Best Grants for Dance Nonprofit Organizations in Kentucky

South Arts Inc

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, South Arts is a nonprofit regional arts organization empowering artists, organizations, and communities, and increasing access to arts and culture.

In partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the State Arts Agencies of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee — with additional funding from other public and private donors such as the Doris Duke Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and Mellon Foundation — South Arts supports artists and organizations through a rich and responsive portfolio of grants, fellowships, and programs. Why? Because South Arts believes that the arts elevate the region, increasing connectedness and inspiring meaningful change in the process.

Our mission: Advancing Southern vitality through the arts.

Arts in Community Grants

Program Description

Arts in Community Grants are designed to support deeper engagements between Southern communities and artists. Through these grants supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, we aim to increase access to the arts, expand audiences for artists, and broaden our reach. Eligible projects require a Southern artist/company visiting another Southern state for public activities, offering access to arts programming by professional artists. Funding supports Southern film directors, traditional artists, visual artists, performing artists, or writers:

• film (documentary, fiction, experimental, and animation),
• traditional arts (music, dance, storytelling, and visual arts/crafts),
• visual arts (crafts, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media),
• performing arts (theater, music, opera, musical theater, and dance), and
• literary arts (fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry).

Projects require an artist or artist ensemble and a host or partner organization. Project must include at least two in-person or live, virtual public activities – both a public presentation (a film screening, performance, reading, or exhibition) and an educational/community engagement activity (a workshop, demonstration, lecture, facilitated discussion, or master class). The grant requires a dollar-for-dollar cash match.

Women-identifying individual artists in the U.S., including those creating dance-related or performance-based environmental projects, can apply for up to US $20,000 to advance existing work through the Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants. Grants from New York Foundation for the Arts support environmentally engaged art with free public engagement completed by August 2026.

Kentucky arts and cultural nonprofits offering programs in the arts or sciences, especially those engaging youth or developing artistic talent, can access funding through William Randolph Hearst Foundation for program, capital, and limited general or endowment support. Eligible U.S. 501(c)(3) institutions with audited expenses over $2 million may benefit, including dance, ballet, museums, symphonies, and performing arts centers, with awards more than US $100,000.

Theresa Alessandra Russo Foundation Inc

The Theresa Foundation honors the memory of Theresa Alessandra Russo by touching the lives of children with special needs and their families. The Foundation fosters each child’s unique abilities by supporting programs focusing on art, music, dance, drama, and recreation.

The Theresa Foundation has a vision of the world where artistic expression and physical recreation are just as important to adults as they are to children. We believe in a world where every child, regardless of ability or challenging conditions, is free to communicate through and participate in every art or recreational activity. A society without art is a society without soul. Art enables us to express our inner thoughts, fears, joys, and sadness.  

The Theresa Foundation Grant Program

The Theresa Foundation Grant Program is committed to providing financial support for programs in art, music, dance, drama, or recreation that are designed specifically for children with special needs in order to ensure that no one is excluded from these activities. 

We believe that every individual should have the opportunity to participate in art, music, dance, drama or recreation if they so choose. Our grant program works to provide direct funding for the success of these activities, while also promoting an environment of acceptance and inclusiveness where all can take part without judgment or fear. 

As of 2026, the Theresa Foundation has provided over $3,300,000 in grant funding for over 200 programs in 29 states throughout the country and 4 international grants. With your help we can continue to make a difference in the lives of those with special needs by providing them access to enriching experiences that would otherwise be out of reach. 

Experienced SHAPE America members advancing measurement and evaluation in health and physical education can be honored through this national lifetime achievement award, including those in Kentucky. With a mission to advance professional practice and research, Society of Health and Physical Educators recognizes individuals whose substantial scholarly work has significantly shaped theory and application in the field.

Dance and sports educators and advocates in Kentucky and across the U.S. can seek funding for projects that expand opportunities for girls and women in sport, including dance. The Society of Health and Physical Educators offers the NAGWS Legacy Award, a US $1,000 annual grant for research, programs, or professional development honoring this legacy.

New and current NDP dance grantees, as well as U.S.-based presenters, curators, and residency staff planning NDP-funded dance tours in Kentucky, can receive up to US $500 for domestic travel costs. New England Foundation for the Arts supports in-person meetings, site visits, and tour planning to advance National Dance Project works across the U.S.

