The Harkness Foundation For Dance Incorporated
The Harkness Foundation for Dance is a private grant-making foundation based in New York City that provides program and project grants to dance organizations. Joan Finkelstein is listed as Executive Director and the site publishes grant guidelines, an online application portal, news, contact information, and leadership bios.
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
A tax-exempt dance organization or fiscally sponsored dance project, typically New York–based, seeking program or project support and able to submit the foundation’s requested materials and artistic samples.
Good Fit
- • Programs or projects specifically related to dance or dance presentation.
- • Organizational tax-exempt status or a fiscal sponsor and required documentation.
- • Ability to provide a one-page cover letter, narrative, budgets, board list, bios, and performance samples (Vimeo/YouTube).
- • New or recurring mid-size to small grants (many grants fall in the $1K–$25K range).
- • Primarily New York–based activity or demonstrable service to New York audiences.
Geography
Observed giving is heavily New York–centric: roughly 96% of dollars and grant counts went to New York, with only small out-of-state activity across a few other states.
Recipient Variety
In the latest year the foundation funded a large and diverse set of recipients (111 distinct organizations across 121 grants), combining several major partner grants with many smaller project and program awards.
New Applicants
The foundation posts application guidelines and a deadline, accepts emailed applications, and added about 30 new recipients in the latest year, so unfamiliar applicants appear to have a realistic path into the portfolio.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
