{"id":16743,"date":"2025-05-30T11:37:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T18:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/\/?page_id=16743"},"modified":"2025-09-12T05:36:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T12:36:02","slug":"fundraising-for-dance","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/fundraising-for-dance","title":{"rendered":"Grants for Dance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-container gb-block-container\"><div class=\"gb-container-inside\"><div class=\"gb-container-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull is-light\" style=\"min-height:151px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-16807\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/funding-guide-banner-blue-dots-1.png\" data-object-fit=\"cover\"\/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e96838e0ddc05806eae1d592ca200953\" style=\"color:#484848;font-size:42px\">Grants for Dance<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"intro-box has-background\" style=\"background-color:#efeeeb\">Learn about grants for dance by browsing our curated list of top dance funders below. Members can also research funding opportunities for dance using the <a href=\"\/grantfinder-search\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">search tool <\/a>for Grant Finder. <a href=\"\/membership\">Become a member. <\/a><a href=\"\/grantfinder-sign-up\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/\/grantfinder-sign-up\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-columns gb-layout-columns-1 one-column gb-background-auto gb-background-no-repeat\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/bg-radiant-dots-shortest.png);background-position:50% 0%\"><div class=\"gb-layout-column-wrap gb-block-layout-column-gap-0 gb-is-responsive-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\" style=\"padding-top:20px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-columns gb-layout-columns-2 gb-2-col-wideright\" style=\"padding-top:60px;padding-right:30px;padding-bottom:6px;background-position:80% 0%\"><div class=\"gb-layout-column-wrap gb-block-layout-column-gap-2 gb-is-responsive-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column ip-gf-key-funders-box gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><strong>Key Funders<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list key-funders-list\">\n<li><a href=\"\/grants-a\/american-dance-movement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">American Dance Movement<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/grants-a\/arnhold-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Arnold Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"\/grants-d\/max-and-victoria-dreyfus-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"\/grants-d\/doris-duke-charitable-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Doris Duke Foundation<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"\/grants-f\/fidelity-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fidelity Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"\/grants-f\/ford-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ford Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"\/grants-f\/foundation-for-contemporary-arts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Foundation for Contemporary Arts<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/howardgilmanfoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Howard Gilman Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"\/grants-g\/john-simon-guggenheim-memorial-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"\/m-grants\/andrew-w-mellon-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mellon Foundation<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"\/m-grants\/map-fund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MAP Fund<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/grants-n\/new-england-foundation-for-the-arts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Dance Project\/NEFA<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"\/rgrants\/jerome-robbins-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jerome Robbins Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"\/s-grants\/shubert-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shubert Foundation<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left\"><strong><strong>Funding Trends for Dance Grants<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Only a very small percentage of American adults \u2013 in the area of 2-3% \u2013 attend dance performances or perform or practice dance, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arts.gov\/impact\/research\/publications\/arts-participation-patterns-2022-highlights-survey-public-participation-arts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NEA\u2019s research on arts participation patterns<\/a>. The world of dance philanthropy is similarly small, even compared to other performing arts fields like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/fundraising-theater-grants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">theater<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/fundraising-music-grants\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">music<\/a>. This creates the conditions for a competitive grant space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Still, the nonprofit dance ecosystem is vibrant \u2013 it includes performing companies, dance education organizations, and festivals. As with other performing arts, dance organizations\u2019 revenue is a mix of earned income (e.g., from ticket sales) and contributed income from philanthropy and government sources. While there are some large, well-resourced ballet and contemporary dance companies, the vast majority of dance organizations in the U.S. have a budget of under $500,000, the national service organization <a href=\"https:\/\/danceusa.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/04120321\/Findings-from-the-DanceUSA-Ecosystem-Survey-2024-Public-Report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dance\/USA found<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Individuals have long led donation-revenue for dance nonprofits, but foundation funding has begun tomake up a larger share of the funding pie in the years since the pandemic. That said, trustee support has receded, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/culturaldata.org\/learn\/data-at-work\/2024\/data-driven-analysis-of-the-us-nonprofit-dance-sector\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2024 findings from SMU DataArts<\/a>. Substantial individual giving for dance occurs through donor-advised funds. National grantmaking foundations like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/grants-m\/andrew-w-mellon-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mellon Foundation<\/a> and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/grants-d\/doris-duke-charitable-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Doris Duke Foundation<\/a> are among the field\u2019s biggest funders. There are also a number of foundations that fund dance organizations in particular cities or regions, such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/grants-b\/barr-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Barr Foundation<\/a> in Boston, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant-places\/colorado-grants\/bonfils-stanton-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bonfils-Stanton Foundation<\/a> in Denver, as well as several focused on New York\u2019s storied dance world.