The Gramma Fisher Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on large-scale classical performing arts, primarily underwriting major American opera companies with multi-year sustaining support. Grants are directed to flagship institutions in major metropolitan centers, indicating a preference for stable organizational support over project-specific giving. The foundation’s funding is highly concentrated in a small number of high-value awards to repeat grantees.
Highly concentrated giving: few, large grants focused on repeated sustaining support to the same major institutions rather than many small or one-off grants.
Metropolitan Opera, The Atlanta Opera, Lyric Opera House of Chicago
Gramma Fisher Foundation’s most distinctive pattern is its multi-year sustaining support for the Metropolitan Opera, including grants of $1,685,000 in 2023, $920,000 in 2024, and $665,000 in 2025. That repeated commitment sets the tone for the foundation’s philanthropy: large awards, delivered over multiple years, to major classical performing arts institutions. The foundation’s recent giving also includes another long-running relationship with The Atlanta Opera, alongside support for Lyric Opera House of Chicago. Across those recipients, the grants are framed as sustaining grants rather than short-term project awards. This is a foundation that appears to favor institutional stability in the opera field. Its recent grants are concentrated in a small number of flagship organizations in major metropolitan markets, with each beneficiary receiving six-figure support. The pattern suggests a narrow, highly focused grantmaking style centered on major American opera companies and the operational needs of established cultural institutions.
In opera, Gramma Fisher Foundation gave $1,685,000 to Metropolitan Opera for a sustaining grant in 2023, followed by $920,000 in 2024 and $665,000 in 2025. That sequence points to continuing support for a single flagship institution rather than one-off project funding. The foundation also backed The Atlanta Opera with $450,000 in 2025, after grants of $315,000 in both 2024 and 2023. At Lyric Opera House of Chicago, the foundation made sustaining grants of $200,000 in 2023 and 2024, then $150,000 in 2025. These awards show consistent support for established opera companies across multiple cities. Taken together, the grant record is centered on classical performing arts institutions that can absorb recurring operating support at a substantial scale.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $228,750 at the 25th percentile, $315,000 at the median, and $768,750 at the 75th percentile. That spread reflects a mix of standard six-figure support and larger flagship awards. The grant record also shows repeat support across multiple years for the same organizations, which points to a sustaining, relationship-based approach rather than one-time funding. The foundation is structured as a grantmaker only; it does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its recent awards are all labeled sustaining grants, reinforcing the operational nature of the support.
$1.3M
$24.5M
$2.2M
$1.6M
Most grants fall between $229K and $769K, with a median of $315K.
25th Percentile
$229K
Median
$315K
75th Percentile
$769K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in GA.
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The foundation gives regionally, with grants landing entirely in the US. New York leads by grant count, and several awards went to New York, NY through Metropolitan Opera. Other recipient cities include Atlanta, GA and Chicago, IL, each represented by repeat opera-company grants. No grants in the recent list were made to Maryland recipients, even though the foundation is headquartered in Easton, MD.
Its recent grants are concentrated in major American opera companies and classical performing arts institutions. The named recipients in the recent list are Metropolitan Opera, The Atlanta Opera, and Lyric Opera House of Chicago, all funded with sustaining grants.
Yes. The same organizations appear across multiple years in the recent grant list. Metropolitan Opera received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025; The Atlanta Opera in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Lyric Opera House of Chicago in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Its grant-size distribution is $228,750 at the 25th percentile, $315,000 at the median, and $768,750 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes larger flagship awards, such as $1,685,000 to Metropolitan Opera in 2023.
The foundation’s giving is regional and all recent grants in the provided list went to US recipients. New York is the top state by grant count, with recipient cities including New York, Atlanta, and Chicago.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| METROPOLITAN OPERA | NEW YORK, NY | $665,000 | 2025 | SUSTAINING GRANT |
| THE ATLANTA OPERA | ATLANTA, GA | $450,000 | 2025 | SUSTAINING GRANT |
| LYRIC OPERA HOUSE OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $150,000 | 2025 | SUSTAINING GRANT |
| METROPOLITAN OPERA | NEW YORK, NY | $920,000 | 2024 | SUSTAINING GRANT |
| THE ATLANTA OPERA | ATLANTA, GA | $315,000 | 2024 | SUSTAINING GRANT |
| LYRIC OPERA HOUSE OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $200,000 | 2024 | SUSTAINING GRANT |
| METROPOLITAN OPERA | NEW YORK, NY | $1,685,000 | 2023 | SUSTAINING GRANT |
| THE ATLANTA OPERA | ATLANTA, GA | $315,000 | 2023 | SUSTAINING GRANT |
| LYRIC OPERA HOUSE OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $200,000 | 2023 | SUSTAINING GRANT |
METROPOLITAN OPERA
$665,000SUSTAINING GRANT
LYRIC OPERA HOUSE OF CHICAGO
SUSTAINING GRANT