The Norton M. Luger and Rosalind Luger Charitable Trust concentrates on supporting contemporary performing arts, independent film and media, and progressive civic journalism/engagement, with occasional small grants to education and social service projects. They favor arts organizations (theaters, dance companies, music and film makers) and a handful of national civic-media groups and voter literacy efforts, often funding program/general support rather than capital.
A $40,000 general grant to Live Arts New York in 2025 is the largest recent award in the Norton M Luger and Rosalind Luger Charitable Trust I’s file, and it points to a funder that places contemporary performance at the center of its giving. The trust backs theater, dance, music, and film organizations, often through unrestricted or general support, while also making selective grants to civic-media and voter-engagement groups. Its recent awards show a blend of established arts institutions and smaller project-based organizations, with recipients ranging from regional presenters to independent media outlets and nonprofit film-makers. The pattern also includes modest grants for education, homelessness support, author events, and storytelling projects, suggesting a portfolio that extends beyond the arts but remains anchored in public-facing creative work. Among the 2025 grants, East Bay Performing Arts received $37,500 and Dancers Groupfoundry received $35,000, placing performing arts organizations alongside civic and media grantees near the top of the distribution. Smaller awards to film and narrative projects, plus a handful of social-service and school-based initiatives, round out a grantmaking profile that is compact in scale but broad in the types of cultural and civic activities it supports.
Contemporary performing arts is the clearest thread in the trust’s giving. In 2025, it awarded $35,000 to Dancers Groupfoundry for developing dance performance and $2,000 to Round House Theatre Inc for a new play series. Music also appears in the portfolio through a $2,500 grant to Washington Conservatory of Music. Film and media are another recurring area: Women Make Movies received $3,000 for film making, while Ruby Pictures Co Wifv received $5,000 for film making. Civic journalism and public engagement are represented as well, including a $35,000 grant to The Intercept Media and a $35,000 grant to Actblue Civics Inc for voter literacy. Smaller grants reach education and service-learning work, such as $5,000 to Two Rivers Public Charter School for mathematics staff development and $525 to Amizade for service learning.
The recent grant sizes cluster from $35,000 to $40,000 at the top, with a median of $3,000 and a lower quartile of $1,000. Many awards are for general support, while others are tied to specific programs or projects. The file shows one 2025 grant list, so recurring giving cannot be established from the available year alone. The trust is a charitable trust rather than a donor-advised fund or operating foundation, and it does not make program-related investments. No application process is shown in the data.
$426K
$2M
$864K
$527K
About 10% of grants go to recipients in DC.
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A mix of several mid-to-large unrestricted/general support grants (~$35–$40k) to lead arts and media organizations, plus many smaller discretionary grants ($500–$5,000) to individual filmmakers, local arts groups, and community services; mostly one-off gifts with a few repeat/smaller follow-ups rather than long-term, multi-year commitments.
Notable grantees: LIVE ARTS NEW YORK, EAST BAY PERFORMING ARTS, ACTBLUE CIVICS INC, THE INTERCEPT, DANCERS GROUP (FOUNDRY)
The grants are entirely U.S.-based in the recent file, with recipients spread across New York, California, Washington, DC, and Massachusetts, plus a smaller number in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. Washington, DC appears repeatedly, including awards to several arts, media, and education groups. New York recipients include Live Arts New York in New York and Women Make Movies in New York, while California recipients include Richmond, San Francisco, Berkeley, and Los Angeles organizations. Maryland recipients include Silver Spring, Glen Echo, and Bethesda.
The trust funds contemporary performing arts, independent film and media, and progressive civic journalism or engagement. Recent grants also include education, homelessness services, author programming, mathematics staff development, and service-learning work, usually through program or general support.
Among the recent grants listed, the median award is $3,000. The middle half of grants falls between $1,000 and $5,000, while the largest recent award is $40,000.
Yes. Recent grants include $35,000 to Actblue Civics Inc for voter literacy and $35,000 to The Intercept Media for general support. The file also includes support for civic storytelling and public-facing journalism work.
The recent grants are all to U.S. recipients. Washington, DC, New York, and California appear frequently, with additional grants in Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.
