Kraus Family Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Kraus Family Foundation is the philanthropic vehicle of Goldman Sachs veteran Peter Kraus and his wife, Jill. The couple's philanthropy is laser-focused on New York City, particularly in the realm of arts and culture. Other interests include education and human services.

IP TAKE: The foundation has a minimal web presence and provides no clear avenues for grantseekers to get in touch

PROFILE: Peter Kraus had a multi-decade run at Goldman Sachs, where he was once a partner. After a stint as CEO of the global asset management firm AllianceBernstein, he founded his own company, Aperture Investors. Kraus and his wife, Jill, New York City residents, established their family foundation in 1999. The Krauses are art collectors, and the visual arts have featured prominently in their grantmaking. They also support education and human services organizations in New York City.

The Kraus Family Foundation’s largest area of giving is arts and culture, and grantees tend to be well-established arts institutions in the city. Jill chairs the board of Public Art Fund, a "nonprofit arts organization that presents the work of contemporary artists in New York's public spaces." Other prominent arts and culture grantees include the Museum of Modern Art, Lincoln Center and the Sculpture Center in the Long Island City section of Queens. In education, Kraus prioritizes arts education, literacy and learning disabilities. Human services is the foundation’s smallest area of giving. Tax documents reveal an interest in women’s reproductive health and addiction recovery.

Grants range from a few thousand to $500,000, with an average grant size of about $20,000. The foundation gave away around $8 million in grants in a recent year. Past grantees include the New Museum for Contemporary Art, the Reach out and Read Coalition, the Allen-Stevenson School and Young Audiences, Inc., an arts education nonprofit.

This foundation maintains a low profile and does not appear to accept unsolicited proposals for funding. The foundation may be reached by telephone at 518-640-5000. An address is provided below.

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CONTACT:

The Kraus Family Foundation

Bowling Green Sta., P.O. Box 73

New York City, NY 10274

(518) 640-5000