The Shubert Foundation announced a record $37.6 million in unrestricted grants to not-for-profit theaters, dance companies, academic theater training programs, and related service agencies. As a leader in funding for the arts the Foundation has also made two $1 million gifts to create endowed scholarships for theater students at the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Spelman College and Morehouse College.

“We are delighted to increase both our funding and the number of our grantees this year,” said Diana Phillips, President of The Shubert Foundation. “While it has been exciting to see life return to the performing arts, Covid has dealt a terrible blow and there remains enormous need everywhere.”

Phillips continued, “Responding to this need, and committed as we are to broadening access and eliminating barriers, we welcomed smaller budgeted first-time applicants without requiring audited financial statements this past year. I am pleased to announce that 18 of the 50 new grant recipients were added to our roster because of this change.”

“The Shubert Foundation has long supported education in the performing arts, both through our relationship with The New York City Public Schools and our Shubert Scholars Program at colleges and universities,” said Chairman Robert E. Wankel. “This year, to further expand opportunities for college students of color to gain broad experiences in the performing arts, our Board approved two $1M endowments for scholarships at two HBCUs,” added Wankel.

In acknowledging this $1M gift from The Shubert Foundation, Mary Schmidt Campbell, Ph.D., President of Spelman College said, “Spelman College is honored to receive such a generous endowment gift from The Shubert Foundation in support of the developing theater artistry of women of color. With the College’s expansion and renewal of our theaters and performing spaces underway, the support of our promising young students is the perfect complement.”

David A. Thomas, Ph.D., Morehouse College President said, “Creativity is the most important talent the world will need in the future. This gift will ensure that men of color are able to use their unique artistic talents to communicate ideas, bridge cultural barriers, problem-solve, and serve as catalysts for motivation, excitement, reflection, and introspection. Leadership in the arts is one of the most critical fulfillments of the Morehouse mission.”

The Shubert Foundation is a leader in providing general operating support to professional resident theater and dance companies that develop and produce new American work. As always, funds are unrestricted, empowering the organizations supported to utilize the funds as they see fit. To ensure support to the widest range of recipients, The Shubert Foundation maintains an open-door policy. The Shubert Foundation is also the largest funder of theater education for the NYC Public Schools. Additionally, the Shubert Scholars Program provides scholarships for students in university programs in theater arts.

The Shubert Foundation was established in 1945 by Lee and J.J. Shubert, in memory of their brother Sam. Today, the Foundation is the nation’s largest funder of unrestricted aid for not-for-profit theatre and dance companies. Since the establishment of The Shubert Foundation grants program in 1977, more than $575 million has been awarded to not-for-profit arts organizations throughout the United States.

The Foundation also continues to expand the Shubert Archive. Created in 1976, the Archive contains more than a century’s worth of production designs, scripts, sheet music, publicity materials, photographs, correspondence, business records and architectural plans. The collection is available to researchers, writers, historians, and theatre professionals.

Learn more about the Shubert Archive, here.