The Getty Trust concentrates its recent giving on arts, cultural institutions, and built‑heritage preservation, favoring large, project‑specific grants that support public art, museum capacity, and historic preservation initiatives. Grants are aimed at place‑based cultural projects (both in Los Angeles and internationally) and programs that preserve or interpret modern and historic architecture and collections.
The J Paul Getty Trust’s recent giving is defined by place-based cultural work: a $2.5 million grant to Destination Crenshaw in Los Angeles, funding that sits alongside major support for museum capacity, art history, and built-heritage preservation. The trust also backed the National Trust for Historic Preservation with $1.6 million for Keeping It Modern, and made a $1.4056 million grant to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in Mumbai through its trust grants program. Those examples show a pattern of large, project-specific awards rather than broad unrestricted support. The trust’s portfolio includes public art corridors, preservation of modern architecture, conservation of collections, and international museum initiatives. It also funds scholarship and training in the arts, including postdoctoral fellowships in art history and internships for undergraduate students at Los Angeles County organizations. In practice, the trust works across museums, archives, universities, and heritage organizations, often tying grants to named programs or collaborative initiatives. Its giving reaches both Los Angeles institutions and partners in other major cultural centers, reflecting an interest in local cultural infrastructure as well as international art and preservation networks.
In public art and cultural-corridor work, The J Paul Getty Trust gave $500,000 to Destination Crenshaw in 2024 for special projects, extending earlier support for the same initiative. In museum exhibition and programming work, it granted $400,000 to the Academy Foundation for Pacific Standard Time 2024 and $350,000 to the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History Foundation for the same program. The trust also supports Latinx art in museums: grants of $500,000 each went to the National Gallery of Art, Amigos Del Museo Del Barrio, and The Vincent Price Art Museum Foundation under Advancing Latinx Art in Museums. For scholarship and professional development, it awarded $485,000 to the American Council of Learned Societies for the Getty/ACLS Postdoctoral Fellowship in the History of Art and $280,000 to Museum Associates for Getty Marrow Undergraduate Interns at Los Angeles County organizations.
Typical awards are mid-sized to large: the grant-size distribution is p25 $2,000, median $7,550, and p75 $39,106. That distribution sits alongside a small number of much larger project grants, which shape the trust’s visible recent giving. The funder is a regular DAF-classified funder and does make grants to individuals, including fellowship support in art history. The recent record shows repeated support for the same institutions and initiatives across years, especially for programs such as Pacific Standard Time, Getty/ACLS fellowships, and trust grants to major museums and heritage organizations. The pattern is program-specific rather than open-ended.
$28.5M
$13.9B
$767.4M
$448.5M
Most grants fall between $2K and $39K, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$2K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$39K
JAMES CUNO
TRUSTEE, PRES. & CEO
Top 10 recipient countries by grant volume for J Paul Getty Trust.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 1,761 | $73.9M | 72.4% |
| 2 | United Kingdom | 122 |
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Very concentrated — a small number of large, single-purpose grants focused on special projects and trust/capital support rather than many small operating grants; mix of local (LA) and high-profile international recipients.
Notable grantees: Destination Crenshaw, National Trust for Historic Preservation (Keeping It Modern), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya
Most grants go to recipients in California, with 68% of grants in the HQ state. Los Angeles is the clearest center of gravity, but the trust also gives frequently in New York, its top state by grant count, and in other cultural hubs such as Washington, DC, Philadelphia, Cambridge, London, Rome, and Mumbai. Recent recipient cities include Los Angeles, New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Cambridge, La Jolla, and Sydney. International giving is meaningful, with recipients in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Brazil, Australia, and Argentina appearing in the distribution.
It funds museums, cultural institutions, historic-preservation groups, and research or training partners in the arts. Recent examples include major support for Destination Crenshaw, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, and museum- or university-based programs tied to art history, conservation, and exhibitions.
