Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation
Saint Louis, MO · EIN 22-6359304. Reported 131 grants totalling $1,640,000 to 79 organizations across tax years 2021-2024. This foundation did not tell the IRS it funds only preselected organizations.
Does this foundation accept applications?
Yes -- on its own tax return. Form 990-PF asks every private foundation whether it makes grants only to organizations it selects itself. Of the 91,758 foundations in our data that made a grant and answered, 78% said yes -- and applying to those is wasted effort. Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation did not check that box on its most recent filing, which puts it in the minority that is at least open to being approached.
How big are its grants?
The median grant is $10,000. Half of everything it gave fell between $10,000 and $15,000; the smallest was $5,000 and the largest $50,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong foundation.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which the organization received money -- more than one means a real relationship rather than a one-off.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art | New York, NY | $90,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Newark School of the Arts Inc | Newark, NJ | $70,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| American Symphony Orchestra Inc | New York, NY | $50,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Connecticut Aeronautical Historical Asso | Windsor Locks, CT | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Manhattan School of Music | New York, NY | $50,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Binghamton Philharmonic Inc | Binghamton, NY | $45,000 | 4 | 4 | 2024 |
| Perkins Center for the Arts | Moorestown, NJ | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| New York Youth Symphony Inc | New York, NY | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Newark Boys Chorus School | Newark, NJ | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| The Ascap Foundation | New York, NY | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| The Discovery Orchestra Inc | Summit, NJ | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Whin Music Community Charter School | New York, NY | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Saratoga Performing Arts Center | Saratoga Springs, NY | $37,500 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Rosies Theater Kids Inc | New York, NY | $35,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Bayatlantic Symphony | Atlantic City, NJ | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc | New York, NY | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Society of the Third Street Music School | New York, NY | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| South Orange Performing Arts Center Inc | South Orange, NJ | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The Little Orchestra Society Orpheon Inc | New York, NY | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Elaine Kaufman Cultural Center-Lucy Mose | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Montclair Orchestra Inc | Montclair, NJ | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| New Jersey Symphony Orchestra | Newark, NJ | $25,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Trenton Music Makers Inc | Trenton, NJ | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Adelphi Chamber Orchestra | River Edge, NJ | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Alexander and Buono Worldwide Inc | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Harmony Program | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra | Summit, NJ | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Orchestrating Dreams Inc | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Symphony in C a New Jersey Non Profit Co | Collingswood, NJ | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Union City Music Project | Weehawken, NJ | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Whin Music Community Charter | New York, NY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| All Seasons Chamber Players | Demarest, NJ | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| Arts Council of the Morris Area | Morristown, NJ | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Arts Horizons Inc | Englewood, NJ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Bay-Atlantic Symphony | Atlantic City, NJ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Capital Harmony Works | Trenton, NJ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Elaine Kaufman Cultural Center | New York, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Friends of the Mozartina Musical Arts Co | Tarrytown, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Montclair State University | Montclair, NJ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Montclair State University Foundation Inc | Montclair, NJ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| New York City Ballet Inc | New York, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra | Poughkeepsie, NY | $15,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Schola Cantorum on Hudson Inc | Jersey City, NJ | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| St Lukes Chamber Ensemble Inc | New York, NY | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2024 |
| The Brooklyn Queens Conservatory | Brooklyn, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Third Street Music School Settlement Inc | New York, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Trustees of Columbia University | New York, NY | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Wharton Institute for the Performing Art | Berkeley Hts, NJ | $15,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The Little Orchestra Society- Orpheon in | New York, NY | $14,500 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Leonia Chamber Musicians Society Inc | Leonia, NJ | $14,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Luzerne Music Center Inc | Lake Luzerne, NY | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Saint Peters University | Jersey City, NJ | $12,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Artsmart | Philadelphia, PA | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Asbury Park Music Foundation Inc | Asbury Park, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Bloomingdale School of Music Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Branch Brook Park Alliance | Morristown, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Composers Guild of New Jersey Inc | Atlantic Hlds, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Cornelia Connelly Center for Education | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Count Basie Theatre Inc | Red Bank, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Daniels Music Foundation | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Education Through Music | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Fractured Atlas Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Institute of Music for Children Inc | Elizabeth, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Montclair State University Foundation in | Montclair, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Music Before 1800 Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Opportunity Music Project Foundation in | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Opus 118 Harlem School of Music | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Philharmonic-Symphony Society | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Power Changes Lives Inc | Morris Plains, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Richmond County Orchestra | Staten Island, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| South Orange Peforming Arts Center | South Orange, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Sphinx Organization Inc | Detroit, MI | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| State Theatre Regional Arts Center | New Brunswick, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| The Friends of the Mozartina Musical Art Conservatory | Tarrytown, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Yarnwire Inc | Ridgewood, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| All Season Chamber Players Inc | Demarest, NJ | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Friends of Music Concerts Inc | Millwood, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| New City Kids Inc | Grand Rapids, MI | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| Riverside Symphony Inc | New York, NY | $5,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
35 of 79 (44%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold.
Measured the way we measure every foundation -- what share of one year's grantees are funded again the next -- this one retains 46%, across 3 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. A high number means its list is close to settled and a newcomer has to displace someone; a low one means it is still moving money around, which is where an opening is.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose field of its filings. This is the closest thing to a statement of what this foundation cares about, in its own words.
- Schola Cantorum on Hudson Inc
20TH SEASON COLLABORATIVE - Philharmonic-Symphony Society
YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONCERTS FOR - Arts Council of the Morris Area
THE GIRALDA MUSIC AND ARTS
What kind of organizations it funds
By the recipient's own IRS classification, for the 97 grants where we could identify the organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35 | $465,000 | $10,000 |
| 2022 | 34 | $415,000 | $10,000 |
| 2023 | 33 | $410,000 | $10,000 |
| 2024 | 29 | $350,000 | $10,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- filings arrive about a year late, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a foundation winding down.
Where its money goes
Foundations concentrate geographically far more than their mission statements suggest. 55% of this one's giving went to organizations in New York. If you are outside its footprint, that matters more than how well your programme fits.
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Funders that support the same organizations
These funders gave to organizations this one also funded -- some private foundations, some community foundations and other grantmaking charities. Shared grantees are the strongest available signal that two funders have overlapping priorities, and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $10,000. Asking for ten times that is the most common way small organizations waste a submission.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving is concentrated in New York.
- Read the recipient list above for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer, and a cheap one to get.
- Look up the current filing before writing. The 990-PF names the foundation's officers and, where one exists, its application procedure. We link it below.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation's own Form 990-PF filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2021-2024). Nothing here is scraped, inferred, or estimated.
Address of record on the latest return: Po Box 505 Mac H0006-092, Saint Louis, MO, 63166. This is the address the foundation gave the IRS; many small foundations file through an accountant or a bank trust department, so it may not be where post to a programme officer should go.
EIN 22-6359304 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
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