The CM Bass Foundation concentrates its giving on arts and education, making relatively large, targeted awards to cultural institutions and selective schools and universities across the U.S. A majority of support goes to visual and performing arts organizations, with repeat multi-year gifts to a flagship arts center, while meaningful commitments also flow to elite secondary and higher education and regionally significant preservation/recreation projects. Grants are national in reach (East and West Coast recipients) rather than narrowly local to Fort Worth, and the foundation also uses donor-advised vehicles for some funding.
The most visible pattern in Cm Bass Foundation’s recent giving is repeat support for Dia Center for the Arts Inc in New York, which received one of the foundation’s largest grants in 2023 and again in 2024 and 2025. That kind of multi-year backing points to a funder that favors sustained relationships over one-off awards. Across its recent grants, the foundation backs arts institutions, selective schools and universities, and a smaller set of preservation and community projects. Its awards are generally sizable and targeted, with several commitments at six figures and many others in the $25,000 to $100,000 range. The foundation’s grantmaking is national rather than local, reaching major institutions in New York, Massachusetts, North Carolina, California, and Texas. Education support appears in both secondary-school and university settings, while arts support includes museum and center programming. It also funds regionally specific projects such as historic motorsports and Bay Area neighborhood improvement. The pattern suggests a disciplined portfolio built around named institutions, recurring support, and selective but broad geographic reach.
In arts and culture, Cm Bass Foundation gave $475,000 in 2023, $470,000 in 2024, and $470,000 in 2025 to Dia Center for the Arts Inc in New York. It also supported Dallas Museum of Art with $50,000 in 2025, showing attention to both major coastal institutions and a Texas museum. Education is another core area. Middlesex School in Concord received $200,000 in 2023, then $50,000 in both 2024 and 2025. Duke University in Durham received $110,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025, indicating steady higher-education support. The foundation also funds preservation and community-oriented work. Friends of Laguna Seca Inc in Salinas received $250,000 in 2025, and Neighbors for a Better San Francisco in San Rafael received $100,000 in 2023. Those grants show an interest in regional recreation and neighborhood improvement alongside arts and education.
Typical grant size clusters at $25,000 for the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent record shows repeated awards to the same organizations across multiple years, especially in arts and education. That includes three-year support patterns for several recipients rather than purely one-time gifts. Cm Bass Foundation is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The pattern is selective and institution-focused, with grants often landing in round amounts.
$1.2M
$13.5M
$265K
$1.2M
Most grants fall between $25K and $100K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$100K
About 18% of grants go to recipients in CA.
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Concentrated, relatively large grants (few but sizable awards) with repeat funding to core cultural and educational grantees; national geographic reach; occasional use of donor‑advised fund vehicles.
Notable grantees: DIA Center for the Arts Inc, Duke University, Friends of Laguna Seca Inc, Middlesex School, Neighbors for a Better San Francisco
Grants go nationwide, with 100% of the recent grants listed going to U.S. recipients. New York is the top state by grant count, and Texas accounts for 16% of grants, even though the foundation is headquartered in Fort Worth. Recipient cities that appear repeatedly include New York, Concord, Durham, San Francisco, and Santa Monica. California also appears often through recipients in Salinas, San Rafael, Richmond, Tiburon, and San Francisco.
Recent grants show a strong emphasis on arts institutions, selective schools and universities, and a smaller set of preservation and community groups. Examples in the data include a major arts center in New York, a boarding school in Concord, a university in Durham, and regional projects in Salinas and San Francisco Bay Area locations.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Dia Center for the Arts Inc in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Duke University in 2023, 2024, and 2025; Middlesex School in 2023, 2024, and 2025; and The Mad Foundation in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
The distribution centers on $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include larger six-figure grants, such as $250,000 to Friends of Laguna Seca Inc and $475,000 to Dia Center for the Arts Inc.