Kentucky graduate students in dance, physical education, health, or recreation can access funding through the Ruth Abernathy Presidential Scholarship to support their advanced studies. Offered by the Society of Health and Physical Educators, this U.S.-wide award provides US $1,750 plus a three-year SHAPE America membership for outstanding SHAPE America members.

Undergraduate students in Kentucky majoring in dance, health, physical education, recreation, or related fields can receive US $1,250 to support their studies through the Ruth Abernathy Presidential Scholarship. Offered by the Society of Health and Physical Educators, this award recognizes SHAPE America members with strong academics, leadership, service, and character.

Individuals with cystic fibrosis seeking support for dance, horseback riding, swimming, or golf can receive up to US $750 in activity costs through BreatheStrong CF’s Loretta Morris Memorial Grants. Focused on active living, this program primarily serves California residents and may benefit those involved in dance-focused programs similar to Kentucky organizations.

Native-led performing arts organizations and individual Native dance, theater, music, or multidisciplinary artists in Kentucky can receive US $30,000 for live productions that are actively in development or presentation. First Peoples Fund supports U.S.-based Native creators 18+ producing live, in-person or virtual performances featuring multiple Native performers and artists.

High school seniors in New Jersey’s Morris County pursuing post-secondary arts education in dance, drama, visual arts, or music can receive $5,000 toward tuition through the Elaine Ehlers Arts Scholarship. Grants from Arts Council of the Morris Area help students with strong artistic excellence, including those involved in dance, further their formal training.

High school seniors pursuing dance, drama, visual arts, or music can receive the Eugenie Coladarci Arts Scholarship to support tuition at an accredited arts or college program. Morris County, New Jersey students in these disciplines may be eligible; dance-focused youth organizations in Kentucky could share this opportunity with qualified students they serve.

Arts nonprofit organizations in Kentucky seeking general operating support can apply for the Sustaining Impact Grant for returning applicants, with awards up to US $500,000. Fund for the Arts supports programs in dance and other arts disciplines that demonstrate community impact, community engagement, and strong operations and sustainability in eligible Kentucky and nearby Indiana counties.

Funded arts nonprofit organizations in Kentucky can receive general operating support for programming in music, dance, theater, visual and media arts, and more. Fund for the Arts offers Sustaining Impact Grants up to US $500,000, prioritizing community impact, equity, diversity and inclusion, and strong operations for groups serving the Greater Louisville region.

Dance and other performing arts organizations and artists in Kentucky can apply for Fund for the Arts’ Event Artist opportunity; awards US $100 - US $500 for paid appearances at community and workplace events. Eligible applicants include individuals, collectives, non-501(c)(3) groups, and nonprofits based in the Greater Louisville area.

Professional dance companies and other performing ensembles in Kentucky can seek general operating or project support for live performances of contemporary American classical concert music. Focused on classical music, opera, and dance, the Alice M. Ditson Fund supports organizations with a strong track record of presenting works by younger or lesser-known living American composers, including those using a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor.

Graduate students from eligible Asian countries in arts and cultural fields, including dance, studying full-time in the U.S. can receive US $15,000 for one academic year to cover travel and living expenses. Asian Cultural Council supports coursework-based graduate study, which may benefit Kentucky dance-focused students enrolled in accredited U.S. programs.

The McGraw Foundation offers annual grants to not-for-profit organizations, primarily in the greater Chicago area, focusing on education, conservation, and human services. Grant amounts typically range from $2,000 to $10,000, with larger grants available for particularly impactful projects. While supporting diverse initiatives, the Foundation does not fund individuals or specific events. Organizations must be tax-exempt under IRS regulations to qualify for funding. The Foundation encourages innovative approaches and partnerships in grant applications.

Tara Lynn Clossman Memorial Fund

Established by the Clossman family and many others in memory of Tara Clossman, who passed away suddenly in 2016 at the age of 25, to provide postsecondary scholarships to Akron City School District high school seniors pursuing a career in dance or education.

