The Waldman Foundation concentrates its giving on the professional performing-arts and entertainment community, providing large unrestricted/general-support grants to organizations that serve actors and theater training. Grants are sizable and targeted toward a small number of beneficiaries—primarily New York–area performing-arts institutions and service organizations that support performers’ livelihoods and professional development.
Waldman Foundation C/o Pkf O'connor Davies LLP directs most of its recent giving to the professional performing-arts and entertainment community, with large general-support grants to organizations that serve actors, theater training, and performer welfare. The clearest pattern is a set of repeated, high-dollar awards to a small group of New York recipients over multiple years. Entertainment Community Fund received $1,591,000 in 2024, and Circle in the Square Theatre School received $671,000 in both 2023 and 2024. Those grants sit alongside continued support for service organizations and theater institutions that work with working performers. The foundation’s portfolio is narrow rather than broad, and the named recipients point to a focus on career support, education, and social services for entertainers. Recent grants also include funding for Broadway Cares-Equity Fights Aids, Episcopal Actors Guild, Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre, and Irish Repertory Theatre, showing a recurring connection to New York’s performing-arts ecosystem. Most awards are listed as general support, which suggests flexible operating support rather than project-specific restrictions.
A central theme in the foundation’s giving is financial and social-service support for professional entertainers. In 2024, it gave $1,591,000 to Entertainment Community Fund for general support, and in 2023 it gave $1,471,000 to The Actors Fund of America for the same purpose. Another recurring area is actor training and professional education: Circle in the Square Theatre School received $671,000 in both 2023 and 2024, again as general support. The foundation also supports New York performing-arts institutions, including $15,000 to Irish Repertory Theatre in 2023 and $15,000 to The Irish Repertory Theater Company in 2024. Smaller grants extend to related community-serving organizations such as Broadway Cares-Equity Fights Aids and Episcopal Actors Guild.
Typical grant size sits at $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $15,000 at the 75th percentile, but the foundation’s recent portfolio also includes much larger awards to a small set of core recipients. The pattern is repeat-grantee funding: Circle in the Square Theatre School, Spca of Westchester, Projects With Care Inc, Episcopal Actors Guild, Broadway Cares-Equity Fights Aids, Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre, Chabad Shul of Closter Inc, and Khal Tiferes Yosef Imad each appear across more than one year. All listed grants are general support. The foundation is classified as a regular funder and does not fund individuals.
$2.8M
$47.8M
$1.9M
$3.1M
Most grants fall between $5K and $15K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$15K
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Concentrated, high-dollar general support to a very small set of repeat grantees in the performing-arts/entertainment sector rather than many small or geographically diverse grants.
Notable grantees: Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund), The Actors Fund of America, Circle in the Square Theatre School
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly centered in New York. The recipient country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, and 78% of grants go to recipients in the headquarters state. New York City is the main recipient hub, with multiple grants to organizations in New York, NY; Brooklyn, NY; and other nearby locations such as Westchester and Wanscott. Outside New York, the foundation’s recent grants also reach Brookline, MA, Closter, NJ, and Brighton, MA. The geographic scope is regional rather than national.
Its recent grants focus on the professional performing-arts and entertainment community. Recipients include performer-service organizations, actor training institutions, and New York-area theater groups. The data also shows some support for related community organizations and a small number of non-arts nonprofits.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Circle in the Square Theatre School, Spca of Westchester, Projects With Care Inc, Episcopal Actors Guild, Broadway Cares-Equity Fights Aids, Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre, Chabad Shul of Closter Inc, and Khal Tiferes Yosef Imad.
The stated grant-size distribution is $5,000 at the 25th percentile, $10,000 at the median, and $15,000 at the 75th percentile. At the same time, the foundation also makes much larger general-support grants to a few recurring recipients.
