The foundation concentrates its philanthropy on major visual arts institutions and higher-education partners that support museums, exhibitions, and collections. Grants are national in scope but focused on flagship art museums and leading cultural organizations, with repeated support for a small number of institutional grantees. The giving pattern and grantee list suggest an emphasis on sustaining museums’ curatorial, collection and exhibition capacity—consistent with a donor legacy tied to photography and contemporary visual art.
A pair of $2.29 million grants anchors the foundation’s recent giving: one to The J Paul Getty Trust and one to Los Angeles County Museum of Art, both marked for the donee’s exempt purpose. That scale sits alongside a repeated pattern of support for museums and art institutions that advance photography, exhibitions, acquisitions, and publications. The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation Inc C/o Michael Stout Esq also gives to higher-education partners connected to the arts, including Bard College, and to organizations tied to visual culture and preservation. Its recent grant record shows a donor whose priorities are centered on institutions rather than individuals, with recurring support for a small set of recipients over multiple years. New York institutions appear often, but the portfolio is not limited to one city: major cultural organizations in Los Angeles and Dallas also appear among the recipients. Across the list, the foundation’s gifts are framed as support for exempt purposes, non-cash art support, or specific program needs within museums and related organizations. The result is a grantmaking profile that is closely tied to photography, museum collections, and institutional capacity in the visual arts.
Photography is a core thread in the foundation’s giving. The J Paul Getty Trust received $2,290,500 for its exempt purpose, and Los Angeles County Museum of Art received the same amount, indicating major support for institutional work connected to art and collections. Smaller photography-focused support also appears through grants to Aperture Foundation for non-cash art support and to the International Center of Photography for exempt-purpose support. The foundation also funds museum and exhibition work more broadly. The Metropolitan Museum of Art received $37,500 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025, while the Whitney Museum of American Art received multiple grants across the same period. Higher-education partnerships are part of the picture as well: Bard College received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025, showing an ongoing relationship with an arts-linked academic institution.
Typical grant size is modest relative to the largest awards: the 25th percentile is $4,625, the median is $12,850, and the 75th percentile is $54,375. The distribution is highly skewed by a few large institutional gifts, while many other awards are much smaller. The same recipients appear across multiple years, including several museums and Bard College, which points to recurring support rather than one-off giving. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. Its grants are generally marked for exempt purpose or non-cash art support, consistent with institution-level, mission-aligned giving.
$419K
$192M
$4.7M
$4.4M
Most grants fall between $5K and $54K, with a median of $13K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$13K
75th Percentile
$54K
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Highly concentrated: a small number of very large grants account for most dollars; several repeat grants to the same institutions; national focus on flagship museums rather than many small community grantees.
Notable grantees: Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), The J. Paul Getty Trust, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Bard College, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly concentrated in New York: 87% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and New York is also the top state by grant count. New York City appears repeatedly through recipients such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Studio Museum in Harlem. Outside New York, major recipients include The J Paul Getty Trust and Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles, plus Dallas Museum of Art in Dallas and the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, New Hampshire. All recorded grants go to U.S. recipients.
It supports museums, art institutions, and arts-related nonprofits, especially organizations tied to photography, exhibitions, acquisitions, publications, and collections. The recent grants list also includes an arts-focused college partner, Bard College, showing that higher-education institutions can be part of the portfolio.
The grant-size distribution is $4,625 at the 25th percentile, $12,850 at the median, and $54,375 at the 75th percentile. The pattern includes a small number of very large institutional awards alongside many smaller grants.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Bard College, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and The Studio Museum in Harlem. That pattern suggests recurring support rather than one-time gifts.
Most grants go to New York recipients. New York is the top state by grant count, and 87% of grants are made to organizations in the HQ state. New York City recipients appear frequently across museums, arts groups, and other nonprofits.
No. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments. The recent grant records instead show institution-level gifts, including awards marked for exempt purpose and non-cash art support.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation Inc C/O Michael Stout Esq that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: The scraped content does not provide detailed eligibility criteria. The program supports HIV/AIDS medical research, prevention, and treatment.
