The mission of the Barnes is to promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture.
The Barnes Foundation’s recent grantmaking is closely tied to informal learning and summer enrichment in Philadelphia, with 2025 awards supporting partner organizations through the Informal Learning Initiative and the Summer Pods Cohort. Its largest recent grants went to Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse Inc for a partner stipend for project work and to The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia for participation in the ILI cohort and Summer Pods cohort. Those awards point to a funder that uses project-based support and cohort-based programming rather than broad, open-ended grantmaking. The foundation’s mission is to promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts and horticulture, and that mission shows up in its active programs and recent awards. In addition to arts education and museum-related work, its support reaches community organizations that help deliver learning experiences for children and families. Recent grants also include The Clay Studio and Samuel S Fleisher Art Memorial Inc, both tied to the Summer Pods Cohort, showing repeated support for partner-led implementation. The Barnes Foundation’s giving pattern centers on organizations that can deliver programs in Philadelphia and align with education, arts, and community outreach.
Arts education appears across the foundation’s grantmaking through operating and program support. In 2025, it gave $20,000 to Whyy Inc for the Informal Learning Initiative, linking education funding to a public media organization that can extend learning beyond traditional classrooms. Community-based cultural partners are another clear theme. The foundation awarded $33,000 to The Clay Studio for partner stipend for project work and Summer Pods Cohort participation, which shows support for hands-on arts programming delivered with local partners. Museum and science-based learning also fit the portfolio. The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia received $52,906 for the Informal Learning Initiative, the ILI Cohort, and the Summer Pods Cohort. That grant connects the Barnes Foundation’s education priorities with a Philadelphia institution that serves learners through structured cohort participation.
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure range, with a p25 of $16,250, median of $26,500, and p75 of $47,930. The 2025 recent grants also show several awards concentrated around cohort participation and partner stipends rather than many small one-off gifts. The foundation’s active programs include unrestricted annual support, corporate giving, a capital campaign, planned giving, and membership giving, but the recent grants reflect project-based funding and operational/program implementation support. The recent recipient list is entirely Philadelphia-based, matching a local giving scope.
$15K
$247.7M
$33.7M
$30.1M
Most grants fall between $16K and $48K, with a median of $27K.
25th Percentile
$16K
Median
$27K
75th Percentile
$48K
THOMAS COLLINS
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The Barnes Foundation gives locally, and the recent grants shown here all went to Philadelphia recipients. Three recent awards went to organizations in Philadelphia’s arts and learning ecosystem, including Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse Inc, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and The Clay Studio. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 6 grants to U.S. organizations and no non-U.S. recipients in the recent list.
The recent grants point to Philadelphia organizations working in arts education, informal learning, and summer enrichment. Recipients include The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, The Clay Studio, Whyy Inc, and Samuel S Fleisher Art Memorial Inc, often tied to cohort participation or partner stipends.
Typical grant size is mid-five figures: p25 is $16,250, median is $26,500, and p75 is $47,930. The recent awards include amounts such as $53,000, $52,906, $33,000, $20,000, $15,000, and $14,927.
The recent grant list is entirely local to Philadelphia, PA. All 6 recent grants went to recipients in Philadelphia, and the recipient country distribution is 100% U.S.
Its stated focus areas are art and art history, arts education, museum collections, horticulture and arboretum, and community outreach. The recent grants especially emphasize informal learning, summer pods, and partner collaboration through cohort-based support.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Barnes Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Not specified on Barnes site. (Pew Center grants and fellowships have eligibility requirements published on the Pew Center site.) The Barnes notes that as operating partner it and its staff are not eligible for Center grants.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHYY INC | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $15,000 | 2026 | SUMMER PODS COHORT |
| SMITH MEMORIAL PLAYGROUND & PLAYHOUSE INC | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $53,000 | 2025 | INFORMAL LEARNING INITIATIVE, PARTNER STIPEND FOR PROJECT, SUMMER PODS COHORT |
| THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $52,906 | 2025 | INFORMAL LEARNING INITIATIVE, ILI COHORT, SUMMER PODS COHORT |
| THE CLAY STUDIO | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $33,000 | 2025 | PARTNER STIPEND FOR PROJECT, SUMMER PODS COHORT |
| WHYY INC | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $20,000 | 2025 | INFORMAL LEARNING INITIATIVE |
| SAMUEL S FLEISHER ART MEMORIAL INC | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $15,000 | 2025 | SUMMER PODS COHORT |
| FUND FOR THE FAIRMOUNT WATER WORKS | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $14,927 | 2025 | INFORMAL LEARNING INITIATIVE |
INFORMAL LEARNING INITIATIVE, PARTNER STIPEND FOR PROJECT, SUMMER PODS COHORT
INFORMAL LEARNING INITIATIVE, ILI COHORT, SUMMER PODS COHORT
THE CLAY STUDIO
$33,000PARTNER STIPEND FOR PROJECT, SUMMER PODS COHORT
FUND FOR THE FAIRMOUNT WATER WORKS
$14,927INFORMAL LEARNING INITIATIVE
