Grants for performing arts organizations

7,814 performing arts organizations received at least $276.3 million in grants for the most recent fiscal year. This includes 13,032 grants made from 5,783 grantmaking organizations, with a median grant amount of $2,000. Of these 5,783 foundations, 61% made just a single grant to performing arts orgs, and 10% made grants to four or more performing arts orgs. This analysis is based on grantmakers that e-file their Form 990s, and likely is an undercount of grants.
$276,340,797
Total grant dollars given to performing arts organizations
13,032
Number of grants made annually to performing arts organizations
5,783
Number of grantmakers funding performing arts organizations
$2,000
Median grant size to performing arts organizations

Foundations that support performing arts organizations

Out of all grants made to performing arts organizations, 81% came from small foundations with less than $10 million in assets. The top 10 grantmakers accounted for 61% of the dollar-value of grants to performing arts orgs. Foundations funding performing arts orgs also made grants to theaters, music festivals and events, symphony orchestras, arts education nonprofits, and performing arts centers.

Foundation size

Foundation sizeNumber of grantmakers
Small
 
4,732
Medium
 
659
Large
 
389
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
 
116
Private
 
5,149
Corporate
 
199
Other
 
319

Grants made

Grants made to performing arts orgsNumber of grantmakers
1
 
3,566
2-3
 
1,581
4-10
 
551
11+
 
85

Top 10 foundations supporting performing arts organizations

GrantmakerStateGeographic focusPercent of grant dollars to performing arts orgsNumber of grants made to performing arts orgsMedian grant size
Community Foundation of Greater Des MoinesIAState0.7%196$1,600
Seattle FoundationWAState0.3%171$1,601
Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee (CFMT)TNMetro0.5%135$1,500
JP Morgan Chase FoundationNYNational0.1%133$350
The Rhode Island FoundationRIMetro0.4%117$1,000
D'addario FoundationNYNational50.0%110$2,214
Shell Oil Company FoundationTXNational0.8%105$1,000
Abbvie FoundationILNational0.1%78$197
Baird FoundationWINational2.0%76$600
Chubb Charitable FoundationPANational1.1%67$500

Performing arts organizations grantees

Performing arts organizations with more than $5 million in total revenues received 91% of all grant dollars. These larger organizations accounted for 31% of all performing arts orgs.

Grant amounts

Size of grantNumber of grants
<$10k
 
12,995
$10k-$25k
 
0
$25k-$100k
 
0
$100k+
 
37

Grant amount by grantee size

Grantee annual revenueMedian grant size
<$100k
 
$1,700
$100k-$500k
 
$2,000
$500k-$1M
 
$2,000
$1M-$5M
 
$2,000
>$5M
 
$2,000

Grantee states

State of granteeNumber of grants
New York
 
2,261
California
 
1,398
Illinois
 
703
Florida
 
636
Other
 
8,034

Grantee metros

Metro area of granteeNumber of grants
New York City
 
1,999
Chicago
 
666
Los Angeles
 
511
San Francisco
 
394
Other
 
8,391

Top 25 grants made to performing arts organizations

GranteeGrant sizePurposeGrantmaker
Philadelphia Orchestra Association$55,000,000Arts & CultureSilicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF)
the Perelman Center (PACWTC)$15,000,000General And/or Program Support - Donor Advised FundsJewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia (JFGP)
Houston Symphony Society$13,040,452Loan GaranteeHouston Symphony Endowment
San Diego Symphony Orchestra Association$10,233,865GeneralJewish Community Foundation of San Diego
La Jolla Music Society$10,000,000Construction of Performing Arts CenterThe Conrad Prebys Foundation
Omaha Symphony Association$8,422,465OperatingThe Holland Foundation
Harlem School of the Arts$7,988,000CharitableHerb Alpert Foundation
Indiana Symphony Society$7,771,927To Fund Operating Expenses, Rent, Education, and Artistic Endeavors.Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Foundation
Indiana Symphony Society$7,771,927FMVIndianapolis Symphony Orchestra 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
Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO)$6,992,757Operations, SupportDallas Symphony Foundation
The Actors Fund$6,187,338UnrestrictedBroadway Cares / Equity Fights Aids
The Actors Fund$6,006,582Covid-19 Grant SupportSAG-AFTRA Foundation
American Repertory Theatre (ART)$5,473,469CashHarvard University
Carnegie Hall / The Carnegie Hall Corporation$5,000,000Performing ArtsThe Kovner Foundation
the Perelman Center (PACWTC)$5,000,000The Perelman Performing Arts CenterStarr Foundation
Joe's Pub$4,575,000General Support During Fiscal Year 2020.LuEsther T Mertz Charitable Trust
Joyce Theater Foundation$4,125,000General Operating Support Over the Course of 5 To 7.5 Years.LuEsther T Mertz Charitable Trust
Los Angeles Philharmonic Association (LAP)$4,101,966ArtsCalifornia Community Foundation
San Francisco Opera$4,000,000Challenge Grant Match of $4 Million for Multi Year Pledge of $16 Million.Goatie Foundation TA 20
Houston Symphony Society$3,802,023CashHouston Symphony Endowment
Los Angeles Philharmonic Association (LAP)$3,589,540General SupportMusic Center Foundation
Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO)$3,500,000Special Distribution of Principal Under Sect 3.3 of the Endowment AgreementDallas Symphony Foundation
Kansas City Symphony$3,363,570Arts, Culture & HumanitiesGreater Kansas City Community Foundation
Houston Symphony Society$3,362,023Support Ongoing OperationsHouston Symphony Endowment
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 organizations" category for this page is determined by the "A60: Performing Arts Organizations, Activities" National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) code. Cause IQ determines NTEEs for organizations by its own internally-developed secret-sauce algorithms.