The Roy Cockrum Foundation is an arts-focused funder that concentrates almost exclusively on theater and performing-arts production, underwriting high-profile productions, commissions, and presentation costs at major regional and New York stage institutions. Grants are typically large, project-specific awards that support premieres, stagings of canonical works (Shakespeare) and new plays exploring contemporary or historical themes. The foundation partners repeatedly with established theaters and presentation venues rather than a broad array of small arts groups, and its grants often name specific productions or creative teams.
The Roy Cockrum Foundation’s recent giving is defined by large, production-specific support for theater, with repeated bets on major stagings and premieres. In 2025, it backed Atlantic Theater Company with $800,000 for The Welkin by Lucy Kirkwood and St Ann’s Warehouse with $700,000 for The Hunt, continuing a pattern of underwriting named works rather than general arts grants. The foundation also returned to Manhattan Theatre Club in consecutive years for Joshua Harmon’s Prayer for the French Republic, including a $450,000 grant in 2025 after a $450,000 award in 2024 for the 2023-24 Broadway premiere. Its support reaches both New York and regional institutions, and the projects often involve recognized playwrights, directors, and large-scale productions. Other recent awards have supported Shakespeare stagings, contemporary plays, and presentation costs at major venues. The overall picture is of a theater funder that uses sizable, project-level grants to help established companies mount specific productions, commissions, and premieres.
A central theme in The Roy Cockrum Foundation’s grantmaking is Shakespeare and classical adaptation. It gave $788,000 to Guthrie Theater Foundation for Shakespeare’s Henriad (A Brittle Glory) and $526,300 in 2025, plus $500,000 in 2024, to Old Globe Theatre for Henry VI. Contemporary drama is another clear lane: Playwrights Horizons received $200,000 for Downstate by Bruce Norris, while Round House Theatre received $339,000 for The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez. The foundation also supports production tied to specific creative teams and venues, as seen in a $1,500,000 grant to Chicago Theatre Group Inc for Swing State and The Cherry Orchard, directed by Robert Falls. Its list includes cultural programming as well, including $250,000 to Big Ears Festival for Our Common Nature: An Appalachian Celebration.
The foundation’s typical grant size is substantial: p25 is $155,000, median is $354,402, and p75 is $644,000. The recent record shows both one-time awards and repeat support to the same institutions, including Manhattan Theatre Club, Old Globe Theatre, St Ann’s Warehouse, and Mosaic Theater Company of DC across multiple years. Grants are project-specific and often tied to named productions or commissions rather than broad operating support. The organization funds individuals as well as institutions, but the recent grant list here is entirely to organizations. No application process is described in the supplied data.
$3.4M
$47.3M
$4.3M
$5M
Most grants fall between $155K and $644K, with a median of $354K.
25th Percentile
$155K
Median
$354K
75th Percentile
$644K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Concentrated, high-dollar, project-directed grants to a small set of repeat grantees; most awards fund specific productions, premieres, or programming rather than general operating support across many small organizations.
Notable grantees: Chicago Theatre Group Inc., Adrienne Arsht Center Trust Inc., Old Globe Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club Inc., Guthrie Theater Foundation
Giving is national, with all listed grants going to US recipients. Pennsylvania is the top state by grant count, even though none of the listed grants are to Delaware recipients. Recent awards cluster in major theater cities such as New York, San Diego, Washington, and Knoxville, along with Chicago, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Bethesda, Santa Monica, and Missoula. The recipient mix includes both New York institutions and regional venues in states across the country.
Its recent grants focus on theater productions, premieres, commissions, and presentation costs. Examples in the record include Shakespeare stagings, Broadway premiere support, contemporary plays, and a cultural celebration program tied to Appalachian themes.
The typical award is large: the 25th percentile is $155,000, the median is $354,402, and the 75th percentile is $644,000. Several recent grants are above $500,000, showing that the foundation often makes high-dollar project awards.
Yes. The record shows repeated support to several organizations across multiple years, including Manhattan Theatre Club, Old Globe Theatre, St Ann’s Warehouse, and Mosaic Theater Company of DC. Some of those repeat awards are for the same production or production family.
The foundation gives nationally within the United States. The recent list includes recipients in New York, Illinois, Florida, Minnesota, California, Tennessee, Washington, DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Montana.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATLANTIC THEATER COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $800,000 | 2025 | for production of The Welkin by Lucy Kirkwood |
| ST ANN'S WAREHOUSE | BROOKLYN, NY | $700,000 | 2025 | The Hunt |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE FOUNDATION INC | KNOXVILLE, TN | $550,400 | 2025 | Knoxville |
| OLD GLOBE THEATRE | SAN DIEGO, CA | $526,300 | 2025 | Henry VI |
| MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB INC | NEW YORK, NY | $450,000 | 2025 | Broadway Premiere of Joshua Harmon's PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC |
| ROUND HOUSE THEATRE INC | BETHESDA, MD | $339,000 | 2025 | The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez |
| WORLD TRADE CENTER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER INC | NEW YORK, NY | $1,138,000 | 2024 | Between Two Knees |
| GUTHRIE THEATER FOUNDATION | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $788,000 | 2024 | Shakespeare's Henriad (A Brittle Glory) |
| OLD GLOBE THEATRE | SAN DIEGO, CA | $500,000 | 2024 | Henry VI |
| SEVENTH REGIMENT ARMORY CONSERVANCY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $500,000 | 2024 | The Doctor |
| MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB INC | NEW YORK, NY | $450,000 | 2024 | 2023-24 Broadway Premiere of Joshua Harmon's PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC |
| ST ANN'S WAREHOUSE | BROOKLYN, NY | $250,000 | 2024 | The Hunt |
| BIG EARS FESTIVAL | KNOXVILLE, TN | $250,000 | 2024 | Our Common Nature: An Appalachian Celebration |
| PHILADELPHIA ARTISTS COLLECTIVE INCORPORATED | PHILADELPHIA, PA | $60,000 | 2024 | Jane Eyre |
| UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA FOUNDATION | MISSOULA, MT | $50,000 | 2024 | Montana Repertory Theatre's Indigenous Playwright Commission and Workshop fund |
| CHICAGO THEATRE GROUP INC | CHICAGO, IL | $1,500,000 | 2023 | funds for SWING STATE and THE CHERRY ORCHARD, directed by Robert Falls |
| ADRIENNE ARSHT CENTER TRUST INC | MIAMI, FL | $1,050,000 | 2023 | The Head and The Load fund |
| MOSAIC THEATER COMPANY OF DC | WASHINGTON, DC | $354,402 | 2023 | The Till Trilogy fund |
| PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS INC | NEW YORK, NY | $200,000 | 2023 | Downstate by Bruce Norris at Playwrights Horizons |
| MOSAIC THEATER COMPANY OF DC | WASHINGTON, DC | $110,000 | 2023 | The Till Trilogy fund |
| HIGHWAYS INC | SANTA MONICA, CA | $46,400 | 2023 | Emergency Response fund |
Broadway Premiere of Joshua Harmon's PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC
2023-24 Broadway Premiere of Joshua Harmon's PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC
PHILADELPHIA ARTISTS COLLECTIVE INCORPORATED
$60,000Jane Eyre
Montana Repertory Theatre's Indigenous Playwright Commission and Workshop fund
funds for SWING STATE and THE CHERRY ORCHARD, directed by Robert Falls
HIGHWAYS INC
$46,400Emergency Response fund