The trust supports dance, theater, music, film, and exhibition programming. Recent examples include developing dance performance, a new play series, film making, author events, and a multi-national art exhibit.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WASHINGTON STUDIO SCHOOL | WASHINGTON, DC | $115,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| TWO RIVERS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL | WASHINGTON, DC | $35,000 | 2026 | MATHEMATICS STAFF DEVELOPMENT |
| HANNAH ARENDT CENTER CO THE BARD COLLEGE | HUDSON, NY | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND/CONFERENCE/STUDENT PARTICIPATION |
| EAST BAY PERFORMING ARTS | RICHMOND, CA | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL SUPPORT |
| LIVE ARTS NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| FOUNDRYDANCERS' GROUP | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $35,000 | 2026 | DEVELOPING PERFROMANCE, RESILIENCE |
| THE INTERCEPT MEDIA | WASHINGTON, DC | $35,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| CITYSIDE RICHMONDSIDE | BERKELEY, CA | $15,000 | 2026 | MEDIA/NEWS PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT |
| ROSENBERG FUND FOR CHILDREN | EAST HAMPTON, MD | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| ESTHER PRODUCTIONS INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $12,000 | 2026 | LITERACY EVENTS/GENERAL PROGRAMMING |
| ADAMAHCLERGY LEADERSHIP PROJECCT | REISTERSTOWN, MD | $10,000 | 2026 | CLERGY LEADERSHIP EDUCATION |
| ROUND HOUSE THEATRE INC | SILVER SPRING, MD | $10,000 | 2026 | NEW PLAY SERIES |
| NOPE ORGANIZE FOR DEMOCRACY FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2026 | VOTER EDUCATION AND LITERACY |
| JEWS UNITED FOR JUSTICE INC JUFJ | WASHINGTON, DC | $6,000 | 2026 | TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING |
| GLEN ECHO PARK PARTNERSHIP | GLEN ECHO, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | COMMUNITY-BASED ARTIST WORKSHOPS |
| COMMON GROUNDNEW YORK LIVE ARTS LIVE CORE | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | COMMON GROUND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT |
| GLEN ECHO PARK PARTNERSHIP | GLEN ECHO, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM |
| ERICA MILSOM RYZO INITIATIVES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $1,500 | 2026 | FILM MAKING |
| SPOKEN WORD | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,200 | 2026 | COMMUNITY SUPPORT |
| BLACK STUDENT FUND | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2026 | STUDENT/FAMILY CONFERENCE |
| UNCLOSETED MEDIA VIA RESOURCE IMPACT | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND |
| GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION INC | FAIRFAX, VA | $1,000 | 2026 | MULTI-NATIONAL ART EXHIBIT |
| CASA INC | WOODBRIDGE, VA | $1,000 | 2026 | GENERAL FUND PROGRAMMING |
| DC CENTRAL KITCHEN | WASHINGTON, DC | $525 | 2026 | PROGRAM SUPPORT |
| PERELMAN ART CENTERPAC | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2026 | COMMUNITY PROGRAM PARTNERSHIPS |
| MINNESOTA CATALYST FOR CHANGE | ST PAUL, MS | $294 | 2026 | COMMUNITY VOITER EDUCATION |
| DC PUBLIC LIBRARY | WASHINGTON, DC | $250 | 2026 | COMMUNITY ART EXHIBIT |
| LIVE ARTS NEW YORK LIVE CORE | NEW YORK, NY | $40,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| EAST BAY PERFORMING ARTS | RICHMOND, CA | $37,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ACTBLUE CIVICS INC (NOPE) | SOMERVILLE, MA | $35,000 | 2025 | VOTER LITERACY |
| BARD COLLEGEHANNAH ARENDT CENTER | ANNANDALE ON THE HUDSO, NY | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE INTERCEPT MEDIA | WASHINGTON, DC | $35,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| DANCERS GROUPFOUNDRY | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $35,000 | 2025 | DEVELOPING DANCE PERFORMANCE |
