The Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater concentrates its support on New York-based professional theater — especially sponsorship of specific productions, playwright-focused initiatives, and awards for dramatists. Grants frequently underwrite premieres and revivals at mid-to-large theatrical institutions and also fund playwright development (prizes) and training (scholarships). The foundation favors repeat relationships with established NYC companies and national organizations that champion contemporary playwriting and international theater exchanges.
Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater centers its giving on professional theater in New York, with a clear preference for underwriting specific productions and supporting playwrights. Its recent grants show a consistent pattern: funding premieres and revivals at established theaters, while also backing awards and training for dramatists and students. The largest recent grant was $50,000 to Roundabout Theatre Company to sponsor the production of Liberation by Bess Wohl. The foundation also supports theaters that mount contemporary plays and adaptations. Recent examples include $25,000 to Lincoln Center Theater for Corruption by J.T. Rogers, $25,000 to The New Group Inc for The Seven Year Disappear by Jordan Seavey, and $25,000 to Aant (American Associates of the National Theatre) for London Tide, based on Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens and adapted by Ben Power. Alongside production support, the foundation funds playwright recognition and education. Grants to PEN America Center supported the PEN/LPIFT Dramatist Award for mid-career playwrights, while scholarship and prize grants went to New York University Tisch School of the Arts and The Juilliard School. The overall picture is a grantmaker focused on the production pipeline, from training and recognition to staging new work.
A major strand of giving is sponsorship of productions at New York theaters. Recent grants include $25,000 to Playwrights Horizons for Wish You Were Here and $20,000 for Staff Meal by Abe Koogler, showing support for contemporary plays and playwright-centered programming. The foundation also backs classical and adapted work. It gave $25,000 to French Institute Alliance Francaise for Celebrating Moliere and $20,000 to Brooklyn Academy of Music for Gaviota, adapted by Juan Ignacio Fernandez from The Seagull by Anton Chekhov. These grants point to interest in presentation projects that connect classic texts with current staging. Playwright development is another recurring theme. PEN America Center received $20,000 grants for the 2023 and 2024 PEN/LPIFT Dramatist Award, both designated for mid-career playwrights. Education appears as well: New York University Tisch School of the Arts received a $25,000 scholarship grant, and The Juilliard School received both a scholarship grant and an LPIFT Prize in Acting.
$385K
$3.3M
$202K
$966K
Most grants fall between $12K and $25K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$12K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$25K
Top 2 recipient countries by grant volume for Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater.
| Rank | Country | Grants | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United StatesDomestic | 40 | $3.1M | 97.6% |
| 2 |
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Concentrated, program-specific grants to a relatively small set of repeat grantees and major NYC institutions; funding is primarily project sponsorships (production underwriting), supplemental awards for individual playwrights, and occasional scholarships rather than broad unrestricted operating support.
Notable grantees: Playwrights Horizons, Roundabout Theatre Company, PEN America Center, Atlantic Theater Company, New York University Tisch School of the Arts
Typical grants cluster around $25,000, with a median of $25,000 and a p25 of $11,750; the p75 is also $25,000, so many awards sit at that level. The foundation’s recent pattern is project-based, with larger amounts directed to production sponsorship and smaller awards used for scholarships, prizes, and event support. The recent grants list also shows repeat support across years for several recipients, including Playwrights Horizons, Lincoln Center Theater, and PEN America Center. The foundation is structured as a private grantmaker with annual grants of $527,500 and it funds individuals.
Grantmaking is entirely local in the recent data: 100% of grants went to recipients in New York state, and the top state by grant count is NY. Most recipients are in New York, NY, with one notable Brooklyn recipient, Brooklyn Academy of Music in Brooklyn, NY. The recipient pattern is concentrated in the city’s theater ecosystem, including Manhattan and Lincoln Center institutions, rather than spreading across multiple states or countries.
It supports professional theater production in New York, especially sponsorship of specific plays and adaptations. Recent grants covered new works like Liberation, Corruption, and The Seven Year Disappear, as well as classic or adapted projects such as Celebrating Moliere, Gaviota, and London Tide.