The grant-size profile is skewed toward smaller awards but includes large project grants. The distribution provided is p25 $2,000, median $7,550, and p75 $39,106. Recent examples also show million-dollar commitments for major initiatives.
Yes. It awarded $485,000 to the American Council of Learned Societies for the Getty/ACLS Postdoctoral Fellowship in the History of Art, and $280,000 to Museum Associates for Getty Marrow Undergraduate Interns at Los Angeles County organizations. Those grants show direct support for both postdoctoral research and undergraduate professional development.
California receives 68% of grants, but New York is the top state by grant count. Recent recipient cities also include Los Angeles, Washington, Philadelphia, Cambridge, La Jolla, and international locations such as London, Rome, Mumbai, and Sydney.
Recent awards cluster around public art and cultural corridors, historic preservation and conservation of modern architecture, museum capacity and collections support, Latinx art in museums, and art-historical scholarship. Named programs include Keeping It Modern, Pacific Standard Time 2024, Advancing Latinx Art in Museums, Conserving Canvas, and Digital Art History.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
| $23.9M |
5.0% |
| 3 | Germany | 67 | $5.5M | 2.8% |
| 4 | France | 56 | $3M | 2.3% |
| 5 | Italy | 55 | $4.1M | 2.3% |
| 6 | Canada | 31 | $952K | 1.3% |
| 7 | Netherlands | 30 | $2.5M | 1.2% |
| 8 | Brazil | 28 | $2.9M | 1.1% |
| 9 | Spain | 25 | $2.3M | 1.0% |
| 10 | India | 22 | $18.2M | 0.9% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE CENTER FOR CULTURAL INNOVATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $10,909,326 | 2026 | TRUST GRANTS |
| NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN THE UNITED STATES | WASHINGTON, DC | $1,550,000 | 2026 | KEEPING IT MODERN |
| CENTER FOR CURATORIAL LEADERSHIP | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000,000 | 2026 | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT |
| MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV | MUNICH | $846,226 | 2026 | CONNECTING ART HISTORIES |
| JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY | DOUGLAS | $442,500 | 2026 | GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS |
| LOS ANGELES CONSERVANCY | LOS ANGELES, CA | $420,000 | 2026 | SPECIAL PROJECTS, CONSERVATION |
| BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TATE GALLERY | LONDON | $408,850 | 2026 | GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS |
| NEW YORK UNIVERSITY | NEW YORK, NY | $365,000 | 2026 | CONNECTING ART HISTORIES |
| ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY | ROCHESTER, NY | $343,530 | 2026 | GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS |
| ICA LA | LOS ANGELES, CA | $335,000 | 2026 | SPECIAL PROJECTS |
| THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON | LONDON | $331,667 | 2026 | GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS |
| SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION | WASHINGTON, DC | $310,000 | 2026 | BLACK VISUAL ARTS ARCHIVES |
| COLLEGE ART ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $304,000 | 2026 | CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS/SHARING EXPERTISE |
| SCHOOL FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH | SANTA FE, NM | $300,000 | 2026 | CONNECTING ART HISTORIES |
| FUNDACION DEL MUSEO GUGGENHEIM BILBAO | BILBAO | $286,454 | 2026 | GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS |
| EMORY UNIVERSITY | ATLANTA, GA | $280,000 | 2026 | BLACK VISUAL ARTS ARCHIVES |
| AMISTAD RESEARCH CENTER | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $275,000 | 2026 | BLACK VISUAL ARTS ARCHIVES |
| CSULA AUXILIARY SERVICES INC | LOS ANGELES, CA | $265,000 | 2026 | BLACK VISUAL ARTS ARCHIVES |
| THE VINCENT PRICE ART MUSEUM FOUNDATION | MONTEREY PARK, CA | $250,000 | 2026 | ADVANCING LATINX ART IN MUSEUMS |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MI | $250,000 | 2026 | CONNECTING ART HISTORIES |
