Search Through Grants for Performing Arts in New York City, New York in the U.S.

About Us

The Achelis and Bodman Foundation was formally established on November 25, 2015, from the merger of The Achelis Foundation (established in 1940) and The Bodman Foundation (established in 1945).

Program Areas

In keeping with the broad purposes in its charter documents, the Foundation has chosen to spread its grants over six program areas. Most grants are made in New York City, reflecting its dynamic not-for-profit sector, large and persistent needs, and the staff's and Trustees' "local knowledge." The Foundation also makes grants in northern New Jersey in recognition of the Bodman family's ties to that state, with an emphasis on Newark and Monmouth County. Over 90% of grants fall into one of the following categories:

Arts and Culture

Cultural institutions are among New York City’s most valued resources. They attract visitors from around the world and are one reason why so many people choose to live here. They are also major employers and vital to the City’s economy. The arts were important to Miss Achelis and Mr. and Mrs. Bodman, and so the Foundation has continued to support this area, generally through operating grants to the City’s prominent cultural institutions. The Foundation is most likely to support organizations that promote and sustain traditional concepts of artistic excellence. 

Education

The failure of inner-city public education is a national tragedy with enormous consequences for the children in these schools and for society as a whole. The Foundation has long believed that accountability and competition can contribute to the improvement of urban public schools. Therefore, the Foundation has funded charter schools, voucher programs, scholarships to parochial schools, and research that examines the impact of competition and other factors on K-12 educational performance. The Foundation also has an interest in helping young people and adults to realize their dreams of a college education. Finally, the Foundation seeks to promote intellectual excellence and balance at American colleges and universities.

Employment

Chronic unemployment or underemployment is a harsh and demoralizing burden. The welfare reforms of the mid-1990s increased the need for effective job training and placement programs. Such programs are especially critical for ex-offenders, chronic substance abusers, those with low educational attainments, and those suffering from mental or physical disabilities. The Foundation is particularly interested in supporting programs that emphasize the private sector and entrepreneurship.

Health

It is difficult for small grantmakers to make a significant impact in a field as large and complex as healthcare. Therefore, the focus of the Foundation's grants has been on the health needs of poor children, the disabled, and other disadvantaged populations, as well as on basic biomedical research, where a small grant at a pivotal time in a scientist's research can have a disproportionate impact. The Foundation has also supported the work of policy experts evaluating reforms that would improve the healthcare system and make it more accessible and efficient.

Public Policy

Funding in this category covers a broad range of issues including: K-12 education (listed under ), healthcare, families and marriage, crime prevention, prisoner reentry, philanthropy, the environment, welfare reform, and faith and religion. In all areas, the Foundation's grantmaking is guided by a belief in the merits of economic and political liberty, free enterprise, and personal responsibility.

Youth and Families

The disparate needs of New York City's disadvantaged youth and families are served by hundreds, even thousands, of charitable institutions, ranging from established settlement houses to small neighborhood organizations to local houses of worship. The Foundation supports programs that boost academic achievement, provide positive recreational and educational activities for disadvantaged young people, promote good character and values, preserve families, and encourage responsible parenting. In addition, the Foundation has a special interest in programs that prevent criminal behavior, discourage pre-marital sexual activity among teens, and assist vulnerable populations, such as disconnected youth, children who have been in foster care or suffered abuse, the disabled, and the homebound elderly. The Foundation is particularly interested in funding smaller, neighborhood-based organizations that choose to rely on private support rather than government grants or contracts.

The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation promotes the advancement and perpetuation of humanistic inquiry and artistic creativity by encouraging excellence in scholarship and in the performing arts, and by supporting research libraries and other institutions which transmit our cultural heritage.

The programs of the Foundation reflect the interests and patronage of its founders, Gladys Krieble Delmas and Jean Paul Delmas.

Humanities Program

The Foundation intends to further the humanities along a broad front, supporting projects which address the concerns of the historical studia humanitatis: a humanistic education rooted in the great traditions of the past; the formation of human beings according to cultural, moral, and aesthetic ideals derived from that past; and the ongoing debate over how these ideals may best be conceived and realized.

Programs in the following areas are eligible: history; archaeology; literature; languages, both classical and modern; philosophy; ethics; comparative religion; the history, criticism, and theory of the arts; and those aspects of the social sciences which share the content and methods of humanistic disciplines. The Foundation welcomes projects that cross the boundaries between humanistic disciplines and explore the connection between the humanities and other areas of scholarship. Programs of institutions in Venice relating to the humanities are eligible in this category. The geographical concentration is primarily but not exclusively directed toward European and American history and letters, broadly defined.

The Humanities Program is primarily directed to institutions of higher education and humanistic enterprises such as learned societies, museums, and major editorial projects. The program may also consider, on a selective basis, projects that increase the exposure of those outside these institutions to the humanistic experience or that strengthen preparation for the humanistic disciplines. The prime criterion remains that of Gladys and Jean Delmas: a commitment to excellence, whether proven or promised.

Performing Arts Program

Each year, the Foundation supports a limited number of not-for-profit performing arts institutions based in New York City that provide performances in music, dance and theatre. Only established performing or producing entities with a history of appearing at preeminent venues and such venues themselves are eligible. Applicants must be publicly supported organizations described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code; the Foundation does not make grants to fiscal agents. Special initiatives of other institutions, start-up projects, emerging organizations, development campaigns, and building projects are ineligible. Proposals for pre-professional programs and opera are only accepted from past grantees. The Foundation receives many more requests for support than it could ever fund, and for that reason most first-time grant applications are not successful.