Yes. It made $20,000 grants to PEN America Center for the 2023 and 2024 PEN/LPIFT Dramatist Award, each designated for a mid-career playwright. That sits alongside production support and suggests a continuing interest in dramatist recognition.
Yes. Recent education-related grants include $25,000 to New York University Tisch School of the Arts for a scholarship, $15,000 to The Juilliard School for a scholarship, and $10,000 to NyuTisch School of Thearts for a student acting scholarship.
The median recent grant is $25,000, with p25 at $11,750 and p75 at $25,000. That means many awards are at $25,000, while smaller grants appear for scholarships, prizes, operations support, and special events.
In the recent grants list, yes. All 27 grants went to recipients in New York state, and the top state by grant count is NY. Recipient cities include New York and Brooklyn.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
| 1 |
| $25K |
2.4% |
Recipient country reflects the grantee's headquarters per IRS 990-PF and Schedule F filings, not the program's implementation country.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2025 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF LIBERATION BY BESS WOHL |
| LINCOLN CENTER THEATER | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF CORRUPTION BY J.T. ROGERS |
| AANT (AMERICAN ASSOCIATES OF THE NATIONAL THEATRE) | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF LONDON TIDE BASED ON "OUR MUTUAL FRIEND" BY CHARLES DICKENS, ADAPTED BY BEN POWER |
| AANT (AMERICAN ASSOCIATES OF THE NATIONAL THEATRE) | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF BALLET SHOES BY NOEL STREATFEILD, NEW ADAPTATION BY KENDALL FEAVER |
| THE NEW GROUP INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2025 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE SEVEN YEAR DISAPPEAR BY JORDAN SEAVEY |
| ATLANTIC THEATER COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF GRIEF CAMP BY ELIYA SMITH |
| PEN AMERICA CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | 2024 PEN/LPIFT DRAMATIST AWARD - MID-CAREER PLAYWRIGHT |
| PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE ANTIQUITIES BY JORDAN HARRISON |
| PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF STAFF MEAL BY ABE KOOGLER |
| BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC | BROOKLYN, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF GAVIOTA ADAPTED BY JUAN IGNACIO FERNANDEZ FROM THE SEAGULL BY ANTON CHEKHOV |
| SIGNATURE THEATRE COMPANY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF BAD KREYOL BY DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU |
| SIGNATURE THEATRE COMPANY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF SUNSET BABY BY DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU |
| PEN AMERICA CENTER | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | 2023 PEN/LPIFT DRAMATIST AWARD - MID-CAREER PLAYWRIGHT |
| MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF MARY JANE BY AMY HERZOG |
| THE JULLIARD SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | LPIFT PRIZE IN ACTING 2024 |
| MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2025 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF BROOKLYN LAUNDRY BY JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY |
| NYUTISCH SCHOOL OF THEARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | STUDENT ACTING SCHOLARSHIP |
| LINCOLN CENTER THEATER | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF UNCLE VANYA BY ANTON CHEKHOV |
| NYUTISCH SCHOOL OF THEARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $10,000 | 2025 | STUDENT ACTING SCHOLARSHIP |
| ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS. |
| ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $150,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS OF ATLANTIC WOOLLY MAM. |
| BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC | BROOKLYN, NY | $95,000 | 2024 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF CHEKHOV'S "SEAGULL". |
| SIGNATURE THEATRE COMPANY INC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| BROOKLYN ACADEMY OF MUSIC | BROOKLYN, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF CHEKHOV'S "SEAGULL". |
| ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2024 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF "THE REFUGE PLAYS". |
