International Association of Blacks in Dance
ActiveArts, Culture & Humanities
About International Association of Blacks in Dance
The International Association of Blacks in Dance is tightly focused on sustaining Black-led and African diasporic professional dance companies and community dance programs across the U.S. Most grants are unrestricted or general operating support aimed at organizational stability and financial health, with particular interest in contemporary, modern and West African dance companies. Their portfolio favors culturally specific companies and ensembles that center Black choreographers, performers and youth engagement.
Focus Areas
Black-led contemporary and modern dance companies (e.g., Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Alvin Ailey–style ensembles)West African and African diasporic traditional dance troupes (e.g., Kankouran, Diamono Coura)City-based professional dance theaters serving Black communities (e.g., Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Lula Washington Dance Theatre)Sustaining general operating/organizational capacity for small-to-mid sized arts nonprofitsYouth and community-facing step/street-dance and movement education programs (e.g., Step Afrika, community outreach ensembles)
Who They Fund
community-based nonprofit organizations
About International Association of Blacks in Dance
A defining pattern in The International Association of Blacks in Dance’s recent grantmaking is its use of large operating and emergency awards to help Black-led dance organizations maintain organizational and financial health. In 2023, it made ten $100,000 grants, including support for Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, The Philadelphia Dance Company, Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Emerge125, Kankouran West African Dance Company, Step Afrika, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, New Dance Theatre, and Collage Dance Collective. That scale signals a funder centered on stability rather than project-by-project support. The foundation’s portfolio consistently reaches professional dance companies and ensembles rooted in Black, contemporary, modern, West African, and diasporic traditions. Its grants also show attention to community-facing organizations with youth and movement education components, alongside companies serving major arts hubs such as Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Memphis, and Washington, DC. Across the recent grants list, most awards are general operating or maintenance support, and the same organizations can appear across years, which points to continued investment in organizational continuity.
What International Association of Blacks in Dance Funds
The foundation supports Black-led contemporary and modern dance companies through maintenance grants that strengthen core operations. Dayton Contemporary Dance Company received $100,000 in 2023 for maintaining organization and financial health, and Collage Dance Collective received the same amount for that purpose in 2023 before receiving $25,000 in 2024 for COHI MOVE general operating support. West African and African diasporic dance also appears as a clear area of support. Kankouran West African Dance Company received $100,000 in 2023 for maintaining organization and financial health, while Diamono Coura West African Dance Company received $27,000 in 2024 for COHI MOVE general operating support. The foundation also backs step and movement-based community work. Step Afrika received $100,000 in 2023 for maintaining organization and financial health and $25,000 in 2024 for COHI MOVE general operating support, showing sustained support for an organization with a public-facing education and performance model.
How International Association of Blacks in Dance Gives
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$3.2M
Total Assets
$6.3M
Total Revenue
$2.3M
Total Expenses
$5.5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $14K and $25K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$14K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$25K
Geographic Reach
National15 states funded
About 9% of grants go to recipients in IL.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
OMAR INGRAM
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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