Dance Funding
Most Recent
“Outsized Philanthropy.” Meet the Family Foundation Giving Chicago Performing Artists Six-Figure Awards
The Walder Foundation’s Platform Awards directly support local artists with $200,000 over three years. Here’s how the program came together, and how it reflects this funder’s goal to punch above its weight.
Alvin Ailey: How a Historic Dance Organization Rakes In Philanthropic Support
The pioneering dancer, choreographer and activist left behind an organization that has tapped deep veins of funder support, including from corporations like Prudential, to build up its impressive array of programs.
The Wallace Foundation Invested $52 Million in Audience Engagement. What Did It Learn?
Through its five-year Building Audiences for Sustainability initiative, Wallace dug deep into the question of how arts organizations can grow their reach and revenue. A new report offers some key findings.
“The Theater Is My Favorite Church.” MAP Fund Supports Artists Through Cash and Coaching
As it backs new performance art, this funder also provides its grantees with something uncommon: personalized coaching through its Scaffolding for Practicing Artists program.
A Tough Nut to Crack: Reflecting on the Delicate Dance of Holiday Fundraising
In her annual holiday posts, Karen Brooks Hopkins, president emerita of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, recalls memorable fundraising stories. This year, “The Nutcracker” and a high-profile donor present a unique challenge.
Funder Spotlight: How the Samuels Foundation Supports the Performing Arts and Healthy Aging
The New York City-based Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation supports performing arts organizations and seeks to improve quality of life for older adults. We take a closer look at its history, grantmaking and more.
“Dance for Every Child.” Catching Up With Educator, Advocate and Philanthropist Jody Gottfried Arnhold
Jody Gottfried Arnhold wants every child in America to have access to dance education. We check in with one of performing arts philanthropy’s most important advocates on the heels of another big gift to advance her goal.
Six Questions for Laura Aden Packer, Howard Gilman Foundation President and CEO
The Howard Gilman Foundation is one of New York City’s most important performing arts funders. We talked with President and CEO Laura Aden Packer about her career path, the health of the city’s arts ecosystem, and more.
IP Briefing: What’s Going On With Philanthropy for Dance?
The dance funding ecosystem is small compared to other performing arts, and the impacts of the pandemic on top of decades of declining public funding mean a growing role for philanthropy. Here’s what you need to know.
COVID-19 Nearly Killed the Performing Arts. Innovations in Funding Can Revive Them
The pandemic was devastating for working artists, many of whom lost their livelihoods. In this guest post, Maurine Knighton of Doris Duke Charitable Foundation shares how powerful unrestricted funding provides a lifeline.
As the Dance Community Struggles Financially During COVID, Performers Suffer the Most
With donations and revenues becoming unreliable at best, leaders in the dance community have had to adapt their fundraising to meet the moment. Nevertheless, individual dancers, in particular, are experiencing severe financial distress.
“This is a Big Leap.” How Are Performing Arts Funders Democratizing Grantmaking?
An IP survey found that performing arts professionals were skeptical about grantmakers’ efforts at reform. But all hope is not lost. Foundations and regranting organizations share how they are fast-tracking democratization efforts.
As Individual Giving Drops, Performing Arts Leaders Weigh in on the State of Fundraising
A new report finds that giving to performing arts organizations fell precipitously in the first nine months of 2020. We explore the pandemic-related dynamics fueling the decline and ask professionals how fundraisers can reverse this trend.
“How Do You Survive?” A Seasoned Dance Funder on the Future of a Struggling Field
Performing arts groups are coming to the realization that it may be at least another year before things return to “normal.” Harkness Foundation for Dance’s Joan Finkelstein offers insights into how the field can navigate the road ahead.
“True Partners.” How Performing Arts Funders Can Support the Field in Difficult Times
Performing arts organizations are in need of funding and guidance in uncertain times. Maurine Knighton, director of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s arts program, explains how funders can be responsive and advance equity.
“Remake the Model.” Philanthropy and the Arts After Coronavirus
As arts funders and nonprofits scramble to stem the impact of COVID-19, many are already looking beyond the pandemic to address glaring structural and operational weaknesses across the arts sector. What might the future hold?
Here’s Why Socially Conscious Younger Donors Will Reshape Arts Philanthropy
Amid a historic wealth transfer, next-gen donors are poised to make their mark on the fast-changing world of arts philanthropy. But what, exactly, do they expect from institutions? And what will it really take to attract their funding?
“We Can Do Better.” An Activist Donor’s Advice on Making the Field of Dance More Equitable
Female ballet dancers are paid less than their male counterparts and are underrepresented across dance companies’ leadership ranks. We check in with donor Elizabeth Yntema on how philanthropy can close the gap.
“An Easy Decision.” Behind a Gift to Reinvent a Dance Company Focused on Social Impact
What draws a donor to offer major support to a dance company? It’s an important question at a moment that performing arts organizations are struggling to connect with funders and audiences alike. A $2 million gift offers some clues.
A Big Gift Offers Clues to the Future of Performing Arts Organizations
The challenges facing regional performing arts organizations are well-documented. News out of Cincinnati, however, finds a ballet troupe experiencing rapid growth and engaging local donors to fund its bold expansion plans.
Sparking Something Bigger: A Donor’s Big Bet on Dance Education is Starting to Pay Dividends
With a second big gift in less than three years, Jody Gottfried Arnhold and her husband John have carved out a distinctive and impactful philanthropic brand around dance education—a niche largely devoid of big-ticket patrons.
With a Growing Stream of Grants, This Stalwart Arts Funder Helps Offset Ominous Trends
Many dance and theater groups continue to grapple with lower box office yields, a shrinking subscriber base, fickle millennials, and declines in public funding. The Schubert Foundation is one of the best friends these nonprofits have.
Charmed and Charitable: The Archetypal Regional Donors Behind a Big Arts Gift
The surge in regional philanthropy is driven by homegrown donors who are stepping up giving, often after decades of steady support. A recent example of this dynamic comes to us from Milwaukee.
Individual Mandate: How Artist Trust in Washington State Provides Support
We write often about the handful of national funders that support individual artists. But there are also some local and regional funders who operate in this space, including Artist Trust, which is based in Seattle.
“Where is the Next Voice?” A New Gender Equity Initiative in a Storied Arts Niche
As arts funders turn their attention to increasing female representation in classical composition and the cinematic arts, we dig into a new initiative focused on the historically male-dominated field of ballet choreography.
The Kids Will Come: More Insights About How Arts Groups Can Engage Millennials
The Wallace Foundation’s latest Building Audiences for Sustainability Story looks at a theater troupe’s successful efforts to attract younger attendees by tapping into the power of market research.
Lifeline: Some Badly Needed Support for Dance-Driven Musicals
Despite a growing appetite for dance-driven musicals, it’s hard for independent artists to develop projects in this space. A funder-backed effort will make it easier.
A Friend Indeed: What This Foundation’s Giving Says About the Future of Arts Philanthropy
The Shubert Foundation’s latest record-breaking grant cycle underscores the growing influence of institutional arts funders in fields that traditionally lack robust individual and public support.
Real Change: How This Grantmaker Got Serious About Diversity
Want to see an example of a funder that went beyond paying lip service to the concepts of diversity and inclusion? Take a look at how Dance/USA changed its ways.
Realignment: A Quick Look at Data-Driven Grantmaking Changes to the National Dance Project
The New England Foundation for the Arts recently assessed the effectiveness of its National Dance Project. Its findings triggered the reallocation of funding while underscoring pressing challenges facing dance.
