{"id":16751,"date":"2024-09-12T09:23:10","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T16:23:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/\/?page_id=16751"},"modified":"2025-09-12T05:37:48","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T12:37:48","slug":"fundraising-theater-grants","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/find-a-grant\/fundraising-theater-grants","title":{"rendered":"Grants for Theater"},"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 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-5090e9b9433b02e8f07d4bcf497c2c64\" style=\"color:#484848;font-size:42px\">Grants for Theater<\/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:#ebeeeb\">Learn about theater grants by browsing our curated list of top theater funders below. Members can also research funding opportunities by using the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grantfinder-search\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>search tool <\/strong><\/a>for GrantFinder. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/membership\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Become a member.<\/strong><\/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=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grants-d\/doris-duke-charitable-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Doris Duke Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/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=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grants\/edgertonfoundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Edgerton Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grants-f\/ford-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ford Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grants-g\/david-geffen-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">David Geffen Foundation<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/m-grants\/andrew-w-mellon-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mellon Foundation<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/s-grants\/shubert-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shubert Foundation<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grants-t\/theatre-communications-group\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Theatre Communications Group<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/v-grants\/venturous-theater-fund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Venturous Theater Fund<\/a><\/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\"><strong>Funding trends for theater grants<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>More than 10 million Americans attended performances at nonprofit theaters in the United States in 2022, and more than 600,000 subscribed to a theater season, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1vaZPsZF0u6CVrRzF5KeIVCgUS12y4YQXkLuLT5fr8Mg\/edit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Theatre Communications Group<\/a> (TCG). There are <a href=\"https:\/\/tcg.org\/Web\/Web\/Our-Work\/Research\/Theatre-Facts.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">thousands<\/a> of nonprofit theaters across the country, developing and presenting creative work that ranges from theatrical classics to innovative new productions. Americans for the Arts, which studies the economic and social impact of the nation\u2019s nonprofit arts and culture industry, <a href=\"https:\/\/aep6.americansforthearts.org\/resources\/media\/user\/1696872054-AEP6_National_Findings_Full_Report-Proof_final-web.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">found<\/a> that \u201c86% of Americans say, \u2018arts and culture are important to their community\u2019s quality of life and livability,\u2019 and 79% of the American public believe that the arts are \u2018important to their community\u2019s businesses, economy, and local jobs.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet America\u2019s nonprofit theaters are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/07\/19\/opinion\/theater-collapse-bailout.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">struggling<\/a>. More than half of those surveyed by TCG budgeted for a deficit in 2024, the national organization reported in a snapshot survey called <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1LRAd_UYq22DXscK4LurLfTV5PC57dHhoIB-8Pxvr3Dg\/edit?pli=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Compounding Crises<\/a>. A field that has historically been funded by a mix of earned income, donations, and grants, nonprofit theater has not yet recovered from the impact of pandemic-era closures that exacerbated other challenges, including the decline of the subscription model, inflation and rising labor costs, and climate change impacts from flooding to wildfires.<\/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>The theater world is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/07\/19\/opinion\/theater-collapse-bailout.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">advocating for increased federal funding<\/a> to shore up nonprofit theaters. Private funders could also play an important role. The latest <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1vaZPsZF0u6CVrRzF5KeIVCgUS12y4YQXkLuLT5fr8Mg\/edit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">data from TCG<\/a>, however, shows that foundation funding has remained consistent from 2018 to 2022 after adjusting for inflation, and trustee and other individual giving was lower in 2022 than in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Individual donors, including trustees, have historically played an outsized role in philanthropic support for theater. There are also several private national foundations that are stalwart funders of nonprofit theater (indicated in the Key Funders above). Additionally, there are foundations that give for theater in their focus geographic areas: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/fundraising-in-chicago\/gaylord-and-dorothy-donnelley-foundation-chicago-grants.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelly Foundation<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/m-grants\/macarthur-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MacArthur Foundation<\/a> in Chicago; the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/fundraising-los-angeles-grants\/ahmanson-foundation-los-angeles-grants.