The Jane Henson Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on sustaining and promoting puppetry arts, with particular emphasis on preserving and sharing the Jim Henson legacy. Grants are directed toward museums and performing-arts organizations that house collections, produce programming, or run national festivals tied to puppetry, and the foundation also provides general operating support to field-serving institutions. Their giving clearly prioritizes cultural preservation and audience-facing programs in the puppetry sector.
The Jane Henson Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by the Jim Henson collection and related programming, with repeated support to institutions that preserve, exhibit, and interpret puppetry history. In 2023 and 2024, the foundation gave $100,000 and then $60,000 to the Center for Puppetry Arts for that collection and programming, and it made the same pair of grants to the American Museum of the Moving Image. Those awards sit alongside support for museums, theaters, and puppetry organizations that keep the field visible to the public and connected to the Henson legacy. The foundation also backs field infrastructure. It funded The Jim Henson Foundation for general purposes in both 2023 and 2024, supported The Puppeteers of America Inc. for general operating expenses and a national festival, and gave annual support to Unima-usa Inc. Its grant list includes museums, universities, and performing-arts groups, showing a pattern of support for both preservation and presentation. The Foundation’s grants go to organizations working on exhibitions, archives, festivals, classroom programming, and artist residencies within puppetry arts.
Preservation is a central thread in the foundation’s giving. It awarded $10,000 in 2024 to the National Museum of American History to support the Jim Henson collection and related programming, and it made the same-purpose grant to the museum in 2023. Museum exhibition work appears elsewhere in the portfolio. In 2023, the Maryland Center for History and Culture received $10,000 for public programming for the Jim Henson exhibit, while the Museum of Pop Culture received $7,000 in 2024 to support Jim Henson exhibit opportunities and programming. The foundation also funds education and talent development. Arts Connection received $5,000 in both 2023 and 2024 for puppetry in the schools and creative puppet arts classes, and the University of Maryland College Park Foundation received $10,000 in both years for the Jim Henson Artist-in-Residency Fund. Alongside that, Northwestern High School received support for the Jim Henson High School of Arts & Media, linking puppetry to youth arts programming.
Typical grants are modest, with a $4,000 25th percentile, $5,000 median, and $10,000 75th percentile. The foundation also makes larger field-defining awards, including $60,000 and $100,000 grants tied to the Jim Henson collection. The pattern is recurring: multiple recipients appear in both 2023 and 2024, including The Jim Henson Foundation, the Center for Puppetry Arts, the American Museum of the Moving Image, the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Arts Connection, Sandglass Theater, and Northwestern High School. It is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals.
$773K
$5.7M
$1.2M
$843K
Most grants fall between $4K and $10K, with a median of $5K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$5K
75th Percentile
$10K
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Concentrated, relatively large grants to a small set of repeat grantees in the puppetry/cultural arts niche (multiple multi-year or repeat awards to museums and field organizations rather than many small, diverse grants).
Notable grantees: American Museum of the Moving Image, Center for Puppetry Arts, The Jim Henson Foundation, The Puppeteers of America, Inc.
Grantmaking is national, with every recent grant in the United States. New York accounts for 28% of grants, and Vermont appears as the top state by grant count because of repeated support to Sandglass Theater in Putney. Other frequent recipient locations include Atlanta, Georgia; Washington, DC; and College Park, Maryland. The recent grants also reach cities such as Minneapolis, Storrs, Seattle, Brookline, West Bend, and Hyattsville.
It supports museums, puppetry organizations, theaters, and universities connected to puppetry arts and the Jim Henson legacy. Recent grantees include the Center for Puppetry Arts, American Museum of the Moving Image, The Jim Henson Foundation, The Puppeteers of America Inc, and the University of Maryland College Park Foundation.
Yes. Several grantees appear in both 2023 and 2024, including The Jim Henson Foundation, the Center for Puppetry Arts, the American Museum of the Moving Image, the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, the University of Maryland College Park Foundation, Arts Connection, Sandglass Theater, and Northwestern High School.
The typical grant size is $5,000, with a 25th percentile of $4,000 and a 75th percentile of $10,000. The recent list also includes larger awards of $60,000 and $100,000 for collection and programming support.
