The Creative Opportunity Fund provides general operating support grants of $2,000-$5,000 to small professional theatres with budgets under $500,000 working throughout New York State.
Donor Name: Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York
State: New York
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/15/2024
Size of the Grant: $2,000-$5,000
Grant Duration: 1 Year
Details:
Applicants to the Creative Opportunity Fund are NOT required to be members of A.R.T./New York. Non-member applicants who receive funding through this program will receive a free year of membership as part of their grant award. The Creative Opportunity Fund is a regrant of a New York State Council on the Arts program. A.R.T./New York regrants NYSCA funds, and all applicants and grantees will interact with A.R.T./New York as their grantmaker.
The grant aims to distribute flexible funding to support theatres throughout the state with capacity building and stabilization and to increase funding opportunities for theatres that have been left out of mainstream funding opportunities because of barriers associated with racial, economic, disability, and sexual identity and/or geographic location. Payments are made via electronic or paper check, depending on the grantee’s preference.
Funding Information
The Creative Opportunity Fund provides general operating support grants of $2,000-$5,000 to small professional theatres with budgets under $500,000 working throughout New York State.
Grant Period
The grant period is January 1 – December 31, 2025.
Eligibility Criteria 
To be eligible for the 2025 Creative Opportunity Fund, applicants must:

Be a theatre company based in New York State with a New York State address that has presented or produced public programming for at least two years;

Applicants should be theatre companies and/or collectives, though they can have a wide range of organizational structures including – but not limited to – 501(c)3, fiscally sponsored, or unincorporated artist collectives.
NYSCA has informed us that any application submitted on behalf of a for-profit Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Domestic Business Corporation, regardless of whether or not they are fiscally sponsored by a registered 501c3 nonprofit, will not be eligible to be considered for funding.

Have live or virtual performances open to the general public (free or ticketed) in New York State in 2025.
Have annual expenses totaling $500,000 or less for its most recently completed fiscal year (FY24);
Not have applied directly to NYSCA’s theatre programming for 2025 funding, regardless of whether or not the application was funded.
Currently and previously pay artists, or commit to allocating at least 50% of any funding awarded through the Creative Opportunity Fund to providing compensation to artists.

For more information, visit Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York.