PRINCESS GRACE FOUNDATION

What PRINCESS GRACE FOUNDATION does

Princess Grace Foundation-USA is a New York-headquartered nonprofit arts foundation established in 1982 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco, currently operating under the High Patronage of his son, Prince Albert II of Monaco (Vice Chairman). Its core mission is identifying and supporting extraordinary emerging artists in theater, dance, and film through career-advancing grants. The product surface is wide and grant-centric: the headline Princess Grace Awards deliver $15,000 unrestricted cash grants via a nomination-based two-stage application process adjudicated by discipline-specific expert panels. The portfolio extends into Special Project Grants ($7,500–$30,000), Professional Development Grants (up to $1,000), the $25,000 Statue Award for distinguished alumni, the Prince Rainier III Award for eminent artist-humanitarians, the Grace Kelly Scholarship program for high school theater students in partnership with the Educational Theatre Foundation, a Playwriting Fellowship with New Dramatists, Works in Progress Residencies at Baryshnikov Arts Center, Choreography Mentorship Co-Commissions, Filmmaker Advancement grants, and the 2025-launched Princess Grace Artist Fellowship with the MAP Fund's SPA program. Since inception the Foundation has funded nearly 1,000 artists.

The Foundation monetizes through three distinct streams rather than through pricing: (1) donations and philanthropy across individual donors, corporate sponsors, and three membership tiers (Young Patrons Guild, Patrons Circle, Crown Patrons of Grace); (2) licensing royalties from brands and individuals paying for the right to use Princess Grace of Monaco's name and likeness, in which the Foundation holds exclusive worldwide personality rights; and (3) sales from Grace de Monaco, a wholly-owned luxury brand launched in 2021 (fragrance, home, silks) with 100% of profits routed directly to the awards program. Operating geographies for grants are USA-only, but events and brand outreach extend to Los Angeles and Monaco, and the Grace Influential campaign operates as a global content platform. Governance rests with a Board of Trustees led by Chairman D. Christopher Le Vine; Prince Albert II of Monaco serves as Vice Chairman alongside Vice Chairman Robert O. Marx. The team is small — about four named staff including President Diana Kemppainen (since 2024) and Chief Relationship Officer Catharina Nystrom.

Strategically the Foundation is in a programmatic-expansion phase rather than a scaling phase: 2020 brought the Grace Influential campaign; 2021 brought the Grace de Monaco brand and the Grace Kelly Scholarship partnership; 2024 saw a CEO transition from Brisa Carleton to internal successor Diana Kemppainen; and 2025 added the Princess Grace Artist Fellowship with the MAP Fund. The competitive position is anchored by intangible assets — exclusive likeness rights and royal/cultural brand — and a self-reinforcing alumni ecosystem of nearly 1,000 award winners, supported by a curated nomination pipeline that is difficult to replicate.

Name

PRINCESS GRACE FOUNDATION

Legal name

Princess Grace Foundation-USA

Website

https://pgfusa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Princess Grace Foundation-USA is a 1982-founded nonprofit arts foundation that provides unrestricted cash grants and career support to nearly 1,000 emerging artists in theater, dance, and film, funded by donations, Princess Grace licensing royalties, and its wholly-owned Grace de Monaco luxury brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropy: The foundation receives donations from arts patrons worldwide, including individual donors, corporate sponsors, and members of the Young Patrons Guild, Patrons Circle, and Crown Patrons of Grace membership tiers.
2. Licensing Revenue: The foundation holds exclusive worldwide rights to Princess Grace of Monaco's (née Grace Kelly) name and likeness. Licensing arrangements with brands and individuals provide revenue directly supporting the Princess Grace Awards program.
3. Grace de Monaco Product Sales: Launched in 2021, Grace de Monaco is a luxury brand wholly owned by the Princess Grace Foundation with ALL profits going directly to the Princess Grace Awards.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Princess Grace Foundation-USA is a nonprofit public charity that identifies and supports extraordinary early-career artists in theater, dance, and film through unrestricted cash grants, fellowships, scholarships, and residencies, administered via a nomination-based application and expert adjudication process. It also monetizes Princess Grace of Monaco's brand through an Official Licensing Program and the wholly owned Grace de Monaco luxury product line, with all profits supporting the Princess Grace Awards.

Product overview

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is a nonprofit arts organization that operates a portfolio of awards, grants, fellowships, and scholarships to support emerging artists in theater, dance, and film. The core offering is the Princess Grace Awards program, which provides unrestricted cash grants of $15,000 to early-career artists. This is complemented by continuing grant programs for award winners including Special Project Grants, Professional Development Grants, and the Princess Grace Artist Fellowship. The Foundation also offers the Statue Award ($25,000) and Prince Rainier III Award to recognize established achievements. Additional offerings include the Grace Kelly Scholarships for high school theater students, Playwriting Fellowship (in partnership with New Dramatists), Works in Progress Residencies, Choreography Mentorship Co-Commissions, and Filmmaker Advancement partnerships. The Foundation also operates licensing for Princess Grace's name and likeness, and Grace de Monaco, a luxury product brand launched in 2021 with all profits supporting the awards program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Grace de Monaco: Luxury brand launched in 2021, wholly owned by the Princess Grace Foundation with 100% of profits going directly to the Princess Grace Awards.
• Grace Influential

