Start your application
Apply OnlineMission
To perpetuate Miss Bergen’s love of classical music and support of musical education by providing grants for musical performing arts and musical education.
Annual application deadlines
July 15 for a September meeting
Program areas
Arts, culture, and humanities
Education
States served
New Jersey
New York
Program limitations
Music education
Geographic limitations
There are no geographic limitations; however, the trust has a practice of primarily supporting organizations located in New York and New Jersey.
Trustees
Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
The Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation provides grants for musical performing arts and musical education.
Requirements
- To be eligible, organizations must qualify as exempt organizations under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
- Applications must be submitted through the online grant application form or alternative accessible application designed for assistive technology users.
- Any organization that has received a grant three years in a row will not be eligible for a future grant until one year after the three year period.
Grantmaking priorities
Preference will be given to requests for the following:
- Aid worthy students of music to secure complete and adequate musical education
- Aid organizations in their efforts to present fine music to the public, provided that such organizations are operated exclusively for educational purposes
Average giving
Average grant size: $10,000 to $50,000
Average number of grants per year: 26
Annual application deadlines
Applications are accepted year-round. Applications must be submitted by July 15 to be reviewed at the grant meeting in September.
Communications
Applicants will receive an automated email confirming their submission.
Required agreements and reports
Periodic progress reports may be required for funded projects.
About the Foundation
The Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation was created in 1983 pursuant to the wishes expressed by their only daughter, Charlotte V. Bergen (1898 – 1982) of Bernardsville, New Jersey. During her lifetime, Charlotte Bergen had the distinction of sharing the works of the masters by presenting and conducting over fifty concerts of fine, traditional music in Carnegie Hall, to which the music-loving public was invited free of charge. In 1981, Ms. Bergen donated her rare 1701 Servais Stradivarius Cello to the Smithsonian Institution, where it is maintained in the Hall of Musical Instruments. The foundation perpetuates Miss Bergen’s love of classical music and support of musical education by providing grants for musical performing arts and musical education.