Subject to the above requirements, the program supports:

• Dance presenters who make ballet and modern dance available to the public and otherwise provide support to the dance field, as well as a limited number of ballet and modern dance companies.
• Theatre companies and presenters that have demonstrated a commitment to include the classics in their regular offerings.
• Music groups and concert presenters committed to making early music or contemporary repertory available to New York City audiences.

Research Libraries Program

The Research Libraries Program concentrates primarily in those areas of its founders’ interests and aims to be fully complementary to the Foundation’s other program areas (i.e., humanities scholarship, performing arts, and Venetian history and culture).

The overall objective of the Research Libraries Program is to improve the ability of research libraries to serve the needs of scholarship in the humanities and the performing arts, and to help make their resources more widely accessible to scholars and the general public. Wherever possible, grants to libraries seek to promote cooperative cataloging projects, with an emphasis on access to archival, manuscript, and other unique sources; some elements of interpretation and exhibition; scholarly library publications; bibliographical and publishing projects of interest to research libraries; and collection-level preservation/conservation work and research.

Small-scale digitizing is eligible for support when the process is part of a clearly defined and timely scholarly project that incorporates recognized standards for metadata production, for preservation, and for distribution. The Foundation does not support massive digitizing projects of a general nature.

The Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) was established in 1948 as a nonprofit independent public service organization whose mission includes contributing to the public knowledge and appreciation of music, as well as making music a part of every child’s life experience. Headquartered in New York City, the tax-exempt MPTF, operating under section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code, evolved from a landmark collective bargaining agreement between the American Federation of Musicians and the major recording companies of the day. Today the MPTF is a vital organization that brings music to the public and supplements the income of musicians, all at no cost to those receiving this precious gift of music.Funded via a royalty stream from the signatory record labels, led by the three major labels, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and the Warner Music Group, the MPTF today presents thousands of live, admission-free musical programs annually in the United States and Canada. Under the terms of their agreement, the recording companies pay a royalty from the sale of sound recordings to the Fund. These funds are supplemented by co-sponsoring organizations and administered by a Trustee, who is independent of both the recording industry and the AFM.

Programs

The Music Performance Trust Fund brings free, live, professional music programs to communities through a variety of means including large-scale festivals and park concerts; educational activities, teacher training and assemblies in schools; intimate assisted living facility and senior center events; and more. Events are presented in partnership with a number of national and local arts and arts education providers. Our aim is to increase access to enriching, quality musical experiences for public school students, older adults, and those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend professional music performances. 

How to recieve MPTF Funding?

• Contact the musicians’ union serving your area.
• You can also find the union serving your area by going here. Click on ‘For Members’ then on ‘Find My Local’.
• The musicians’ union serves as our representatives.
  • They will guide you through our process and apply to us on your behalf.
• Policies vary from local to local.
  • The local representative will go over their policies and see if you are eligible for MPTF funding.  Once the local union determines you qualify for an MPTF grant, they apply to MPTF.
• All correspondence should be between you and the union representative/office.
  • Should a problem occur, you may contact MPTF  here.

The Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) was established in 1948 as a nonprofit independent public service organization whose mission includes contributing to the public knowledge and appreciation of music, as well as making music a part of every child’s life experience. Headquartered in New York City, the tax-exempt MPTF, operating under section 501(c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code, evolved from a landmark collective bargaining agreement between the American Federation of Musicians and the major recording companies of the day. Today the MPTF is a vital organization that brings music to the public and supplements the income of musicians, all at no cost to those receiving this precious gift of music.

Funded via a royalty stream from the signatory record labels, led by the three major labels, Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and the Warner Music Group, the MPTF today presents thousands of live, admission-free musical programs annually in the United States and Canada. Under the terms of their agreement, the recording companies pay a royalty from the sale of sound recordings to the Fund. These funds are supplemented by co-sponsoring organizations and administered by a Trustee, who is independent of both the recording industry and the AFM.

Programs

The Music Performance Trust Fund brings free, live, professional music programs to communities through a variety of means including large-scale festivals and park concerts; educational activities, teacher training and assemblies in schools; intimate assisted living facility and senior center events; and more. Events are presented in partnership with a number of national and local arts and arts education providers. Our aim is to increase access to enriching, quality musical experiences for public school students, older adults, and those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend professional music performances. 

Music Family Scholarship Requirements

• Submit a headshot
• Personal essay of approximately 500-750 words

The prompt for this year is: Imagine you have been given a budget to organize a free event for your local community, to bring together as many people as possible. What features would you include in the event to foster a sense of unity? Write an essay detailing the event you would create, blending arts and culture, while explaining the impact it would have on the special needs of your community.

About the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music

Chartered in 1962 as a not-for-profit private foundation, the Kurt Weill Foundation for Music preserves and perpetuates the legacies of composer Kurt Weill (1900-1950) and his actress-singer wife Lotte Lenya (1898-1981). Based in New York City, it encourages an appreciation of Weill’s music through support of performances, recordings, and scholarship, while nurturing talent more generally in the creation, performance, and study of musical theater. It maintains the Weill-Lenya Research Center; the annual Lotte Lenya Singing Competition; Weill-Lenya Artist Sponsorships, the Julius Rudel/Kurt Weill Conducting Fellowship, and the Harold Prince/Kurt Weill Directing Fellowship. It has prepared and co-published twelve volumes of the Kurt Weill Edition, with more in preparation. It awards biennially the Kurt Weill Prize for scholarship about music theater. The Foundation’s ongoing communications include its semi-annual Kurt Weill Newsletter, monthly E-News, and lively presence on multiple social media platforms. Since 2012, the Foundation has also administered the musical and literary estate of Marc Blitzstein. The Foundation's eight-member staff happily assists individuals and institutions on a daily basis in response to inquiries about licensing, casting, performing materials, historical and biographical information, and other resources. Overseen and energized by a distinguished and diverse fourteen-member board of trustees, the Foundation functions imaginatively and responsibly as the heir, custodian, and administrator of the rights of Weill, Lenya, and Blitzstein.