| WASHINGTON STUDIO SCHOOL | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ROSENBERG FUND FOR CHILDREN | EAST HAMPTON, MA | $12,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CITYSIDE RICHMONDSIDE | BERKELEY, CA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| UNCLOSETED MEDIA VIA RESOURCE IMPACT | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| FRIENDSHIP PLACE | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,500 | 2025 | SUPPORTING UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS |
| TWO RIVERS PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | MATHEMATICS STAFF DEVELOPMENT |
| MID-ATLANTIC INNOCENCE PROJECT | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | STORY TELLING PERFORMANCES |
| ESTHER PRODUCTIONS INC | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | AUTHOR EVENTS |
| RUBY PICTURES CO WIFV | WASHINGTON, DC | $5,000 | 2025 | FILM MAKING |
| BROOKLYN INSTITUTE | BROOKLYN, NY | $3,000 | 2025 | SEMINARS ON HANNAH ARENDT |
| WOMEN MAKE MOVIES | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2025 | FILM MAKING |
| COLLABORISING | RICHMOND, CA | $2,500 | 2025 | HOUSING/RECOVERY TRAINING |
| WASHINGTON CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC | GLEN ECHO, MD | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SAMANTHA CHENG WIFV | WASHINGTON, DC | $2,500 | 2025 | FILM MAKING |
| ROUND HOUSE THEATRE INC | SILVER SPRING, MD | $2,000 | 2025 | NEW PLAY SERIES |
| URBAN TILTH | RICHMOND, CA | $1,125 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ADAT SHALOM | BETHESDA, MD | $1,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
WASHINGTON STUDIO SCHOOL
$115,000GENERAL FUND
HANNAH ARENDT CENTER CO THE BARD COLLEGE
$35,000GENERAL FUND/CONFERENCE/STUDENT PARTICIPATION
EAST BAY PERFORMING ARTS
$35,000GENERAL SUPPORT
LIVE ARTS NEW YORK
$35,000GENERAL FUND
FOUNDRYDANCERS' GROUP
$35,000DEVELOPING PERFROMANCE, RESILIENCE
THE INTERCEPT MEDIA
$35,000GENERAL FUND
CITYSIDE RICHMONDSIDE
$15,000MEDIA/NEWS PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
ROSENBERG FUND FOR CHILDREN
$15,000GENERAL FUND
ESTHER PRODUCTIONS INC
$12,000LITERACY EVENTS/GENERAL PROGRAMMING
ADAMAHCLERGY LEADERSHIP PROJECCT
$10,000CLERGY LEADERSHIP EDUCATION
ROUND HOUSE THEATRE INC
$10,000NEW PLAY SERIES
NOPE ORGANIZE FOR DEMOCRACY FUND
$10,000VOTER EDUCATION AND LITERACY
GLEN ECHO PARK PARTNERSHIP
$5,000COMMUNITY-BASED ARTIST WORKSHOPS
COMMON GROUNDNEW YORK LIVE ARTS LIVE CORE
$5,000COMMON GROUND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
GLEN ECHO PARK PARTNERSHIP
$5,000COMMUNITY EDUCATION PROGRAM
ERICA MILSOM RYZO INITIATIVES
$1,500FILM MAKING
SPOKEN WORD
$1,200COMMUNITY SUPPORT
BLACK STUDENT FUND
$1,000STUDENT/FAMILY CONFERENCE
CASA INC
$1,000GENERAL FUND PROGRAMMING
PERELMAN ART CENTERPAC
$500COMMUNITY PROGRAM PARTNERSHIPS
MINNESOTA CATALYST FOR CHANGE
$294COMMUNITY VOITER EDUCATION
DC PUBLIC LIBRARY
$250COMMUNITY ART EXHIBIT
LIVE ARTS NEW YORK LIVE CORE
$40,000GENERAL
EAST BAY PERFORMING ARTS
$37,500GENERAL
ACTBLUE CIVICS INC (NOPE)
$35,000VOTER LITERACY
BARD COLLEGEHANNAH ARENDT CENTER
$35,000GENERAL
THE INTERCEPT MEDIA
$35,000GENERAL
DANCERS GROUPFOUNDRY
$35,000DEVELOPING DANCE PERFORMANCE
WASHINGTON STUDIO SCHOOL
$15,000GENERAL
ROSENBERG FUND FOR CHILDREN
$12,500GENERAL
CITYSIDE RICHMONDSIDE
$10,000GENERAL
ESTHER PRODUCTIONS INC
$5,000AUTHOR EVENTS
RUBY PICTURES CO WIFV
$5,000FILM MAKING
BROOKLYN INSTITUTE
$3,000SEMINARS ON HANNAH ARENDT
COLLABORISING
$2,500HOUSING/RECOVERY TRAINING
WASHINGTON CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
$2,500GENERAL
SAMANTHA CHENG WIFV
$2,500FILM MAKING
ROUND HOUSE THEATRE INC
$2,000NEW PLAY SERIES
ADAT SHALOM
$1,000GENERAL