FAQs

How does the Foundation relate to the rest of Getty?

Located onsite at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, the Getty Foundation is the grantmaking program of the J. Paul Getty Trust. In addition to the Foundation, the Getty Trust is comprised of the Getty Conservation Institute, Getty Research Institute, and J. Paul Getty Museum. There is one board of trustees and one budget for the entire Getty Trust. The Getty Foundation has been making grants in the visual arts at an international scale since 1984.

Are you related to Getty Images?

We get this question a lot! No, there is no relationship between the two entities. Getty Images is a for-profit company that owns and licenses photographic images, while the J. Paul Getty Trust is a non-profit visual arts organization. The Getty Museum does collect photography, but this activity is not connected to Getty Images and we do not have any relationship with the company’s photo licensing work.

What about the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation, are you related to it?

No, the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation is a separate philanthropic organization based in Northern California that primarily awards grants to performing arts organizations and educational institutions within that region.

How does the Foundation set its funding priorities?

Consistent with Getty’s overall mission, Foundation grants promote the understanding and conservation of the visual arts. Most of our grants are awarded through strategic initiatives that we’ve developed in consultation with the fields we serve.

In addition, we administer residential fellowships at Getty on behalf of the other Getty programs and offer several levels of paid internship grants. More information on our current priorities is available on our Funding Opportunities page.

Does the Foundation provide general operating support?

The Foundation’s grants are project-based, so we rarely consider grant applications solely for general operating support. We do, however, support institutional overhead as part of project grants.

Does Getty support indirect costs as part of a project-based grant application?

Yes, we can support indirect costs. In general, we will consider the following:

• indirect costs or overhead of up to 15% of the total grant budget on a case-by-case basis
• contingency costs (for example, fluctuating currency exchange rates for international grants) of up to 5% of the total grant budget on a case-by-case basis (we request supporting justification in the budget narrative)
• partial support for staff costs under specific circumstances—we recommend that grantees consult with the Foundation when preparing their budgets if they plan to include staff salaries

Do you award grants to individuals?

Yes, we give grants to individuals exclusively through our existing internship, fellowship, and scholarly residency programs. All of these programs take place at Getty, and you can find a full list of these opportunities organized by career level on our website. Only in a few cases do we support individuals for activities not located at Getty: the CCF Fellowship for Visual Artists and the Getty/ACLS Postdoctoral Fellowships.

Do you fund individual artists or the creation of artworks?

We do not have any dedicated grant programs for individual artists or for the creation of new artworks. However, Getty did provide an initial gift to the California Community Foundation in 1988 that supports the CCF Fellowship for Visual Artists, an ongoing grant program for artists living and working in Los Angeles.

What kind of organizations do you fund?

The Foundation primarily makes grants to 501(c)(3) non-profit visual arts organizations aligned with Getty’s mission—to share the world’s visual art and cultural heritage. We also award grants to other types of arts organizations (such as the performing arts) and to academic, cultural, and civic institutions for projects related to the visual arts. Our grantees range from local community hubs to large, prominent institutions, locally in Los Angeles, within the United States, and around the world.

What if my organization is not a registered nonprofit or is in the process of securing 501(c)(3) status---are we eligible to receive a Getty grant?

Occasionally, we will consider applications through fiscal sponsorship, which is when a museum or visual arts organization without its own nonprofit status uses a fiscal sponsor for the purpose of applying for and managing a grant. Grantseekers who plan on working with fiscal sponsors must discuss their intention in advance with Foundation staff.

Do you fund organizations outside of the United States?

Yes, many of our grantees are international non-profits similar to US public charities. To date, we have awarded grants in over 180 countries for projects and initiatives that align with Getty’s mission. Non-US grant applicants should please note that to comply with national laws, we must collect and review detailed information regarding an organization’s tax and financial status as well as its administrative structure. We cannot guarantee a successful determination of eligibility.

How does the Foundation decide which applications to fund?

Our program staff are experts in the professional and academic fields that Getty funds, and they can provide guidance to applicants. Many initiatives rely on international advisory committees of specialists in art history, conservation, and museums who read grant proposals and make recommendations to the Foundation.