Grants Program & Collaborative Initiatives

The Foundation's Grant and Collaborative Initiatives Programs award financial support to individuals and not-for-profit organizations for projects related to Weill, Lenya, or Marc Blitzstein. Since 1983 the Foundation has awarded more than $5,000,000 in grant funding to hundreds of organizations and individuals worldwide. Its Grants and Collaborative Initiatives Programs reflect the Kurt Weill Foundation's commitment to principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. As such, the Foundation ensures that its grant funding is awarded to organizations who have demonstrably committed to and implemented policies ensuring non-discrimination, diversity, and equality in its practices.

The Foundation's Grant Program accepts proposals in the following categories: Professional Performance, College/University and Amateur Performance, Media, Scholarly Symposia and Conferences, Publication Assistance, Research & Travel, and the Kurt Weill Dissertation Fellowship.

College/University and Amateur Performance

Funding of up to $15,000 may be requested by colleges, universities, and amateur performing arts organizations in support of general production expenses for performances of Kurt Weill’s and/or Marc Blitzstein’s stage works, and to cover musical expenses in connection with performances of Weill’s or Blitzstein’s concert works. Applications are reviewed by an independent advisory panel per the KWF’s Evaluation Procedures and Criteria.

The Booth Ferris Foundation was established in 1957 under the wills of Willis H. Booth and his wife, Chancie Ferris Booth. Since that time, over $425 million has been contributed from the Foundation to worthy organizations for a variety of charitable purposes.

Funding Interest: Strengthening New York

The Foundation supports:

Organizations working directly to build vibrant communities and to promote equity for underserved populations in New York City. Support is available for capacity building. Priority organizations will demonstrate a record of strong outcomes in NYC and/or deep impact in the communities they serve.

• Organizations which build the capacity and infrastructure of New York City’s nonprofit sector and work to address issues of systemic inequity.
• Support is available for an organization’s own capacity building or for its capacity building activities on behalf of the field.
• Eligible organizations include:
• Organizations providing capacity building, management or technical assistance to nonprofits in New York City
• Organizations engaged in advocacy or public policy work on behalf of underserved communities in New York City, and
• Organizations supporting and working on behalf of membership agencies or a network of nonprofits
• Organizations working directly to build vibrant communities and to promote equity for underserved populations in New York City. Support is available for capacity building. Priority organizations will demonstrate a record of strong outcomes in NYC and/or deep impact in the communities they serve.

Capacity-Building Guidelines

The Foundation views capacity building as a one-time investment to help an organization increase efficiency and effectiveness. Typically, funds support new expenses, which may become ongoing depending on the project. Requests should cover expenses that an organization would otherwise need to dip into reserve funds or fundraise for. Capacity-building should support the nonprofit’s infrastructure and long-term sustainability, enabling greater performance and impact. Notably, the Foundation does not consider organizational growth or scale a requirement for a successful capacity-building project. The Foundation will consider up to three years of support for competitive projects.

Given that our capacity-building grants are short-term, organizations should demonstrate why the project is a priority now, how they are ready to achieve the project’s goals, and what capacity will be built upon successful completion. Strong proposals will clearly articulate intended goals, a process for measuring outcomes, and describe the capacity that will be built. Proposals resulting in new ongoing costs that must be absorbed into an organization’s budget, should indicate how the project will be sustained once Foundation funds expire.

Performing Arts Grant Guidelines For 2025-26

The Foundation’s core mission in the performing arts is to support the not-for-profit producing and presenting organizations of New York City that deliver the highest quality work on stage in dance, music, opera and theatre regarding both classical legacies and contemporary forms. The Foundation also supports an extremely limited number of pre-professional conservatory and development programs in New York City for early-career artists. In accordance with the wishes of its founders, the Foundation sustains historic levels of support for select constituent organizations of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Having concluded its emergency responses to the Covid pandemic and temporary changes to our application process, the Foundation has fully restored its pre-Covid grantmaking calendar, with four possible ‘due dates’ for the submission of grant applications. Organizations may submit funding requests only once within any given 12-month period.

In accordance with the wishes of its founders, the Foundation’s primary mission is to support New York City’s large-scale dance, music, opera and theatre companies of national and international importance. Continuing that legacy, the Foundation provides major funding to many of the constituent organizations based at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

In addition, the Foundation also sustains commitments to a broader range of New York City’s not-for-profit performing arts producing and presenting organizations. This support is directed primarily at established institutions that have the expertise, knowledge, capacity, and artistic judgment to offer traditional work, new creations, or a varied repertoire that enhances the aesthetic and intellectual life of New York City.

The Foundation also provides grants to an extremely limited number of conservatory and development programs in New York City dedicated to young professionals seeking full-time careers in the performing arts. 

Most performing arts requests to the Samuels Foundation are for general operating support, although we also accept proposals for targeted creative projects, or local season support from New York City performing arts organizations that might otherwise be on tour. 

The Foundation maintains an open-door policy for inquiries, and welcomes new applications that fit within our guidelines from the diverse sectors of New York’s performing arts community. However, it is important that all applicants be aware that the Foundation receives many more requests for support than it could ever fund, and for that reason most first-time grant applications are not successful. Even though 2025-26 funding is unlikely for groups not already on our performing arts roster, we are always interested in learning about additional organizations that match our priorities.  