New York is the top state by grant count. Texas is the HQ state, and 16% of grants go to recipients there. The recent recipient list also shows many awards to organizations in California, Massachusetts, and North Carolina.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $470,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| FRIENDS OF LAGUNA SECA INC | SALINAS, CA | $250,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $110,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ST LUKES SCHOOL | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $75,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| MIDDLESEX SCHOOL | CONCORD, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART | DALLAS, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE MAD FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE DAWN REDWOODS TRUST | TIBURON, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| EAT REAL CERTIFIED INC | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| UCSF FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| LYNNE COHEN FOUNDATION FOR OVARIAN CANCER RESEARCH | SANTA MONICA, CA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE CHINATI FOUNDATION | MARFA, TX | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PASSED THROUGH FROM FW LKCM HEADWATER INVESTORS III LLC | FORT WORTHT, TX | $68 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| DIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $470,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| BANK OF AMERICA CHARITABLE GIFT FUND-THE CHRISTOPHER M BASS FAMILY FUND | BOSTON, MA | $163,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $110,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| EAT REAL CERTIFIED INC | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $75,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| LYNNE COHEN FOUNDATION FOR OVARIAN CANCER RESEARCH | SANTA MONICA, CA | $60,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| MIDDLESEX SCHOOL | CONCORD, MA | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| THE MAD FOUNDATION INC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| UCSF FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| CULPER | ARLINGTON, VA | $25,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| THE CHINATI FOUNDATION | MARFA, TX | $10,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| CRAYON COLLECTION INC | LOS ANGELES, CA | $2,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| PASSED THROUGH FROM FW LKCM HEADWATER INVESTORS III LLC | FORT WORTH, TX | $26 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| DIA CENTER FOR THE ARTS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $475,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| MIDDLESEX SCHOOL | CONCORD, MA | $200,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | DURHAM, NC | $110,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| NEIGHBORS FOR A BETTER SAN FRANCISCO | SAN RAFAEL, CA | $100,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| FOUNDATION FOR AIDS RESEARCH (AMFAR) | NEW YORK, NY | $55,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| THE MAD FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| THE LYNNE COHEN FOUNDATION | SANTA MONICA, CA | $50,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| FORT WORTH STOCKSHOW SYNDICATE | FORT WORTH, TX | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| UCSF FOUNDATION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| UNITED STATES HEALTHFUL FOOD COUNCIL INC DBA EAT REAL | RICHMOND, CA | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| SEO | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| THE CHINATI FOUNDATION | MARFA, TX | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| SYLVIA EARLE ALLIANCE MISSION BLUE | NAPA, CA | $10,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
ST LUKES SCHOOL
$75,000GENERAL
GENERAL
THE MAD FOUNDATION INC
$50,000GENERAL
THE DAWN REDWOODS TRUST
$25,000GENERAL
UCSF FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL
LYNNE COHEN FOUNDATION FOR OVARIAN CANCER RESEARCH
$25,000GENERAL
PASSED THROUGH FROM FW LKCM HEADWATER INVESTORS III LLC
$68GENERAL
BANK OF AMERICA CHARITABLE GIFT FUND-THE CHRISTOPHER M BASS FAMILY FUND
$163,000GENERAL
LYNNE COHEN FOUNDATION FOR OVARIAN CANCER RESEARCH
$60,000GENERAL
THE MAD FOUNDATION INC
$50,000GENERAL
UCSF FOUNDATION
$25,000GENERAL
CULPER
$25,000GENERAL
CRAYON COLLECTION INC
$2,000GENERAL
PASSED THROUGH FROM FW LKCM HEADWATER INVESTORS III LLC
$26GENERAL
FOUNDATION FOR AIDS RESEARCH (AMFAR)
$55,000GENERAL
THE MAD FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL
THE LYNNE COHEN FOUNDATION
$50,000GENERAL
UNITED STATES HEALTHFUL FOOD COUNCIL INC DBA EAT REAL
$25,000GENERAL