Professional actor welfare and career services, financial and social-service support for entertainers, and conservatory-style actor education appear most often. New York performing-arts institutions are also a clear part of the portfolio, with recurring support for theaters and theater-related organizations.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE ACTORS FUND OF AMERICA | NEW YORK, NY | $1,796,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE THEATRE SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $731,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| SPCA OF WESTCHESTER | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| PROJECTS WITH CARE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| TORAH ACADEMY INC | BROOKLINE, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| HUSKY HALFWAY HOUSE FOUNDATION | EUFAULA, OK | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| EPISCOPAL ACTORS' GUILD | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| AHRC NYC FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| THE IRISH REPERTORY THEATER COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CHABAD SHUL OF CLOSTER INC | CLOSTER, NJ | $11,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| BROADWAY CARES-EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| KHAL TIFERES YOSEF IMAD | BRIGHTON, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| FOLKSBIENE YIDDISH THEATRE | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| YESHIVA OHR YISRAEL | BRIGHTON, MA | $7,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| BAIS YAAKOV OF BOSTON INC | BRIGHTON, MA | $7,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| LEAGUE OF PROFESSIONAL THEATRE WOMEN | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| DOVI'S PLAYHOUSE FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| RESONANCE ENSEMBLE THEATRE | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| TWELFTH NIGHT CLUB | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| YOUNG ISRAEL OF ABERDEEN CONGREGATION BET TEFILAH | ABERDEEN, NJ | $5,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| ABINGDON THEATRE COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $4,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| ARS NOVA THEATER I | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| PROSPECT THEATER COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $3,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| CAPE COD SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL IN CHATHAM | CHATHAM, MA | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| TRANSPORT GROUP | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| THE RESIDENT ACTING COMPANY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2026 | GENERAL |
| ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FUND (FORMERLY THE ACTORS FUND) | NEW YORK, NY | $1,696,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE THEATRE SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $696,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| SPCA OF WESTCHESTER | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PROJECTS WITH CARE INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| TORAH ACADEMY INC | BROOKLINE, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| HUSKY HALFWAY HOUSE FOUNDATION | EUFAULA, OK | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| AHRC NYC FOUNDATION | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| EPISCOPAL ACTORS GUILD | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE IRISH REPERTORY THEATER COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| CHABAD SHUL OF CLOSTER INC | CLOSTER, NJ | $11,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| KHAL TIFERES YOSEF IMAD | BRIGHTON, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| FOLKSBIENE YIDDISH THEATRE | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| BROADWAY CARES-EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| YESHIVA OHR YISRAEL | BRIGHTON, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| BAIS YAAKOV OF BOSTON INC | BRIGHTON, MA | $7,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| RESONANCE ENSEMBLE THEATRE | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| ARS NOVA THEATER I | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| LEAGUE OF PROFESSIONAL THEATRE WOMEN | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| DOVI'S PLAYHOUSE FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| PROSPECT THEATER COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| THE TWELFTH NIGHT CLUB | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| YOUNG ISRAEL OF ABERDEEN CONGREGATION BET TEFILAH | ABERDEEN, NJ | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
| AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MAGEN DAVID | NEW YORK, NY | $5,000 | 2025 | GENERAL |
CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE THEATRE SCHOOL
$731,000GENERAL
PROJECTS WITH CARE INC
$25,000GENERAL
TORAH ACADEMY INC
$25,000GENERAL
HUSKY HALFWAY HOUSE FOUNDATION
$20,000GENERAL
EPISCOPAL ACTORS' GUILD
$20,000GENERAL
AHRC NYC FOUNDATION
$20,000GENERAL
CHABAD SHUL OF CLOSTER INC
$11,000GENERAL
KHAL TIFERES YOSEF IMAD
$10,000GENERAL
YESHIVA OHR YISRAEL
$7,000GENERAL
BAIS YAAKOV OF BOSTON INC
$7,000GENERAL
LEAGUE OF PROFESSIONAL THEATRE WOMEN
$5,000GENERAL
DOVI'S PLAYHOUSE FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
$5,000GENERAL
RESONANCE ENSEMBLE THEATRE
$5,000GENERAL
TWELFTH NIGHT CLUB
$5,000GENERAL
YOUNG ISRAEL OF ABERDEEN CONGREGATION BET TEFILAH
$5,000GENERAL
ABINGDON THEATRE COMPANY
$4,000GENERAL
PROSPECT THEATER COMPANY
$3,000GENERAL
CAPE COD SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL IN CHATHAM
$2,000GENERAL
TRANSPORT GROUP
$2,000GENERAL
THE RESIDENT ACTING COMPANY INC
$2,000GENERAL
ENTERTAINMENT COMMUNITY FUND (FORMERLY THE ACTORS FUND)
$1,696,000GENERAL
CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE THEATRE SCHOOL
$696,000GENERAL
PROJECTS WITH CARE INC
$25,000GENERAL
TORAH ACADEMY INC
$25,000GENERAL
HUSKY HALFWAY HOUSE FOUNDATION
$20,000GENERAL
AHRC NYC FOUNDATION
$20,000GENERAL
EPISCOPAL ACTORS GUILD
$20,000GENERAL
CHABAD SHUL OF CLOSTER INC
$11,000GENERAL
KHAL TIFERES YOSEF IMAD
$10,000GENERAL
YESHIVA OHR YISRAEL
$7,000GENERAL
BAIS YAAKOV OF BOSTON INC
$7,000GENERAL
RESONANCE ENSEMBLE THEATRE
$5,000GENERAL
LEAGUE OF PROFESSIONAL THEATRE WOMEN
$5,000GENERAL
DOVI'S PLAYHOUSE FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
$5,000GENERAL
PROSPECT THEATER COMPANY
$5,000GENERAL
THE TWELFTH NIGHT CLUB
$5,000GENERAL
YOUNG ISRAEL OF ABERDEEN CONGREGATION BET TEFILAH
$5,000GENERAL