The Leonard and Elaine Silverstein Foundation is a Washington, D.C.–focused funder that concentrates its support on major cultural and civic institutions, primarily providing general operating support. Its giving emphasizes performing arts and cultural programming in the capital and preservation/celebration of presidential history. Grants are large and directed to a small set of repeat beneficiaries rather than dispersed among many organizations.
A defining pattern of The Leonard and Elaine Silverstein Foundation is its repeated support for the same Washington, D.C. cultural institutions over multiple years, often as general operating support. The Kennedy Center received $225,000 in 2025 after $200,000 grants in both 2024 and 2023, while the White House Historical Association received $80,000 in each of those same three years. That combination points to a funder that backs flagship civic and cultural organizations with sustained, high-dollar commitments rather than one-time project gifts. The foundation’s recent grants also show a strong emphasis on music and performance in the capital. The DC Jazz Festival received support in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and the National Symphony Orchestra appears in the recent-grants list as well. Beyond performance institutions, the foundation has funded preservation and interpretation work tied to presidential history, including the White House Historical Association and the National Gallery of Art. The overall pattern is compact and place-based, with grants concentrated among a small number of established beneficiaries in Washington, D.C.
Performing arts are a core part of the foundation’s giving. The Kennedy Center was awarded $225,000 in 2025, building on prior grants of $200,000 in 2024 and 2023, all listed as general support. The National Symphony Orchestra also appears in the recent grants, with awards of $35,000 in 2023, $14,000 in 2024, and $20,000 in 2025. Jazz and local music programming is another clear theme. The DC Jazz Festival received $15,000 in 2023, $55,000 in 2024, and $45,000 in 2025. The foundation also supported Arts for Art Inc in New York with grants of $3,000 in 2023 and $4,000 in both 2024 and 2025. Presidential history and civic preservation show up through grants to the White House Historical Association, which received $80,000 in each of 2023, 2024, and 2025, and a $4,000 grant to the National Gallery of Art in 2024.
The typical grant size is concentrated at the higher end for a private foundation: p25 is $4,000, median grant size is $14,000, and p75 is $67,500. Recent awards show a repeat-grantee pattern, with several organizations appearing across three years rather than as one-off recipients. Most grants are listed as general support, and the foundation does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The grant list also suggests a small, relationship-based portfolio rather than broad dispersal across many recipients.
$1.1M
$6.6M
$772K
$531K
Most grants fall between $4K and $68K, with a median of $14K.
25th Percentile
$4K
Median
$14K
75th Percentile
$68K
About 60% of grants go to recipients in DC.
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Concentrated, high-dollar general operating grants to a handful of repeat grantees—few grants but large amounts focused on flagship cultural and civic organizations in the D.C. area.
Notable grantees: The Kennedy Center, White House Historical Association, DC Jazz Festival
Grantmaking is heavily centered in Washington, D.C.: 60% of grants go to recipients in the HQ state, and DC is also the top state by grant count. Among the named recipients, Washington, DC organizations dominate the list, including the Kennedy Center, White House Historical Association, DC Jazz Festival, National Symphony Orchestra, and National Gallery of Art. Outside DC, the foundation’s recent grants reach New York, NY and Somerset, NJ, but the country distribution remains entirely U.S.-based.
The recent grants point to major cultural and civic institutions, especially Washington, D.C. organizations. Recipients include the Kennedy Center, White House Historical Association, DC Jazz Festival, National Symphony Orchestra, and National Gallery of Art. The grant purposes are listed as general support, which fits a pattern of operating support for established institutions.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years. The Kennedy Center received grants in 2023, 2024, and 2025; the White House Historical Association also appears in all three years; and the DC Jazz Festival and National Symphony Orchestra recur across the recent-grants list as well.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is relatively high: p25 is $4,000, median grant size is $14,000, and p75 is $67,500. Recent awards range from smaller grants of $3,000 to larger gifts of $225,000.
Very concentrated. 60% of grants go to recipients in DC, and DC is the top state by grant count. The recent grants list is dominated by Washington, DC organizations, with a smaller number of awards to recipients in New York, NY and Somerset, NJ.
The recent grants are labeled GENERAL across the list, and the pattern shows sustained operating-style support. For example, the Kennedy Center, White House Historical Association, and DC Jazz Festival all received repeated general grants across multiple years.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE KENNEDY CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $225,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $80,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| DC JAZZ FESTIVAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $45,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| TRI-CENTIC FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $8,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ARTS FOR ART INC | NEW YORK, NY | $4,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| RESOURCES USA INC | SOMERSET, NJ | $3,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE KENNEDY CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $200,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $80,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| DC JAZZ FESTIVAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $55,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | WASHINGTON, DC | $14,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| TRI-CENTIC FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| ARTS FOR ART INC | NEW YORK, NY | $4,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART | WASHINGTON, DC | $4,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| RESOURCES USA INC | SOMERSET, NJ | $3,000 | 2024 | GENERAL |
| THE KENNEDY CENTER | WASHINGTON, DC | $200,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION | WASHINGTON, DC | $80,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | WASHINGTON, DC | $35,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| DC JAZZ FESTIVAL | WASHINGTON, DC | $15,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| TRI-CENTIC FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| RESOURCES USA INC | SOMERSET, NJ | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
| ARTS FOR ART INC | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2023 | GENERAL |
THE KENNEDY CENTER
$225,000GENERAL
WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
$80,000GENERAL
DC JAZZ FESTIVAL
$45,000GENERAL
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$20,000GENERAL
TRI-CENTIC FOUNDATION
$8,000GENERAL
ARTS FOR ART INC
$4,000GENERAL
RESOURCES USA INC
GENERAL
THE KENNEDY CENTER
$200,000GENERAL
WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
$80,000GENERAL
DC JAZZ FESTIVAL
$55,000GENERAL
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$14,000GENERAL
TRI-CENTIC FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL
ARTS FOR ART INC
$4,000GENERAL
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART
$4,000GENERAL
RESOURCES USA INC
$3,000GENERAL
THE KENNEDY CENTER
$200,000GENERAL
WHITE HOUSE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
$80,000GENERAL
NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
$35,000GENERAL
DC JAZZ FESTIVAL
$15,000GENERAL
TRI-CENTIC FOUNDATION
$5,000GENERAL
RESOURCES USA INC
$3,000GENERAL
ARTS FOR ART INC
$3,000GENERAL