The Shah Garg Foundation is a concentrated arts funder that directs the bulk of its giving to museums, university arts programs, and curatorial/arts-presentation initiatives. Grants favor contemporary visual arts institutions and support for exhibitions, curatorial projects, and university-based arts centers, with a mix of local Bay Area organizations and leading national museums. The foundation makes repeat grants to several beneficiaries, indicating sustained partnerships rather than one-off gifts.
Relatively concentrated giving in moderate-to-large gifts, with repeat grants to a small set of arts organizations; a mix of regional (Bay Area) and marquee national institutions rather than broad small-dollar grantmaking.
Shah Garg Foundation a Charitable Trust made a $300,000 grant in 2025 to the University of Berkeley Foundation for support of the arts, the largest award in the recent grant list. That gift fits a pattern of concentrated support for contemporary visual arts institutions, university arts programs, and curatorial or exhibition work. The foundation’s recent grants include repeated support for Friends of New Curators in Washington, DC, and for the University of Oregon Foundation in Eugene, showing continuity across multiple years. Museums also appear prominently in the portfolio, alongside campus-based arts centers and organizations that support public access to exhibitions. The grantmaking is built around arts institutions rather than individuals, and the recipient list points to a mix of Bay Area organizations and major national museums. Recent awards range from six figures down to smaller grants, with recurring support for specific partners and project-oriented language such as support for the arts or support of arts activities. The overall picture is of a focused arts funder working through institutions that present, commission, interpret, and circulate contemporary visual art.
University-based arts programs are a clear part of the portfolio. In 2025, the foundation gave $300,000 to the University of Berkeley Foundation for support of the arts, and it also supported the University of Oregon Foundation in Eugene with $80,000 in 2024 and $75,000 in 2023. Curatorial development is another recurring theme: Friends of New Curators received $100,000 in 2023 and another $100,000 in 2025 for support of the arts. Museum and exhibition support also appears through $92,500 to San Francisco Moma in 2024 and $50,000 to The Museum of Modern Art in 2025. The foundation also backed the American Federation of Arts with two 2025 grants, including $50,401 and $50,000, both for support of the arts.
Typical grants cluster around the middle of the six-figure and five-figure range: the p25 is $25,000, the median is $50,000, and the p75 is $77,500. The recent list shows repeat support to several recipients across 2023 through 2025, including Friends of New Curators, the University of Oregon Foundation, San Francisco Moma, The Museum of Modern Art, and the American Federation of Arts. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards. The trust gives to nonprofit arts organizations, museums, and university-affiliated entities. The available record does not show an application process.
$1.2M
$923K
$2.6M
$2.3M
Most grants fall between $25K and $78K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$78K
About 36% of grants go to recipients in OR.
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Notable grantees: University of Berkeley Foundation, San Francisco MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Friends of New Curators, American Federation of Arts
Grants are fully domestic, with 18 grants in the United States. California is the main recipient state by count, capturing 36% of grants. Recipient cities include Berkeley, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York, with additional awards in Eugene, Washington, DC, Boston, and Peterborough, New Hampshire. The top state by grant count is Oregon, reflecting repeated support there through Eugene-based grantees.
Its recent grants go to museums, university arts programs, curatorial initiatives, and arts-presenting organizations. The recipient list includes institutions such as universities, contemporary art museums, and organizations that support exhibitions and new curators.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Friends of New Curators, the University of Oregon Foundation, San Francisco Moma, The Museum of Modern Art, and the American Federation of Arts. That indicates ongoing relationships with selected arts partners.
The grant-size distribution centers on $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $77,500 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include larger grants such as $300,000 and $100,000.
The foundation gives nationally, but Oregon is the top state by grant count. California receives 36% of grants, and recipient cities in the recent list include Berkeley, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Eugene, New York, Washington, DC, Boston, and Peterborough.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNIVERSITY OF BERKELEY FOUNDATION | BERKELEY, CA | $300,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS |
| FRIENDS OF NEW CURATORS | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS |
| MYRIAD USA | NEW YORK, NY | $54,734 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS |
| AMERICAN FEDERATION OF ARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $50,401 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS |
| AMERICAN FEDERATION OF ARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS |
| THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF ARTS |
| MADOWELL | PETERBOROUGH, NH | $25,000 | 2025 | SUPPORT OF THE ARTS |
| SAN FRANCISCO MOMA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $92,500 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS |
| UNIVERSITY OF OREGON FOUNDATION | EUGENE, OR | $80,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS |
| THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF ARTS |
| HAMMER MUSEUM | LOS ANGELES, CA | $35,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF ARTS |
| SF HOST COMMITTEE | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $25,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF ARTS |
| STUDIO MUSEUM OF HARLEM | NEW YORK, NY | $13,679 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF ARTS |
| WHITNEY MUSEUM | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2024 | SUPPORT OF ARTS |
| FRIENDS OF NEW CURATORS | WASHINGTON, DC | $100,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS |
| UNIVERSITY OF OREGON FOUNDATION | EUGENE, OR | $75,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS |
| SAN FRANCISCO MOMA | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $72,500 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS |
| INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2023 | SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS |
UNIVERSITY OF BERKELEY FOUNDATION
$300,000SUPPORT OF THE ARTS
FRIENDS OF NEW CURATORS
$100,000SUPPORT OF THE ARTS
MYRIAD USA
$54,734SUPPORT OF THE ARTS
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF ARTS
$50,401SUPPORT OF THE ARTS
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF ARTS
$50,000SUPPORT OF THE ARTS
THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
$50,000SUPPORT OF ARTS
MADOWELL
$25,000SUPPORT OF THE ARTS
SAN FRANCISCO MOMA
$92,500SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON FOUNDATION
$80,000SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS
THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART
$50,000SUPPORT OF ARTS
HAMMER MUSEUM
$35,000SUPPORT OF ARTS
SF HOST COMMITTEE
$25,000SUPPORT OF ARTS
STUDIO MUSEUM OF HARLEM
$13,679SUPPORT OF ARTS
WHITNEY MUSEUM
$10,000SUPPORT OF ARTS
FRIENDS OF NEW CURATORS
$100,000SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON FOUNDATION
$75,000SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS
SAN FRANCISCO MOMA
$72,500SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS
INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART
$25,000SUPPORT FOR THE ARTS