The Edlis–Neeson Foundation is a concentrated arts funder that supports major contemporary art museums and high‑profile performing arts institutions. Grants are large and targeted, often to flagship cultural institutions in Chicago and nationally (notably New York and Aspen), with repeated multi‑grant relationships to a handful of organizations. Their portfolio emphasizes contemporary visual art and high‑level performing arts programming rather than small community arts projects.
Concentrated giving: a small number of large grants account for most dollars, with repeat multi‑grant relationships to flagship institutions; funding is national in scope but includes key investments in Chicago arts organizations.
A $633,000 unrestricted grant to New Museum anchors the most recent record for Edlis - Neeson Foundation Nfp and signals how the foundation tends to work: large, flexible support for major cultural institutions. The pattern is consistent across contemporary art museums and performing arts organizations, with repeated funding for New Museum, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and Aspen Music Festival. These grants are not tied to a single project line; they are listed as unrestricted, indicating general support for institutions with established programs and audiences. The foundation’s portfolio includes major contemporary visual art organizations such as the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and Tate Americas Foundation, alongside performing arts institutions like Chicago Opera Theater. Aspen also appears prominently through both music and visual art organizations, including Aspen Music Festival and Aspen Art Museum. The giving profile points to an institution that supports high-level cultural infrastructure rather than small local arts activity, and it does so through repeated awards to a relatively small set of grantees.
Contemporary art museums are a core focus. Edlis - Neeson Foundation Nfp gave $605,700 to New Museum in 2024 and $130,000 to Whitney Museum of American Art in 2024, both unrestricted. In Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art received $136,500 in 2024 and $75,000 in 2025, showing continued support for museum programming and institutional capacity. Performing arts are another clear thread. Lyric Opera of Chicago received $600,000 in 2025 and $500,500 in 2024, while Chicago Opera Theater received $45,000 in 2025. The foundation also supports artistically ambitious seasonal programming: Aspen Music Festival received $292,100 in 2025, $181,800 in 2024, and $155,000 in 2023. The portfolio also includes related cultural institutions such as Aspen Art Museum, Tate Americas Foundation, and Renaissance Society, all funded without restriction.
Typical grant size is concentrated at the upper end of the distribution: p25 is $5,000, median is $22,000, and p75 is $90,000. The recent record shows repeated support for the same institutions across multiple years, including New Museum, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Aspen Music Festival, and Museum of Contemporary Art. Grants are listed as unrestricted, pointing to flexible operating or general support rather than project-specific awards. The foundation is a grantmaker, not an individual funder, and it makes no program-related investments.
$10.8M
$24.1M
$12.7M
$10.8M
Most grants fall between $5K and $90K, with a median of $22K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$22K
75th Percentile
$90K
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Notable grantees: New Museum, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Aspen Music Festival, Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago)
Grant recipients are all in the United States, with Chicago, New York, and Aspen appearing repeatedly in the recent record. Chicago institutions include Lyric Opera of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago Opera Theater, Renaissance Society, and Wttwwfmt. New York recipients include New Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, Tate Americas Foundation, and the Guggenheim Museum. Aspen-based grantees include Aspen Music Festival and Aspen Art Museum. The foundation gives most often in Colorado, and 35% of grants go to recipients in Illinois.
Its grants center on contemporary art museums, major performing arts organizations, and artistically ambitious cultural institutions. Recent recipients include museums, opera companies, music festivals, and related arts organizations in Chicago, New York, Aspen, and Washington, DC.
The recent grants are listed as unrestricted, which indicates flexible support rather than narrow project-only awards. That pattern appears across large grants to museums, opera, and music organizations.
The grant-size distribution is relatively high: p25 is $5,000, the median is $22,000, and p75 is $90,000. Recent awards also include much larger six-figure grants to major institutions.