Products and services

• Princess Grace Awards Unrestricted cash grants of $15,000 awarded annually to emerging artists in theater, dance, and film through a two-part nomination and application process adjudicated by discipline-specific expert panels.
• Statue Award Prestigious award and unrestricted grant of $25,000 recognizing past Princess Grace Award winners who have made significant contributions to their artistic field of theater, dance, or film.
• Prince Rainier III Award Award presented to eminent artists who have been highly successful in their careers and have made significant humanitarian contributions to their fields, paired with a grant to the philanthropy of their choice.
• Special Project Grants Project-specific funding averaging $7,500-$30,000 for unique and consequential artistic opportunities at critical junctures in Princess Grace Award winners' careers; nearly $2,000,000 awarded since inception in 2003.
• Professional Development Grants Quarterly grants of up to $1,000 for Princess Grace Award winners to attend seminars, classes, or conferences in order to develop professional skills and artistic sustainability; over $100,000 awarded since inception in 2011.
• Princess Grace Artist Fellowship Fellowship launched in 2025 in partnership with MAP Fund's Scaffolding for Practicing Artists program, providing a $10,000 unrestricted grant plus a $1,100 stipend and one-on-one coaching over 12 months for Princess Grace Award winners.
• Grace Kelly Scholarships Scholarships for high school theater artists including Grace Kelly Training Scholarships ($1,000 one-time for grades 9-11) and full Grace Kelly Scholarships ($6,000 total over four years plus an internship stipend and mentorship from Princess Grace Award winners).
• Playwriting Fellowship Fellowship administered in partnership with New Dramatists that provides a residency in New York City for emerging playwrights to develop new works; does not require nomination.
• Works in Progress Residency Awards Residency awards administered in partnership with Baryshnikov Arts Center enabling artists to explore, experiment, and push the boundaries of their work in a process-focused environment; nearly $1,000,000 awarded since inception in 2008.
• Choreography Mentorship Co-Commission Awards Commission opportunity for choreographers focusing on development of new work with guidance of a mentor, providing time, space, and guidance to develop choreographic voice; $100,000 awarded since inception in 2013.
• Filmmaker Advancement Grants Partnership grants with Film Society of Lincoln Center/New York Film Festival, Flaherty Seminar, and Marché du Films at Cannes Film Festival providing exclusive opportunities for filmmakers to advance projects and careers.
• Official Licensing Program Licensing service through which the Foundation negotiates arrangements with brands and individuals worldwide to license Princess Grace of Monaco's name and likeness, providing revenue that supports the Princess Grace Awards program.
• Grace de Monaco Luxury brand launched in 2021 and wholly owned by the Princess Grace Foundation, offering fragrance, home, and silk collections with 100% of profits directed to the Princess Grace Awards program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 1,000 artists funded since 1982, with grant recipients including Academy Award, Tony Award, MacArthur Genius Award, and Pulitzer Prize winners

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MAP Fund (Scaffolding for Practicing Artists)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership for the Princess Grace Artist Fellowship which pairs direct financial support ($10,000 grant) with participation in SPA's innovative coaching program, including one-on-one coaching sessions and a two-day facilitated virtual experience.
• Educational Theatre Foundation (ETF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership with the Educational Theatre Foundation to implement the Grace Kelly Scholarship through the International Thespian Excellence Awards (Thespys). The scholarship identifies and nurtures high school theater makers with financial support and mentorship from Princess Grace Award winners.
• Grace de MonacocoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2021Luxury brand wholly owned by the Princess Grace Foundation with ALL profits going directly to the Princess Grace Awards. Overseen by the Princely Family of Monaco and the Foundation's Board of Trustees.
• Baryshnikov Arts CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Partnership for the Works in Progress Residency Awards, providing artists with residencies to explore, experiment and push the boundaries of their work in an environment focused on process over product.
• New DramatistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Playwriting Fellowship providing a residency at New Dramatists in New York City for emerging playwrights to develop new works. The fellowship is administered separately and does not require nomination.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sundance Institute: Supports independent film and theater artists through labs, residencies, and fellowships. Highly comparable as an emerging-artist support organization with a prestigious brand, juried selection, and lifelong artist community — operating with a similar nonprofit model.
• Jerome Foundation: Supports emerging artists in Minnesota and New York across disciplines including theater, dance, and film. Comparable as a foundation focused on early-career artists with a similar mission and juried grantmaking approach.
• Creative Capital: Provides project-based grants and advisory services to innovative artists across disciplines. Comparable as a prestigious nonprofit funder identifying and supporting early-to-mid-career artists, with a selective application process.
• MAP Fund: Funds original live performance and daring contemporary performance work. Directly comparable as a peer in performing arts grantmaking; the Princess Grace Foundation actively partners with MAP Fund's SPA program for the 2025 Artist Fellowship.
• New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA): Provides grants and resources to individual artists across disciplines in New York State. Comparable in mission and grantmaking model, particularly for emerging performing and visual artists navigating nonprofit funding pathways.
• New Dramatists: Residency organization for playwrights that partners with the Princess Grace Foundation on the Playwriting Fellowship. Directly comparable in supporting emerging theater creators through residency-based, community-oriented programs.

Broad incumbents

• National Endowment for the Arts: The U.S. federal government's primary arts funder, distributing grants to individuals and organizations across theater, dance, and film. Comparable as a peer in performing arts grantmaking at scale, though much larger and government-backed rather than philanthropy-driven.
• Andrew W. Mellon Foundation: One of the largest U.S. philanthropic foundations supporting arts and culture. Comparable as a major arts funder, though operating at vastly greater scale and with broader institutional rather than individual grantmaking.
• MacArthur Foundation: Major U.S. foundation supporting creative and performing artists, including the MacArthur 'Genius' Fellowships. Comparable as a top-tier arts philanthropy; notably, Princess Grace Award winner Kyle Abraham is a MacArthur Fellow, evidencing shared talent pipeline.

Emerging players

• Educational Theatre Foundation: Supports school-based theater education and high school artists via Thespys. Comparable as a strategic partner addressing the high-school artist pipeline through the Grace Kelly Scholarship, with overlapping mission in emerging artist development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/graceinfluential
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/princess-grace-foundation-usa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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