The Asbjorn Lunde Foundation concentrates its giving on the arts, backing major cultural institutions and international cultural exchange. Grants are sizeable and targeted — supporting museum initiatives (notably the Munch museum project), performing arts organizations, and international scholarship/fellowship mechanisms. Their support appears flexible (general operating/board discretionary) and sometimes routed through fiscal sponsor intermediaries for cross-border cultural programs.
The Asbjorn Lunde Foundation Inc. stands out for sizable, targeted support to museums and international cultural exchange, with a recent high-water mark of $375,000 to the Stering and Francine Clark Art Institute for OM CATALOG. That same institution also received a $100,000 grant for MUNCH MUSEUM, showing a sustained commitment to museum projects rather than one-off awards. Alongside major museum support, the foundation has backed performing arts organizations such as Orchestra of St Luke's, including both general operating support and underwriting for a chamber music series at Carnegie Hall. Its portfolio also reaches cross-border cultural institutions through fiscal sponsor channels, including Fulbright-related grants administered through Kbfus. The pattern suggests a funder that uses grants to support exhibitions, programming, and institutional capacity, rather than individual artists or unrestricted community giving. Recent grants also show attention to cultural heritage organizations in New York and the wider Northeast, with repeated support for museums, historical societies, and arts nonprofits.
Museum support is a clear throughline. In 2024, the foundation gave $375,000 to the Stering and Francine Clark Art Institute for OM CATALOG, and later added $100,000 there for MUNCH MUSEUM. It also made general operating grants to the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire, in 2023, 2024, and 2025. On the performing arts side, Orchestra of St Luke's received support for general operating use and for underwriting a chamber music series at Carnegie Hall. The foundation also funds access and heritage-oriented work, including general operating support for Hudson Hall and Friends of Duane Park, plus support for the American Friends of the National Portrait Gallery. International cultural exchange appears through Kbfus, which received multiple Fulbright 2024 grants and a separate grant for the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp BE.
Grant sizes cluster in the middle range, with a p25 of $7,500, a median of $17,000, and a p75 of $50,000. The largest recent awards are exceptions rather than the norm, while many grants sit at $10,000 to $25,000. Recipients appear more than once across years, including Hudson Hall, Orchestra of St Luke's, and Currier Museum of Art, which points to recurring relationships rather than isolated gifts. The foundation is a private foundation and does not fund individuals or program-related investments. Its recent grant descriptions frequently indicate general operating support, board discretionary grants, or program underwriting.
$298K
$4.8M
$1.4M
$825K
Most grants fall between $8K and $50K, with a median of $17K.
25th Percentile
$8K
Median
$17K
75th Percentile
$50K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Concentrated, high-value grants to a small number of arts-focused recipients; repeat funding to core grantees and use of intermediaries for international cultural initiatives. Grants are large, often unrestricted or for specific high-profile projects rather than many small awards.
Notable grantees: Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, KBFUS (King Baudouin Foundation United States) / Fulbright-related funding, Orchestra of St. Luke's
The foundation’s giving is regional and concentrated in the Northeast. New York City recipients appear often, including Orchestra of St Luke's, American Friends of the National Portrait Gallery, Friends of Duane Park, and Church Street School for Music & Art. Hudson, New York, is another repeated destination through Hudson Hall and Olana Partnership. Outside New York, grants also reached Williamstown, Massachusetts; Manchester, New Hampshire; Amherst, Massachusetts; and Newark, Delaware. All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
Its recent grants center on museums, performing arts organizations, and cultural institutions. Examples include the Stering and Francine Clark Art Institute, Orchestra of St Luke's, Hudson Hall, and the Currier Museum of Art, along with international cultural exchange through Kbfus.
Typical grants cluster around a median of $17,000, with a lower quartile of $7,500 and an upper quartile of $50,000. Recent awards range from $7,500 to $375,000, showing both routine operating support and larger project grants.
Yes. Recent grants show repeat support for Hudson Hall across 2023, 2024, and 2025; Orchestra of St Luke's in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and Currier Museum of Art in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
New York is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities there include New York City and Hudson, with multiple grants to Orchestra of St Luke's, Kbfus, Hudson Hall, Friends of Duane Park, and Church Street School for Music & Art.