Its grants go to U.S. recipients only in the recent record, and Colorado is the top state by grant count. Illinois also receives a substantial share, with 35% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including New Museum, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Aspen Music Festival, Museum of Contemporary Art, Aspen Art Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Renaissance Society.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART | CHICAGO, IL | $9,000,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $528,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ASPEN ART MUSEUM | ASPEN, CO | $480,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL | ASPEN, CO | $329,300 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART | CHICAGO, IL | $200,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE ASPEN INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $85,500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NEW MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $83,750 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| RENAISSANCE SOCIETY | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| TATE AMERICAS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $12,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CIRCLE OF HOPE - WELLSPRING HEALTH ACCESS (87-1195144) | CASPER, WY | $10,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ANDERSON RANCH ART CENTER | SNOWMASS VILLAGE, CO | $5,000 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ASPEN PUBLIC RADIO | ASPEN, CO | $2,500 | 2026 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $600,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL | ASPEN, CO | $292,100 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NEW MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART | CHICAGO, IL | $75,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHICAGO OPERA THEATER | CHICAGO, IL | $45,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ASPEN ART MUSEUM | ASPEN, CO | $29,650 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| TATE AMERICAS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $28,800 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| RENAISSANCE SOCIETY | CHICAGO, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $22,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE ASPEN INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $10,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WTTWWFMT | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ANDERSON RANCH ART CENTER | SNOWMASS VILLAGE, CO | $5,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS | DENVER, CO | $3,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ASPEN PUBLIC RADIO | ASPEN, CO | $2,500 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| 5 POINT FILM FESTIVAL | CARBONDALE, CO | $1,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| CHICAGO FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN | CHICAGO, IL | $1,000 | 2025 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NEW MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $605,700 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| LYRIC OPERA OF CHICAGO | CHICAGO, IL | $500,500 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL | ASPEN, CO | $181,800 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART | CHICAGO, IL | $136,500 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $130,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ASPEN ART MUSEUM | ASPEN, CO | $72,350 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE ASPEN INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $62,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ROGER BALDWIN FOUNDATION OF THE ACLU | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| GUGGENHEIM MUSUEM | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| RENAISSANCE SOCIETY | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WTTWWFMT | CHICAGO, IL | $10,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| WOODROW WILSON INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR SCHOLARS - MARTIN J SHERWIN FELLOWS | WASHINGTON DC, DC | $5,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ANDERSON RANCH ART CENTER | SNOWMASS VILLAGE, CO | $5,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| THE BUDDY PROGRAM | ASPEN, CO | $3,000 | 2024 | UNRESTRICTED |
| NEW MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $633,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL | ASPEN, CO | $155,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART | CHICAGO, IL | $105,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ASPEN INSTITUTE | WASHINGTON, DC | $50,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| ASPEN ART MUSEUM | ASPEN, CO | $46,500 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
| FRIENDS OF THE JEWISH MUSEUM OF VIENNA | NEW YORK, NY | $30,000 | 2023 | UNRESTRICED |
| TATE AMERICAS FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $11,700 | 2023 | UNRESTRICTED |
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
$9,000,000UNRESTRICTED
ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL
$329,300UNRESTRICTED
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
$200,000UNRESTRICTED
UNRESTRICTED
NEW MUSEUM
$83,750UNRESTRICTED
RENAISSANCE SOCIETY
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
$20,000UNRESTRICTED
CIRCLE OF HOPE - WELLSPRING HEALTH ACCESS (87-1195144)
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
ASPEN PUBLIC RADIO
$2,500UNRESTRICTED
ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL
$292,100UNRESTRICTED
NEW MUSEUM
$250,000UNRESTRICTED
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
$75,000UNRESTRICTED
CHICAGO OPERA THEATER
$45,000UNRESTRICTED
RENAISSANCE SOCIETY
$25,000UNRESTRICTED
WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
$22,000UNRESTRICTED
THE ASPEN INSTITUTE
$10,500UNRESTRICTED
WTTWWFMT
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
PLANNED PARENTHOOD OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS
$3,000UNRESTRICTED
ASPEN PUBLIC RADIO
$2,500UNRESTRICTED
5 POINT FILM FESTIVAL
$1,000UNRESTRICTED
ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL
$181,800UNRESTRICTED
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
$136,500UNRESTRICTED
WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART
$130,000UNRESTRICTED
GUGGENHEIM MUSUEM
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
RENAISSANCE SOCIETY
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
WTTWWFMT
$10,000UNRESTRICTED
UNRESTRICTED
ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL
$155,000UNRESTRICTED
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
$105,000UNRESTRICTED
FRIENDS OF THE JEWISH MUSEUM OF VIENNA
$30,000UNRESTRICED