The Victor Herbert Foundation concentrates its philanthropy on supporting classical music/performing-arts legacy projects and legal education. Major dollars have gone to a named music preservation initiative tied to Victor Herbert and to leading law schools, indicating a dual emphasis on cultural heritage in music and higher‑education law programs. Grants are predominantly unrestricted “support the organization” gifts, suggesting flexible operating support rather than project-specific funding.
Concentrated, high-dollar gifts to a small set of repeat grantees. The foundation makes a few sizable grants (two recipients received multiple awards) that prioritize flexible organizational support over many small, program-specific grants.
Victor Herbert Renaissance Project, Columbia Law School, Boston University School of Law, New York Philharmonic
The Victor Herbert Foundation’s giving is anchored by a $70,000 grant to Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE in 2024, with additional support for the same organization in 2023. That pattern points to a funder that backs music preservation over time, not just through one-off gifts. Alongside that legacy work, the foundation has funded law schools such as Boston University School of Law and Columbia Law School, showing a second lane in higher-education support. It also gives to performing-arts groups that fit its musical interests, including the New York Philharmonic, Master Voices, and Musical Theatre Works. Most awards in the recent record are described simply as support for the organization, which suggests flexible general operating support rather than narrowly restricted project funding. The grant list mixes large anchor grants with many smaller awards in the $5,000 to $10,000 range, creating a profile of concentrated backing for a limited set of cultural and academic institutions. Recipients are located across several states, but the foundation’s pattern is most visible in New York-based music and education organizations.
Classical music preservation is the clearest thread in the record. The foundation gave $70,000 in 2024 and $30,000 in 2023 to Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE, both listed as support for the organization. It also funded the New York Philharmonic at $20,000 in 2024 and $10,000 in both 2023 and 2025, showing repeat support for a major orchestra. A second music-related lane appears in smaller grants to groups such as the Comic Opera Guild, Berklee College of Music, and the New York Youth Symphony. On the academic side, legal education is another consistent area: Boston University School of Law received $40,000 in 2025, while Columbia Law School received $25,000 in 2023 and again in 2024. The foundation also includes arts-adjacent cultural organizations such as Jewish Creativity and the Operetta Foundation.
Typical gifts are modest, even though the portfolio includes a few larger anchor grants. The distribution sits at $4,231 at the 25th percentile, $5,500 at the median, and $10,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows repeat support across years for several recipients, including Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE, Columbia Law School, New York Philharmonic, Musical Theatre Works, Operetta Foundation, 2Life Communities, American Musical Productions, and Lake Placid Sinfonietta. The grant descriptions are overwhelmingly “to support the organization,” indicating flexible operating support. The foundation does not fund individuals and does not make program-related investments.
$399K
$2.7M
$122K
$126K
Most grants fall between $4K and $10K, with a median of $6K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$6K
75th Percentile
$10K
About 15% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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The grant record is national, with every listed recipient in the United States. New York is the top state by grant count, and New York City-area recipients include New York, NY, and New York City, NY, along with repeated grants to Lake Placid, NY. Massachusetts also appears often through Boston, MA, Newton, MA, and Brighton and Malden. Other recipient cities in the list include Wilmette, IL; Cleveland, OH; Ann Arbor, MI; San Jose, CA; and Culver City, CA. Fifteen percent of grants go to recipients in Massachusetts.
The recent record centers on classical music and performing arts, including the Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE, the New York Philharmonic, Master Voices, Musical Theatre Works, and the Operetta Foundation. It also supports legal education through grants to Boston University School of Law and Columbia Law School.
The grant descriptions are overwhelmingly phrased as “to support the organization,” which points to general operating or core support rather than tightly restricted project funding. That wording appears across both arts and law-school grants in the recent record.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE, Columbia Law School, New York Philharmonic, Musical Theatre Works, Operetta Foundation, 2Life Communities, American Musical Productions, and Lake Placid Sinfonietta.
The foundation’s typical grant size is $4,231 at the 25th percentile, $5,500 at the median, and $10,000 at the 75th percentile. That suggests most grants cluster in a relatively small range, with a few larger awards above it.