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Community foundations play a critical role in dance funding both through discretionary grants to local dance organizations and as hosts of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/explainers\/what-is-a-donor-advised-fund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">donor-advised funds<\/a>, through which many individual donors support dance groups across the country. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<!-- Non-displaying inline paywall marker. Editors: please keep this code block. Position this block before the first full-width paragraph or just above the foundations list heading. -->\n<div id=\"ipInlineOffer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-container foundation-list paywall gb-block-container\"><div class=\"gb-container-inside\"><div class=\"gb-container-content\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/usregionalarts.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Regional arts organizations<\/a>, funded by a mix of public and private dollars, also make grants for dance. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.danceusa.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dance\/USA<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dance.nyc\/\">Dance\/NYC<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nefa.org\/grants\/grant-programs\/national-dance-project\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Dance Project<\/a> (housed at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/grants-n\/new-england-foundation-for-the-arts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New England Foundation for the Arts<\/a>) are important regrantors in dance philanthropy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Corporate funders are another source of revenue, especially for large ballet companies, several of which receive support from banks and other nationally recognized corporate names.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This philanthropic space includes some major individual donors with a deep personal passion for dance, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/gloryakaufmanfoundation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Glorya Kaufman<\/a> and the former dancer and renowned dance educator, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/home\/2022-6-20-dance-for-every-child-catching-up-with-educator-advocate-and-philanthropist-jody-gottfried-arnhold\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jody Gottfried Arnhold<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Where are dance grants going?&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The lion\u2019s share of grants for dance support classical ballet, followed by some of the larger contemporary and modern dance companies. Very little philanthropy goes to other forms of dance.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to grants for performing companies, dance grantmaking supports dance festivals, dance-education nonprofits, and occasionally individual artists including dancers as well as choreographers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gaps in funding for dance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Unfortunately, private funding for dance has not keeping up with inflation, SMU DataArts <a href=\"https:\/\/culturaldata.org\/learn\/data-at-work\/2024\/data-driven-analysis-of-the-us-nonprofit-dance-sector\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">found<\/a>, so there is a need for more dance funding in general. More specific funding gaps are outlined below.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There is a growing conversation in the dance world about how to create stable, sustainable careers for dancers, most of whom are only partially employed in dance, as described in <a href=\"https:\/\/danceusa.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/04120321\/Findings-from-the-DanceUSA-Ecosystem-Survey-2024-Public-Report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Dance\/USA\u2019s 2024 survey<\/a> of the dance ecosystem. To change this, dance organizations need funding to pay dancers living wages year-round. Dance nonprofits are also looking to funders for dedicated grants to support the development of new streams of earned revenue.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the notable exception of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater \u2013 one of the most well-known dance companies in the world and one of the only modern dance companies to have a budget anywhere near that of the large ballet companies \u2013 there has long been a gap in funding for dance organizations led by or rooted in communities of color. This will only be exacerbated in the Trump era, when an NEA grant program <a href=\"https:\/\/news.artnet.com\/art-world\/cancelled-nea-grants-for-underserved-audiences-2606683\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">designed to support arts initiatives in underserved communities<\/a> has been cancelled amid the Trump administration\u2019s broad attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>Public funding for the arts had already been declining for decades when the administration made deep cuts to what was left of it in 2025. The abrupt <a href=\"https:\/\/www.danceusa.org\/danceusanewsandpress\/nea-grants-evaporating-funding\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cancellation of NEA grants<\/a> and threats to eliminate the national arts agency altogether will create funding gaps for dance organizations across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group modified-date-row is-content-justification-left is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-f56a869c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p><em>Published on <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div style=\"font-style:italic;font-weight:400;\" class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2025-05-30T11:37:00-07:00\">May 30, 2025<\/time><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px;width:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn about grants for dance by browsing our curated list of top dance funders below. Members can also research funding opportunities for dance using the search tool for Grant Finder. Become a member.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":470,"featured_media":0,"parent":13716,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":true,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":true,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-16743","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","5":"entry"},"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/470"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16743"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16743\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":224369,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16743\/revisions\/224369"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}