Amount:

• Varies ($1,000 minimum)

Number of awards:

• Varies

Renewal:

• No

Washington County Community Foundation

The Washington County Community Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life in Washington County by promoting and facilitating philanthropy. We accomplish this by assuming four philanthropic roles of Grantmaker, Donor Service Organization, Fundraiser, and Community Leader. Fostering philanthropy by offering charitable gifting opportunities to donors on an individualized basis and at reasonable fees, we make charitable giving easier, more satisfying, and more effective. 

The Foundation is a tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation organized under the laws of Pennsylvania, which is registered with the Pennsylvania Charities Bureau and annually files the Federal Form 990.

Scholarships for Post-Secondary (Undergraduate) School

The Foundation provides both need-based and merit-based scholarships to students in Washington County, with a few scholarships also available to students in Greene County. All scholarships are made payable to the educational institution the student is attending. 

Carol L. Berthold Scholarship Fund for Dance

For a current year graduating senior who is pursuing a degree in dance at an accredited post-secondary educational institution and demonstrates both financial need and academic excellence. The award is renewable annually, provided the recipient remains enrolled in the dance program and in good academic standing (as defined by the institution).

Shawnee Fine Arts Club Scholarship

Provides a scholarship to graduating seniors of Shawnee High School, Liberty Academy, or home-schooled residents of Shawnee, Oklahoma with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7. Student must be accepted into the university of their choice, majoring in music, visual arts, dance, or drama.

Our Mission

Empower donors to fulfill their passions and dreams by establishing charitable vehicles designed to create a positive and enduring impact on Jewish Buffalo, Western New York and the World.

Geoff Richter Performing Arts Award

The Geoff Richter Performing Arts Award Committee announces the availability of an Award up to $2,000! The GRPAA was founded in memory of Geoff Richter, Western New York Musician and Educator of the Arts.

About Geoff Richter

A native of Eden, New York, Geoff received his Bachelor of Music degree with a Performer’s Certificate in trumpet and a Master’s with a Performers Fellowship, from the Eastman School of Music.

Geoff played trumpet professionally with the Rochester, San Antonio, and Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestras and Niagara Falls, Binghamton, Chautauqua, Orchard Park, Clarence, Cheektowaga, and Amherst Symphony Orchestras. He co-founded the Buffalo Brass Quintet, the Buffalo Niagara Concert Band, and The Frankfurters, an internationally known Bavarian show band. He also acted as the summer/pops conductor of the Erie County Wind Ensemble and the Amherst Symphony Orchestra.

After retiring from a long career at Williamsville North High School, Geoff started working part time as director of the orchestra for musicals at St. Joseph Collegiate Institute. He also worked with the Mount Saint Mary Academy band and recruited and directed the orchestra for the annual school musical.

The NAACP X Society Awards Scholarship

The NAACP x Society Awards Scholarship is one of many funding opportunities available to students through NAACP's Inspire Initiatives. We offer scholarships to outstanding and qualified students pursuing undergraduate degrees. Through the generosity of our donors, we advance efforts to ensure equity in educational opportunity that prepares students for success in school, work, and life.

Scholarship amount: $1,000 to $5,000

This is a non-renewable scholarship opportunity.

What is Emergency Assistance Fund

Emergency Financial Assistance is available to eligible performing arts and entertainment professionals:

• In times of unexpected critical need.
• To assist towards basic living expenses, such as health care, housing and utilities to prevent eviction or shut-offs.

Hunter Brown Emergency Assistance Fund

The Hunter Brown Emergency Assistance Fund offers emergency financial assistance to current or former employees of Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

The BTCF: Simple Gifts Fund Grant supports young artists aged 13-19 in the Berkshire Taconic region, providing financial assistance for summer enrichment programs in the arts. Established in 1998 in memory of folk singer Bill Crofut, the fund aims to empower youth through small grants that can cover costs for tuition, art supplies, or living expenses. The grant fosters creativity and personal growth, ensuring that young individuals have opportunities to pursue their passions.

The Lazarus Family Scholarship in Bioethics and Humanities, offered by the AMA Foundation, supports students engaged in bioethics or the humanities, including art, music, and literature. This scholarship aims to foster the next generation of physician leaders by providing financial assistance to those who are committed to advancing health equity and community service. By recognizing diverse fields of study, it emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in medicine and the humanities.