The Frank O Gehry Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on arts education and high-quality music programming, with a particular emphasis on delivering arts access to underserved K–8 schools and supporting jazz training and performance. A smaller, distinct interest in medical research — specifically hereditary disease research — also appears. Grants are few but sizable, often repeated to the same organizations, indicating deep, targeted partnerships rather than broad, dispersed giving.
The Frank O Gehry Foundation’s largest recent grant was $1,000,000 to Turnaround Arts for arts education programming aimed at underserved elementary and middle schools in high-poverty school systems. That single award captures the foundation’s core pattern: targeted support for arts access, especially in K–8 settings, alongside funding for jazz training and performance. The foundation has also backed the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz with multiple grants, including a $200,000 award in 2024 and a $50,000 award in 2025, showing a repeated relationship rather than one-off support. Beyond arts education, its recent giving includes a $100,000 grant to the Hereditary Disease Foundation for research on Huntington’s disease and other hereditary diseases. The overall profile is focused and selective, with a small set of recipients receiving meaningful grants across several years. That mix of education, music, and biomedical research distinguishes the foundation’s grantmaking from a broader generalist funder.
In arts education, the foundation gave $1,000,000 to Turnaround Arts to support programming for underserved elementary and middle schools facing systemic challenges in high-poverty school systems. It also awarded $51,600 to the same organization in 2025 as general support. In jazz education and training, the foundation gave $50,000 to Herbie Hancock Inst of Jazz for college-level training by internationally acclaimed jazz masters and for public school music education programs for young people around the world. A separate $200,000 grant to Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz in 2024 was unrestricted general support. The foundation’s giving also extends to performing arts presentation, with a $50,000 grant to Ojai Festivals Ltd for general support. On the research side, it funded the Hereditary Disease Foundation with $100,000 to support innovative research related to Huntington’s disease and other hereditary diseases.
Typical grant size falls at $37,500 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $150,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, including Turnaround Arts and the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts. The foundation funds organizations rather than individuals and does not make program-related investments. The grant record is compact and concentrated, with large awards appearing alongside smaller general-support gifts.
$102K
$8.2M
$293K
$156K
Most grants fall between $38K and $150K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$38K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$150K
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Concentrated and high-dollar: a small number of large grants with repeat funding to core arts and music organizations; limited diversification with one notable investment in biomedical research.
Notable grantees: Turnaround Arts, Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, Hereditary Disease Foundation, Ojai Festivals Ltd
Grantmaking is highly concentrated in California: 86% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state, and the top state by grant count is CA. Recent California recipients include organizations in Los Angeles and Ojai, with Los Angeles appearing repeatedly across arts education, jazz, and cultural institutions. Outside California, the foundation has also funded a New York recipient, reflecting a mostly local but not exclusively state-bound pattern.
Its recent grants center on arts education for underserved elementary and middle schools, jazz education and professional training, performing arts presentations, and hereditary disease research. The largest award in the record supported Turnaround Arts, and other grants went to jazz institutions and a disease-research group.
Yes. The record shows repeated support for Turnaround Arts across 2023 and 2025, and multiple grants to the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz across 2023, 2024, and 2025. That pattern points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is $37,500 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $150,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards range from $20,000 to $1,000,000, with several grants clustered at $50,000.
It gives most often in California. According to the grant record, 86% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and California is also the top state by grant count. Recent recipients include organizations in Los Angeles and Ojai.
No. The foundation funds organizations rather than individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. The recent grant list shows institutional recipients across education, music, culture, and research.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TURNAROUND ARTS | LOS ANGELES, CA | $51,600 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HERBIE HANCOCK INSTITUTE OF JAZZ | LOS ANGELES, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| HERBIE HANCOCK INSTITUTE OF JAZZ | LOS ANGELES, CA | $200,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| OJAI FESTIVALS LTD | OJAI, CA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE ASSOCIATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LACMA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $20,000 | 2024 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| TURNAROUND ARTS | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,000,000 | 2023 | TO IMPACT UNDERSERVED ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS THROUGH ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMMING THAT IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES FACING THESE HIGH-POVERTY SCHOOL SYSTEMS. |
| HEREDITARY DISEASE FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2023 | TO FUND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH TO CURE HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE AND OTHER HEREDITARY DISEASES. |
| HERBIE HANCOCK INST OF JAZZ | LOS ANGELES, CA | $50,000 | 2023 | TO OFFER THE WORLD'S MOST PROMISING YOUNG MUSICIANS COLLEGE LEVEL TRAINING BY INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED JAZZ MASTERS AND TO PRESENT PUBLIC SCHOOL MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. |
HERBIE HANCOCK INSTITUTE OF JAZZ
$50,000GENERAL SUPPORT
HERBIE HANCOCK INSTITUTE OF JAZZ
$200,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LACMA
$20,000GENERAL SUPPORT
TO IMPACT UNDERSERVED ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS THROUGH ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMMING THAT IS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES FACING THESE HIGH-POVERTY SCHOOL SYSTEMS.
TO FUND INNOVATIVE RESEARCH TO CURE HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE AND OTHER HEREDITARY DISEASES.
HERBIE HANCOCK INST OF JAZZ
$50,000TO OFFER THE WORLD'S MOST PROMISING YOUNG MUSICIANS COLLEGE LEVEL TRAINING BY INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED JAZZ MASTERS AND TO PRESENT PUBLIC SCHOOL MUSIC EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD.