Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation
Saint Louis, MO · EIN 22-6359304. Reported 166 grants totalling $2,070,000 to 94 recipients across tax years 2021-2025. 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. Recipients are grouped by name and state as they were written on the returns, so an organization entered under two different names appears twice. Years funded is the number of separate tax years in which that name received money.
| 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 | $60,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Manhattan School of Music | New York, NY | $60,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| New York Youth Symphony Inc | New York, NY | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| The Ascap Foundation | New York, NY | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| The Discovery Orchestra Inc | Summit, NJ | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Binghamton Philharmonic Inc | Binghamton, NY | $57,500 | 5 | 5 | 2025 |
| Saratoga Performing Arts Center | Saratoga Springs, NY | $57,500 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Connecticut Aeronautical Historical Asso | Windsor Locks, CT | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Perkins Center for the Arts | Moorestown, NJ | $45,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Rosies Theater Kids Inc | New York, NY | $45,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Newark Boys Chorus School | Newark, NJ | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Inc | New York, NY | $40,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Whin Music Community Charter School | New York, NY | $40,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| New Jersey Symphony Orchestra | Newark, NJ | $35,000 | 4 | 4 | 2025 |
| Bayatlantic Symphony | Atlantic City, NJ | $30,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra | Summit, NJ | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Orchestrating Dreams Inc | New York, NY | $30,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| 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 |
| American Theatre Wing | New York, NY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Elaine Kaufman Cultural Center-Lucy Mose | New York, NY | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Montclair Orchestra Inc | Montclair, NJ | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Trenton Music Makers Inc | Trenton, NJ | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Yarnwire Inc | Ridgewood, NY | $25,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Saint Peters University | Jersey City, NJ | $24,500 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Leonia Chamber Musicians Society Inc | Leonia, NJ | $24,000 | 3 | 3 | 2025 |
| Adelphi Chamber Orchestra | River Edge, NJ | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Alexander and Buono Worldwide Inc | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2024 |
| Artsmart | Philadelphia, PA | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Asbury Park Music Foundation Inc | Asbury Park, NJ | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Count Basie Theatre Inc | Red Bank, NJ | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Education Through Music | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| Harmony Program | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| New Jersey Ballet | Florham Park, NJ | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Opportunity Music Project Foundation in | New York, NY | $20,000 | 2 | 2 | 2025 |
| 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 |
| Council on Arts and Humanities Staten Is | Staten Island, NY | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| State Theatre Regional Art Ctr New Bruns | New Brunswick, NJ | $12,500 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Luzerne Music Center Inc | Lake Luzerne, NY | $12,000 | 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 |
| Concert Artists Guild Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Cornelia Connelly Center for Education | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Daniels Music Foundation | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| Elaine Kaufman Cultural Ctr Lucy Moses | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Fractured Atlas Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Friends Mozartina Musical Arts Tarrytown | Tarrytown, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Institute of Music for Children Inc | Elizabeth, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Lincoln Center for the Perfor Arts Inc | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Montclair State University Foundation in | Montclair, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Music Before 1800 Inc | 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 | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| 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 |
| Save the Music Foundation | New York, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| 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 |
| Symphony in C New Jersey Nonprofit Org | Collingswood, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Brooklyn Queens Conservatory of Musi | Brooklyn, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| The Friends of the Mozartina Musical Art Conservatory | Tarrytown, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2024 |
| The Noel Pointer Foundation Inc | Brooklyn, NY | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| William Paterson University | Wayne, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| Young Audiences of New Jersey | Princeton, NJ | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2025 |
| 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 |
42 of 94 (45%) received money in more than one year over the 5 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 45%, across 4 year-to-year transitions. The median foundation retains about 67%, so this one is less consistent than most. This measures how often it paid the same organizations again. It says nothing about whether it would consider a new one.
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 activity category the IRS assigns each recipient, for the 120 grants where we could match the recipient to a registered organization. The categories are the IRS's. The match, made from the name and address on the return, is ours.
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 |
| 2025 | 35 | $430,000 | $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
57% of its giving went to organizations in New York. If your organization is based elsewhere, look in the recipient list for grants to your area before writing.
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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 a sign of overlapping priorities and nothing more: they do not show that any of these funders would consider a new organization. Each page says what its filings show.
How to approach this foundation
- Check you are its size. The median grant is $10,000. A request many times that size asks for something it has rarely or never given.
- 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 5 returns (tax years 2021-2025). Grant figures are from its returns. Matching recipients to registered organizations, their IRS classifications, the retention rate and the funders that support the same organizations are our own calculations, described in how we build this.
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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