Our Vision

We envision a thriving and equitable performing arts ecosystem for the city of New York, with reliable and ample philanthropic support.

We envision a city where all performance traditions, disciplines, and conversations are cultivated, cared for, and revered.

We envision a landscape where everyone can access and afford this vibrant ecosystem, and where arts organizations connect deeply and authentically with community.

Our Mission

Howard Gilman believed in the power of the arts to transform lives. In honoring his legacy, the Foundation provides funding and support to New York City-based performing arts organizations that are reflective of our City’s vibrant cultural community.

How We Do It

The Howard Gilman Foundation builds long-term partnerships with performing arts organizations. We primarily invest in organizations’ overall mission and fiscal health by providing general operating support grants. Each year, we add a small number of new organizations to our roster of annual grantees based on their fit within our vision, mission, and current priorities. 

By performing arts organizations, we mean:

• Generative performing arts companies, such as dance companies, music ensembles, theater companies, and multidisciplinary performance groups
• Performing arts presenters and venues
• Service organizations that support the sector, including those focused on residencies, artistic development, advocacy, and administrative and fiscal health

What does the Howard Gilman Foundation fund?

• Generative performing arts companies, such as dance companies, music ensembles, theater companies, and multidisciplinary performance groups
• Performing arts presenters and venues
• Service organizations that support the sector, including those focused on residencies, artistic development, advocacy, and administrative and fiscal health
• Gilman only funds organizations that are based in New York City. We also have specific priorities that we use to determine which new applicants will be added to our roster each year. Those priorities can be found here. 

The Booth Ferris Foundation was established in 1957 under the wills of Willis H. Booth and his wife, Chancie Ferris Booth. Since that time, approximately $425 million has been contributed from the Foundation to worthy organizations for a variety of charitable purposes. 

Funding Interest: Arts & Culture

The Foundation supports arts and culture organizations, including parks and gardens, located in New York City and working directly to enhance the vibrancy and cultural richness of New York City. Arts and culture organizations eligible to apply include performing, presenting, arts education, intermediary, advocacy, public policy and capacity-building organizations.

Support is available for capacity building or capital projects. 

Priority organizations will meet the following criteria:

• Demonstrate standards of artistic excellence
• Engage significant numbers and reach a diverse audience and constituency base
• Maintain an annual budget over $1 million for the last complete fiscal year
• Demonstrate a proven record of success in achieving measurable outcomes
• Maintain a strong track record of fiscal health including sound financial planning and robust funding from diverse sources.

Support is available for an organization’s own capacity building or for its capacity building activities on behalf of a group or network of nonprofits.

Guidelines for capacity building support:

The Foundation supports capacity building activities that build nonprofit infrastructure and sustainability, enabling organizations to achieve greater performance and impact. The Foundation supports activities to strengthen leadership and adaptive capacities, as well as management and technical capacities. Strong proposals will clearly articulate intended goals and a process for measuring capacity building outcomes.

Examples of capacity building activities supported by the Foundation include:

• Adaptive Capacity- Strategic planning, organizational assessment, needs assessment, strategic plan implementation, program evaluation, collaborations and mergers
• Leadership Capacity- Board development, professional leadership development and succession planning
• Management and Technical Capacity- Human resources management, financial management, fundraising, marketing/communications and technology

Guidelines for capital support:

• Capital campaigns and major capital improvement projects must have already met at least 50% of their fundraising goals in order to apply for support.
• Priority will be given to smaller-scale projects and discrete capital requests.

About the Foundation

The Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation was established in 1985 by Mrs. Adams out of her desire to support various charitable initiatives. Arthur Adams was a business entrepreneur who managed the Gary Group of telephone interests in the Midwest. Under his leadership as president and CEO, the Strowger Automatic Electric Company of Chicago developed and patented the dial telephone. Alice (“Elise”) Adams was born in Istanbul, Turkey. Her family relocated to Egypt during her childhood, and she spent much of her time in private school in Switzerland. She became proficient in the use of foreign languages and eventually mastered eleven of them. In the late 1930s, Arthur met and married Elise. They maintained several homes and eventually settled in Miami Beach, Florida. Following Arthur's death in 1958, Elise spent much of her time supporting philanthropic causes until she passed away in 1987.

Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Charitable Foundation Grant

The Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation was established in 1985 as a private foundation to honor its founders, Mr. and Mrs. Adams. The foundation provides grants to charitable organizations primarily to benefit arts, culture, humanities, and education in the Memphis, Miami, and New York City areas.

Program areas

• Arts, culture, and humanities
• Education

About the Foundation

The Kosciuszko Foundation is dedicated to promote educational and cultural exchanges between the United States and Poland and to increase American understanding of Polish culture and history.

Founded in 1925, on the eve of the 150th anniversary of Thaddeus Kosciuszko's enlistment in the American revolutionary cause, the Foundation is a national not-for-profit, nonpartisan, and nonsectarian organization.

The Foundation's work reaches audiences throughout the United States, through its headquarters in New York City and its regional Chapters in Chicago, Denver (Rocky Mountain), Houston (Texas), Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Springfield (New England), Buffalo (Western New York State), Ohio (Cleveland) as well as through its National Advisory Council.

The Kosciuszko Foundation is a membership organization, which is supported by contributions from foundations, corporations, and individuals who share the Foundation's mission of fostering the relations and understanding between the United States and Poland.