Its grant record is national, but New York is the top state by grant count. Massachusetts also receives a noticeable share, with 15% of grants going to recipients in the state.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston University School of Law | Boston, MA | $40,000 | 2025 | To support the organization |
| Master Voices | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | To support the organization |
| Musical Theatre Works | Wilmette, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | To support the Organization |
| New York Philharmonic | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | To support the organization |
| Operetta Foundation | Culver City, CA | $6,000 | 2025 | To support the organization |
| Ukranian American Educational Center of Boston Inc | Malden, MA | $5,500 | 2025 | To support the organization |
| Lake Placid Sinfonietta | Lake Placid, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | To support the organization |
| 2Life Communities | Brighton, MA | $5,000 | 2025 | To support the organization |
| New York Youth Symphony | New York, NY | $4,750 | 2025 | To support the organization |
| Art Song Colorado | Highlands Ranch, CO | $1,500 | 2025 | To support the organization |
| Lyric Theatre of San Jose | San Jose, CA | $1,000 | 2025 | To support the organization |
| Central Park Conservancy | New York, NY | $250 | 2025 | To support the organization |
| Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE | New York, NY | $70,000 | 2024 | To support the organization |
| Columbia Law School | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | To support the organization |
| New York Philharmonic | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | To support the organization |
| Comic Opera Guild | Ann Arbor, MI | $10,000 | 2024 | To support the organization |
| Jewish Creativity | New York City, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | To support the organization |
| Lake Placid Sinfonietta | Lake Placid, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | To support the organization |
| Musical Theatre Works | Wilmette, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | To support the Organization |
| Operetta Foundation | Culver City, CA | $6,000 | 2024 | To support the organization |
| American Musical Productions | Canton, OH | $5,000 | 2024 | To support the organization |
| City Music Cleveland Chamber Orchestra | Cleveland, OH | $5,000 | 2024 | To support the organization |
| 2Life Communities | Brighton, MA | $5,000 | 2024 | To support the organization |
| Lyric Theatre of San Jose | San Jose, CA | $3,712 | 2024 | To support the organization |
| Silent Film Sound & Music Archive | Humble, TX | $3,650 | 2024 | To support the organization |
| The Bronx Opera Company | Bronx, NY | $2,500 | 2024 | To support the organization |
| Central Park Conservancy | New York, NY | $350 | 2024 | To support the organization |
| Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE | New York, NY | $30,000 | 2023 | To support the organization |
| Columbia Law School | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | To support the organization |
| Berklee College of Music | Boston, MA | $10,000 | 2023 | To support the organization |
| Musical Theatre Works | Wilmette, IL | $10,000 | 2023 | To support the Organization |
| New York Philharmonic | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2023 | To support the organization |
| 2Life Communities | Brighton, MA | $7,200 | 2023 | To support the organization |
| American Musical Productions | Canton, OH | $5,000 | 2023 | To support the organization |
| Lake Placid Sinfonietta | Lake Placid, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | To support the organization |
| City Music Cleveland Chamber Orchestra | Cleveland, OH | $5,000 | 2023 | To support the organization |
| Lyric Theatre of San Jose | San Jose, CA | $3,712 | 2023 | To support the organization |
| The Bronx Opera Company | Bronx, NY | $2,500 | 2023 | To support the organization |
| Central Park Conservancy | New York, NY | $250 | 2023 | To support the organization |
Boston University School of Law
$40,000To support the organization
Master Voices
$10,000To support the organization
Musical Theatre Works
$10,000To support the Organization
New York Philharmonic
$10,000To support the organization
Operetta Foundation
$6,000To support the organization
Ukranian American Educational Center of Boston Inc
$5,500To support the organization
Lake Placid Sinfonietta
$5,000To support the organization
2Life Communities
$5,000To support the organization
New York Youth Symphony
$4,750To support the organization
Art Song Colorado
$1,500To support the organization
Lyric Theatre of San Jose
$1,000To support the organization
Central Park Conservancy
$250To support the organization
Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE
$70,000To support the organization
Columbia Law School
$25,000To support the organization
New York Philharmonic
$20,000To support the organization
Comic Opera Guild
$10,000To support the organization
Jewish Creativity
$10,000To support the organization
Lake Placid Sinfonietta
$10,000To support the organization
Musical Theatre Works
$10,000To support the Organization
Operetta Foundation
$6,000To support the organization
American Musical Productions
$5,000To support the organization
City Music Cleveland Chamber Orchestra
$5,000To support the organization
2Life Communities
$5,000To support the organization
Lyric Theatre of San Jose
$3,712To support the organization
Silent Film Sound & Music Archive
$3,650To support the organization
The Bronx Opera Company
$2,500To support the organization
Central Park Conservancy
$350To support the organization
Victor Herbert Renaissance Project LIVE
$30,000To support the organization
Columbia Law School
$25,000To support the organization
Berklee College of Music
$10,000To support the organization
Musical Theatre Works
$10,000To support the Organization
New York Philharmonic
$10,000To support the organization
2Life Communities
$7,200To support the organization
American Musical Productions
$5,000To support the organization
Lake Placid Sinfonietta
$5,000To support the organization
City Music Cleveland Chamber Orchestra
$5,000To support the organization
Lyric Theatre of San Jose
$3,712To support the organization
The Bronx Opera Company
$2,500To support the organization
Central Park Conservancy
$250To support the organization