The Frankenthaler Climate Initiative, founded in alignment with the values of the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, is committed to environmental stewardship and supports the visual arts and arts education. As the leading private national initiative in the U.S. for combating climate change within the visual arts sector, it aims to inspire a sector-wide transition towards carbon-neutral operations, dedicating over $10 million towards this goal, as part of a five-year, $15-million commitment to climate change action.
The Frankenthaler Climate Initiative funds projects that promote energy efficiency and clean energy generation within visual arts museums and organizations. The grant program supports three types of projects: Scoping grants to identify climate and energy mitigation opportunities, Technical assistance grants for specifying and budgeting efficiency projects, and Implementation grants providing seed funding for specified projects. It encourages applications from institutions of all sizes that include visual arts as a core part of their mission, including collecting and non-collecting institutions and visual arts schools. Grant amounts can go up to $25,000, with no financial match required, and projects must be completed by October 31, 2025. Examples of supported projects include energy assessments, master planning for efficiency improvements, and life cycle analysis of mechanical equipment upgrades.