The Mercedes T BASS Charitable Corporation is a concentrated supporter of classical performing arts, providing large general‑purpose grants to flagship music institutions. Its giving favors both national cultural anchors (The Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, Aspen Music Festival) and a major local beneficiary (Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra), indicating a preference for sustaining high-profile classical music organizations and their operations.
Highly concentrated: few, very large grants (multi-six-figure to multi-million-dollar), repeat funding to select institutions, primarily unrestricted/general operating support for established classical arts organizations.
Mercedes T Bass Charitable Corporation’s recent giving is anchored by a very large general-purpose grant to The Metropolitan Opera, alongside major support for the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. That combination points to a clear pattern: the foundation backs classical performing arts institutions at a scale that can support operating needs, not just one-off projects. Its largest recorded grants go to flagship music organizations in New York and Fort Worth, with additional support reaching Carnegie Hall, Aspen Music Festival and School, and Houston Grand Opera. The pattern suggests a preference for established cultural institutions with broad public reach and long institutional histories. The foundation also shows repeated support over multiple years for the same arts groups. The Metropolitan Opera appears in both 2023 and 2024, as does the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, Aspen Music Festival and School, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and American Academy in Rome. Those recurring awards, together with general-purpose language across the recent grants list, indicate a flexible funding style directed toward sustaining core operations and artistic programming. While most of the portfolio centers on classical music and related performing arts, the grant list also includes a smaller set of cultural and community recipients in Texas and New York.
In opera and symphonic music, the foundation gave $1,575,000 to The Metropolitan Opera and $1,015,333 to the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, both listed as general-purpose support. It also gave $560,000 to The Carnegie Hall Corporation and $35,000 to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, showing attention to major presenting institutions as well as performing companies. Classical music education and festival programming also appear in the grant list. Aspen Music Festival and School received $365,000 in 2023 and another $50,000 in 2024. Texas-based arts groups appear as well: Houston Grand Opera received $50,000, Texas Ballet Theater received $10,000, and Fort Worth Youth Orchestra received $7,000. These awards show a mix of flagship institutions and local cultural organizations.
The most recent grants show a median size of $10,000, with the 25th percentile at $5,000 and the 75th percentile at $50,000. That distribution sits alongside a much larger set of flagship awards, including seven-figure and high six-figure grants. The same organizations appear across multiple years, including recurring awards in 2023 and 2024, which points to ongoing relationships rather than isolated gifts. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its recent grant descriptions are consistently general-purpose, suggesting flexible support rather than tightly restricted project funding.
$2.3M
$1.1M
$2.9M
$2.3M
Most grants fall between $5K and $50K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$50K
About 40% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Notable grantees: The Metropolitan Opera, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, The Carnegie Hall Corporation, Aspen Music Festival and School
Grant recipients are national, with awards concentrated in New York and Texas. New York is the top state by grant count, and 40% of grants went to recipients in Texas. Named recipient cities include New York, Fort Worth, Aspen, Houston, Sarasota, Denton, and Washington, DC. Outside Texas, New York City organizations receive repeated support, while Aspen and Washington, DC also appear multiple times in the recent grant list.
The grant list is dominated by classical performing arts organizations, especially opera companies, symphony orchestras, concert halls, and related music institutions. Recent examples include opera, symphony, festival, and presenting organizations, with most awards labeled general-purpose support.
Yes. Several recipients appear in both 2023 and 2024, including The Metropolitan Opera, the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Carnegie Hall, Aspen Music Festival and School, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, American Academy in Rome, Friends of the High Line, and Tarrant Area Food Bank.
The typical recent grant is $10,000 at the median, with $5,000 at the 25th percentile and $50,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list also includes much larger flagship grants, including awards above $1 million.
The foundation gives nationally, with New York as the top state by grant count. Texas also receives a large share of awards, with 40% of grants going to recipients in the headquarters state.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | FORT WORTH, TX | $2,051,500 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE TEXAS CULTURAL TRUST | AUSTIN, TX | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | DALLAS, TX | $40,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE ASPEN INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CAMINOS DEL INKA | FORT WORTH, TX | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LINCOLN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK | FORT WORTH, TX | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ROBERT B SILVERS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FORT WORTH YOUTH ORCHESTRA | FORT WORTH, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH | FORT WORTH, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE METROPOLITAN OPERA | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ASCPA | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HALTOM AREA BAND FRIENDS | HALTOM CITY, TX | $5,000 | 2026 | HALTOM HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND |
| PASLAY FOUNDATION | FORT WORTH, TX | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TEXAS BALLET THEATER | FORT WORTH, TX | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LENA POPE HOME INC | FORT WORTH, TX | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | FORT WORTH, TX | $2,201,450 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE METROPOLITAN OPERA | NEW YORK, NY | $1,575,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | FORT WORTH, TX | $1,015,333 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SCHOOL | ASPEN, CO | $770,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| KIMBELL ART MUSEUM | FORT WORTH, TX | $90,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE ASPEN INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $85,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE METROPOLITAN OPERA | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SCHOOL | ASPEN, CO | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| HOUSTON GRAND OPERA | HOUSTON, TX | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| CAMINOS DEL INKA | FORT WORTH, TX | $35,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LINCOLN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LINCOLN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| UNT FOUNDATION | DENTON, TX | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK | FORT WORTH, TX | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH | FORT WORTH, TX | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TEXAS BALLET THEATER | FORT WORTH, TX | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE SARASOTA BALLET | SARASOTA, FL | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| AMERICAN ACADEMY IN ROME | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH | FORT WORTH, TX | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE ASPEN INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FRIENDS OF THE HIGH LINE | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FORT WORTH YOUTH ORCHESTRA | FORT WORTH, TX | $7,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE SARASOTA BALLET OF FLORIDA INC | SARASOTA, FL | $6,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| THE ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TEXAS HEALTH RESOURCES FOUNDATION | ARLINGTON, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK | FORT WORTH, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF KESHET EILON INC | POUND RIDGE, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| FORT WORTH OPERA | FORT WORTH, TX | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF LES ARTS FLORISSANTS | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
| LENA POPE HOME INC | FORT WORTH, TX | $3,000 | 2024 | GENERAL PURPOSE |
FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$2,051,500GENERAL PURPOSE
THE TEXAS CULTURAL TRUST
$50,000GENERAL PURPOSE
DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$40,000GENERAL PURPOSE
THE ASPEN INSTITUTE
$35,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CAMINOS DEL INKA
$35,000GENERAL PURPOSE
ROBERT B SILVERS FOUNDATION
$15,000GENERAL PURPOSE
FORT WORTH YOUTH ORCHESTRA
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
THE METROPOLITAN OPERA
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
ASCPA
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
HALTOM AREA BAND FRIENDS
$5,000HALTOM HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND
PASLAY FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL PURPOSE
KIMBELL ART MUSEUM
$90,000GENERAL PURPOSE
HOUSTON GRAND OPERA
$50,000GENERAL PURPOSE
CAMINOS DEL INKA
$35,000GENERAL PURPOSE
MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
AMERICAN ACADEMY IN ROME
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH
$10,000GENERAL PURPOSE
FORT WORTH YOUTH ORCHESTRA
$7,000GENERAL PURPOSE