The foundation focuses on preservation and public presentation of the Jim Henson collection, museum exhibition programming, puppetry arts education in schools, artist-in-residence support, and national puppetry festivals and conferences. Recent grants show all of those themes through awards to museums, schools, universities, and puppetry field organizations.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMERICAN MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE | ASTORIA, NY | $500,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING |
| CENTER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS | ATLANTA, GA | $85,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING |
| EUGENE O'NEILL THEATER CENTER | WATERFORD, CT | $25,000 | 2026 | NATIONAL PUPPETRY CONFERENCE AT THE O'NEILL |
| UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT FOUNDATION INC | STORRS, CT | $20,000 | 2026 | $10,000 BALLARD INSTITUTE AND MUSEUM OF PUPPETRY (FUND 0020262), $10,000 DRAMATIC ARTS - PUPPETRY (FUND 0021546) |
| UNIMA-USA INC | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES |
| THE PUPPETEERS OF AMERICA INC | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES |
| UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE PARK FOUNDATION INC | COLLEGE PARK, MD | $10,000 | 2026 | JIM HENSON ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY FUND |
| BLAIR THOMAS & COMPANY | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT OF CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL PUPPET THEATER FESTIVAL |
| JIM HENSON LEGACY | HOOSICK FALLS, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES |
| NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING |
| ACADEMY FOUNDATION | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT ACADEMY MUSEUM OF MOTION PICTURES FOR THE JIM HENSON EXHIBIT & RELATED PROGRAMMING |
| THE STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY | ROCHESTER, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING |
| SESAME WORKSHOP | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION OF JIM HENSON'S WORK ON SESAME STREET |
| MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE (MOPOP) | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT JIM HENSON EXHIBIT OPPORTUNITIES AND PROGRAMMING |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WASHINGTON COUNTY INC | GREENVILLE, MS | $5,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE LEGACY OF HENSON THROUGH THE JIM HENSON'S BOYHOOD EXHIBIT FUND |
| MEAD SCHOOL FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INC | STAMFORD, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | IN MEMORY OF JANE ANNE NEBEL HENSON |
| NORTHWESTERN HIGH SCHOOL | HYATTSVILLE, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT THE LEGACY OF HENSON THROUGH THE JIM HENSON HIGH SCHOOL OF ARTS & MEDIA |
| PUPPET SHOWPLACE THEATER | BROOKLINE, MA | $4,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER |
| COLUMBIA MARIONETTE THEATRE | COLUMBIA, SC | $4,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER |
| GREAT ARIZONA PUPPET THEATER | PHOENIX, AZ | $4,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER |
| SANDGLASS THEATER | PUTNEY, VT | $4,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER |
| MAYO STREET ARTS | PORTLAND, ME | $4,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER |
| OPEN EYE FIGURE THEATRE | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $4,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER |
| BOB BAKER MARIONETTES THEATER | LOS ANGELES, CA | $4,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER |
| AUTOMATA ARTS | LOS ANGELES, CA | $4,000 | 2026 | TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER |
| ST PAUL THE APOSTLE | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2026 | FOR MUSIC MINISTRY PROGRAM IN MEMORY OF JANE ANNE NEBEL HENSON |
| SAINT KATERI TEKAKWITHA PARISH | KENT, CT | $3,000 | 2026 | FOR THE ST. BRIDGET CHURCH IN MEMORY OF JANE ANNE NEBEL HENSON |
| AMERICAN MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE | ASTORIA, NY | $500,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING |
| CENTER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS | ATLANTA, GA | $60,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING |
| EUGENE O'NEILL THEATER CENTER | WATERFORD, CT | $25,000 | 2025 | NATIONAL PUPPETRY CONFERENCE AT THE O'NEILL |
| UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT FOUNDATION INC | STORRS, CT | $20,000 | 2025 | $10,000 BALLARD INSTITUTE AND MUSEUM OF PUPPETRY (FUND 0020262), $10,000 DRAMATIC ARTS - PUPPETRY (FUND 0021546) |
| THE PUPPETEERS OF AMERICA INC | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $18,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES |
| UNIMA-USA INC | ATLANTA, GA | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES |
| JIM HENSON LEGACY | HOOSICK FALLS, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES |
| UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND COLLEGE PARK FOUNDATION INC | COLLEGE PARK, MD | $10,000 | 2025 | JIM HENSON ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY FUND |
| NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WASHINGTON COUNTY INC | GREENVILLE, MS | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE LEGACY OF HENSON THROUGH THE JIM HENSON'S BOYHOOD EXHIBIT FUND |
| GREAT ARIZONA PUPPET THEATER | PHOENIX, AZ | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER |
| PUPPET SHOWPLACE THEATER | BROOKLINE, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER |
