McCarter Theatre | Princeton, NJ | $10,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| Young Audiences New Jersey | Princeton, NJ | $10,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| Young Audiences New Jersey | Princeton, NJ | $10,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
| D&R Greenway Land Trust | Princeton, NJ | $5,000 | 2024 | Operating Expenses |
Princeton Symphony Orchestra
$250,000Operating Expenses
Salzburg Global Seminar
$200,000Operating Expenses
The Wooster Group
Operating Expenses
Bogliasco Foundation
$20,000Operating Expenses
Ebb & Flow Arts
$10,000Operating Expenses
People & Stories
$5,000Operating Expenses
Princeton Singers
$5,000Operating Expenses
New York Public Radio
$5,000Operating Expenses
National Shingles Foundation
$5,000Operating Expenses
Riverside Symphony
$3,000Operating Expenses
Princeton University Summer Concerts
$3,000Operating Expenses
The Hummingbirds Institute
$3,000Operating Expenses
Princeton Future Inc
$3,000Operating Expenses
From the Top
$3,000Operating Expenses
Capital Harmony Works
$3,000Operating Expenses3000
American Bird Conservancy
$3,000Operating Expenses
TAKE Dance Company
$2,000Operating Expenses
Prospect Tneater Co
$2,000Operating Expenses
Princeton Symphony Orchestra
$360,000Operating Expenses
Princeton Symphony Orchestra
$360,000Operating Expenses
Salzburg Global seminar
$200,000Operating Expenses
Salzburg Global Seminar
$200,000Operating Expenses
Ebb & Flow Arts
$30,000Operating Expenses
The Bogliasco Foundation
$20,000Operating Expenses
Ebb & Flow arts
$20,000Operating Expenses
The Bogliasco Foundation
$20,000Operating Expenses
The Wooster Group
$15,000Operating Expenses
Wooster Grouop
$15,000Operating Expenses