| AMIGOS DEL MUSEO DEL BARRIO | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2026 | ADVANCING LATINX ART IN MUSEUMS |
| NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART | WASHINGTON, DC | $250,000 | 2026 | ADVANCING LATINX ART IN MUSEUMS |
| SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM | SINGAPORE | $244,205 | 2026 | GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS |
| EBERHARD KARLS UNIVERSITAT TUBINGEN | TUBINGEN | $234,608 | 2026 | CONNECTING ART HISTORIES |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA | OAKLAND, CA | $220,000 | 2026 | CONNECTING ART HISTORIES |
| AAMC FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2026 | CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS/SHARING EXPERTISE |
| BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALE DE FRANCE | PARIS | $198,121 | 2026 | GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS |
| AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS | ARLINGTON, VA | $175,000 | 2026 | CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS/SHARING EXPERTISE |
| MUSEUM ASSOCIATES | LOS ANGELES, CA | $150,000 | 2026 | PST ART: ART & SCIENCE COLLIDE |
| DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART | DALLAS, TX | $150,000 | 2026 | CONSERVING CANVAS |
| CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY INC | ATLANTA, GA | $140,000 | 2026 | BLACK VISUAL ARTS ARCHIVES |
| FUNDACAO DE AMPARO E DESENVOLVIMENTO DA PESQUISA | BELEM | $130,000 | 2026 | GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS |
| LINCOLN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION OF PENNSYLVANIA | LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, PA | $125,000 | 2026 | BLACK VISUAL ARTS ARCHIVES |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART SANTA BARBARA INC | SANTA BARBARA, CA | $125,000 | 2026 | PST ART: ART & SCIENCE COLLIDE |
| UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA DE MEXICO | MEXICO CITY | $125,000 | 2026 | CONNECTING ART HISTORIES |
| FUNDACAO DE DESENVOLVIMENTO DA PESQUISA | BELO HORIZONTE | $124,000 | 2026 | CONSERVING CANVAS |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA | OAKLAND, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | PST ART: ART & SCIENCE COLLIDE |
| CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS | VALENCIA, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | PST ART: ART & SCIENCE COLLIDE |
| VISUAL AIDS FOR THE ARTS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2026 | BLACK VISUAL ARTS ARCHIVES |
| LA PROMISE FUND | LOS ANGELES, CA | $90,000 | 2026 | TRUSTEE - ARTS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART | LOS ANGELES, CA | $90,000 | 2026 | TRUSTEE - ARTS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM |
| MUSEUM OF MODERN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $90,000 | 2026 | TRUSTEE - ARTS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM |
| INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS | PARIS | $76,876 | 2026 | CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS/SHARING EXPERTISE |
| FONDAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE PER LA CONSERVAZIONE DEL MOSAICO | BELMONTE IN SABINA | $75,000 | 2026 | CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS/SHARING EXPERTISE |
| DOCOMOMO US | NEW YORK, NY | $75,000 | 2026 | CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS/SHARING EXPERTISE |
| SAN DIEGO MUSEUM OF ART | SAN DIEGO, CA | $75,000 | 2026 | PST ART: ART & SCIENCE COLLIDE |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART | LOS ANGELES, CA | $69,300 | 2026 | EMERGING PROFESSIONALS |
| UNIVERSIDAD DEL DESARROLLO | SANTIAGO | $68,000 | 2026 | KEEPING IT MODERN |
| HANDLER-SPITZ REBECCA | SAINT PAUL, MN | $67,000 | 2026 | GETTY SCHOLARS |
| STEINGO GAVIN | PRINCETON, NJ | $67,000 | 2026 | GETTY SCHOLARS |
THE CENTER FOR CULTURAL INNOVATION
$10,909,326TRUST GRANTS
NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION IN THE UNITED STATES
$1,550,000KEEPING IT MODERN