Program Description

Kosciuszko Foundation Tuition Scholarships support American students of Polish descent for graduate level studies, such as masters and Ph.D. studies, at colleges and universities in the United States. Scholarships are up to $12,000. Funding is only for full-time studies in the United States and English Schools of Medicine in Poland.  

The CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI) is a transformative incubator that secures two vital yet scarce resources—rehearsal time and performance space—for New York City choreographers and dance companies across the five boroughs. Housed within the City University of New York (CUNY)–the nation’s largest public urban university system–CDI is a residency program that supports local artists, enhances the cultural life and education of college students, and builds new dance audiences at CUNY performing arts centers.

CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI)

New York City choreographers and dance companies are invited to apply for residencies via the CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI). Designed to take advantage of existing facilities while integrating New York City’s dance community with the public university system, the CUNY Dance Initiative provides local artists with rehearsal and performance space on 13 CUNY campuses across the five boroughs, plus 4 partner organizations.

Independent choreographers and professional companies working in a variety of dance styles, from contemporary to classical and culturally specific forms, are encouraged to apply.

Program Description

Initiated in 1985 with the support of Jerome Foundation, Franklin Furnace annually awards grants to early career artists selected by peer panel review to enable them to produce major performance art works in New York City.

The Franklin Furnace FUND for Performance Art is supported by Jerome Foundation, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and biennially by the SHS Foundation in honor of Ruth Hardinger. FUND grants range between $2,000 and $10,000 based on the peer review panel allocation of funding received by Franklin Furnace. Artists from all areas of the world are encouraged to apply; however, artists selected by the panel are expected to present their work in New York City. Full-time students are ineligible.Franklin Furnace has no curator; each year a new panel of artists reviews all proposals. We believe this peer panel system allows all kinds of artists from all over the world an equal shot at presenting their work. Every year the panel changes, as do the definitions of “early career artist” and “performance art.” So if at first you don’t succeed, please try again.Since 1985, the FUND has helped launch the careers of Jo Andres, Tanya Barfield, Jibz Cameron aka Dynasty Handbag, Lenora Champagne, Patty Chang, Papo Colo, Brody Condon, Nicolás Dumit Estévez Raful Espejo Ovalles, Ayana Evans, Karen Finley, John Fleck, Coco Fusco, Kate Gilmore, Pablo Helguera, Donna Henes, Murray Hill, Holly Hughes, Liz Magic Laser, Shaun Leonardo, Taylor Mac, Robbie McCauley, Jennifer Miller, Naeem Mohaiemen, Rashaad Newsome, Clifford Owens, Pope.L, Dread Scott, Pamela Sneed, Fiona Templeton and Diane Torr, among other Franklin Furnace FUND for Performance Art recipients.

Our Mission

Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) creates connections:

• by cultivating bonds between extraordinary artists and communities
• with exemplary performances in active dialogue across the arts
• in our flexible intimate spaces, inviting conversation, and new relationships

Our art and our audiences reflect the dynamic energy of all five boroughs of New York City. We invite everyone to join us as we celebrate creative expression from around the world.

The Democracy Cycle

Over a 5-year period, The Democracy Cycle – a collaboration between the Perelman Performing Arts Center (PAC NYC) and Civis Foundation (an affiliate of Galvan Initiatives) – will commission and develop a total of 25 new performing arts works across the fields of theater, dance, music, opera, and multi-disciplinary performance that express themes related to the nature and practice of democracy, particularly as it is practiced in the United States.

Purpose

Our hope is that the commissioned projects will enrich and expand discussion of and participation in democracy – be it in the national, state, regional, or hyperlocal community realm – as it is practiced within the United States and worldwide. The Democracy Cycle project is inspired by the following beliefs:

• Democratic values are a global expression of humanity’s striving to live with one another with respect and in peace.
• Democracy, as practiced in the United States, includes a history of founding exclusions. It has been, and must continue to be, the ongoing work of our society to expand upon the ideals of inclusivity embedded in our founding documents.
• Democracy faces significant perceived and actual threats in the current moment, both domestically and internationally.
• The Intersection of capitalism and democracy creates both opportunities and tensions.
• Artists are the beating heart of democratic values because of their ability to imagine new worlds, envision new possibilities, and provoke meaningful discourse across divides.

The primary focus of The Democracy Cycle will be on democracy as it is currently being practiced in the United States. However, commissioned projects may include references to democracies worldwide provided they have potential for informing and deepening our understanding of American democracy.

Selection Criteria

Readers and panelists will consider the following in selecting the commissioned projects:

• How does the proposed work expand, critique, or celebrate democracy, the practice of democracy, and democratic ideals?
• How has the artist or artists identified and responded to ideas or themes related to democracy, including core democratic principles and values (ex. political equality, majority rule, minority rights, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, among others.)
• Does the work demonstrate clear potential for generating meaningful reflection and discourse on democracy as demonstrated by project narrative, samples of prior work, and artistic history of its collaborators.

Funding

Each selected artist will receive $60,000 in support, consisting of a commission of $30,000 to create the new work as well as an additional $30,000 in support of the work’s development process (research, readings, workshops etc.).

Jacki Apple Award in Performance and Artist Projects

Franklin Furnace is honored to present the inaugural Jacki Apple Award in Performance and Artist Projects, celebrating the enduring impact of Jacki Apple on the New York art scene.

This award will be an annual award given over the next ten years and reflects Jacki Apple’s commitment to championing artists, demonstrated through her multidisciplinary career as a writer, educator, radio host, and artist since the early 1980s.