| ATLANTIC THEATER COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF "THE WELKIN". |
| THE PUBLIC THEATER COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF "SHADOW/LAND". |
| PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SPONSOR THE SPECIAL EVENT, GALA: WET BRAIN. |
| TGP THEATRE PHILLIPPE | SAINTDENIS | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF "WELFARE" DIRECTED BY AMERICAN THEATER DIRECTOR FREDERICK WISEMAN. |
| MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS. |
| THE VIVIAN BEAUMONT THEATER INC | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS. |
| THE GORILLA REPERTORY THEATER COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $20,000 | 2024 | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS. |
| THE JULLIARD SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2024 | SCHOLARSHIP - LPIFT PRIZE IN ACTING 2023. |
| PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF WISH YOU WERE HERE |
| PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF CATCH AS CATCH CAN |
| ATLANTIC THEATER COMPANY | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF ENGLISH |
| NEW YORK UNIVERSITY TISCH SCHOOL OF THE ARTS | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| FRENCH INSTITUTE ALLIANCE FRANCAISE | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2023 | TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF CELEBRATING MOLIERE |
| THE JULLIARD SCHOOL | NEW YORK, NY | $15,000 | 2023 | SCHOLARSHIP |
| LINCOLN CENTER THEATER | NEW YORK, NY | $2,000 | 2023 | TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS |
| PLAYWRIGHTS HORIZONS | NEW YORK, NY | $500 | 2023 | TO SPONSOR THE SPECIAL EVENT, GALA: THE PLAY TRIBUTE MESSAGE |
TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF LIBERATION BY BESS WOHL
LINCOLN CENTER THEATER
$25,000TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF CORRUPTION BY J.T. ROGERS
AANT (AMERICAN ASSOCIATES OF THE NATIONAL THEATRE)
$25,000TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF LONDON TIDE BASED ON "OUR MUTUAL FRIEND" BY CHARLES DICKENS, ADAPTED BY BEN POWER
AANT (AMERICAN ASSOCIATES OF THE NATIONAL THEATRE)
$25,000TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF BALLET SHOES BY NOEL STREATFEILD, NEW ADAPTATION BY KENDALL FEAVER
TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE SEVEN YEAR DISAPPEAR BY JORDAN SEAVEY
TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF GRIEF CAMP BY ELIYA SMITH
PEN AMERICA CENTER
$20,0002024 PEN/LPIFT DRAMATIST AWARD - MID-CAREER PLAYWRIGHT
TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF THE ANTIQUITIES BY JORDAN HARRISON
TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF GAVIOTA ADAPTED BY JUAN IGNACIO FERNANDEZ FROM THE SEAGULL BY ANTON CHEKHOV
TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF BAD KREYOL BY DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU
TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF SUNSET BABY BY DOMINIQUE MORISSEAU
PEN AMERICA CENTER
$20,0002023 PEN/LPIFT DRAMATIST AWARD - MID-CAREER PLAYWRIGHT
THE JULLIARD SCHOOL
$15,000LPIFT PRIZE IN ACTING 2024
TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF BROOKLYN LAUNDRY BY JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY
NYUTISCH SCHOOL OF THEARTS
$10,000STUDENT ACTING SCHOLARSHIP
LINCOLN CENTER THEATER
$10,000TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF UNCLE VANYA BY ANTON CHEKHOV
NYUTISCH SCHOOL OF THEARTS
$10,000STUDENT ACTING SCHOLARSHIP
TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS OF ATLANTIC WOOLLY MAM.
THE PUBLIC THEATER COMPANY
$25,000TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF "SHADOW/LAND".
TGP THEATRE PHILLIPPE
$25,000TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF "WELFARE" DIRECTED BY AMERICAN THEATER DIRECTOR FREDERICK WISEMAN.
THE VIVIAN BEAUMONT THEATER INC
$25,000TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS.
THE GORILLA REPERTORY THEATER COMPANY
$20,000TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS.
THE JULLIARD SCHOOL
$15,000SCHOLARSHIP - LPIFT PRIZE IN ACTING 2023.
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY TISCH SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
$25,000SCHOLARSHIP
TO SPONSOR THE PRODUCTION OF CELEBRATING MOLIERE
THE JULLIARD SCHOOL
$15,000SCHOLARSHIP
LINCOLN CENTER THEATER
$2,000TO SUPPORT GENERAL OPERATIONS
TO SPONSOR THE SPECIAL EVENT, GALA: THE PLAY TRIBUTE MESSAGE