Deadline: No formal application deadlines. Applications are reviewed at quarterly Board of Trustees meetings.
Who can apply: The available content does not specify detailed eligibility criteria. Grants support photography programming at art institutions, including exhibitions, acquisitions, and publications.
Deadline: No formal deadlines; applications are reviewed at quarterly Board of Trustees meetings.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $137,500 | 2026 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $117,500 | 2026 | NON-CASH DONATION OF ART FOR DONEE SUPPORT |
| BARD COLLEGE | ANNANDALEONHUDSON, NY | $60,000 | 2026 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART | KATONAH, NY | $40,000 | 2026 | NON-CASH DONATION OF ART FOR DONEE SUPPORT |
| BAILEY HOUSE | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | NON-CASH DONATION OF ART FOR DONEE SUPPORT |
| INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART MIAMI | MIAMI, FL | $12,500 | 2026 | NON-CASH DONATION OF ART FOR DONEE SUPPORT |
| NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART | NEW ORLEANS, LA | $12,500 | 2026 | NON-CASH DONATION OF ART FOR DONEE SUPPORT |
| NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,000 | 2026 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART | DALLAS, TX | $10,000 | 2026 | NON-CASH DONATION OF ART FOR DONEE SUPPORT |
| KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART | KATONAH, NY | $1,969 | 2026 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $1,200 | 2026 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| VISUAL ARTS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2026 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SOLOMON R GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $195,000 | 2025 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BARD COLLEGE | ANNANDALEONHUDSON, NY | $60,000 | 2025 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $37,500 | 2025 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CURRIER MUSEUM OF ART | MANCHESTER, NH | $16,000 | 2025 | NON-CASH DONATION OF ART FOR DONEE SUPPORT |
| WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $12,500 | 2025 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| NEW YORK CITY AIDS MEMORIAL | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| KATONAH MUSEUM OF ART | KATONAH, NY | $2,487 | 2025 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| THE STUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2025 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| VISUAL ARTS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SOLOMON R GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $175,000 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BARD COLLEGE | ANNANDALEONHUDSON, NY | $135,000 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $37,500 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| APERTURE FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $13,200 | 2024 | NON-CASH DONATION OF ART FOR DONEE SUPPORT |
| THE OLANA PARTNERSHIP | HUDSON, NY | $4,500 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| THE STUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY | NEW YORK, NY | $1,600 | 2024 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART | LOS ANGELES, CA | $2,290,500 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| THE J PAUL GETTY TRUST | LOS ANGELES, CA | $2,290,500 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SOLOMON R GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $175,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BARD COLLEGE | ANNANDALEONHUDSON, NY | $60,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART | NEW YORK, NY | $37,500 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| THE FOUNDATION FOR AIDS RESEARCH | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $10,625 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| THE JEWISH MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART | DALLAS, TX | $10,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF GREATER NEW YORK | NEW YORK, NY | $8,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BAILEY HOUSE | NEW YORK, NY | $7,500 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| THE STUDIO MUSEUM IN HARLEM | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| VISUAL ARTS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $1,000 | 2023 | FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE |
NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART
$12,500NON-CASH DONATION OF ART FOR DONEE SUPPORT
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART
$10,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
VISUAL ARTS FOUNDATION
$1,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
SOLOMON R GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION
$195,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
CURRIER MUSEUM OF ART
$16,000NON-CASH DONATION OF ART FOR DONEE SUPPORT
WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
$12,500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
NEW YORK CITY AIDS MEMORIAL
$5,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
VISUAL ARTS FOUNDATION
$1,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
SOLOMON R GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION
$175,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
$20,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
APERTURE FOUNDATION
$13,200NON-CASH DONATION OF ART FOR DONEE SUPPORT
THE J PAUL GETTY TRUST
$2,290,500FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
SOLOMON R GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION
$175,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
$10,625FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF GREATER NEW YORK
$8,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE
VISUAL ARTS FOUNDATION
$1,000FOR DONEE'S EXEMPT PURPOSE