The Jacki Apple Award in Performance and Artist Projects is initiated by Jacki’s sister, Marjorie Bank, along with Jeff McMahon, Deborah Oliver, Stuart Jackson-Hughes and Emily Waters. The Jacki Apple Fund is a tribute to Jacki’s lifelong dedication to NY & LA’s avant-garde art communities. Franklin Furnace and sister organization LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions) will each distribute one $10,000 award per year for a total of 20 awards over the coming decade.

Funding

$10,000 to fund projects in performance, media, exhibition, and/or publication.

Our Vision

We envision a thriving and equitable performing arts ecosystem for the city of New York, with reliable and ample philanthropic support.

We envision a city where all performance traditions, disciplines, and conversations are cultivated, cared for, and revered.

We envision a landscape where everyone can access and afford this vibrant ecosystem, and where arts organizations connect deeply and authentically with community.

Our Mission

Howard Gilman believed in the power of the arts to transform lives. In honoring his legacy, the Foundation provides funding and support to New York City-based performing arts organizations that are reflective of our City’s vibrant cultural community.

How We Do It

The Howard Gilman Foundation builds long-term partnerships with performing arts organizations. We primarily invest in organizations’ overall mission and fiscal health by providing general operating support grants. Each year, we add a small number of new organizations to our roster of annual grantees based on their fit within our vision, mission, and current priorities. 

By performing arts organizations, we mean:

• Generative performing arts companies, such as dance companies, music ensembles, theater companies, and multidisciplinary performance groups
• Performing arts presenters and venues
• Service organizations that support the sector, including those focused on residencies, artistic development, advocacy, and administrative and fiscal health

What does the Howard Gilman Foundation fund?

• Generative performing arts companies, such as dance companies, music ensembles, theater companies, and multidisciplinary performance groups
• Performing arts presenters and venues
• Service organizations that support the sector, including those focused on residencies, artistic development, advocacy, and administrative and fiscal health
• Gilman only funds organizations that are based in New York City. We also have specific priorities that we use to determine which new applicants will be added to our roster each year. Those priorities can be found here. 

Van Lier Fellowship Program

The Edward and Sally Van Lier Fellowship Program makes grants to arts organizations to support historically underrepresented artists at two important stages of their artistic development: pre-professional, which describes the training and artistic growth of young people ages 6 to 18, prior to attending college or conservatory programs; and young professional, during which adults ages 18 to 30 seek to establish a career in the arts. We issue a separate Request for Proposals (RFP) for each level of development, typically in alternating years.

About EAG

Founded in 1923, The Episcopal Actors’ Guild (EAG) provides emergency aid and support to professional performers of all faiths who are undergoing financial crisis. We are also dedicated to helping emerging artists advance their careers through scholarships, awards, and performance opportunities. We help qualified performing artists regardless of faith, race, national origin or ethnicity, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, language or political ideology/affiliations. EAG is also a membership organization and welcomes the participation of anyone interested in celebrating the talent and dedication needed to sustain a career in the performing arts. Throughout the year, we host workshops, plays, concerts, and other exciting benefit performances in an effort to raise financial support and community awareness.  

EAG's Open Stage Space Grant

For over 100 years, EAG has provided emergency financial aid and career support to New York City’s professional performing artists. We take pride in our ongoing effort to find new ways to support our vibrant performing arts community. Understanding how challenging it is for emerging theatre companies to find affordable space for creating work in NYC, we introduced the Open Stage space grant in 2017. With Open Stage, we can support theatre companies by giving them an opportunity to create and present work without the challenges that come with finding and maintaining affordable space.

Open Stage grantees receive:

• a $5,600 credit to be used towards booking up to 80 hours in our historic theatre space
• $1,000 from EAG's Teri Black Performance Fund to be used towards performer/director stipends, AND
• limited funding for some specific line items in their production budgets thanks to public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.

The Emma A. Sheafer Charitable Trust provides capacity-building support to performing arts organizations located in New York City.

To enhance the chances of success for applicants, the Trust has implemented a new approach wherein organizations are encouraged to apply based on their primary focus area, which includes dance, theater, or music. Each year, the Trust designates a specific focus area for applications cycling through theater, dance, and music, accordingly. Thus, in 2024 theater organizations are invited to apply. Dance organizations are invited to apply in 2025 followed by music organizations in 2026. The cycle returns to theater organizations in 2027 and continues onward.

If an organization operates within multiple performing arts categories or identifies as a different type of performing arts organization, we invite you to apply under the appropriate year that most aligns with your work.

Funding Interests

• Performing arts organizations with an annual operating budget less than or equal to $1,000,000.

Type of Support

Grants are provided for capacity-building support and small-scale capital projects. Support is not provided for commissions, programs, or project-related requests. Grants may be single year or two-year commitments, and are typically $15,000 – $30,000 annually.

Mission

The mission of the Keith Haring Foundation is to sustain, expand, and protect the legacy of Keith Haring, his art, and his ideals. The Foundation supports not-for-profit organizations that assist children, as well as organizations involved in education, research and care related to AIDS.

Grants

The Keith Haring Foundation was established in 1989 by the late American artist Keith Haring to support US-based non-profit organizations that provide opportunities for young people and those directly impacted by HIV/AIDS. The Foundation is working to break cycles of persistent disparities in healthcare, academic advancement, and employment opportunities.

Areas of Focus

Youth

The Keith Haring Foundation will consider funding requests concentrating on New York City’s most vulnerable youth and adolescents, with the aim of helping them to become self-sufficient adults. Programs that provide long-term support and mentoring to young people are particularly invited to apply.

HIV/AIDS

The Keith Haring Foundation will consider funding requests from organizations that assist residents of NYC and the South-Eastern US who are living with HIV or at high risk of transmission. Priority will be given to serving the populations most vulnerable to HIV infection, poor health outcomes, and its attendant consequences.