What is your average grant size?

Our grants range from a couple of thousand dollars to over $1 million, depending on the funding area and project. You can find the award amount for all our grants, segmented by initiative, on our searchable grants database to get an idea of how much is typically awarded per category.

How can I find out more information about the Foundation’s grants?

Descriptions of our funding initiatives, and individual projects within those areas, are available on the Projects & Initiatives portion of our website. We also have a searchable grants database, through which you can browse our full history of grants awarded.

Does the Foundation accept general inquiries for projects that fall outside of its current priorities?

No, we typically do not consider general inquiries. Our grants are awarded through our strategic initiatives, which may solicit invitations to apply or offer open calls. Please sign up for our e-newsletter or follow us on Facebook or Twitter to be notified when one of our Foundation initiatives issues an open call, or to learn when one of our grant recipients solicits calls for participation. For questions about funding, we offer a general information email address: gettyfoundation@getty.edu.

I think I may have a relevant project for one of the current grant initiatives, what do I do next?

Each grant initiative or program has different procedures. Some require a preliminary inquiry letter, while others have online application forms. Procedures for each funding area are described on our website. A list of all current grantmaking areas is available here. If you can’t find what you’re looking for on an individual program page, feel free to send an email to gettyfoundation@getty.edu and we’ll be happy to help you.

Does the Foundation accept applications in languages other than English?

Yes. This decision is at the discretion of the program officer who manages the grant initiative. We suggest applicants inquire about this possibility once a proposal to apply has been invited.

How do I get paid for my grant?

Once you complete all required paperwork as part of a formal grant agreement and provide us wire instructions for payment, our program team will arrange for funds to be sent. If you have further questions, please email us at gettyfoundation@getty.edu.

My grant has a matching requirement—what is that and how do I handle it?

Rarely, our grants have a matching requirement, which requires applicants to secure other funds in addition to the grant amount we award. Please note that if a matching requirement is present, grantee matching funds must be newly received and in hand; pledges do not apply.

My award letter says that Getty requests credit for its support. How does this work?

We request acknowledgement (via logo and credit line) from grantees in their communication materials about their grant/s, including their press releases, calls for proposals, social media campaigns, webpages, and printed items. Click here to access our Grant Acknowledgement Guidelines document with further information.

What do I do if my project changes?

Grant funds must only be used for the purpose, budget, and timeframe set forth in the finalized proposal and grant agreement. Should you encounter unforeseeable circumstances that change the nature of your project (for example, shutdowns due to COVID-19), please let us know as soon as possible so we can work together to find helpful solutions.

What are Getty’s reporting requirements for grants and how do I fulfill them?

progress towards goals and a summary of funds spent to date. Reporting schedules may vary by the type of grant and the length of the project. All grantees are informed of their reporting schedule as part of the grant award letter. If warranted, an annual interim report is scheduled for grantees to report on a project’s progress and the expenditure of grant funds to date. A full narrative report and financial report is required at the completion of all grant projects for administrative purposes and to encapsulate accomplishments, learnings, participant feedback, and dissemination strategies for any grant-funded products. While we expect that reports be submitted on the pre-approved schedule, we understand that extensions maybe become necessary if unexpected changes arise.

Please note that Getty has the right, but not the obligation, to audit the financial accounting of grant funds.

If we finish our funded project and have leftover money, can we spend it on something else?

We expect grant expenditures to adhere to approved grant budgets. Grantees should contact the program officer they work with regarding any funds remaining before apply these funds to costs not outlined in the original budget.

Does Getty share information about my grant publicly?

For transparency purposes and legal requirements, we list every grant we make in our online searchable grants database and on Getty’s 990 tax returns. These platforms list general information such as the recipient's name, location, award year and amount, and project title. For publicity and communications purposes, we may publish press releases and editorial content about funding initiatives or grants on Getty’s News & Stories digital platform, the quarterly Getty Magazine, our Facebook and Twitter pages, and our quarterly e-newsletter. For questions about our communications, please email gettyfoundation@getty.edu.