Charlotte Cushman Foundation
The Charlotte Cushman Foundation is a Philadelphia-based private foundation that provides grants to professional nonprofit theater companies—primarily for actors’ salaries in staged productions. The site hosts eligibility and application instructions and lists a mailing address and contact email for submissions. It documents the foundation’s history and grant focus for the Greater Philadelphia area.
Source: Website · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
A professional nonprofit theater company (small to mid-size) producing staged work in the Philadelphia region seeking modest project support, especially for actors’ salaries.
Good Fit
- • Based in Philadelphia or elsewhere in Pennsylvania.
- • Is a nonprofit professional theater company with a specific production or season need.
- • Requests focused support for actors’ salaries or production personnel.
- • Can manage and report on a modest grant ($1K–$4K range).
- • Can apply via the foundation’s posted instructions or mailed submission route.
Geography
Observed giving is heavily concentrated in Pennsylvania (about 93% of dollars in 2024) with only a small out-of-state presence (New York).
Recipient Variety
The latest year shows 18 distinct grantees funding many independent theater organizations; while six grantees repeated from the prior observed year, the majority of recipients were different in 2024.
New Applicants
The foundation publishes application instructions and a named submission contact, and 12 of 18 recipients in 2024 were new, which supports a strong likelihood that unfamiliar local theater applicants can access funding.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
