Theater
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.
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.
Improving Nonprofit Tech Can Be Tricky. Here’s How One Funder Is Getting it Right
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Digital Accelerator Program just announced an open call for applications. The growing program offers a useful window into the challenges surrounding nonprofit tech, and of the importance of funding it.
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.
Lieutenant Dan: A Close Look at Actor Gary Sinise’s Longstanding Support for Veterans
Known in part for his role as platoon leader Lt. Dan Taylor in “Forrest Gump,” the actor has been engaged in veterans-focused giving for decades. We connected with Sinise to get the inside story.
“You Have to Actually Change.” A Major Theater Funder’s Quest to Diversify Its Decision-Making
The New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Theater Project has evolved significantly over the last 10 years. We walk through some key takeaways from a report on its work with program director Quita Sullivan.
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.
“A Series of Compounding Crises.” The State of Post-Pandemic Theater Fundraising
Three years after the pandemic, audiences haven’t returned to live theater en masse and donors are wary of a recession. Theatre Communications Group’s Teresa Eyring and other leaders help us navigate a fraught landscape.
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 Theater?
Like all the performing arts, theater has been hit hard by the pandemic, and funders are making moves to bolster the nonprofit theater world now and into the future. Here’s our rundown of who’s doing what.
“Removing the Tuition Barrier.” Unpacking David Geffen’s Big Gift to Yale’s Drama School
A $150 million gift from David Geffen will make Yale University’s drama school tuition-free. We look at how free graduate school may be the next frontier for donors concerned about accessibility at elite schools.
How Theater Fundraisers Have Struggled—and Adapted—During a Year of COVID
Performance spaces have been closed for over a year now, and it remains unclear when reliable revenue from ticket sales will return. We check in with theater fundraisers on how they’ve adapted during COVID, and their plans for the future.
After a BIPOC Theater Coalition’s Bold Call to Action, Have Funders Stepped Up?
Over the summer, a coalition of BIPOC theater professionals published a list of demands to make the field more equitable, under the banner “We See You, White American Theatre.” Are grantmakers rising to the challenge?
“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.
How Can Philanthropy Best Support School Theater Programs Shuttered by the Pandemic?
The pandemic has devastated the nation’s school theater programs, which rely heavily on ticketed revenue. We check in with Educational Theatre Association’s Julie Cohen Theobald to discuss philanthropy’s role in the path forward.
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.
“A Huge Leap of Faith.” How a Nonprofit Theater Created a Relief Fund for its Actor Community
Theatre of the Oppressed NYC created a COVID-19 relief fund for its actors using emergency grants and converted program funds. Executive Director Meggan Gomez tells us how they did it and how funders can advance equity.
As Revenues Evaporate, Arts Institutions Adapt Their Fundraising to Survive
Forced closures and reduced attendance mean museums and performing arts groups are losing the bulk of their income. They’ll need to lean heavily on fundraising to survive—and get creative about it.
“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?
“Creating Social Capital.” Behind a Corporate Funder’s Support for Theater
Conventional wisdom suggests corporate funders aren’t all that interested in supporting the performing arts. So why did Bank of America provide an infusion of funding for an innovative theater grants program?
“Deepen People’s Commitment.” With Funder Help, a Theater Company Boosts Engagement
Five years ago, the Wallace Foundation began a $52 million initiative to help performing arts organizations attract and retain new audiences. We check in on one grantee’s efforts at rolling out engagement programs based on data.
“Play the Long Game.” Talking Philanthropy and Theater With a Seasoned Arts Leader
Susan Medak has witnessed some profound changes across the theater funding landscape since assuming the role of Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s managing director in 1990. We talk with her about some of the sector’s biggest challenges.
Arts Funding is on the Chopping Block in Many States. Can Donors Fill the Gap?
As state governments cuts support for the arts, regional donors often try to fill the gap. For a particularly stark example of this phenomenon, we turn our attention to Florida, where private wealth is offsetting some cuts to public arts funding.
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.
What a Foundation’s Backing for “Social Impact Theatre” Says About the Arts Funding World
Funder interest in the intersection of art and social justice remains strong. A case in point is the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, which will soon make its first round of grants to back theater performances that “take on relevant social issues.”
Deeply Involved: Hands-on Giving to the Performing Arts by an L.A. Couple
Los Angeles-area lawyer David Gindler and his wife Kiki Ramos Gindler have emerged as top local arts funders in recent years. They are likely to play a hands-on role in the organizations that they support.
Fueled by Wealth From Broadway, a Theater Couple Gives for the Arts and More
Stewart F. Lane and his wife Bonnie Comley have collectively produced over 40 Broadway shows, making a fortune along the way—wealth that underwrites philanthropy focused on the arts and their alma maters.
King of the Road: A Stalwart Funder Expands Its Support for Touring Theater Outfits
By increasing its payout to National Theater Project winners, the New England Foundation for the Arts is another institutional grantmaker providing critical support for traditionally underfunded arts fields.