Recent grant descriptions include general operating support, board discretionary grants, underwriting for a chamber music series at Carnegie Hall, and project-specific support such as OM CATALOG and MUNCH MUSEUM.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORCHESTRA OF ST LUKE'S | NEW YORK, NY | $125,000 | 2025 | BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CURRIER MUSEUM OF ART | MANCHESTER, NH | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NEWARK HISTORICAL SOCIETY | NEWARK, DE | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| HUDSON HALL | HUDSON, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE |
| HUDSON HALL | HUDSON, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE |
| KBFUS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GRANT FOR THE ROYAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, ANTWERP BE |
| FRIENDS OF DUANE PARK | NEW YORK, NY | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CHURCH STREET SCHOOL FOR MUSIC & ART | NEW YORK, NY | $7,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE MAURITSHUIS | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| STERING AND FRANCINE CLARK ART INSTITUTE | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $375,000 | 2024 | OM CATALOG |
| KBFUS | NEW YORK, NY | $125,000 | 2024 | FULBRIGHT 2024 |
| KBFUS | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2024 | FULBRIGHT 2024 |
| STERING AND FRANCINE CLARK ART INSTITUTE | WILLIAMSTOWN, MA | $100,000 | 2024 | MUNCH MUSEUM |
| ORCHESTRA OF ST LUKE'S | NEW YORK, NY | $76,000 | 2024 | BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE |
| HUDSON HALL | HUDSON, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE |
| OLANA PARTNERSHIP | HUDSON, NY | $35,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| KBFUS | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | FULBRIGHT 2024 |
| HUDSON HALL | HUDSON, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE |
| KBFUS | NEW YORK, NY | $23,000 | 2024 | FULBRIGHT 2024 |
| KBFUS | NEW YORK, NY | $21,300 | 2024 | FULBRIGHT 2024 |
| HUDSON HALL | HUDSON, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE |
| HUDSON HALL | HUDSON, NY | $17,000 | 2024 | BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE |
| CURRIER MUSEUM OF ART | MANCHESTER, NH | $15,000 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST FOUNDATION INC | AMHERST, MA | $10,000 | 2024 | ANNE MOCHON INTERNSHIP FUND |
| CHURCH STREET SCHOOL FOR MUSIC & ART | NEW YORK, NY | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF DUANE PARK | NEW YORK, NY | $7,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| NETHERLAND-AMERICA FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | FOR THE TEYLERS MUSEUM |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE MAURITSHUIS | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ORCHESTRA OF ST LUKE'S | NEW YORK, NY | $76,000 | 2023 | UNDERWRITING FOR CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES AT CARNEGIE HALL |
| HUDSON HALL | HUDSON, NY | $60,000 | 2023 | BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE |
| CURRIER MUSEUM OF ART | MANCHESTER, NH | $15,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| CHURCH STREET SCHOOL FOR MUSIC & ART | NEW YORK, NY | $7,500 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| FRIENDS OF DUANE PARK | NEW YORK, NY | $7,500 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| ORCHESTRA OF ST LUKE'S | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE |
| BALBOA ART CONSERVATION CENTER | SAN DIEGO, CA | $5,000 | 2023 | FOR A PUBLIC ACCESS ROOM |
| NETHERLAND-AMERICA FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2023 | FOR THE TEYLERS MUSEUM |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE MAURITSHUIS | NEW YORK, NY | $2,500 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
| BINDLESTIFF FAMILY VARIETY ARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2023 | GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT |
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
$100,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CURRIER MUSEUM OF ART
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
NEWARK HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
HUDSON HALL
$10,000BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE
HUDSON HALL
$10,000BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE
KBFUS
$10,000GRANT FOR THE ROYAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, ANTWERP BE
FRIENDS OF DUANE PARK
$7,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CHURCH STREET SCHOOL FOR MUSIC & ART
$7,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE MAURITSHUIS
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
HUDSON HALL
$50,000BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE
HUDSON HALL
$25,000BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE
HUDSON HALL
$20,000BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE
HUDSON HALL
$17,000BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE
CURRIER MUSEUM OF ART
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CHURCH STREET SCHOOL FOR MUSIC & ART
$7,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
FRIENDS OF DUANE PARK
$7,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE MAURITSHUIS
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
HUDSON HALL
$60,000BOARD DISCRETIONARY GRANT FOR GENERAL OPERATING USE
CURRIER MUSEUM OF ART
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
CHURCH STREET SCHOOL FOR MUSIC & ART
$7,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
FRIENDS OF DUANE PARK
$7,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
BALBOA ART CONSERVATION CENTER
$5,000FOR A PUBLIC ACCESS ROOM
AMERICAN FRIENDS OF THE MAURITSHUIS
$2,500GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT
BINDLESTIFF FAMILY VARIETY ARTS
$2,000GENERAL OPERATING SUPPORT