Arts & Culture

The Keith Haring Foundation will consider funding requests from institutions that provide educational and cultural enrichment that directly enhances a deeper understanding of Haring’s life and work. Applicants should reflect upon the breadth of their programming and public outreach as it specifically relates to Haring’s legacy of social activism and cultural contribution, and to the historical context of his creative and philanthropic vision.

If your organization has been awarded a grant from the Keith Haring Foundation, please wait two full years before submitting a renewal request. If your organization has not been awarded a grant, please wait one full year before resubmitting.

Mission

The mission of the Lily Auchincloss Foundation is to enhance the quality of life in New York City.

The foundation supports arts, preservation and community programs which serve to enrich the lives of the people of New York City. Our focus is to reach and support small to mid-size organizations throughout the five boroughs.

Fall Cycle - Arts Grants

Please note that Lily Auchincloss Foundation has narrowed the scope of its Arts Grants. Given an overwhelming number of applications in recent years, the Foundation will focus its arts funding on organizations providing the experiences and services described below. Please review this information carefully to assess your eligibility.Lily Auchincloss Foundation recognizes the arts as an essential component of life in New York City. Arts and culture enhance our lives in countless ways, subtle and profound. The Foundation’s Arts Grants support organizations that help to make the city affordable and welcoming for audiences and for artists.Organizations may request general operating support or program support in the following areas:

• Access for Audiences: Lily Auchincloss Foundation funds organizations with a history (3+ years) of providing FREE exhibitions, performances, and events that welcome audiences to take part in arts-based experiences, including arts education programs.
• Access for Artists: Lily Auchincloss Foundation funds organizations providing artists with FREE AND LOW-COST professional support, including studio space, specialized equipment and workshops (i.e. papermaking, glass-making facilities, printmaking studios), and career services.

Arts grants are awarded during our fall cycle.

About 

Founded as Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, LMCC serves, connects, and makes space for artists and community.

Since 1973, LMCC has been the champion for independent artists in New York City and the cultural life force of Lower Manhattan.

We envision New York City as a place in which artists and community in dialogue are creating a more just, equitable, and sustainable society.

Creative Engagement Grants

Creative Engagement is an arts funding program that provides grants to individual artists and nonprofit organizations for projects and activities that offer Manhattan communities diverse artistic experiences. Each year, the program supports over 200 arts projects in Manhattan, including concerts, performances, public art, exhibitions, screenings, festivals, workshops, readings, and more. Through this grant program, LMCC will award over $500,000 for projects serving Manhattan communities from Inwood to the Battery, taking place between the specified date range.

Funding is provided for projects in the performing, literary, media, and visual arts, ranging from folk/traditional forms to contemporary and socially - engaged artistic practices. Supported activities include concerts, performances, public art, exhibitions, screenings, festivals, workshops, readings, and more. 

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council

Founded as  LMCC serves, connects, and makes space for artists and community. Since 1973, LMCC has been the champion for independent artists in New York City and the cultural life force of Lower Manhattan. We envision New York City as a place in which artists and community in dialogue are creating a more just, equitable, and sustainable society.

Our Mission: To create a fertile and nurturing environment for artists and arts groups, enlivening public spaces with free programs in the visual, performing, and new media arts, and to provide leadership in cultural planning and advocacy.

Manhattan Arts Grants: Creative Engagement

Since 1983, LMCC’s Manhattan Arts Grants have supported Manhattan-based artists, arts groups and community-focused organizations in accessing public funds for the presentation of rich arts activities with the public. These projects have been integral to the cultural vibrancy and arts-driven resiliency of Manhattan

With support from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation, LMCC’s Creative Engagement, Creative Learning and UMEZ Arts Engagement programs provide technical support to applicants and awards grants to enable hundreds of arts projects in all disciplines, serving Manhattan communities from Inwood to The Battery.

Our grants are often among the first awards an artist or group receives and can help recipients to leverage additional support from other sources. 

Creative Engagement is designed to support Manhattan-based artists, arts groups and community-focused organizations in accessing public and private funds to share arts activities with the public. The program is comprised of three funds: City funds, provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs’ Greater New York Arts Development Fund, State funds, provided by the New York State Council on the Arts’ (NYSCA) Statewide Community Regrants program, and funds provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation. Funding is intended for artists and organizations that are not able to apply directly to these agencies for arts funding.

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council

Founded as  LMCC serves, connects, and makes space for artists and community. Since 1973, LMCC has been the champion for independent artists in New York City and the cultural life force of Lower Manhattan. We envision New York City as a place in which artists and community in dialogue are creating a more just, equitable, and sustainable society.

Our Mission: To create a fertile and nurturing environment for artists and arts groups, enlivening public spaces with free programs in the visual, performing, and new media arts, and to provide leadership in cultural planning and advocacy.

Manhattan Arts Grants: Creative Learning

Since 1983, LMCC’s Manhattan Arts Grants have supported Manhattan-based artists, arts groups and community-focused organizations in accessing public funds for the presentation of rich arts activities with the public. These projects have been integral to the cultural vibrancy and arts-driven resiliency of Manhattan

With support from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation, LMCC’s Creative Engagement, Creative Learning and UMEZ Arts Engagement programs provide technical support to applicants and awards grants to enable hundreds of arts projects in all disciplines, serving Manhattan communities from Inwood to The Battery.

Our grants are often among the first awards an artist or group receives and can help recipients to leverage additional support from other sources. 

