Not-for-profit, professional theatres in the United States are the primary recipients of Shubert Foundation general operating support grants.
General Requirements
Shubert Foundation grants are awarded exclusively to US organizations, which must have current 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and must submit current audited financial statements in order to be eligible for funding.* For the 2022-23 Application Cycle, organizations with a fiscal year that ends January through August will need to submit their Fiscal 2022 audit; organizations with a fiscal year that ends September through December will need to submit their Fiscal 2021 audit.
The Foundation provides grants only to professional organizations that have an established track record as well as a history of fiscal responsibility. Community theatres are not eligible for funding.
The Foundation exclusively provides general operating support. Funds are not provided for project support, nor allocated for capital or endowment campaigns, nor to individuals or conduit organizations. Please visit our FAQs for additional information.
To review a list of recently funded organizations, please see below.
*Recognizing that many organizations are still working through the effects of the pandemic on their operations and missions, and in consideration of an audit’s added cost and effort, the audit requirement for any organization with an operating budget of $750,000 or below has been suspended for the 2022-23 Application Cycle. For all applicants in the 2022-23 cycle, if total expenses on your organization’s most recent IRS 990 are less than $750,000, you may submit the IRS 990 in lieu of an audit.
Funding Criteria
Record of artistic activity
Impact of the organization’s programs
Record of developing and producing new work
Demonstrated commitment to underserved audiences and/or underrepresented voices
Fiscal responsibility
Ability to generate both earned and contributed income
Other significant contributions to the field
Organizations must have an annual budget of $150,000 or higher
Grant requests must be submitted on The Shubert Foundation’s current online application form.
Questions regarding category, criteria, audits, and deadlines that are not answered within this or other sections of the Website should be addressed to the Foundation.
For audit requirements, applicants must submit complete audited financial statements for the appropriate fiscal year (see Criteria).* Financial statements must be prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and be audited by a certified public accountant.
Please note the following important application information:
Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Letters of inquiry will not be accepted.
The Foundation does not support fiscally sponsored organizations.
For audit requirements: Reviews, compilations and draft versions are not acceptable.
Required financial documents should be submitted with the application whenever possible but will be accepted as late as 6pm ET on the day of the appropriate deadline.
*Recognizing that many organizations are still working through the effects of the pandemic on their operations and missions, and in consideration of an audit’s added cost and effort, the audit requirement for any organization with an operating budget of $750,000 or below has been suspended for the 2022-23 Application Cycle. For all applicants in the 2022-23 cycle, if total expenses on your organization’s most recent IRS 990 are less than $750,000, you may submit the IRS 990 in lieu of an audit.