The Dime Community Bank Fund for NYC Theatres

JUMP TO: Overview | Timeline | Eligibility | Guidelines & Evaluation Criteria | Info Sessions | Narrative & Budget Review | Current Grantees

An interracial group of women stand around a table in discussion. They are dressed in period clothing from 20th century America.

Three Musketeers: 1941, presented by Project Y Theatre Company. Photo credit: Clinton B. Photography.

Overview

The Dime Community Bank Fund for NYC Theatres, formerly the Nancy Quinn Fund, was created in honor of Nancy Quinn, one-time A.R.T./New York board member and former Artistic Director of Young Playwrights, Inc. Ms. Quinn believed in the importance of giving young talent an opportunity to “have their say." This year, A.R.T./New York is partnering with Dime Community Bank to ensure every artist has a chance to tell their story. Together, we are proud to help NYC companies from Brooklyn to the Bronx share their experiences and support their communities that allow the theatre industry to thrive.

Nancy Quinn's legacy is a testament to her commitment to fostering the work of new, emerging, and small theatre companies. After she passed away in 1993, A.R.T./New York launched the Nancy Quinn Fund to assist its largest and most rapidly growing sector of member theatres—those with annual cash budgets under $100,000—by providing management seminars, annual grants, and other services designed to help companies facing the challenges of producing in New York City.  Since then, A.R.T./New York has awarded over $1million dollars to the fastest growing, most culturally diverse and artistically influential sector of our community. 

Grants range in size from $750 to $2,500 with no grant exceeding 10% of the theatre's expenses for its most recently completed fiscal year. If your organization's budget is less than $7,500, apply for the $750 minimum grant. If your most recently completed fiscal year was unusually small, you may take the average expenses of your last two completed fiscal years.

Application Downloads, Evaluation Criteria, & Narrative Guidelines »
Please review all information before applying.


Grant Reporting, Crediting, & Recipients »
Click here for information on the 2019 grant, including a list of recipients as well as crediting and reporting information for current grantees.


For more information about this program, please email [email protected].

Timeline

  • Application opens: Tuesday, January 21, 2020
  • Narrative review deadline: Monday, February 3, 2020 at 10:00am
  • Application closes: Tuesday, February 18, 2020 at 5:00pm


Applications for the 2020 Dime Community Bank Fund have closed.

Eligibility

  • Applicant must be a Full or Independent Producer member of A.R.T./New York in good standing. Incubator members are not eligible for this grant program.
  • Applicant must have had annual cash expenses totaling under $100,000 for its most recently completed fiscal year.
  • Applicant must primarily produce within the five boroughs of New York City.
  • Applicant must have participated in Organizational Planning and Process Part 1 and Part 2. The one-on-one individual session is not required. Applicants only need to complete OP&P once after becoming an A.R.T./New York member. If you have not completed OP&P, you may sign up for the upcoming sessions here, under the Organizational Management tab.
  • Applicant must not have an outstanding final report from previous years’ grant cycles.
  • Companies applying for A.R.T./New York membership in order to be eligible for the grant must apply for membership at least 2 weeks before the grant deadline (and should keep in mind that Organizational Planning and Process is required in advance of the application deadline). Contact David Shane, Programs Manager, at [email protected] to explain your intention to apply in order to ensure your membership is approved in time.
  • A company does not have to be incorporated or have 501(c)(3) status to apply. 
For more information about guidelines, templates, and evaluation criteria, click here »
 

Grant Assistance

 

Information Sessions

These info sessions, held in our offices and online, were hosted by A.R.T./New York Programs staff who walked applicants through the application and guidelines. Applicants were welcome to bring questions, and were strongly encouraged to read the application and guidelines before coming to the session.


Grant Info Session #1 (Manhattan & Online) 

Thursday, January 23, 2020
1:00pm - 2:30pm
A.R.T./New York Conference Room // 520 8th Ave, Suite 319
Sign up »

Grant Info Session #2 (Brooklyn) 

Thursday, January 30, 2020
10:30am - 12:00pm
Studio G // 138 South Oxford Street
Sign up »


Missed an info session? Click here to view a recording of the 2020 online info session »

 

Narrative Statement & Budget Review

Applicants who wish to receive comments on a draft of their narrative and/or their budget and budget notes before submitting their application may send a draft and receive comments from the A.R.T./New York Programs team. The hope is to give applicants who choose to avail themselves of this service the best possible opportunity to create a competitive application.

Before submitting a narrative statement for review, we strongly encourage you to read over the narrative questions and criteria for evaluation to ensure your narrative addresses them in full. We also recommend that you to have a second reader do the same, as well as have someone look over the narrative for a copy edit. Incomplete narrative statements will not be accepted for narrative review. Once you have done these things, A.R.T./New York staff will be happy to read your draft for clarity and content. 

In addition to submitting a narrative statement for review, you may also submit a budget and budget notes for review by the Programs Staff. Please make sure that you are using the required budget template and note that budgets submitted for review without accompanying budget notes will not be accepted for review.

When sending a draft, please keep in mind:

  • A.R.T./New York staff will only look at one draft and provide comments. We cannot review multiple drafts for you before the deadline.
  • A.R.T./New York staff will only review your narrative statement, budget, and budget notes. No other application documents may be sent for review prior to submitting your application.
  • Incomplete narratives (that do not answer all required narrative questions) or budgets that do not include accompanying budget notes will not be reviewed.
  • Our staff will look at the draft of your narrative and provide comments and guidance. We will not copy edit or rewrite your narrative for you.
  • The individuals providing comments are not voting members of the grant panel.

If you are seeking a review of your narrative statement and/or budget, please send a draft as a PDF attachment with your company's name in the file name to [email protected] by 10:00am on Monday, February 3, 2020. A member of the A.R.T./New York Programs Team will review it and provide comments by Monday, February 10, 2020.
 

The Dime Community Bank Fund for NYC Theatres is made possible with generous funding by lead sponsor Dime Community Bank, and through the support of the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, Mental Insight Foundation, and the New York State Council on the Arts.