Founded in 2007 by philanthropist Laurie M. Tisch, the Illumination Fund plays an active role in supporting innovative approaches across a range of issues—ensuring that arts and arts education are accessible to all, promoting health, and creating opportunities for civic engagement. The Illumination Fund focuses its support on New York City.
Supporting organizations that increase cultural access and opportunities for New Yorkers
Supporting organizations that increase cultural access and opportunity for New Yorkers
6/17/2026: Laurie Tisch Honored by the Museum of the City of New York as a Gotham Icon at Annual Gotham Dreams Gala
6/9/2026: Street Soccer USA Opens Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund Street Soccer Park in Queens
6/6/2026: Historic exhibition, Another Wonderland, opens at the Museum of the City of New York, featuring WPA mural, Alice of Wonderland Visiting New York
5/26/2026: Laurie Tisch, joined the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Project Play Summit earlier this month for a conversation with Aspen’s Tom Farrey on the future of youth sports and the importance of expanding access to play.
Commissioned by the Illumination Fund, the report outlines a path to a more equitable youth soccer system ahead of the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
These videos give you a behind-the-scenes look at the incredible organizations that are grantees in the Illumination Fund’s Arts in Health initiative.
Building on previous giving to healthy food initiatives such as the NYC Green Carts, in 2013 the Illumination Fund launched its Healthy Food & Community Change initiative, a $15 million, 5-year commitment in New York City.
In 2018 the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund launched Arts in Health, a $10-million multi-year initiative to support organizations working on health issues that impact New York communities and that utilize the arts as a tool for healing. The Fund is supporting the expansion of programs that work at this intersection, with special attention to increasing access for underserved communities and addressing disparities.