CENTER FOR CURATORIAL LEADERSHIP
$1,000,000PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MAX-PLANCK-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER WISSENSCHAFTEN EV
$846,226CONNECTING ART HISTORIES
JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY
$442,500GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS
LOS ANGELES CONSERVANCY
$420,000SPECIAL PROJECTS, CONSERVATION
BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TATE GALLERY
$408,850GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
$365,000CONNECTING ART HISTORIES
ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
$343,530GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS
ICA LA
$335,000SPECIAL PROJECTS
THE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
$331,667GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
$310,000BLACK VISUAL ARTS ARCHIVES
COLLEGE ART ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA INC
$304,000CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS/SHARING EXPERTISE
SCHOOL FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH
$300,000CONNECTING ART HISTORIES
FUNDACION DEL MUSEO GUGGENHEIM BILBAO
$286,454GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS
EMORY UNIVERSITY
$280,000BLACK VISUAL ARTS ARCHIVES
AMISTAD RESEARCH CENTER
$275,000BLACK VISUAL ARTS ARCHIVES
CSULA AUXILIARY SERVICES INC
$265,000BLACK VISUAL ARTS ARCHIVES
THE VINCENT PRICE ART MUSEUM FOUNDATION
$250,000ADVANCING LATINX ART IN MUSEUMS
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
$250,000CONNECTING ART HISTORIES
AMIGOS DEL MUSEO DEL BARRIO
$250,000ADVANCING LATINX ART IN MUSEUMS
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART
$250,000ADVANCING LATINX ART IN MUSEUMS
SINGAPORE ART MUSEUM
$244,205GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS
EBERHARD KARLS UNIVERSITAT TUBINGEN
$234,608CONNECTING ART HISTORIES
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
$220,000CONNECTING ART HISTORIES
AAMC FOUNDATION
$200,000CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS/SHARING EXPERTISE
BIBLIOTHEQUE NATIONALE DE FRANCE
$198,121GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS
$175,000CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS/SHARING EXPERTISE
MUSEUM ASSOCIATES
$150,000PST ART: ART & SCIENCE COLLIDE
DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART
$150,000CONSERVING CANVAS
CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY INC
$140,000BLACK VISUAL ARTS ARCHIVES
FUNDACAO DE AMPARO E DESENVOLVIMENTO DA PESQUISA
$130,000GETTY GLOBAL ART AND SUSTAINABILITY FELLOWSHIPS
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION OF PENNSYLVANIA
$125,000BLACK VISUAL ARTS ARCHIVES
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART SANTA BARBARA INC
$125,000PST ART: ART & SCIENCE COLLIDE
UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA DE MEXICO
$125,000CONNECTING ART HISTORIES
FUNDACAO DE DESENVOLVIMENTO DA PESQUISA
$124,000CONSERVING CANVAS
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
$100,000PST ART: ART & SCIENCE COLLIDE
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS
$100,000PST ART: ART & SCIENCE COLLIDE
VISUAL AIDS FOR THE ARTS INC
$100,000BLACK VISUAL ARTS ARCHIVES
LA PROMISE FUND
$90,000TRUSTEE - ARTS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
$90,000TRUSTEE - ARTS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
$90,000TRUSTEE - ARTS AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSEUMS
$76,876CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS/SHARING EXPERTISE
FONDAZIONE INTERNAZIONALE PER LA CONSERVAZIONE DEL MOSAICO
$75,000CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS/SHARING EXPERTISE
DOCOMOMO US
$75,000CONNECTING PROFESSIONALS/SHARING EXPERTISE
SAN DIEGO MUSEUM OF ART
$75,000PST ART: ART & SCIENCE COLLIDE
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
$69,300EMERGING PROFESSIONALS
UNIVERSIDAD DEL DESARROLLO
$68,000KEEPING IT MODERN
HANDLER-SPITZ REBECCA
$67,000GETTY SCHOLARS
STEINGO GAVIN
$67,000GETTY SCHOLARS