Creative Learning is designed to support Manhattan’s teaching artists and small arts organizations in accessing public funds to provide community-based arts education projects and programming for older adults. The program is comprised of two funds: City funds, provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs’ Greater New York Arts Development Fund, and State funds, provided by the New York State Council on the Arts’ (NYSCA) Statewide Community Regrants program. Funding is intended for artists and organizations that are not able to apply directly to the City and/or State for arts funding.

Lower Manhattan Cultural Council

Founded as  LMCC serves, connects, and makes space for artists and community. Since 1973, LMCC has been the champion for independent artists in New York City and the cultural life force of Lower Manhattan. We envision New York City as a place in which artists and community in dialogue are creating a more just, equitable, and sustainable society.

Our Mission: To create a fertile and nurturing environment for artists and arts groups, enlivening public spaces with free programs in the visual, performing, and new media arts, and to provide leadership in cultural planning and advocacy.

Manhattan Arts Grants: UMEZ Arts Engagement

Since 1983, LMCC’s Manhattan Arts Grants have supported Manhattan-based artists, arts groups and community-focused organizations in accessing public funds for the presentation of rich arts activities with the public. These projects have been integral to the cultural vibrancy and arts-driven resiliency of Manhattan

With support from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Howard Gilman Foundation and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation, LMCC’s Creative Engagement, Creative Learning and UMEZ Arts Engagement programs provide technical support to applicants and awards grants to enable hundreds of arts projects in all disciplines, serving Manhattan communities from Inwood to The Battery.

Our grants are often among the first awards an artist or group receives and can help recipients to leverage additional support from other sources. 

UMEZ Arts Engagement is a grant program designed to support Upper Manhattan artists and arts organizations in accessing Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ) funds for presentations that enhance the diversity and frequency of cultural presentations in Upper Manhattan. UMEZ Arts Engagement invites proposals from artists and arts organizations of diverse disciplines, practices, cultural backgrounds, and career stages that are 1) based in Upper Manhattan and 2) presenting art projects or programming in Upper Manhattan, making their work more widely available to the public.

Jonathan Larson Grants

The Jonathan Larson Grant is an unconditional annual investment in individual talent. The grant is awarded to musical theatre composers, lyricists, and librettists, or writing teams, early in their career, to support artistic endeavors and safeguard long-term music writing careers.

Jonathan Larson was a man who called the East Village home, relishing the bohemian life of downtown New York in the late eighties and early nineties. A life-long musical theatre lover, Larson worked tirelessly to develop his own musical vision for the stage. After nearly a decade of writing and composing, Larson’s rock musical “Rent,” a gritty urban update to Puccini’s “La Bohème,” premiered to enormous critical and popular success. The show reflected Larson’s personal story as a struggling artist living in Alphabet City, getting by with the support of his contemporaries.

Tragically, Larson passed away suddenly the night before previews for the show began. The inspiring nature and brave subject matter of “Rent,” however, gave the show a life of its own and established Larson as the voice of a new generation on stage. The show, and its creator posthumously, won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and four Tony Awards. “Rent” remains a celebrated musical and cultural touchstone today.

The few grants Larson received inspirited him with the professional confidence to continue pursuing musical theatre and, ultimately, to finish “Rent.” Today, Jonathan Larson Grants are awarded to musical writers with the potential to create work that shapes contemporary culture. We give writers free reign to put the grant’s resources towards what they see as the best use for furthering their creative endeavors with the hope that the grant will provide the support necessary for artists to see their work from concept to cultural success.

Thanks to the resources of the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation and the generosity of the Larson Family, the program will be sustained in a permanent home at the American Theatre Wing.

Recording grants for recipients are made possible with support from the Saw Island Foundation.

NYFA’s Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program

Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program

• Pair with an artist mentor for 1-on-1 Support
• Connect with immigrant artist communities

The only known program of its kind in the United States, NYFA’s Immigrant Artist Mentoring Program provides foreign-born emerging artists with 1-on-1 career support, community, and exposure for their work.

Named one of the “10 Best Mentorship Programs in the U.S. for Post Grads” by Time Out, this program has built a strong network of more than 525 immigrant artists from 76 countries and regions since it was founded in 2007.

Historically, NYFA has brought the program to Denver, CO; Detroit, MI; Newark, NJ; NYC; Oakland, CA; and San Antonio, TX; serving artists in Visual/Multidisciplinary Art, Performing and Literary Arts, and Social Practice disciplines.

This competitive program is provided free of charge to accepted applicants.

Program Highlights

1-on-1 mentorship

Provide one-on-one support. The program pairs immigrant artists with artist mentors who guide them to achieve specific goals and provide them with broader access to the New York cultural world through an exchange of ideas, resources, and experiences.

Professional Development

Workshops that provide artists with the fundamental principles of sustainability in the arts (previous topics: cultivating relationships with curators, strategic planning, finance, marketing, and fundraising, etc.)

Exhibition Opportunity

Opportunity to be selected to exhibit your work in In/Between, an annual immigrant artist group exhibition scheduled to take place in spring 2026 in partnership with New York Live Arts.

Networking Opportunities

With the program cohort, IAP Mentoring Program alumni, arts professionals, and staff members from various arts organizations, including our Cultural Partners in the NYC area and beyond.

Arts-in-Education Training

Opportunity to participate in professional development training designed for ProjectArt’s Teaching Artist Residency, observe classes, and receive 1:1 consultation from a Resident Teaching Artist. In partnership with ProjectArt.

Featured in Immigrant Artist Newsletter

Opportunity to be highlighted in NYFA’s Immigrant Artist Program Monthly Newsletter.