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ahmanson Foundation<\/a> in Los Angeles; and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grants-b\/brown-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brown Foundation<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/texas-grants\/houston-endowment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Houston Endowment<\/a> in Texas. Theater nonprofits can also find support from a number of family foundations that make grants for theater. Important regrantors in this field include the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nefa.org\/grants\/grant-programs\/national-theater-project\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Theater Project<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/theblackseed.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Black Seed<\/a>, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nlti.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">National Latinx Theater Initiative<\/a>. At the local level, many community foundations give for theater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Areas of theater funding<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Donations and grants for theater support nonprofit theaters, theater festivals, residencies, theater arts education and individual artists such as playwrights and performers. In general, foundations are most likely to support operations, productions and projects, with major theater funders such as the Shubert and Gilman foundations known for providing unrestricted general operating support. Individual donors are often drawn to support capital projects. Support for individual artists comes from a few foundations as well as regrantors focused on specific communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>History of philanthropy for theater<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Theater artists founded numerous nonprofit theater companies across the United States from the 1930s to the 1960s, critic Isaac Butler wrote in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/07\/19\/opinion\/theater-collapse-bailout.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">New York Times<\/a>. Once these organizations were established, private and public funders got involved in supporting them. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/grants-f\/ford-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ford Foundation<\/a>, Butler writes, started making grants to theaters in the 1950s. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/s-grants\/shubert-foundation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Shubert Foundation<\/a>, the nation\u2019s largest funder dedicated to unrestricted funding to nonprofit theater and dance companies, was established in 1945 and started making grants in 1977. Individual donors, including trustees, have long been important funders of nonprofit theaters, but their support has been declining in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gaps in theater funding<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While some other sectors have already recovered from pandemic impacts, nonprofit theaters \u201cneed a longer runway to recovery,\u201d TCG and other advocates explain. Theater organizations were already <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1LRAd_UYq22DXscK4LurLfTV5PC57dHhoIB-8Pxvr3Dg\/edit?pli=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">struggling<\/a> before COVID, and pandemic closures exacerbated budget gaps. While pandemic-era government funding was historic and helpful, foundations and government funders have not yet stepped up with the level of increased funding that is still needed to fill the gaps until nonprofit theaters can fully recover and implement new models to succeed in a changed world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"color:#ddd\" class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\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=\"2024-09-12T09:23:10-07:00\">September 12, 2024<\/time><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px;width:0px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\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-wideleft\" 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-4 gb-is-responsive-column\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-column gb-block-layout-column\"><div class=\"gb-block-layout-column-inner\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-left has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-25180599d95e511ffa03116cedf5db8d\" style=\"color:#d79533\"><strong><strong>Additional Resources<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/circle.tcg.org\/about?ssopc=1\">Theatre Communications Group<\/a> <\/strong>is a significant funding intermediary that has awarded over $43 million in grants, subsidies and scholarships to individuals and theater organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.giarts.org\/\">Grantmakers in the Arts (GIA<\/a>) <\/strong>is the national network of private, public and corporate arts funders focused on providing \u201cleadership and service that advances the use of philanthropic and governmental resources to support the growth of the arts and culture.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.americansforthearts.org\/\">Americans for the Arts<\/a>, <\/strong>which works to advance the arts in the United States, is an important organization for the dance community. Its website includes white papers and research on fundraising trends and best practices.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/culturaldata.org\/\">SMU DataArts<\/a>\u2019<\/strong> mission is \u201cto empower arts and cultural leaders with high-quality data and evidence-based resources and insights that help them to overcome challenges and increase impact.\u201d SMU DataArts provides resources for arts organizations, fundraisers and arts grantmakers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1717795922481_1033\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theperformingartsalliance.org\/\"><strong>The Performing Arts Alliance<\/strong><\/a> is the national policy advocate, leadership forum and learning network for America\u2019s nonprofit performing arts organizations, artists and allies.<\/p>\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<p><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn about theater grants by browsing our curated list of top theater funders below. Members can also research funding opportunities by using the search tool for GrantFinder. 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":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-16751","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\/16751","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=16751"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":224372,"href":"https:\/\/www.insidephilanthropy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16751\/revisions\/224372"}],"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=16751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}