| SANDGLASS THEATER | PUTNEY, VT | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER |
| SESAME WORKSHOP | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION OF JIM HENSON'S WORK ON SESAME STREET |
| MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE (MOPOP) | SEATTLE, WA | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT JIM HENSON EXHIBIT OPPORTUNITIES AND PROGRAMMING |
| MAYO STREET ARTS | PORTLAND, ME | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER |
| BLAIR THOMAS & COMPANY | CHICAGO, IL | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT OF CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL PUPPET THEATER FESTIVAL |
| THE JIM HENSON FOUNDATION | LONG ISLAND CITY, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT PATCH PUPPETRY AT THE CARRIAGE HOUSE |
| AUTOMATA ARTS | LOS ANGELES, CA | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER |
| OPEN EYE FIGURE THEATRE | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER |
| NORTHWESTERN HIGH SCHOOL | HYATTSVILLE, MD | $5,000 | 2025 | TO SUPPORT THE LEGACY OF HENSON THROUGH THE JIM HENSON HIGH SCHOOL OF ARTS & MEDIA |
| MEAD SCHOOL FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INC | STAMFORD, CT | $5,000 | 2025 | IN MEMORY OF JANE ANNE NEBEL HENSON |
| SAINT'S PLACE | PITTSFORD, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | IN MEMORY OF ISABELL MILLER TO MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE |
TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING
TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING
$10,000 BALLARD INSTITUTE AND MUSEUM OF PUPPETRY (FUND 0020262), $10,000 DRAMATIC ARTS - PUPPETRY (FUND 0021546)
UNIMA-USA INC
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES
THE PUPPETEERS OF AMERICA INC
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES
JIM HENSON ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY FUND
BLAIR THOMAS & COMPANY
$10,000TO SUPPORT OF CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL PUPPET THEATER FESTIVAL
JIM HENSON LEGACY
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING
ACADEMY FOUNDATION
$5,000TO SUPPORT ACADEMY MUSEUM OF MOTION PICTURES FOR THE JIM HENSON EXHIBIT & RELATED PROGRAMMING
THE STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY
$5,000TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING
TO SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION OF JIM HENSON'S WORK ON SESAME STREET
MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE (MOPOP)
$5,000TO SUPPORT JIM HENSON EXHIBIT OPPORTUNITIES AND PROGRAMMING
TO SUPPORT THE LEGACY OF HENSON THROUGH THE JIM HENSON'S BOYHOOD EXHIBIT FUND
MEAD SCHOOL FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INC
$5,000IN MEMORY OF JANE ANNE NEBEL HENSON
NORTHWESTERN HIGH SCHOOL
$5,000TO SUPPORT THE LEGACY OF HENSON THROUGH THE JIM HENSON HIGH SCHOOL OF ARTS & MEDIA
PUPPET SHOWPLACE THEATER
$4,000TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER
COLUMBIA MARIONETTE THEATRE
$4,000TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER
GREAT ARIZONA PUPPET THEATER
$4,000TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER
SANDGLASS THEATER
$4,000TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER
MAYO STREET ARTS
$4,000TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER
OPEN EYE FIGURE THEATRE
$4,000TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER
AUTOMATA ARTS
$4,000TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER
ST PAUL THE APOSTLE
$3,000FOR MUSIC MINISTRY PROGRAM IN MEMORY OF JANE ANNE NEBEL HENSON
SAINT KATERI TEKAKWITHA PARISH
$3,000FOR THE ST. BRIDGET CHURCH IN MEMORY OF JANE ANNE NEBEL HENSON
TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING
TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING
EUGENE O'NEILL THEATER CENTER
$25,000NATIONAL PUPPETRY CONFERENCE AT THE O'NEILL
$10,000 BALLARD INSTITUTE AND MUSEUM OF PUPPETRY (FUND 0020262), $10,000 DRAMATIC ARTS - PUPPETRY (FUND 0021546)
THE PUPPETEERS OF AMERICA INC
$18,000GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES
UNIMA-USA INC
$15,000GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES
JIM HENSON LEGACY
$10,000GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES
JIM HENSON ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCY FUND
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY
$10,000TO SUPPORT THE JIM HENSON COLLECTION & RELATED PROGRAMMING
TO SUPPORT THE LEGACY OF HENSON THROUGH THE JIM HENSON'S BOYHOOD EXHIBIT FUND
GREAT ARIZONA PUPPET THEATER
$5,000TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER
PUPPET SHOWPLACE THEATER
$5,000TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER
SANDGLASS THEATER
$5,000TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER
TO SUPPORT THE PRESERVATION OF JIM HENSON'S WORK ON SESAME STREET
MUSEUM OF POP CULTURE (MOPOP)
$5,000TO SUPPORT JIM HENSON EXHIBIT OPPORTUNITIES AND PROGRAMMING
MAYO STREET ARTS
$5,000TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER
BLAIR THOMAS & COMPANY
$5,000TO SUPPORT OF CHICAGO INTERNATIONAL PUPPET THEATER FESTIVAL
THE JIM HENSON FOUNDATION
$5,000TO SUPPORT PATCH PUPPETRY AT THE CARRIAGE HOUSE
AUTOMATA ARTS
$5,000TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER
OPEN EYE FIGURE THEATRE
$5,000TO SUPPORT AMERICAN PUPPET THEATER
NORTHWESTERN HIGH SCHOOL
$5,000TO SUPPORT THE LEGACY OF HENSON THROUGH THE JIM HENSON HIGH SCHOOL OF ARTS & MEDIA
MEAD SCHOOL FOR HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INC
$5,000IN MEMORY OF JANE ANNE NEBEL HENSON
SAINT'S PLACE
$5,000IN MEMORY OF ISABELL MILLER TO MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE