Grants for performing arts centers

629 performing arts centers received at least $62.8 million in grants for the most recent fiscal year. This includes 1,682 grants made from 1,265 grantmaking organizations, with a median grant amount of $2,000. Of these 1,265 foundations, 85% made just a single grant to theater halls, and 2% made grants to four or more theater halls. This analysis is based on grantmakers that e-file their Form 990s, and likely is an undercount of grants.
$62,759,795
Total grant dollars given to performing arts centers
1,682
Number of grants made annually to performing arts centers
1,265
Number of grantmakers funding performing arts centers
$2,000
Median grant size to performing arts centers

Foundations that support performing arts centers

Out of all grants made to performing arts centers, 78% came from small foundations with less than $10 million in assets. The top 10 grantmakers accounted for 94% of the dollar-value of grants to theater halls. Foundations funding theater halls also made grants to theaters, history museums, universities, art museums, and music festivals and events.

Foundation size

Foundation sizeNumber of grantmakers
Small
 
999
Medium
 
157
Large
 
109
Small foundations have <$10M in assets. Medium foundations have $10M to $50M in assets. Large foundations have >$50M in assets.

Foundation type

Foundation typeNumber of grantmakers
Community
 
39
Private
 
1,104
Corporate
 
67
Other
 
55

Grants made

Grants made to theater hallsNumber of grantmakers
1
 
1,078
2-3
 
160
4-10
 
20
11+
 
7

Top 10 foundations supporting performing arts centers

GrantmakerStateGeographic focusPercent of grant dollars to theater hallsNumber of grants made to theater hallsMedian grant size
Community Foundation of Greater Des MoinesIAState0.1%32$1,500
JP Morgan Chase FoundationNYNational0.0%29$300
Seattle FoundationWAState0.0%26$1,000
Baird FoundationWINational0.5%19$500
Community Foundation of Collier CountyFLNational0.2%17$2,500
Chubb Charitable FoundationPANational0.2%13$500
Harkness Foundation for DanceNYMetro1.7%11$1,500
Arkansas Community FoundationARState0.0%8$1,295
Community Foundation for the Greater Capital RegionNYMetro0.4%7$2,000
Shell Oil Company FoundationTXNational0.1%7$1,250

Performing arts centers grantees

Performing arts centers with more than $5 million in total revenues received 92% of all grant dollars. These larger organizations accounted for 56% of all theater halls.

Grant amounts

Size of grantNumber of grants
<$10k
 
1,673
$10k-$25k
 
0
$25k-$100k
 
0
$100k+
 
9

Grant amount by grantee size

Grantee annual revenueMedian grant size
<$100k
 
$2,000
$100k-$500k
 
$2,000
$500k-$1M
 
$2,000
$1M-$5M
 
$2,000
>$5M
 
$1,894

Grantee states

State of granteeNumber of grants
New York
 
414
Florida
 
156
California
 
155
Ohio
 
86
Other
 
871

Grantee metros

Metro area of granteeNumber of grants
New York City
 
379
Los Angeles
 
76
Miami
 
71
Naples
 
44
Other
 
920

Top 25 grants made to performing arts centers

GranteeGrant sizePurposeGrantmaker
the Perelman Center (PACWTC)$15,000,000General And/or Program Support - Donor Advised FundsJewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia (JFGP)
La Jolla Music Society$10,000,000Construction of Performing Arts CenterThe Conrad Prebys Foundation
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts$7,559,164$6,399,800 of Loan Forgiveness To Support the Construction of the Ordway Center Concert Hall. $848,655 To Provide Operating Support for the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Use of the Performing Arts Facility, $35,464 for Joint Programs of the Supported Organizations at Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Facility, and $35,180 To Provide Rent Subsidy for the Community Rentals for the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall. the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts Additionally Received $240,064 To Keep Its Equipment and Facility Up To Date. These Purchases Are Agreed To in A Facilities Plan Reviewed By the Arts Partnership Each Year.Arts Partnership
The Actors Fund$6,187,338UnrestrictedBroadway Cares / Equity Fights Aids
The Actors Fund$6,006,582Covid-19 Grant SupportSAG-AFTRA Foundation
the Perelman Center (PACWTC)$5,000,000The Perelman Performing Arts CenterStarr Foundation
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts$3,225,000Support for the Lincoln Center Theater's Productions During Fiscal Years 2021-2023 and Salary and Benefits of Lincoln Center Theater's Artistic Director and Resident Director During Fiscal Year 2020; General Operating Expenses at Lincoln Center Education; Support for A New Ballet Entitled Rotunda, the Creation of New Ballets, and General Operations at New York City Ballet; and General Operating Expenses at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc.LuEsther T Mertz Charitable Trust
McKnight Center$3,007,997Program SupportOklahoma State University Foundation
The Guild Theatre$3,000,000OtherSilicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF)
Robert W Woodruff Arts Center$5,000Unrestricted GeneralMary W Covey Foundation
The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts$5,000Expansion ProjectRockwell Foundation
Gallo Center for the Arts$5,000To Support Affordable Cultural Opportunities Designed To Appeal, and Be Accessible, To All.Norma and Wendell Reed Foundation
Bedford Playhouse$5,000General FundsThe Newcomer Family Foundation
Robert W Woodruff Arts Center$5,000Civic & CulturalCooper Carry Charitable Foundation
Playwrights Round Table$5,000Support the ArtsViolet and Harold Jaeke Foundation
Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC)$5,000CharitableReed Foundation
Academy Center of the Arts$5,000Performing Arts SchoolAinslie Foundation
Philly POPS$5,000Assistance for Charitable PurposeFoundation for Individual Liberty
Performing Arts Fort Worth$5,000Support OperationsMed Family Benefits Private Foundation
Embassy Theatre Foundation$5,000General OperatingHarold and Rachel Mcmillen Foundation
Pittsburgh Cultural Trust$5,000General & UnrestrictedGlenlaurel Foundation
Community Hall Foundation$5,000To Support the Revitalization of Public Life in Downtown Akron By Providing Funds To Allow the Akron Civic Theater To Complete Renovations Via This Knight Foundation Grant.John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
The Youngstown Playhouse$5,000Youth ProgrammingSenator Maurice and Florence Lipscher Char
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts$5,000Support Kids Programs To Expose Kids To the Arts.InFaith Community Foundation (ICF)
Robert W Woodruff Arts Center$5,000UnrestrictedAkers Foundation
Methodology: To determine grants and grantees, Cause IQ analyzes electronically-filed Form 990, Form 990-EZ, and Form 990-PF financial disclosure documents, matching grantees to specific organizations using EINs and fuzzy matching logic. The "Performing arts centers" category for this page is determined by the "A61: Performing Arts Centers" National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) code. Cause IQ determines NTEEs for organizations by its own internally-developed secret-sauce algorithms.